Patent ID: 6522907
Filing Date: 2003-02-18
Classification: A61B,G01B,G01S,G01V,H01F

Abstract:
A surgical navigation apparatus for navigating a surgical instrument during a medical procedure, said surgical navigation apparatus comprising:an input for receiving signals from an electromagnetic, sensor associated with the surgical instrument; a first magnetic field source configured to radiate a first magnetic field into an anatomical body during the medical procedure to be detected by said electromagnetic sensor, said first magnetic field source positioned at a first fixed and known location on a plane surface; a second magnetic field source configured to radiate a second magnetic field into the anatomical body during the medical procedure to be detected by said electromagnetic sensor, said second magnetic field source positioned at a second fixed and known location on the plane surface; a third magnetic field source configured to radiate a third magnetic field into the anatomical body during the medical procedure to be detected by said electromagnetic sensor, said third magnetic field source positioned at a third fixed and known location on the plane surface; and a processor associated with said input for receiving from said electromagnetic sensor signals indicative of said first, second, and third magnetic fields and for calculating based on the output of the electromagnetic sensor, both a location and an orientation of said electromagnetic sensor associated with the surgical instrument as a function of said first, second, and third magnetic fields detected by said electromagnetic sensor during the medical procedure.