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Tracking system and method

  • US 9,144,470 B2
  • Filed: 03/25/2009
  • Issued: 09/29/2015
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2008
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method for tracking three degrees of freedom of orientation of a bone during surgery, the method comprising:

  • receiving angular orientation data having two rotational degrees of freedom of orientation from an accelerometer-based reference tracking member affixed to the bone;

    receiving angular orientation data having two rotational degrees of freedom of orientation from an accelerometer-based calibration tracking member affixed to the bone;

    determining angular rates of change of the reference tracking member and of the calibration tracking member while the bone is constrained to rotating about an axis of only one of the two rotational degrees of freedom of orientation of the reference tracking member; and

    calibrating an orientation of the bone with reference to the reference tracking member by using the determined angular rates of change to determine a third rotational degree of freedom of orientation of the reference tracking member;

    whereby the bone is trackable in three rotational degrees of freedom of orientation using only the angular orientation data produced by an accelerometer sensor of the reference tracking member.

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