Patent ID: 7369693
Filing Date: 2008-05-06
Classification: A61B,G06T,G16H

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method of creating and using a thoracic cage coordinate system from a thoracic cage, the thoracic cage comprising a plurality of individual rib centerlines, comprising: grouping pairs of individual rib centerlines into a plurality of rib centerline pairs; constructing a local coordinate system for each of the plurality of rib centerline pairs; constructing a global coordinate system using the local coordinate systems of the plurality of rib centerline pairs; and determining thoracic cage coordinates of a pathological location in the global coordinate system, wherein the pathological location is defined by a patient coordinate system, wherein constructing a local coordinate system for each of the plurality of rib centerline pairs comprises: computing a covariance matrix on the locations of all points on each of the plurality of rib centerline pairs; performing eigen-analysis on each of the covariance matrices to obtain three eigenvalues and three eigenvectors for each of the plurality of covariance matrices; forming a three-dimensional (“3D”) orthogonal basis from the three eigenvectors for each of the covariance matrices; and defining an origin on a spinal cord.