Patent ID: 7519415

Claim:
A method for conducting an image-supported surgical procedure implemented with a medical instrument having an instrument reference associated therewith, comprising the steps of: with an x-ray apparatus having a C-arm on which a radiation source and a radiation receiver are mounted, obtaining a two-dimensional x-ray image of a volume, in which a surgical procedure is to be implemented, of a living subject with the C-arm in at least one pivot position, and storing said two-dimensional x-ray image, said two-dimensional x-ray image having an image coordinate system associated therewith; with a freely moveable position detection device in a first position, detecting a position of a base reference system, that is stationary in space during acquisition of said two-dimensional x-ray image, said position detection device having a field of view; in a calibration procedure executed in a computer, determining a transformation rule between said base reference system and said image coordinate system of the two-dimensional x-ray image using rules specific to said x-ray apparatus that are acquired and stored in the calibration procedure; and during said surgical procedure conducted subsequent to said calibration procedure, placing said position detection device in a second position that is arbitrarily selectable relative to said first position to best encompass an instrument in said field of view that is used to implement said surgical procedure and, with said position detection device in said second position detecting, a position of the instrument reference, and in said computer, identifying the position of the instrument reference within said base reference system, and, using said transformation rule in said computer, mixing a representation of said instrument into the stored two-dimensional x-ray image with an accurate position to produce a mixed x-ray image available for visual display.