Patent Abstract:
Methods for accurately tracking position and orientation of a magnetic-field sensor in a tracking volume when a large magnetic-field distorter is present in the tracking volume. In some of the methods, magnetic field data is collected from within the tracking volume both with and without the large magnetic-field distorter present in the tracking volume. This data is used to obtain correction information that is subsequently used during real-time operation of the magnetic-field sensor to correct the position and orientation solutions for the sensor for magnetic-field distortions caused by the presence of the large magnetic-field distorter in the tracking volume. Others of the methods involve modeling the large magnetic-field distorter using dipole and multipole modeling. Magnetic tracking systems for implementing the methods include hardware and software for carrying out the methods.

Full Description:
RELATED APPLICATION DATA 
     This application is a continuation-in-part of International Application No. PCT/US08/65263, filed May 30, 2008, and titled “Systems and Methods for Compensating for Large Moving Objects in Magnetic-Tracking Environments,” that claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/942,009, filed Jun. 5, 2007, and titled “Method Of Compensating For Large Moving Objects In Electromagnetic Tracking Environments.” Each of these applications is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to the field of magnetic-tracking. In particular, the present invention is directed to systems and methods for compensating for large moving objects in magnetic-tracking environments. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Image-guided surgical procedures typically require placing surgical instruments, for example, catheters, scopes, probes, needles, ultrasound, ablators, drills, therapy delivery, therapy measure, physiological measure, etc., at a particular place, often at a particular orientation as well. Guiding these instruments in real-time is typically with respect to pre-acquired images from an imaging device, such as a computed tomography (CT) device, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device, etc., that are aligned with the guidance device. Images can also be acquired during the surgical procedure to update and correct pre-planned procedures, thus ensuring the best results practicable. 
     One of the best ways of guiding surgical instruments, both internal and external to a body being operated upon, is to use magnetic tracking technology. Numerous U.S. patents disclose magnetic tracking technology. These technologies all rely on a means of generating magnetic fields, sensing magnetic fields, and computing the position and orientation (P&amp;O) of a device using the sensed fields. A drawback of magnetic tracking technology is when a live imaging device, such as an X-ray image intensifier (a/k/a a “C-arm”), is used during the surgical procedure: the device causes significant inaccuracies in the determination of the P&amp;O. This inaccuracy is caused by the distortion of the magnetic field due to the metallic components of the imaging device, which are not accounted for (adequately, or at all) by the magnetic tracking algorithm being used. Many attempts have been made to account for these inaccuracies and are disclosed in numerous U.S. patents. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     In one implementation, the present disclosure is directed to a method of magnetic tracking in a tracking volume in the presence of movable magnetic-field distorter. The method includes: generating a magnetic field capable of being sensed by a magnetic-field sensor when the magnetic-field sensor is located in the tracking volume; obtaining first magnetic-field data regarding the magnetic field via the magnetic-field sensor while the magnetic-field sensor is in the tracking volume; calculating, within a machine, position and orientation of the magnetic-field sensor as a function of the first magnetic-field data and a difference between a first set of data items and a second set of data items, wherein the first set of data items results from second magnetic-field data collected from the tracking volume when the movable magnetic-field distorter is present in the tracking volume, and the second set of data items results from third magnetic-field data collected from the tracking volume when the movable magnetic-field distorter is not present in the tracking volume; and outputting from the machine information that is a function of the position and orientation of the magnetic-field sensor. 
     In another implementation, the present disclosure is directed to a system for magnetic tracking in a tracking volume in the presence of movable magnetic-field distorter. The system includes: a magnetic-field sensor; a magnetic field generator for generating a magnetic field capable of being sensed by the magnetic-field sensor when the magnetic-field sensor is located in the tracking volume; and means for: collecting first magnetic-field data regarding the magnetic field via the magnetic-field sensor while the magnetic-field sensor is in the tracking volume; and calculating position and orientation of the magnetic-field sensor as a function of the first magnetic-field data and a difference between a first set of data items and a second set of data items, wherein the first set of data items results from second magnetic-field data collected from the tracking volume when the movable magnetic-field distorter is present in the tracking volume, and the second set of data items results from third magnetic-field data collected from the tracking volume when the movable magnetic-field distorter is not present in the tracking volume. 
     In still another implementation, the present disclosure is directed to a computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions for use in performing a method of magnetic tracking in a tracking volume in the presence of movable magnetic-field distorter. The computer-executable instructions include: a first set of computer-executable instructions for obtaining first magnetic-field data regarding the magnetic field via the magnetic-field sensor while the magnetic-field sensor is in the tracking volume; a second set of computer-executable instructions for calculating position and orientation of the magnetic-field sensor as a function of the first magnetic-field data and a difference between a first set of data items and a second set of data items, wherein the first set of data items results from second magnetic-field data collected from the tracking volume when the movable magnetic-field distorter is present in the tracking volume, and the second set of data items results from third magnetic-field data collected from the tracking volume when the movable magnetic-field distorter is not present in the tracking volume; and a third set of computer-executable instructions for outputting from a machine information that is a function of the position and orientation of the magnetic-field sensor. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For the purpose of illustrating the invention, the drawings show aspects of one or more embodiments of the invention. However, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown in the drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic plan view of a surgical setting that includes a magnetic tracking system (MTS) that implements a method of improving the accuracy of the MTS; 
         FIGS. 2A-B  contain a flow diagram illustrating a method of improving accuracy of an MTS that can be used, for example, in the surgical setting of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a flow diagram illustrating another method of improving accuracy of an MTS that can be used, for example, in the surgical setting of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a flow diagram illustrating a further method of improving accuracy of an MTS that can be used, for example, in the surgical setting of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIGS. 5A-B  contain a flow diagram illustrating yet another method of improving accuracy of an MTS that can be used, for example, in the surgical setting of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6A  is a flow diagram illustrating a characterization phase of a multipole-model-based method that can be used to improve the accuracy of an MTS;  FIG. 6B  is a flow diagram illustrating a distortion compensation determination stage that may be used following the characterization phase of  FIG. 6A ; 
         FIG. 7  is a flow diagram illustrating a real-time distortion compensation phase that may be used following the distortion compensation determination phase; and 
         FIG. 8  is a block diagram of a computer system that may be used to implement a method of improving accuracy of an MTS. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     This application discloses novel methods of improving the accuracy of magnetic tracking systems (MTSs) when in the presence of one or more large, movable objects. Referring now to the drawings,  FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary setting, here a surgical setting  100 , in which any one of the novel methods of the present disclosure may be implemented. As those skilled in the art will readily appreciate, surgical setting  100  is but one example of settings in which a method of the present disclosure may be implemented and other settings will be recognizable to a skilled artisan. Other settings include helmet mounted sights used in both actual and simulated cockpits, VR applications (e.g., the CAVE), and labor and delivery assistive technology, to name a few. In this example, surgical setting  100  includes a C-arm  104 , which constitutes the large, movable object mentioned above. Surgical setting  100  also includes a procedure table  108 , an MTS  112  and a medical computer  116 , among other things that are not particularly shown and are not necessary to describe the broad concepts and implementations of the present invention. 
     In this example, MTS  112  includes a base electronics unit  120 , a six-degree-of-freedom (6DOF) sensor  124  and one or more magnetic field generators. In the present setup, a single magnetic field generator  128  is placed on the underside of procedure table  108 . A patient is not shown for clarity. That said, those skilled in the art will understand that 6DOF sensor  124  may be located inside or outside the patient depending on the procedure being performed and/or the stage of the procedure and whether or not the patient is present. In one example, 6DOF sensor  124  and magnetic field generator  128  may be obtained from Ascension Technology Corporation, Milton, Vt. Base electronics unit  120  contains the circuitry and other components for providing the base functionality of MTS  112 . MTS  112  is in communication with medical computer  116 , which provides, among other things, the remaining functionality of the MTS, such as a graphical user interface and display. As those skilled in the art will readily appreciate, medical computer  116  may be a general purpose computer specially adapted for an operating room environment and may include one or more displays  132  for providing images, graphics and other visual information and/or graphical input functionality to medical personnel during use. In some cases, a reference sensor  136  may be used for correcting the accuracy of MTS  112 , as described below. In other cases, one or more additional reference sensors  140  may be use for correcting the accuracy of MTS  112 . Each of reference sensors  136 ,  140  may be any magnetic sensor suitable for this application and may be located inside or outside the patient depending on the procedure being performed and/or the stage of the procedure and whether or not the patient is present. Reference sensors do not need to be placed at “fixed” locations. While some applications benefit from having the reference sensor fixed, other applications may require the reference to move. Allowing the reference to move provides a means for negating the effects of respiratory, heart, or other patient movements on the tracked sensor (dynamic compensation). Measured movement of the reference sensor(s) can be subtracted from the tracked sensor(s) to achieve “quasi-stationary” tracked sensor measurements, free from motion artifact. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 2A-B , and also to  FIG. 1 ,  FIGS. 2A-B  illustrate a method  200  of calculating corrected position and orientation (P&amp;O) of a sensor in a setting that contains a large, movable object that may be moved during the time that P&amp;O information is needed. For convenience, method  200  is described in the context of surgical setting  100  of  FIG. 1 . Consequently, the sensor under consideration is 6DOF sensor  124  and the large, movable object under consideration is C-arm  104 . Those skilled in the art will understand that although method  200  is explained in the context of surgical setting  100  of  FIG. 1 , this method may indeed be used in other settings. At step  201 , which is performed prior to performing the surgical procedure utilizing MTS  112 , 6DOF sensor  124  is placed at or near a desired location, such as the location depicted in  FIG. 1 . This can be accomplished by the use of imaging available via C-arm  104 , or not, and using tracking by MTS  112 . After 6DOF sensor  124  is placed, C-arm  104  is withdrawn from surgical setting  100 , and at steps  203  and  205 , respectively, MTS  112  measures the fields at the sensor and calculates the P&amp;O of the sensor. The sensed field data S 0  and the calculated P&amp;O L 0  are saved at respective steps  207  and  209  for further processing. C-arm  104  is then brought back into surgical setting  100 . 6DOF sensor  124  may be located inside or outside the patient depending on the procedure being performed and/or the stage of the procedure and whether or not the patient is present. Multiple measurements of the 6DOF sensor  124  may be obtained with and without the C-arm  104  in place but during patient movements to accomplish dynamic compensation. 
     After C-arm  104  has been brought back into surgical setting  100 , at steps  211  and  213 , respectively, new field measurements are collected using 6DOF sensor  124  and the P&amp;O of the sensor is calculated. The sensed field data Sc and the calculated P&amp;O Lc are saved at respective steps  215  and  217 . It is noted that in the present example, the calculations may be performed by base electronics unit  120 , medical computer  116  or a combination of both, depending on the setups of these components. Similarly, sensed field data S 0 , Sc and calculated P&amp;O L 0 , Lc may be stored in base electronics unit  120 , medical computer  116  or a combination of both. 
     At respective steps  219 ,  221  each set of field data S 0 , Sc is rotated to achieve zero orientation using corresponding matrices A 0 , Ac to rotate the fields. Each matrix A 0 , Ac is calculated from the corresponding respective orientation portion of P&amp;O L 0 , Lc calculated at steps  205 ,  213 , respectively, in a manner known in the art. These corrections are transformed into a zero sensor orientation reference frame so that they may be retransformed into any other orientation. Other methods may also be used to rotate the fields, and it may be advantageous to transform them into something other than a zero sensor orientation reference frame. At corresponding respective steps  223  and  225 , ranges R 0 , Rc (as determined from steps  205 ,  213 ) are backed out of zero orientation matrices A 0 , Ac. Ranges R 0 , Rc can also be determined by other methods known in the art that are found in magnetic tracking algorithms and, in certain cases, may not need to be accounted for. 
     The resulting matrices contain information that can be extracted and used to provide corrections. This is represented in steps  227 ,  229  of method  200 . In this example, the important properties calculated/obtained in steps  227 ,  229  are identified as components V_ 0 , V_c of matrices V 0 , Vc, respectively and the difference between these matrices is used for correction of the distorting field. At step  231  the difference (dig) between matrices V 0 , Vc is calculated. Once this data is collected and saved, the run time collection of distorted field data can be started at step  233 . In step  235 , this data is also decomposed by singular value decomposition into three matrices. At this point, the V matrix is no longer ideal, so to correct it, the dV matrix is added to it at step  237 . At step  239  orientation is then corrected by multiplying the result of step  237  by the A 0   t ·Ac t  (which also happens to equal the inverse of A 0 ·Ac). At step  241   a  corrected P&amp;O for 6DOF sensor  124  is calculated using the matrix resulting from step  239  by methods known in the art. The corrected P&amp;O is output at step  243 . It is noted that small displacements of 6DOF sensor  124  off from the original measurement will still benefit from this correction, but will degrade as the sensor is moved further away from its original measurement position. Small displacements may occur, for example, during respiration, mechanical heart motion, or other patient movements. 
     For a 5DOF sensor (not shown), only one vector need be measured. Therefore, corrections are only applicable if the sensor does not change position or orientation much from the original measurement. Measurements from 6DOF sensors, such as 6DOF sensor  124  of  FIG. 1 , can be used to correct both 6DOF and 5DOF sensors. Multiple 5DOF sensors, or measurements taken at various positions and orientations using 5DOF sensors, can also correct both 6DOF and 5DOF sensors. 
     Multiple sensor data sets (fields and P&amp;O) can also be collected for use with method  200  of  FIGS. 2A-B . While it is often preferable to collect the data sets with 6DOF sensors for maximum collection efficiency, 5DOF sensors can also be used. In certain applications, robotic instrumentation may place the sensors at known positions and orientations. In other applications, one or more surgical instruments, for example, catheters, probes, needles, etc., may place multiple sensors at multiple locations. The placement may be determined by an MTS, for example, MTS  112  of  FIG. 1 , when the large, movable object is removed from the sensor region, for example, when C-arm  104  is retracted, or may be determined by other means such as 2D fluoroscopy. While it is often preferred that all the data be collected from the multiple sensors in parallel, a single sensor may be translated and rotated throughout the area requiring compensation in order to build up a complete data set if needed. Single and multiple sensors may also be repositioned in space by repositioning the patient or taking advantage of patient movement artifact due to respiration, mechanical heart motion, etc. 
     At step  231  dV is typically calculated from an interpolated set of data. The same typically occurs at step  239 , wherein the rotation matrices arise from an interpolated set of data. A minimum set of data for interpolation comes from at least four non-coplanar locations, with more data generally providing better results. Any number of methods may be used for the interpolation, depending on the data collected. This can be a polynomial fit, a spline, a table lookup, a Fourier or wavelet transform, the results from a partial differential equation solver, etc. Extrapolation can also be performed, but with worse results typical beyond the enclosed volume. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a method  300  that can also be used to calculate corrected P&amp;O of a sensor in a setting that contains a large, movable object that acts to distort magnetic fields in its vicinity. For convenience, method  300 , like method  200 , is described in the context of surgical setting of  FIG. 1 , with the understanding that this context is merely exemplary of different settings in which method  300  can be implemented. Those skilled in the art will readily understand how to adapt method  300  to the setting under consideration. 
     At a high level, instead of using field differences dV as in method  200  of  FIGS. 2A-B , method  300  uses the P&amp;O solutions before and after introducing C-arm  104  ( FIG. 1 ) into surgical setting  100 . As seen below, suitable rotation and translation are calculated to bring the P&amp;O solution back to the original value (before introduction of C-arm  104 ). This transformation is used on all subsequent P&amp;O calculations. This provides a purely relative measurement for localization. In many procedures, P&amp;O of one sensor with respect to another sensor is all that is required for accurate localization of the second sensor. Sensors may be located inside or outside the patient depending on the procedure being performed and/or the stage of the procedure and whether or not the patient is present. Reference sensors do not need to be placed at “fixed” locations. While some applications benefit from having the reference sensor fixed, other applications may require the reference to move. Allowing the reference to move provides a means for negating the effects of respiratory, heart, or other patient movements on the tracked sensor (dynamic compensation). Measured movement of the reference sensor(s) can be subtracted from the tracked sensor(s) to achieve “quasi-stationary” tracked sensor measurements, free from motion artifact. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , and also occasionally to  FIG. 1 , at step  301  reference sensor  136  is placed at a known location, for example, at an anatomical landmark (not shown). Such a known location can be determined using C-arm  104  or other means, such as ultrasound, if needed. At step  303 , if C-arm  104  is present, the actual P&amp;O data R 1  for reference sensor  136  is determined by any suitable means other than MTS  112 . However, if C-arm  104  is not present, MTS  112  can be used to determine actual P&amp;O data R 1  for reference sensor  136 . At step  305 , with the C-arm in the tracking volume, actual data is collected by MTS  112  and reference sensor  136 , and the distorted P&amp;O data S 1  of the reference sensor is calculated. The two sets of P&amp;O data R 1 , S 1  for reference sensor  136  from steps  303  and  305  are stored, respectively, at steps  307  and  309 . 
     Any distortion error will distort reference sensor  136  and the real-time tracked sensor(s), here 6DOF sensor  124 , in a similar manner, allowing computing of the P&amp;O of the tracked sensor(s) with respect to the reference sensor and suffer only a small error. To accomplish this, at step  311   a  best-fit transformation matrix T is calculated as between the actual P&amp;O R 1  of reference sensor  136  and the P&amp;O solution S 1  with or without C-arm  104 . The transformation consists of a translation and a rotation. Calculating transformation matrix T can be accomplished in many ways, as is known in the art. After transformation matrix T has been calculated, real-time calculation of actual P&amp;O data S 2  for 6DOF sensor  124  can begin at step  313 , for example, during an actual surgical procedure. At step  315  transformation matrix T from step  311  is then applied to the P&amp;O data calculated from 6DOF sensor  124 , with the corrected P&amp;O solution being output at step  317 . A simple version of method  300  is to use a fixed reference sensor (on or near the patient in this example) and calculate the P&amp;O of the second sensor with respect to the fixed reference sensor. In this case, both the reference and real-time tracked sensors are subjected to almost the same distortion effects, so a simple subtraction removes the distortion effects. If the reference moves due to respiratory, heart, or other patient movements the measured movement of the reference sensor(s) can be subtracted from the tracked sensor(s) to achieve “quasi-stationary” tracked sensor measurements, free from motion artifact. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a method  400  that is based on method  300  of  FIG. 3  and involves placing multiple reference sensors in the volume of interest at known locations. With these sensors all at known locations, interpolation methods are used to further increase the accuracy of the position determination of the tracked sensor, again with or without moving the large, movable object out of the tracking volume. A suitable rotation and translation are calculated to bring the P&amp;O solutions of the reference sensors back to the original value (before introduction of the large, movable object). This transformation is used on all subsequent P&amp;O calculations. This provides a purely relative measurement for localization. As mentioned above, in many procedures P&amp;O of one sensor with respect to another sensor is all that is required for accurate localization of the second sensor. Sensors may be located inside or outside the patient depending on the procedure being performed and/or the stage of the procedure and whether or not the patient is present. If the reference sensors move due to respiratory, heart, or other patient movements the measured movement of the reference sensor(s) can be subtracted from the tracked sensor(s) to achieve “quasi-stationary” tracked sensor measurements, free from motion artifact. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , and also occasionally to  FIG. 1 , at step  401  of method  400  reference sensors  136 ,  140  are placed at corresponding respective anatomical landmarks (not shown) or at other known locations. Such known locations can be determined using C-arm  104  or other means, such as ultrasound, if needed. At step  403 , if C-arm  104  is present, the actual P&amp;O data R 1 -Rn for reference sensors  136 ,  140  is determined by any suitable means other than MTS  112 . However, if C-arm  104  is not present, MTS  112  can be used to determine actual P&amp;O data R 1 -Rn for reference sensors  136 ,  140 . At step  405 , with the C-arm in the tracking volume, actual data is collected by MTS  112  and reference sensors  136 ,  140 , and the distorted P&amp;O data S 1 -Sn for the reference sensors is calculated. The two sets of P&amp;O data R 1 -Rn, S 1 -Sn for reference sensors  136 ,  140  from steps  403  and  405  are stored, respectively, at steps  407  and  409 . 
     Any distortion error will distort reference sensors  136 ,  140  and 6DOF sensor  124  in a similar manner, allowing computing of the P&amp;O of the 6DOF sensor with respect to the reference sensors and suffer only a small error. To accomplish this, at step  411  best-fit transformation matrices T 1 -Tn are calculated that convert the actual P&amp;Os R 1 -Rn of reference sensors  136 ,  140  into the P&amp;O solution S 1 -Sn. Each transformation consists of a translation and a rotation. Calculating transformation matrices T 1 -Tn can be accomplished in many ways, as is known in the art. At step  413  an interpolation function ƒ is formed from transformation matrices T 1 -Tn. Function ƒ is interpolated and/or extrapolated to yield corrections within the volume defined by the space where the correction data was collected. A minimum set of data comes from at least four non-coplanar locations, with more data being better. Any number of methods may be used for the interpolation/extrapolation at step  413 , depending on the data collected. This may be a polynomial fit, a spline, a table lookup, etc. The interpolation will be a function of position and orientation of the P&amp;O calculated by each real-time tracked sensor. After function ƒ has been formed, real-time calculation of actual P&amp;O data S 3  for 6DOF sensor  124  can begin at step  415 , for example, during an actual surgical procedure. At step  417  function ƒ from step  413  is then applied to the P&amp;O data calculated from 6DOF sensor  124 , with the corrected P&amp;O solution being output at step  419 . 
       FIGS. 5A-B  illustrate a method  500  that can be used to calculate corrected P&amp;O of a sensor in a setting that contains a large, movable object that acts to distort magnetic fields in its vicinity. For convenience, method  500  is described in two parts: Part 1 ( FIG. 5A ) details an initialization stage, while Part 2 ( FIG. 5B ) describes use of data obtained in the initialization phase. At a high level, and as described below in more detail, field data collected from multiple sensors (or one sensor translated/rotated to multiple locations), is used to determine the position, orientation and strength of imaginary dipoles that can account for the distortion effects. A sufficient number of measurements are required to calculate this. For dipole fitting, the minimum number of data points is five, but more data provides a better fit. The fit can be determined using non-linear least squares techniques, Kalman filtering, or other known methods that allow the solution. Multiple dipoles can be fit if a sufficient quantity of field data is collected. Once the imaginary dipoles are calculated, their effects on the fields can be calculated for any position and orientation of a sensor within the tracking volume. Sensors may be located inside or outside the patient depending on the procedure being performed and/or the stage of the procedure and whether or not the patient is present. If the reference sensors move due to respiratory, heart, or other patient movements the measured movement of the reference sensor(s) can be subtracted from the tracked sensor(s) to achieve “quasi-stationary” tracked sensor measurements, free from motion artifact. 
     With that general overview in mind, attention is now directed to  FIG. 5A , and also to  FIG. 1 . Again, surgical setting  100  of  FIG. 1  is simply used for convenience to describe the broad concepts of method  500 . In other words, the broad concepts of method  500  may be used in other settings. At step  501  in  FIG. 5A  multiple sensors, such as sensors  136 ,  140  (note that in this method sensors  136 ,  140  are not used as “reference” sensors in the same manner as discussed above relative to methods  200  and  300 ) are placed at known locations. At step  503  field data from sensors  124 ,  136 ,  140  is collected with C-arm  104  placed at a known location and orientation. (This can also be accomplished by placing a single sensor in multiple locations and collecting data in a serial manner.) Because sensors  124 ,  136 ,  140  are at known locations and orientations, at step  505  the field data expected at these places can be calculated. At step  507 , the difference between the calculated field data and the measured field data is calculated and stored as a difference matrix dF. Using this difference matrix dF and the sensor placement and the C-arm placement from step  503 , the parameters of a dipole model may be calculated at step  509  using an initial guess of dipole parameters and tolerance provided at step  511 . The parameters calculated at step  509  can include a scale term (one parameter) and location and orientation terms (five parameters). More detailed models may contain additional parameters, as is known in the art. The method of determining the parameters includes non-linear least squares techniques, Kalman filtering, or other methods that allow the solution. 
     Once the dipole model parameters are calculated, at step  513  these parameters are plugged into the model to calculate the field contribution M based on the data collected in step  503 . At step  515  field contributions M are compared against difference matrix dF. If the absolute difference between field contributions M and difference matrix dF is smaller than the user-supplied tolerance supplied at step  511 , the parameters are saved off at step  517 . At step  519 , it is determined whether additional models are desired for other locations of C-arm  104 . If so, C-arm  104  is moved to a new location and steps  503  through  519  are repeated to construct an additional model for different placements of C-arm  104 . This process may be repeated to create models for all desired placements of C-arm  104 . If no further models are desired at step  519 , method  500  may continue to step  521  of Part 2 ( FIG. 5B ). 
     Referring to  FIG. 5A , if at step  515  it is determined that the absolute difference between field contributions M and difference matrix dF is not smaller than the user-supplied tolerance supplied at step  511 , at step  523  difference matrix dF is updated with the difference between field contributions M and difference matrix dF and method  500  re-enters step  509 . An additional model is determined as before, and this process repeats until a sufficient number of models are determined to adequately fit the distortion from C-arm  104 , as determined by the tolerance check at step  515 . Again, tolerance is a user input that a user inputs at step  511  and is determined by how much error can be tolerated in the tracking algorithm. 
     After all the models and their parameters are determined in Part 1, the runtime dipole use of Part 2 ( FIG. 5B ) comes into play. At step  521  a real-time tracked sensor, here 6DOF sensor  124 , is introduced and the P&amp;O data for this sensor is calculated from its field data S 3 , and this field data is saved. At step  525 , the location and orientation of C-arm  104  is identified by some mechanism, such as a controller (not shown) for the C-arm, as was used when the dipoles were modeled in Part 1. It is noted that if enough configurations of C-arm  104  are modeled, intermediate C-arm configurations can be interpolated to yield interpolated parameters to non-parameterized locations. At step  527 , the contribution of the dipoles (D) is calculated based on the present P&amp;O calculated at step  521 . It is understood at the startup of this algorithm that the P&amp;O is incorrect due to the fact that no modeled sources have yet been applied. The contributions to the fields are added (S 3 +D) at step  529 . At step  531 , this modified field data S 3  is used to calculate a new P&amp;O solution. 
     At optional step  533 , it is determined whether the P&amp;O solution of step  531  has settled and/or whether the modified field data S 3  calculated at step  529  has settled. If a P&amp;O solution that is settled to its final value is desired, step  533  compares the immediately previous P&amp;O solution with the present one. If they are similar enough (last cycle&#39;s P&amp;O solution approximately equal to the present cycles P&amp;O and/or last cycle&#39;s field data S 3  approximately equal to this cycle&#39;s field data S 3 ), then the result is output at step  535 . If they are not close enough, another iteration of correction is made by returning method  500  to step  527 . In those situations where the corrections may never be good enough or timing is of a concern, a limitation on the number of branch backs can be provided, for example, by integrating a counter into step  533 . In many applications, however, step  533  need not be used such that the P&amp;O solution from step  531  is directly output at step  535 , as indicated by dashed line  537 . This will provide continuous output for every P&amp;O solution. Once the P&amp;O calculation settles after startup, real-time operation and correction tends to keep up because changes are based on incremental changes to the dipole D matrix. 
     Since motorized C-arms are common, data collected from known C-arm placements can be stored in a database (that, in the context of surgical setting  100  of  FIG. 1 , may reside in medical computer  116 ) to facilitate the distortion compensation. If the C-arm is placed at an already compensated location, the database is queried for the compensation data and applied forthwith. As noted, a C-arm can be modeled as one or more dipoles (also by differing dipoles at differing P&amp;Os of the C-arm). This data can be collected once the C-arm is installed at a hospital, for example, and the dipole models can be stored as a function of C-arm position/orientation. Intermediate C-arm P&amp;Os could be modeled by interpolating the predetermined dipole models. As a further enhancement, if C-arm P&amp;O is not readily available, a fixed sensor in the tracking environment could monitor the distortion in the environment when the C-arm is positioned/oriented. This data, either distorted field data or distorted sensor P&amp;O data, would then be mapped to the dipole models so that the correct model would be used. 
     One or more sensors can also be mounted to the field generator  128  or in the head of the C-arm, at known locations, to facilitate data collection. Sensors mounted in the transmitter are already at known, fixed positions and orientations. Sensors mounted on the C-arm need to be mounted in a known geometry. This sensor configuration would be characterized before installation on the C-arm. Once mounted, the distortion effect of the C-arm is measured and used to further refine the imaginary dipole calculations. 
     Other dipole determination methods are also disclosed in the literature and in patents. Some of these methods work in a similar manner, by first collecting field data from multiple sensors  503 , fitting dipoles to data  509 , calculating dipole contributions  513  and saving the dipole parameters for future use  517 . For example, submarine warfare utilizes techniques for modeling submarines as dipoles. Magneto-encephalograms and certain cardiac electro-physiology applications also model various conditions using dipoles. 
       FIGS. 6A-B  are directed to portions of a method in which multipole fields are used to characterize the distorter, i.e., the large movable object (e.g., a C-arm). Discussions and methods directed to multipole modeling are disclosed in “Magnetic-Multipole Techniques for Moveable-Scatterer Compensation,” Raab, F., and Brewster, C., Technical Report AAMRL-TR-88-054, November 1988, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Multipole moments are linearly related to the transmitted magnetic field and its gradients by a set of scattering coefficients. Scattering coefficients are determined from field measurements by applying, for example, linear coefficient fitting techniques. 
     Scalar magnetic potential theory is used to define a set of gradients that excite the multipole moments. Transformations for computing the distorting field from an arbitrarily positioned and oriented distorter (e.g., a C-arm) can be obtained by transforming the scalar magnetic potential gradients from one coordinate system to another. While it is preferred to have closed form solutions for the scatterer, mapping can be used to handle difficult, hard to characterize, gradients. 
     Referring to  FIG. 6A , this figure details a characterization phase  600  wherein the distorter, for example, a movable imaging device such as C-arm  104  of  FIG. 1 , is characterized. At step  601  a field measurement sensor, for example 6DOF sensor  124  of  FIG. 1 , is moved about a tracking volume and magnetic field measurements are taken without the distorter present. Typically, this sensor would measure the three vector components from each of the positions in the volume of interest (i.e., the tracking volume). It is also possible to use multiple, single component measurements to build up this information. 
     The measurement data from step  601  is then curve fit at step  603  to extract the scalar magnetic potentials (g j ). These gradients are multidimensional partial derivatives of the measured magnetic fields. If the fields are not known, or not known well enough, then the gradients can be determined numerically. This can be accomplished when using polynomials or splines, which can be manipulated to determine derivatives, for example. This can be done by many methods known in the art, including polynomials, splines, rational functions, trigonometric functions, wavelets, to name a few. If a known function is available describing the fields and scatterer, then these are used directly instead of performing step  603 . 
     The distorter is now introduced and, at step  605  the tracking volume is again mapped as was done at step  601 . With this data available, at step  607  the induced moments (p k ) are extracted from the distorted data. Given p k  and g j , at step  609  the scattering matrices (s k,j ) are calculated from the following equation: 
               p   k     =       ∑     j   =   1     J     ⁢       s     k   ,   j       ⁢       g   j     ⁡     (     x   ,   y   ,   z     )                 
This can be performed by methods known in the art, which include least squares methods for best fitting the scattering matrices to the data. The resulting matrices and gradients are saved at step  611 . These results will be used in a distortion compensation determination phase  620  as detailed in  FIG. 6B .
 
     Referring to  FIG. 6B , at step  621  the P&amp;O of the scatterer (i.e., distorter, e.g., a C-arm) are determined. For this, the scatterer may be instrumented so that its P&amp;O are noted and/or controlled with respect to the tracking volume. This can also be achieved with a dedicated sensor mounted on the scatterer that is in the tracking volume. After the P&amp;O of the scatterer are known, at step  623  the gradients and scattering matrices saved at step  611  of  FIG. 6A  are evaluated at the position of the scatterer and rotated. At step  625  the rotated gradient and scattering matrices are then used to calculate the moments. At step  627  the scattered field components are then calculated, and at step  629  the field components are transformed into the desired tracking reference frame. 
     The scattered components calculated at step  627  are then used to correct for distortion as shown in  FIG. 7 , which details a method  700  of applying the distortion correction to an MTS. At step  701  field measurements are obtained from a sensor within the tracking volume discussed above relative to  FIGS. 6A-B . The sensor may be located inside or outside the patient depending on the procedure being performed and/or the stage of the procedure and whether or not the patient is present. At the startup of method  700 , no adjustments are available for the summation at step  703 , and so the field measurements pass unchanged (i.e., initially, the corrected fields output at step  705  is equals to the field measurements input at step  701 ) through summation step  703 . At step  707  the P&amp;O of the sensor is calculated from the corrected fields at step  705  and is output to a user at step  709 . The P&amp;O algorithm used at step  707  may be any suitable algorithm known in the art. At step  711 , the calculated P&amp;O of step  709  is used to determine the scattered field components that effect it. At step  713  corrections are output from step  711 . These corrections are then low pass filtered at step  715  to inhibit excessive changes between iterations, but this is not a necessity. At step  703  the filtered corrections are then added into the next field readings from step  701  and the process repeats. 
     In some embodiments, where distortion is at a minimum, or in the limiting case, non-existent, reference sensors may still be used to gain some advantage. As described above, reference sensors can compensate for patient or patient organ movement. This is true independent of the method of distortion compensation applied. 
     As will be readily understood by those skilled in the art, many steps of any one of methods  200 ,  300 ,  400 ,  500 ,  700  and phases  600 ,  620  may be performed by one or more computers, such as medical computer  116  of  FIG. 1 , and/or other machine(s), such as based electronics unit  120  of  FIG. 1 . Such computers and machines are typically microprocessor-based and can be programmed according to the teachings of the present specification, as will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the computer arts. Appropriate software coding can readily be prepared by skilled programmers based on the teachings of the present disclosure, as will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the software art. 
     Such software may be a computer program product that employs one or more machine-readable media and/or one or more machine-readable signals. A machine-readable medium may be any medium that is capable of storing and/or encoding a sequence of instructions for execution by a machine (e.g., a general purpose computing device) and that causes the machine to perform any one of the methodologies and/or embodiments described herein. Examples of a machine-readable medium include, but are not limited to, a magnetic disk (e.g., a conventional floppy disk, a hard drive disk), an optical disk (e.g., a compact disk “CD”, such as a readable, writeable, and/or re-writable CD; a digital video disk “DVD”, such as a readable, writeable, and/or rewritable DVD), a magneto-optical disk, a read-only memory “ROM” device, a random access memory “RAM” device, a magnetic card, an optical card, a solid-state memory device (e.g., a flash memory), an EPROM, an EEPROM, and any combination thereof. A machine-readable medium, as used herein, is intended to include a single medium as well as a collection of physically separate media, such as, for example, a collection of compact disks or one or more hard disk drives in combination with a computer memory. 
     Examples of a computing device include, but are not limited to, a computer workstation, a terminal computer, a server computer, a handheld device (e.g., tablet computer, a personal digital assistant “PDA”, a mobile telephone, etc.), a web appliance, a network router, a network switch, a network bridge, a computerized device, such as a wireless sensor or dedicated proxy device, any machine capable of executing a sequence of instructions that specify an action to be taken by that machine, and any combination thereof. Medical devices, e.g., a C-arm, that are now digitally enhanced, could also include the computing device necessary to perform methods  200 ,  300 ,  400 ,  500 ,  700  and phases  600 ,  620 . 
       FIG. 8  shows a diagrammatic representation of one embodiment of a computing device in the exemplary form of a computer system  800  within which a set of instructions for causing the device to perform any one or more of the aspects and/or methodologies of the present disclosure may be executed. Computer system  800  includes a processor  804  (e.g., a microprocessor or DSP) (more than one may be provided) and a memory  808  that communicate with each other, and with other components, via a bus  812 . Bus  812  may include any of several types of bus structures including, but not limited to, a memory bus, a memory controller, a peripheral bus, a local bus, and any combination thereof, using any of a variety of bus architectures well known in the art. 
     Memory  808  may include various components including, but not limited to, a random access read/write memory component (e.g, a static RAM (SRAM), a dynamic RAM (DRAM), etc.), a read only component, and any combination thereof. In one example, a basic input/output system  816  (BIOS), including basic routines that help to transfer information between elements within computer system  800 , such as during start-up, may be stored in memory  808 . Memory  808  may also include (e.g., stored on one or more machine-readable media) instructions (e.g., software)  820  embodying any one or more of the aspects and/or methodologies of the present disclosure. In another example, memory  808  may further include any number of instruction sets including, but not limited to, an operating system, one or more application programs, other program modules, program data, and any combination thereof. 
     Computer system  800  may also include one or more storage devices  824 . Examples of storage devices suitable for use as any one of the storage devices  824  include, but are not limited to, a hard disk drive device that reads from and/or writes to a hard disk, a magnetic disk drive device that reads from and/or writes to a removable magnetic disk, an optical disk drive device that reads from and/or writes to an optical media (e.g., a CD, a DVD, etc.), a solid-state memory device, and any combination thereof. Each storage device  824  may be connected to bus  812  by an appropriate interface (not shown). Example interfaces include, but are not limited to, Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI), advanced technology attachment (ATA), serial ATA, universal serial bus (USB), IEEE 13144 (FIREWIRE), and any combination thereof. In one example, storage device  824  may be removably interfaced with computer system  800  (e.g., via an external port connector (not shown)). Particularly, storage device  824  and an associated machine-readable medium  828  may provide nonvolatile and/or volatile storage of machine-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, and/or other data and/or data storage for computer system  800 . In one example, software  820  may reside, completely or partially, within machine-readable medium  828 . In another example, software  820  may reside, completely or partially, within processor  804 . 
     In some embodiments, such as a general purpose computer, computer system  800  may also include one or more input devices  832 . In one example, a user of computer system  800  may enter commands and/or other information into the computer system via one or more of the input devices  832 . Examples of input devices that can be used as any one of input devices  832  include, but are not limited to, an alpha-numeric input device (e.g., a keyboard), a pointing device, a joystick, an audio input device (e.g., a microphone, a voice response system, etc.), a cursor control device (e.g., a mouse), a touchpad, an optical scanner, a video capture device (e.g., a still camera, a video camera), touchscreen, a digitizer pad, and any combination thereof. Each input device  832  may be interfaced to bus  812  via any of a variety of interfaces (not shown) including, but not limited to, a serial interface, a parallel interface, a game port, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, a FIREWIRE interface, a direct interface to the bus, a wireless interface (e.g., a Bluetooth® connection) and any combination thereof. 
     Commands and/or other information may be input to computer system  800  via storage device  824  (e.g., a removable disk drive, a flash drive, etc.) and/or one or more network interface devices  836 . A network interface device, such as network interface device  836 , may be utilized for connecting computer system  800  to one or more of a variety of networks, such as network  840 , and one or more remote devices  844  connected thereto. Examples of a network interface device include, but are not limited to, a network interface card, a modem, a wireless transceiver (e.g., a Bluetooth® transceiver) and any combination thereof. Examples of a network include, but are not limited to, a wide area network (e.g., the Internet, an enterprise network), a local area network (e.g., a network associated with an office, a building, a campus, a group of wireless sensors or other group of data streaming devices, or other relatively small geographic space), a telephone network, a direct connection between two computing devices, and any combination thereof. A network, such as network  840 , may employ a wired and/or a wireless mode of communication. In general, any network topology may be used. Information (e.g., data, software  820 , etc.) may be communicated to and/or from computer system  800  via the one or more network interface devices  836 . 
     In some embodiments, such as a general purpose or medical computer, computer system  800  may further include a video display adapter  848  for communicating a displayable image to a display device, such as display device  852 . Examples of a display device include, but are not limited to, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a cathode ray tube (CRT), a plasma display, and any combination thereof. In addition to a display device, a computer system  800  may include one or more other peripheral output devices including, but not limited to, an audio speaker, a printer, and any combination thereof. Such peripheral output devices may be connected to bus  812  via a peripheral interface  856 . Examples of a peripheral interface include, but are not limited to, a serial port, a USB connection, a FIREWIRE connection, a parallel connection, and any combination thereof. 
     In some embodiments, computations and data storage may be distributed over multiple devices. Data relating to C-arm calibration, for example, might reside with the C-arm, while P&amp;O calculations might occur in base electronics unit  120  and the corrections might occur in medical computer  116 . The Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) standard for distributing and viewing any kind of medical image regardless of the origin could also be used for enabling methods  200 ,  300 ,  400 ,  500 ,  700  and phases  600 ,  620 , while integrating C-arm imaging. 
     A digitizer (not shown) and an accompanying pen/stylus, if needed, may be included in order to digitally capture freehand input. A pen digitizer may be separately configured or coextensive with a display area of display device  852 . Accordingly, a digitizer may be integrated with display device  852 , or may exist as a separate device overlaying or otherwise appended to the display device. 
     Exemplary embodiments have been disclosed above and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, omissions and additions may be made to that which is specifically disclosed herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Technology Classification (CPC): 0