Patent ID: 6934575
Filing Date: 2005-08-23
Classification: A61B,G01B,G06T

Abstract:
1. A method of monitoring a position of a medical instrument with respect to a patient's body and for displaying images of the patient's body responsive to the position of the medical instrument, said method comprising: securing a patient reference unit from movement with respect to the patient's body while permitting the patient's body to be moved within an operating environment; securing a remote unit from movement with respect to the medical instrument; positioning an operating environment reference unit within the operating environment; associating at least one field generator with at least one of the patient reference unit, the remote unit and the operating environment reference unit; associating at least one field sensor with at least one of the patient reference unit, the remote unit and the operating environment reference unit; generating a position characteristic field with the at least one field generator; producing position data responsive to a sensor output signal produced by the at least one field sensor that is responsive to the presence of the position characteristic field such that the sensor output signal is representative of a position of the remote unit with respect to the patient reference unit; obtaining image data representing a plurality of images of the patient's body; and displaying an image of the patient's body based on the image data and responsive to position image data that varies for different position data.