Patent ID: 8208988

Claim:
A system for controlling a medical imaging device, comprising: a medical imaging device; a medical instrument having at least one tracking element, said medical instrument selectively engageable between a navigation function and a control function that is associated with operation of said medical imaging device; a navigation subsystem comprising (i) a transmitter adapted to transmit a signal that is received by said tracking element; and (ii) a navigation processing unit in communication with said transmitter and said at least one tracking element in order to track the orientation, position, and motion of said medical instrument; and a control subsystem in communication with said navigation subsystem, said control subsystem having a control processing unit that is operable to correlate at least one of the orientation, position, and motion of said medical instrument with a function associated with operation of said medical imaging device when said medical instrument operates in the control function, said control subsystem also being operable to direct said medical imaging device to perform the function associated with operation of said medical imaging device based on at least one of the orientation, position, and motion of said medical instrument.