Surface-based Markerless Patient Registration

Abstract

When doing image guided surgery, it is important to find a proper alig nment of the coordinate systems for the images and for the tracking system that tracks the positions o f the surgeons tools. This report explores surface based methods for finding such an alignment, using either an optical shape measurement device, or surfaces gathered by passing the tracking tool along the surface of the patien t. Accuracy and usability factors are explored, and compared to existing methods based on finding corresponding points