Claims
- 1. A method for positioning an optical camera with respect to an X-ray source relative to an X-ray detector plane, comprising the steps of:positioning at least two off-plane markers above the X-ray detector plane and at least four on-plane markers on the X-ray detector plane; acquiring an X-ray image of the off-plane markers and the on-plane markers; acquiring an optical image of the off-plane and on-plane markers; warping one image onto the other with respect to the four on-plane markers; and determining whether the respective X-ray and optical images of the off-plane markers coincide and, if not, adjusting the orientation of the optical camera and reacquiring and warping one image onto the other, until the X-ray and optical images of the off-plane markers coincide.
- 2. A method as set forth in claim 1, where the camera is a video camera and the method occurs in real time.
- 3. An apparatus for positioning an optical camera with respect to an X-ray source relative to an X-ray detector plane, comprising the steps of:at least two off-plane markers positioned above the X-ray detector plane; at least four on-plane markers positioned on the X-ray detector plane; means for acquiring an X-ray image of the off-plane markers and the on-plane markers; means for acquiring an optical image of the off-plane and on-plane markers; means for warping one image onto the other with respect to the four on-plane markers; and means for determining whether the respective X-ray and optical images of the off-plane markers coincide and, if not, adjusting the orientation of the optical camera and reacquiring and warping one image onto the other, until the X-ray and optical images of the off-plane markers coincide.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is related to the following applications simultaneously filed by the same inventors and incorporated by reference herein:
a) Apparatus for Superimposition of X-ray and Video Images U.S. Ser. No. 09/410,225, filed Sep. 30, 1999;
b) Method for Aligning an Apparatus for Superimposing X-ray and Video Images U.S. Pat. No. 6,229,873, filed Sep. 30, 1999;
c) Laser-Based Method for Aligning Apparatus for Superimposing X-ray and Video Images U.S. Pat. No. 6,227,704, filed Sep. 30, 1999.
US Referenced Citations (12)