REGISTRATION BY MEANS OF RADIATION MARKING ELEMENTS

Abstract

A method for registering at least a part of an object includes applying a substance to at least a part of the surface of the object, wherein the substance includes a plurality of radiation marking elements that emit radiation. At least one camera is used to scan the surface of the object such that at least a portion of the plurality of radiation marking elements are detected by the at least one camera, and three-dimensional spatial positions of the detected portion of the plurality of radiation marking elements relative to a reference coordinate system are ascertained based on the radiation emitted from the marking elements and detected by the camera and a three-dimensional position and/or orientation of the camera relative to the reference coordinate system. The object then is registered on the basis of the three-dimensional spatial positions of the detected portion of the plurality of radiation marking elements.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The forgoing and other features of the invention are hereinafter discussed with reference to the drawing.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary system in accordance with the invention for registering a part of an object, such as a patient's face.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary system for registering an object, such as a patient or part of a patient's body. The system includes a camera 1, such as an infrared camera 1, which is communicatively coupled to a computer 2. A cream, paint, liquid, paste, gel or the like is applied to a part of a patient's body (e.g., to the patient's face 4) in a predetermined or ascertainable pattern. Further, a trackable device such as a reference star 5 or the like may be attached to the patient (e.g., to the patient's head), and a second reference star 6 may be attached tot he camera 1. The cream contains a plurality of quantum dots 3, which when excited emit infrared radiation that can be detected by the infrared camera 1.

The spatial position of the infrared camera 1 relative to a reference or global coordinate system is known to the computer 2. Alternatively, the position of the camera 1 may be determined by a tracking system (not shown) that tracks a reference array 6 attached to the camera, wherein the tracking system provides the spatial position to the computer 2. The position of the patient 4 may be known or ascertained by ascertaining the position and/or orientation of the reference star 5 arranged on the patient's head.

The infrared camera 1, when placed in a first position, can detect at least a part or all of the quantum dots 3 by detecting infrared radiation emitted by the quantum dots 3. Data collected by the camera 1 may be provided to the computer 2.

The camera may include an exciter 7 for exciting the radiation marking elements such that they emit radiation. The excited 7 may be arranged on or in the camera 1.

The computer 2 can ascertain the three-dimensional spatial position of the detected quantum dots 3 from the position of the camera 1 relative to the reference coordinate system and from the detected infrared radiation. The infrared camera 1 also can be moved to another position in which it can detect another part of the quantum dots 3 and then provide the data to the computer 2, such that the three-dimensional spatial position of the quantum dots 3 detected in the second position also can be ascertained by the computer 2.

The quantum dots 3 are preferably detected from at least two different positions of the camera 1, such that the spatial position of the quantum dots 3 can be deduced from the detected radiation in the different recording positions of the camera 1. If most or all of the spatial positions of the quantum dots 3 are known relative to the reference or global coordinate system, then the computer 2 can reconstruct or ascertain the surface of the patient's face 4 from the ascertained positions of the quantum dots 3.

The surface of the patient's face 4 is thus known in three-dimensional space and can be registered with other patient data sets. These patient data sets may include, for example, pre-operatively obtained recordings or recordings of the patient taken by means of imaging methods.

Although the invention has been shown and described with respect to a certain preferred embodiment or embodiments, it is obvious that equivalent alterations and modifications will occur to others skilled in the art upon the reading and understanding of this specification and the annexed drawings. In particular regard to the various functions performed by the above described elements (components, assemblies, devices, compositions, etc.), the terms (including a reference to a “means”) used to describe such elements are intended to correspond, unless otherwise indicated, to any element which performs the specified function of the described element (i.e., that is functionally equivalent), even though not structurally equivalent to the disclosed structure which performs the function in the herein illustrated exemplary embodiment or embodiments of the invention. In addition, while a particular feature of the invention may have been described above with respect to only one or more of several illustrated embodiments, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of the other embodiments, as may be desired and advantageous for any given or particular application.

Claims

1. A method for registering at least a part of an object, comprising: applying a substance to at least a part of the surface of the object, wherein the substance includes a plurality of radiation marking elements that emit radiation;using at least one camera to scan the surface of the object such that at least a portion of the plurality of radiation marking elements are detected by the at least one camera;ascertaining three-dimensional spatial positions of the detected portion of the plurality of radiation marking elements relative to a reference coordinate system based on the detected radiation emitted from the marking elements and a three-dimensional position and/or orientation of the camera relative to the reference coordinate system; andregistering the object on the basis of the three-dimensional spatial positions of the detected portion of the plurality of radiation marking elements.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein using at least one camera includes ascertaining or knowing a three-dimensional position and/or orientation of the at least one camera relative to the reference coordinate system.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the object is a patient's body or part thereof.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein applying the substance that includes radiation marking elements includes using a substance that having radiation marking elements that emit infrared radiation.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein using the camera to detect radiation includes detecting infrared radiation.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein using at least one camera includes using a camera that is fixed or movable relative to the object.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein using the movable camera includes guiding the camera around at least a part of the object to detect at least the portion of the plurality of radiation marking elements.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein using the at least one camera includes using different positions or orientations of the at least one camera to detect the plurality of radiation marking elements.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein applying the substance includes using a substance in the form of a paint, liquid, gel, cream or paste.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein applying the substance includes using a substance that includes a uniform distribution of radiation marking elements.

11. The method according to claim 4, wherein the radiation marking elements emit radiation in at least one excited state.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein applying the substance includes using a substance that comprises a plurality of quantum dots, and the quantum dots are detected by the at least one camera as the plurality of radiation marking elements.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein using the substance that comprises a plurality of quantum dots includes forming the quantum dots from semiconductor material.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein forming the quantum dots from semiconductor material includes using at least one of InGaAs, CdSe, GaInP or InP as the semiconductor material.

15. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium for registering at least a part of an object, wherein a substance is applied to at least a part of the surface of the object, the substance including a plurality of radiation marking elements that emit radiation, comprising: code that directs at least one camera to scan the surface of the object such that at least a portion of the plurality of radiation marking elements are detected by the at least one camera;code that ascertains three-dimensional spatial positions of the detected portion of the plurality of radiation marking elements relative to a reference coordinate system based on the detected radiation emitted from the marking elements and a three-dimensional position and/or orientation of the camera relative to the reference coordinate system; andcode that registers the object on the basis of the three-dimensional spatial positions of the detected portion of the plurality of radiation marking elements.

16. A device for registering at least a part of an object in a medical workspace, comprising: at least one camera operative to detect radiation emitted from at least a portion of a plurality of radiation emitting marking elements contained within a substance applied or appliable to the object, wherein a three-dimensional position and/or orientation of the at least one camera is known or can be ascertained relative to a reference coordinate system; anda computational unit communicatively coupled to the at least one camera and operative to ascertain three-dimensional spatial positions of the plurality of radiation marking elements relative to a reference coordinate system based on detection of the radiation marking elements by the at least one camera and the three-dimensional position and/or orientation of the camera relative to the reference coordinate system, said computational unit further operative to register the object based on the three-dimensional spatial positions of the plurality of radiation marking elements.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the at least one camera is operative to detect infrared radiation.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the object is a patient's body or part of a patient's body.

19. The device according to claim 16, wherein the at least one camera is at least two cameras.

20. The device according to claim 16, wherein the at least one camera is fixed or movable relative to the object.

21. The device according to claim 16, wherein the at least one camera is configured such that it can be guided around at least a part of the object in order to detect at least a portion of the plurality of radiation marking elements.

22. The device according to claim 16, comprising a tracking system for detecting a three-dimensional spatial position of a reference star arranged on the camera.

23. The device according to claim 16, comprising an excitation source that can excite the plurality of radiation marking elements contained in the substance into at least one excited state such that the plurality of radiation marking elements emit radiation.

24. The device according to claim 23, wherein the radiation emitted by the radiation marking elements is infrared radiation.

25. The device according to claim 23, wherein the excitation source is arranged on the at least one camera or contained in or integrated into the at least one camera.