Patent ID: 8989844
Filing Date: 2015-03-24
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. An imaging system to monitor at least a surgical instrument in an operative site inside a volume in the body of an animal, said system comprising: a first structural imaging modality comprising at least one endoscopic camera to obtain data comprising video or photographic structural images of the operative site, the at least one endoscopic camera detecting visible or near IR radiation to form said video or photographic images of the operative site, a second structural imaging modality comprising at least one ultrasound imaging device to obtain ultrasound data on the operative site, a processor to process the endoscopic and ultrasound data obtained simultaneously by the endoscopic camera and the ultrasound imaging device respectively, the processor being configured to synthesize an enhanced image of the operative site by merging the ultrasound data with the data from the at least one endoscopic camera, wherein the imaging system further comprises at least three markers intended to be positioned in the operative site, said markers being mobile, each marker being adapted to be detected by both the endoscopic camera and the ultrasound imaging device, and said at least three markers forming a common reference system to be adapted by the processor to perform cross-mapping of the endoscopic and ultrasound data obtained simultaneously, wherein each marker includes: