Motion Capture in 3D
3D tracking technology provides that needed detailed view by digitizing, formatting, and enabling visualization measurement data. Positional movement of the point of interest (POI) can be tracked on the X, Y and Z axes of a 3D coordinate system. Rotation (roll, pitch and yaw) on these axes is calculated as orientation data. Movement in all directions is known, from any angle/perspective. This movement is reported in relation to a fixed object or reference frame; i.e., a ‘home’ location. Multiple objects—and their respective locations to each other—can be dynamically tracked at once.
To apply the GPS analogy to surgical navigation applications, patient imaging datasets represent the map. The target/treatment site is the destination. And a sensor embedded into an OEM surgical instrument such as a catheter, or a medical instrument fitted with trackers act as the vehicle.
3D tracking technology can enable the position and orientation of the catheter or instrument to be known in relation to its home/start location and destination as it’s navigated through the body. The catheter or instrument’s path (route) is visualized, planned, navigated, and presented in real-time to the clinician in the host OEM software interface.
3D tracking technology bridges the gap between static patient images and dynamic instrument movements; it brings the physical world into digital interfaces. The live stream of measurement data allows instruments to be shown at the right place, at the right time. As with GPS navigation, the value of 3D tracking technology is tied to its accuracy. It’s the difference between arriving exactly at your destination or being off by miles – or millimetres in surgical navigation applications.
