Wireless optical instrument for position measurement and method of use therefor
US6608688B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 16, 2001 |
| Grant date | Aug 19, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 16, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61B2034/2055
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Disclosed is a wireless instrument tracking system. The wireless instrument tracking system is used for determining the location of at least one point relative to the instrument in a three-dimensional space relative to a three-dimensional coordinate tracking system. Advantageously, a first wireless instrument can be placed into the optical field with the wireless instrument including a wireless receiver and at least one optical position indicator. The optical position indicator is typically light emitting diodes (18) and communicates with corresponding measurement sensors (30) across a wireless optical link. The wireless optical link is time multiplexed with repetitive time frames divided into time slots. Each LED (18) emits an infrared signal or flashes in a respective time slot of a time frame. The measurement sensors (30) are preferably CCD cameras. The LEDs (18) are synchronized with the cameras and once synchronized each LED (18) flashes in a different time slot in synchronization with the camera frame rate.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.