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Navigation System for and Method of Tracking the Position of a Work Target

  • US 20150327948A1
  • Filed: 05/13/2015
  • Published: 11/19/2015
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2014
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A navigation system for tracking the position of a work target located inside a body, wherein the body is compressible and has a distortable outer surface, the navigation system comprising:

  • a trackable device comprising a plurality of tracking points configured to be secured to the distortable outer surface of the body, wherein the plurality of tracking points are configured to be moveable relative to each other when the trackable device is secured to the distortable outer surface of the body; and

    a computer-implemented tracking system that is adapted to remotely track the positions of each of the plurality of tracking points relative to a coordinate system, the computer-implemented tracking system including a computer processor arrangement adapted to implement a navigation routine that includes the following steps;

    accessing an initial model of the trackable device, the initial model having an initial shape based on initial locations of a set of the tracking points;

    registering the initial model of the trackable device with an initial position of the work target in an image of the work target;

    sensing a deformation of the trackable device with the computer-implemented tracking system after the step of registering the initial model of the trackable device;

    creating a refined model of the trackable device that compensates for the deformation of the trackable device; and

    calculating a current position of the work target from the refined model of the trackable device.

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