Integrated Registration and Tracking Frame for Medical Navigation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current automatic image registration methods in medical navigation face limitations due to rigid setup constraints, accuracy issues with additional tracking frames, and maintenance challenges of pre-calibrated systems, which restrict flexibility and increase the risk of registration errors.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method that uses a registration frame with image markers and a tracking frame containing optical markers, where the spatial relationship between the anatomical body part, registration frame, and tracking frame is determined through planning image data and construction data, allowing for flexible positioning and reduced need for additional transformations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a registration frame with a known relation to the tracking frame is used, then the operation room setup and patient positioning are limited, but the registration accuracy is maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the registration frame and tracking frame into a single integrated unit with a fixed geometric relationship between their respective markers. This merging eliminates the need for separate frames and additional coordinate transformations, thereby improving setup flexibility while maintaining registration accuracy through the predetermined known relationship between markers.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated frame serves dual functions: it acts as both a registration frame (with markers visible in planning images) and a tracking frame (with markers for real-time navigation). This multi-functionality allows the same structure to fulfill both registration and tracking roles, enhancing adaptability without compromising reliability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If an additional tracking frame is used to increase positioning flexibility, then the setup flexibility is improved, but the registration accuracy suffers due to extra coordinate transformation
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the registration and tracking functions into a single frame structure, the patent eliminates the need for additional tracking frames. The fixed geometric relationship between markers ensures that no extra coordinate transformations are required, thereby maintaining measurement precision while achieving positioning flexibility through the integrated design.
3Measurement precision
If pre-calibrated methods are used to maintain registration accuracy, then the registration precision is preserved, but maintenance burden increases due to calibration deterioration over time
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the fixed geometric relationship between markers in the integrated frame as an inherent reference that does not require external calibration. The known relationship is built into the structure itself, allowing the system to self-maintain registration precision without periodic recalibration, thereby reducing maintenance burden while preserving measurement precision.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a computer-implemented method for navigating an anatomical body part, a corresponding computer program, a non-transitory program storage medium storing such a program and a computer for executing the program, as well as a system for navigating the anatomical body part, the system comprising an electronic data storage device and the aforementioned computer, and to a system for conducting medical navigation.