METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CHARACTERIZING AND VISUALIZING ELECTROMAGNETIC TRACKING ERRORS

摘要

A calibration/surgical tool (90 160) includes an electromagnetic sensor array (30) of two or more electromagnetic sensors in a known geometrical configuration. Electromagnetic tracking errors are characterized by a mapping of pre-operative absolute and relative errors based on a movement of a calibrated calibration/surgical tool (90 160) through a pre¬ operative electromagnetic field. Using statistical mapping a desired absolute error field (46) is measured either in the clinic as the part of daily quality control checks or before the patient comes in or in vivo. A resulting error field (46) may be displayed to the physician to provide clear visual feedback about measurement confidence or reliability of localization estimates of the absolute errors in electromagnetic tracking. Fig.1