Patent ID: 8073530

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a fiducial marker including: a substantially spherical fiducial locator locatable in an image using one or more imaging system modalities; and a shaft extending orthogonally outward from a curved portion of the spherical fiducial locator, wherein the shaft has an externally threaded portion at an end; and an externally-threaded self-tapping base having an internally threaded receptacle correspondingly sized and shaped to mate with the externally threaded portion of the shaft; wherein the externally-threaded self-tapping base is capable of being mounted entirely in a skull either flush to or recessed from an outer surface of the skull; wherein the shaft includes a pointed tip; wherein the spherical fiducial locator includes a plurality of conical divots each including an apex that is integrally located within the fiducial locator, such that a center of the image of the fiducial locator substantially coincides with the apex of the respective plurality of divots; wherein the spherical fiducial locator defines a generally spherical sealed interior cavity, except for the plurality of conical divots; wherein the spherical fiducial locator is operable for patient registration to the images because the spherical fiducial locator is locatable in the images of a patient and the spherical fiducial locator including the plurality of conical divots are locatable relative to the patient when the patient is in an operating room.