Accuracy check and automatic calibration of tracked instruments

Abstract

A system configured to perform an accuracy check of a tracked instrument can include a processing circuitry and memory coupled to the processing circuitry. The memory can include instructions to cause the system to perform operations. The operations can include determining a virtual position of a display device. The operations can further include determining a virtual position of the tracked instrument. The operations can further include determining a point of contact on the display device between the tracked instrument and the display device. The operations can further include determining an expected point of contact on the display device between the tracked instrument and the display device based on the virtual position of the display device and the virtual position of the tracked instrument. The operations can further include determining whether the tracked instrument is accurate based on a difference between the point of contact and the expected point of contact.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of performing an accuracy check of a tracked instrument, the method comprising:
 determining a virtual position within a virtual space of a touch sensor;   determining a virtual position within the virtual space of the tracked instrument;   determining a point of contact on the touch sensor between the tracked instrument and the touch sensor;   determining an expected point of contact on the touch sensor between the tracked instrument and the touch sensor based on the virtual position of the touch sensor and the virtual position of the tracked instrument; and   determining whether the tracked instrument is accurate based on a difference between the point of contact and the expected point of contact.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the virtual position of the touch sensor includes:
 determining information about a shape of the touch sensor relative to a reference element coupled to the touch sensor;   capturing an image of the reference element coupled to the touch sensor;   determining a virtual position of the reference element coupled to the touch sensor based on the image of the reference element coupled to the touch sensor, the virtual position of the reference element coupled to the touch sensor including a virtual location and a virtual pose of the reference element coupled to the touch sensor; and   determining the virtual position of the touch sensor based on the information about the shape of the touch sensor and the virtual position of the reference element coupled to the touch sensor, the virtual position of the touch sensor including a virtual location and a virtual pose of the touch sensor, and   wherein determining the virtual position of the tracked instrument includes:
 determining information about a shape of the tracked instrument relative to a reference element coupled to the tracked instrument; 
 capturing an image of the reference element coupled to the tracked instrument; 
 determining a virtual position of the reference element coupled to the tracked instrument based on the image of the reference element coupled to the tracked instrument, the virtual position of the reference element coupled to the tracked instrument including a virtual location and a virtual pose of the reference element coupled to the tracked instrument; and 
 determining the virtual position of the tracked instrument based on the shape of the tracked instrument and the reference element coupled to the tracked instrument, the virtual position of the tracked instrument including a virtual location and a virtual pose of the tracked instrument. 
   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein determining the information about the shape of the tracked instrument includes determining an intended position of a tip of the tracked instrument relative to the reference element coupled to the tracked instrument,
 wherein determining the point of contact on the touch sensor includes determining a point of contact between the tip of the tracked instrument and the touch sensor, and   wherein determining the expected point of contact on the touch sensor includes determining a point of contact between the tip of the tracked instrument and the touch sensor based on the virtual position of the touch sensor and the virtual position of the tracked instrument.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the touch sensor includes a touchscreen, and
 wherein determining the point of contact includes detecting a location on the touchscreen that the tracked instrument is touching.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the touch sensor includes a plurality of touch sensors coupled together to form an opening, and
 wherein determining the point of contact on the touch sensor includes determining a plurality of points of contact, each point of contact between one of the touch sensors of the plurality of touch sensors and the tracked instrument while the tracked instrument is positioned in the opening.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the point of contact on the touch sensor includes determining a plurality of points of contact between the tracked instrument and the touch sensor,
 wherein determining the expected point of contact on the touch sensor includes determining a plurality of expected points of contact between the tracked instrument and the touch sensor based on the virtual position of the touch sensor and the virtual position of the tracked instrument, and   wherein determining whether the tracked instrument is accurate includes determining whether the tracked instrument is accurate based on a difference between the plurality of points of contact and the plurality of expected points of contact.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining whether the tracked instrument is accurate includes determining that the difference exceeds a predetermined threshold, 
 the method further comprising:
 outputting an indication that the tracked instrument is not suitable for use. 
   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining whether the tracked instrument is accurate includes determining that the difference exceeds a predetermined threshold, 
 the method further comprising:
 calibrating a tracking system used to track the tracked instrument using at least one of the point of contact, the expected point of contact, and the difference. 
   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a display device includes the touch sensor 
 the method further comprising:
 displaying, via the display device, an indication of the expected point of contact, 
   wherein determining the point of contact on the display device between the tracked instrument and the display device includes receiving an indication of the point of contact on the display device from a user.   
     
     
         10 . A method of performing an accuracy check of a tracked instrument, the method comprising:
 determining a first virtual position within a virtual space of an emitter of an imaging device;   determining a first virtual position within the virtual space of a detector of the image device;   determining a first virtual position within the virtual space of the tracked instrument while the tracked instrument is at a first physical position between the emitter and the detector;   determining a first expected image of the tracked instrument based on the first virtual position of the emitter, the first virtual position of the detector, and the first virtual position of the tracked instrument;   obtaining a first image of the tracked instrument while it is positioned at the first physical position between the emitter and the detector;   determining a second virtual position within the virtual space of the emitter of the imaging device;   determining a second virtual position within the virtual space of the detector of the imaging device;   determining a second virtual position within the virtual space of the tracked instrument while the tracked instrument is at a second physical position between the emitter and the detector;   determining a second expected image of the tracked instrument based on the second virtual position of the emitter, the second virtual position of the detector, and the second virtual position of the tracked instrument;   obtaining a second image of the tracked instrument while it is positioned between the emitter and the detector, the second image being different than the first image; and determining whether the tracked instrument is accurate based on the first expected image, the second expected image, the first image, and the second image.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the imaging device includes the emitter and the detector, 
 wherein determining the first virtual position of the detector includes:
 capturing an image of a reference element coupled to the imaging device; 
 determining a virtual position of the reference element coupled to the imaging device based on the image of the reference element coupled to the imaging device, the virtual position of the refence element coupled to the imaging device including a virtual location and a virtual pose of the reference element coupled to the imaging device; and 
 determining the virtual position of the detector based on predetermined information indicating a position of the detector relative to the reference element coupled to the imaging device and the virtual position of the reference element coupled to the imaging device, the virtual position of the detector including a virtual location and a virtual pose of the detector, 
   wherein determining the first virtual position of the emitter includes:
 determining the virtual position of the emitter based on predetermined information indicating a position of the emitter relative to the detector and the virtual position of the detector, the virtual position of the emitter including a virtual location and a virtual pose of the emitter, and 
   wherein determining the first virtual position of the tracked instrument includes:
 determining information about a shape of the tracked instrument relative to a reference element coupled to the tracked instrument; 
 capturing an image of the reference element coupled to the tracked instrument; 
 determining a virtual position of the reference element coupled to the tracked instrument relative to the DRB based on the image of the reference element coupled to the tracked instrument, the virtual position of the refence element coupled to the tracked instrument including a virtual location and a virtual pose of the reference element coupled to the tracked instrument; and 
 determining the first virtual position of the tracked instrument based on the shape of the tracked instrument and the reference element coupled to the tracked instrument, the virtual position of the tracked instrument including a virtual location and a virtual pose of the tracked instrument. 
   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein determining the information about the shape of the tracked instrument includes determining an intended position of a tip of the tracked instrument relative to the reference element coupled to the tracked instrument, and
 wherein the first expected image, the second expected image, the first image, and the second image each include an image of the tip.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first virtual position of the tracked instrument is the second virtual position of the tracked instrument, and
 wherein the imaging device includes at least one of a C-arm and a O-arm,   the method further comprising:
 responsive to obtaining the first image, rotating the imaging device such that the second virtual position of the emitter is different than the first virtual position of the emitter and that the second virtual position of the detector is different than the first virtual position of the detector. 
   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the first virtual position of the tracked instrument is different than the second virtual position of the tracked instrument,
 wherein the first virtual position of the emitter is the second virtual position of the emitter, and   wherein the first virtual position of the detector is the second virtual position of the detector.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein determining whether the tracked instrument is accurate includes determining that a difference between the first expected image and/or the second expected image and the first image and/or the second image exceeds a predetermined threshold,
 the method further comprising:
 outputting an indication that the tracked instrument is not suitable for use. 
   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein determining whether the tracked instrument is accurate includes determining that a difference between the first expected image and/or the second expected image and the first image and/or the second image exceeds a predetermined threshold,
 the method further comprising:
 calibrating a tracking system used to track the tracked instrument using at least one of the first expected image, the second expected image, the first image, and the second image. 
   
     
     
         17 . A method of performing an accuracy check of a tracked instrument, the method comprising:
 determining a virtual position within a virtual space of the tracked instrument relative to a display device;   displaying an indication of the virtual position of the tracked instrument on the display device;   receiving an indication of an actual position of the tracked instrument relative to the display device; and   determining whether the tracked instrument is accurate based on the indication of the actual position relative to the virtual position of the tracked instrument.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 determining an intended shape of the tracked instrument,   wherein displaying the indication of the virtual position of the tracked instrument includes:
 displaying on a first part of the display device, a first portion of the intended shape of the tracked instrument in a front view perspective based on the virtual position of the tracked instrument; and 
 displaying on a second part of the display device, a second portion of the tracked instrument in a side view perspective based on the virtual position of the tracked instrument. 
   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein receiving the actual position of the tracked instrument includes receiving an indication from a user. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising at least one of:
 responsive to determining whether the tracked instrument is accurate, outputting an indication of whether the tracked instrument is suitable for use; and   responsive to determining whether the tracked instrument is accurate, calibrating a tracking system used to track the tracked instrument using at least one of the virtual position of the tracked instrument and the actual position of the tracked instrument.