Keith Williams,Paul Thurman Dunham,Steven Russell Marquis
申请号：
US12829163
公开号：
US08527033B1
申请日:
2010.07.01
申请国别(地区):
US
年份:
2013
代理人:
摘要：
Systems and methods which determine the position of an instrument internal to an object using an opto-mechanical sensor are shown. Embodiments utilize an opto-mechanical sensor system in which a mechanical instrument interface provides instrument movement information to a corresponding optical sensor system to determine instrument movement. Determinations of instrument movement preferably provide information regarding movement direction and speed. Such information, when used in combination with other information such as starting position or starting position offset, insertion angle or angle of attack, and/or insertion plane, is utilized by embodiments of the invention to determine the position of an instrument or portion thereof. Embodiments are adapted to accommodate different instrument configurations. Position information may be utilized in combination with an ultrasound image to display a visual representation of the instrument, or portion thereof, within a object being imaged.
