Patent ID: 7831295

Claim:
A method for cross checking data points obtained with a localization device during a surgical procedure, said method comprising the steps of: palpating at least three unaligned points on an object during the surgical procedure using a surgical tool tracked by a localization device, the three unaligned palpated points corresponding to three points obtained from a preoperative image of said object; determining the accuracy with which said localization device determines a location of one of said at least three unaligned palpated points by developing a coordinate transformation based on said at least three unaligned palpated points and said three corresponding points obtained from said preoperative image; palpating a check point during the surgical procedure using said surgical tool, the palpated check point corresponding to a fourth point obtained from the preoperative image; transforming said fourth corresponding point obtained from the preoperative image using said coordinate transformation; and comparing said palpated check point to said transformed corresponding point to determine if it is accurate; and generating an indicator if said palpated check point is inaccurate, said palpated check point being inaccurate if said palpated check point differs from said transformed corresponding point by more than a predefined amount.