Hybrid 3-D probe tracked by multiple sensors
First Claim
1. A system to track the three-dimensional position of an object within a defined volume comprising:
- a first tracking system to determine a first indication of the position of the object;
a second tracking system independent of the first tracking system to determine a second indication of the position of the object;
a first circuit operative to compare the first indication of the position with the second indication of the position of the object;
a second circuit coupled to the first circuit and operative to determine a variance between the second indication of the position of the object and the first indication of the position of the object; and
a third circuit coupled to the first and second circuits and operative to update the variance.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
This invention is a system that tracks the 3-dimensional position and orientation of one or more bodies (20) in a volume by a light based as well as at least one non-light based mensuration sub-system. This overcomes the limitation of light based mensuration systems to the necessity of the bodies (20) to be in constant line-of-sight of its light based position sensors (26). The invention possesses most of the accuracy and stability of its light based position measurement sub-system (24, 26, 72), but can also work without direct line of sight either for short periods of time or within certain parts of the volume. It does so by incorporating other sensors (31, 34), such as inertial or magnetic, which are frequently recalibrated against the light based sub-system (24, 26, 72) while the bodies (20) are visible by the light based sub-system (24, 26, 72).
429 Citations
55 Claims
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1. A system to track the three-dimensional position of an object within a defined volume comprising:
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a first tracking system to determine a first indication of the position of the object;
a second tracking system independent of the first tracking system to determine a second indication of the position of the object;
a first circuit operative to compare the first indication of the position with the second indication of the position of the object;
a second circuit coupled to the first circuit and operative to determine a variance between the second indication of the position of the object and the first indication of the position of the object; and
a third circuit coupled to the first and second circuits and operative to update the variance. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of guiding an object during a medical procedure, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a first tracking system to determine a first indication of the position of the object;
providing a second tracking system independent of the first tracking system to determine a second indication of the position of the object;
comparing the first indication of the position of the object and the second indication of the position of the object to determine a variance;
estimating a variance between the first indication of the position of the object and the second indication of the position of the object; and
updating the estimate of the variance. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A system to track the three dimensional position and orientation of an object within a defined space comprising:
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an electromagnetic tracking system to determine the electromagnetic position and orientation of this object;
an inertial tracking system to determine the inertial position and orientation of the object;
means for comparing the electromagnetic position and orientation of the object and the inertial position and orientation of the object; and
means for estimating the variance of the inertial position and orientation of the object from the electromagnetic position and orientation of the object. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28)
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26. The system of 21 wherein the system also comprises a means for warning if that variance estimate exceeds a predetermined limit.
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29. A system to track the three-dimensional position of an object within a defined volume comprising:
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a first tracking system to determine a first indication of the position of the object;
a second tracking system independent of the first tracking system to determine a second indication of the position of the object;
a first circuit operative to compare the first indication of the position with the second indication of the position of the object;
a second circuit coupled to the first circuit and operative to determine which of the first tracking system or the second tracking system is more accurate and which of the first tracking system or the second tracking system is less accurate; and
a third circuit coupled to the first and second circuits and operative to calibrate the less accurate system to the more accurate system. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A system for determining a position of an object in a three dimensional volume, comprising:
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an electromagnetic position determination system operative to develop a first indication of the position of the object based on a line-of-sight detection of electromagnetic energy;
a non-line-of-sight position determination system operative to develop a second indication of the position of the object;
a first circuit operative to compare the first indication to the second indication;
a second circuit coupled to the first circuit and operative to provide an electromagnetic position determination system accuracy estimate and a non-line-of-sight position determination system accuracy estimate; and
a third circuit coupled to the second circuit and operative to develop a warning when the accuracy estimate for either system exceeds a predetermined limit. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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54. A system for determining a position of an object in a three dimensional volume, comprising:
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an electromagnetic position determination system operative to develop a first indication of the position of the object based on a line-of-sight detection of electromagnetic energy; and
a magnetic position determination system operative to develop a second indication of the position of the object;
wherein the magnetic position determining system includes an independent magnetic field generator spaced from the object, magnetic flux detectors disposed in operative relationship to the object and within operative distance from the magnetic field generator, and electromagnetic energy emitters operatively associated with the magnetic field generator to enable the determination of the position of the magnetic field generator by the electromagnetic position determining system. - View Dependent Claims (55)
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Specification