Patent ID: 6381485
Filing Date: 2002-04-30
Classification: A61B,G06T

Abstract:
A system for displaying positions of a body element relative to a structure during a procedure on the body, the system comprising:memory for storing an image data set representing the position of the body element based on scans of the body element, the image data set having a plurality of data points in known relation to a plurality of reference points for the body element; a magnetic field generator for generating a magnetic field to be sensed by one or more magnetic field sensors placed in known and constant relation to the reference points of the body element and one or more magnetic field sensors placed on the structure for detecting the magnetic field and for generating positional signals in response to the detected magnetic field; a processor for receiving the signals from the magnetic field sensors and for ascertaining a location of the magnetic field sensors based upon the received signals, the processor auto-registering the position of the reference points of the body element with the known and constant position of the one or more magnetic field sensors associated with the body element to generate a displaced image data set representing the relative positions of the body element and the structure during the procedure; and a display utilizing the displaced image data set generated by the processor to display the relative position of the body element and the structure during the procedure, wherein said processor dynamically tracks movement of the body element relative to the structure.