System and tracker for tracking an object, and related methods
First Claim
1. A system for tracking a three-dimensional position and an orientation of a movable object, the system comprising:
- a tracker comprising;
a plurality of separate and spaced apart optical retro-reflective spheres having a preselected segment length between each pair combination of the plurality of optical retro-reflective spheres, a plurality of combinations of at least three of the plurality of optical retro-reflective spheres defining a plurality of geometric figures, each of the plurality of retro-reflective spheres adapted to be optically tracked over a subset of possible movable object orientations to provide three-dimensional positional data and orientation data of the movable object, andan optically trackable body having the plurality of optical retro-reflective spheres mounted thereto and having a proximal body end portion, a distal body end portion, a medial body portion connected to and extending between the proximal body end portion and the distal body end portion, a longitudinal axis, and separating means for optically separating each of the plurality of optical retro-reflective spheres from each other to prevent each of the plurality of retro-reflective spheres from becoming optically coincident with another one of the plurality of retro-reflective spheres when viewed along a collinear viewing path extending directly through either adjacent pair of the plurality of retro-reflective spheres to enhance optical detection of the plurality of retro-reflective spheres to thereby enhance determination of the positional location and orientation of the movable object; and
an apparatus to track a trackable body, the apparatus comprising;
an optical detector having an optical detector body adapted to be positioned separate and spaced apart from the optically trackable body at a three-dimensional optical detector reference location, and including a pair of separate and spaced apart optical receivers connected to the optical detector body, each having a field of view and being adapted to receive optical energy reflected by each of the plurality of optical retro-reflective spheres when positioned in the field of view to thereby detect the three-dimensional sphere position of each of the plurality of retro-reflective spheres when positioned simultaneously within the field of view of both of the optical receivers to produce a plurality of position signals representing such three-dimensional sphere positions, and a pair of infrared illuminators, a first illuminator positioned adjacent one of the pair of separate and spaced apart optical receivers and a second illuminator positioned adjacent the other of the pair of separate and spaced apart optical receivers to selectively illuminate each of the plurality of optical retro-reflective spheres when positioned in the field of view of the respective adjacent optical receiver to thereby energize the optical retro-reflective spheres within the field of view of the respective adjacent optical receiver, anda determiner in communication with the optical detector and responsive to the plurality of position signals produced by the optical detector to determine the three-dimensional sphere position of each of the plurality of retro-reflective spheres when positioned simultaneously within the field of view of both of the optical receivers of the optical detector and having a memory associated therewith to store a table of definitions containing the segment lengths between each of the plurality of optical retro-reflective spheres to determine, responsive to the segment lengths, which of the plurality of geometric figures is in view of the optical receivers, when so positioned, to thereby determine the three-dimensional position and the orientation of the movable object.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system to track a three-dimensional position and an orientation of a movable object and associated methods are provided. The system includes a tracker having an optically trackable body adapted to connect to the movable object. A plurality of optical indicators are connected or mounted to the optically trackable body to form a plurality of geometric figures. A plurality of obfuscating flanges optically separate the optical indicators from each other to prevent each of the optical indicators from becoming optically coincident with another optical indicator when viewed along a preselected viewing path. The system also includes an apparatus to track the tracker having an optical detector to simultaneously detect the three-dimensional position of at least three of the plurality of optical indicators and a determiner to determine the three-dimensional position and orientation of the optically trackable body from the position of the optical indicators.
81 Citations
33 Claims
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1. A system for tracking a three-dimensional position and an orientation of a movable object, the system comprising:
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a tracker comprising; a plurality of separate and spaced apart optical retro-reflective spheres having a preselected segment length between each pair combination of the plurality of optical retro-reflective spheres, a plurality of combinations of at least three of the plurality of optical retro-reflective spheres defining a plurality of geometric figures, each of the plurality of retro-reflective spheres adapted to be optically tracked over a subset of possible movable object orientations to provide three-dimensional positional data and orientation data of the movable object, and an optically trackable body having the plurality of optical retro-reflective spheres mounted thereto and having a proximal body end portion, a distal body end portion, a medial body portion connected to and extending between the proximal body end portion and the distal body end portion, a longitudinal axis, and separating means for optically separating each of the plurality of optical retro-reflective spheres from each other to prevent each of the plurality of retro-reflective spheres from becoming optically coincident with another one of the plurality of retro-reflective spheres when viewed along a collinear viewing path extending directly through either adjacent pair of the plurality of retro-reflective spheres to enhance optical detection of the plurality of retro-reflective spheres to thereby enhance determination of the positional location and orientation of the movable object; and an apparatus to track a trackable body, the apparatus comprising; an optical detector having an optical detector body adapted to be positioned separate and spaced apart from the optically trackable body at a three-dimensional optical detector reference location, and including a pair of separate and spaced apart optical receivers connected to the optical detector body, each having a field of view and being adapted to receive optical energy reflected by each of the plurality of optical retro-reflective spheres when positioned in the field of view to thereby detect the three-dimensional sphere position of each of the plurality of retro-reflective spheres when positioned simultaneously within the field of view of both of the optical receivers to produce a plurality of position signals representing such three-dimensional sphere positions, and a pair of infrared illuminators, a first illuminator positioned adjacent one of the pair of separate and spaced apart optical receivers and a second illuminator positioned adjacent the other of the pair of separate and spaced apart optical receivers to selectively illuminate each of the plurality of optical retro-reflective spheres when positioned in the field of view of the respective adjacent optical receiver to thereby energize the optical retro-reflective spheres within the field of view of the respective adjacent optical receiver, and a determiner in communication with the optical detector and responsive to the plurality of position signals produced by the optical detector to determine the three-dimensional sphere position of each of the plurality of retro-reflective spheres when positioned simultaneously within the field of view of both of the optical receivers of the optical detector and having a memory associated therewith to store a table of definitions containing the segment lengths between each of the plurality of optical retro-reflective spheres to determine, responsive to the segment lengths, which of the plurality of geometric figures is in view of the optical receivers, when so positioned, to thereby determine the three-dimensional position and the orientation of the movable object. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A tracker comprising:
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a plurality of separate and spaced apart indicators having a preselected segment length between each pair combination of the plurality of indicators, a plurality of combinations of at least three of the plurality of indicators to form a plurality of geometric figures, each of the plurality of indicators adapted to be optically tracked over a subset of possible movable object orientations to provide three-dimensional positional data and orientation data of the movable object; and an optically trackable body having the plurality of indicators mounted thereto and having a proximal body end portion, a distal body end portion, a medial body portion connected to and extending between the proximal body end portion and the distal body end portion, a longitudinal axis, and a plurality of obfuscating flanges sized and positioned to optically separate each of the plurality of indicators from each other to prevent each of the plurality of indicators from becoming optically coincident with another one of the plurality of indicators when viewed along a plurality of viewing paths extending directly through each pair combination of the plurality of indicators to enhance optical detection of the plurality of indicators. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A tracker to provide three-dimensional positional data and orientation data about a positional location and orientation of a movable medical tool, the tracker comprising:
an optically trackable body adapted to connect to the movable medical tool, having a plurality of indicators mounted thereto and having a proximal body end portion, a distal body end portion, a medial body portion connected to and extending between the proximal body end portion and the distal body end portion, a body longitudinal axis, and at least one obfuscating flange sized and positioned to optically separate a first of the plurality of optical indicators from a second of the plurality of indicators to prevent the first of the plurality of indicators from becoming optically coincident with the second of the plurality of indicators when viewed along a viewing path extending directly through the first and second indicators to thereby enhance optical detection of the plurality of indicators. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A method for tracking a position and an orientation of a movable object, comprising the steps of:
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(a) connecting an optically trackable body to the movable object, the optically trackable body including a plurality of indicators positioned to form a plurality of geometric figures and including at least one obfuscating flange sized and positioned to optically separate a first of the plurality of indicators from a second of the plurality of indicators; (b) viewing one of the plurality of geometric figures positioned in a field of view of an optical detector; (c) identifying which one of the plurality of geometric figures is positioned in a field of view of the optical detector; (d) analyzing the position and orientation of the identified geometric figure in the field of view of the optical detector to thereby determine the position and orientation of the movable object; (e) continuously analyzing the position and orientation of the geometric figure to continuously re-determine the position and orientation of the movable object while the geometnc figure remains in the field of view of the optical detector; and (f) obfuscating the first of the plurality of indicators to prevent the first of the plurality of indicators from becoming optically coincident with the second of the plurality of indicators, thereby replacing the geometric figure positioned in the field of view of the optical detector with another geometric figure.
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32. A method of enhancing detection of a trackable body, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) positioning an obfuscating flange on a trackable body having a plurality of optical indicators to optically separate a first of the plurality of optical indicators from a second of the plurality of optical indicators; and (b) inhibiting the first of the plurality of optical indicators from becoming optically coincident with the second of the plurality of optical indicators when viewing the trackable body along a preselected viewing path extending through the first and the second of the plurality of optical indicators by obfuscating the first of the plurality of optical indicators from the second of the plurality of optical detectors with the obfuscating flange.
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33. A method for tracking a position and an orientation of a movable object, comprising the steps of:
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connecting an optically trackable body having a plurality of indicators to the movable object, the optically trackable body including a first obfuscating flange sized and positioned to optically separate a first of the plurality of indicators from a second of the plurality of indicators and a second obfuscating flange sized and positioned to optically separate the second of the plurality of indicators from a third of the plurality of indicators; obfuscating the first of the plurality of indicators to prevent the first of the plurality of indicators from becoming optically coincident with the second of the plurality of indicators; viewing a subset of the plurality of indicators in a field of view of an optical detector; identifying which of the plurality of indicators are positioned in the field of view of the optical detector; analyzing the position of at least three of the plurality of indicators in the field of view of the optical detector to determine the position and orientation of the movable object; rotating the optically trackable body; obfuscating the third of the plurality of indicators to prevent the second of the plurality of indicators from becoming optically coincident with the third of the plurality of indicators, thereby replacing the subset of the plurality of indicators in the field of view of the optical detector with a different subset of the plurality of indicators; and analyzing the position of at least three of the plurality of indicators in the field of view of the optical detector responsive to the steps of rotating and obfuscating to determine the position and orientation of the movable object, the steps of rotating and obfuscating being performed with a varying subset of at least three of the plurality of indicators to continuously re-determine the position and orientation of the movable object when the subset of at least three of the plurality of indicators remains in the field of view of the optical detector.
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Specification