METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INTRAOPERATIVE MEASUREMENTS OF ANATOMICAL ORIENTATION US CONTINUATION APPLICATION
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Accused Products
Abstract
Electronic devices that detect their position and/or orientation with respect to earth'"'"'s frame of reference are described. A coupler can removeably maintain the electronic devices in physical proximity of one another. Each electronic device can have a housing and the coupler can be included on the housing and arranged to physically connect the housing of the electronic device to the housing of at least one other electronic device. Alternatively, the coupler can be a packaging that maintains the electronic devices in physical proximity of one another. Each electronic device can be calibrated using the orientation or position information obtained by other electronic devices maintained by the coupler. Further, each electronic device can include a power source that remains inactive until the device is ready for use.
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Citations
46 Claims
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1-30. -30. (canceled)
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31. A method for determining at least one of an orientation or position of a medical instrument or an orientation or position of an anatomical feature on a patient, the method comprising:
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coupling an electronic device to the medical instrument or the anatomical feature of the patient, the electronic device being selected from among a plurality of electronic devices each configured to detect at least one of an orientation or a position of the electronic device with respect to earth'"'"'s frame of reference, the plurality of electronic devices being removeably coupled to one another in at least one of a similar orientation or a similar position and in physical proximity of one another; and determining at least one of the orientation or position of the medical instrument or the orientation or position of the anatomical feature of the patient based on the orientation or the position detected by the electronic device coupled thereto. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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Specification