Apparatus, system and method of calibrating medical imaging systems

1. A method of calibrating a C-arm imaging device comprising the steps of:

determining a position of an imaging source for each of a plurality of orientations of the C-arm, including determining a reference position of the imaging source for a reference orientation;

determining a position of an imaging receptor for each of the plurality of orientations, including determining a reference position of the imaging receptor for the reference orientation;

determining a local gravity vector for each of the plurality of orientations;

determining an imaging source focal point displacement due to bending for each of the plurality of orientations using the reference position of the imaging source, the reference position of the imaging receptor, the position of the imaging source and the position of the imaging receptor in correspondence to the local gravity vector; and

storing information on the position of the imaging source, the position of the imaging receptor, the gravity vector, and the imaging source focal point displacement for each of the plurality of orientations, for use in subsequent interpolation of imaging source focal point displacement based on a specific position of an imaging receptor and a specific local gravity vector.

2. A method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of orientations is obtained by rotating the C-arm about a plurality of angles around a first axis and a plurality of angles around a second axis.

3. A method of claim 2 wherein the plurality of angles are spaced 10 degrees apart.

4. A method of claim 3 wherein the plurality of orientations comprise about 100 or more orientations.

5. A method of claim 1 , wherein the position of the imaging source is determined by obtaining a coordinate position in three dimensional space.

6. A method of claim 1 , wherein the position of the imaging receptor is determined by obtaining a coordinate position in three dimensional space.

7. A method of claim 1 wherein the local gravity vector is determined with reference to a moveable part of the C-arm.

8. A method of claim 7 wherein the local gravity vector is determined by obtaining the angular displacement of the moveable part from alignment with the local gravitational field.

9. A method of claim 7 wherein the moveable part of the C-arm is the imaging receptor.

10. A method of claim 1 wherein the imaging source focal point displacement is determined in conjunction with reference coordinates for the imaging source.

11. A method of claim 10 wherein the imaging source focal point displacement is derived from the change in position of the imaging source from the reference coordinates for the imaging source.

12. A method of claim 1 wherein the step of storing comprises saving information in a look-up table.

13. A method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

determining a specific position of the imaging receptor;

determining a specific gravity vector; and

interpolating imaging source focal point displacement using the stored information.

14. A method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

determining a magnetic field distortion for each of the plurality of orientations; and

storing the magnetic field distortion for use in subsequent interpolation of magnetic field distortion based on a specific orientation of the C-arm.

15. A method of claim 14 wherein magnetic field distortion is determined by:

determining a reference magnetic field vector in alignment with a magnetic pole for a reference orientation of the C-arm;

determining a magnetic field vector for each of the plurality of orientations; and

determining a change in magnetic field vector from the reference magnetic field vector for each of the plurality of orientations.

16. A method of claim 15 wherein the reference magnetic field vector, the magnetic field vector for each of the plurality of orientations, and the change in magnetic field vectors are expressed in coordinate form.

17. A method of claim 1 further comprising the step of using the interpolation of imaging source focal point displacement for projecting the position of a tracked object in computer assisted surgical systems.

18. A method of claim 14 further comprising the step of using the interpolation of magnetic field distortion for projecting the position of a tracked object in computer assisted surgical systems.

19. An apparatus for calibrating a C-arm imaging device comprising:

a position determining module including:

a first position tracker attached to an imaging source for determining a position of the imaging source for each of a plurality of orientations of the C-arm, including determining a reference position of the imaging source for a reference orientation;

a second position tracker attached to an imaging receptor for determining a position of the imaging receptor for each of the plurality of orientations, including determining a reference position of the imaging receptor for the reference orientation;

a gravity sensor attached to a mobile part of the C-arm for determining a local gravity vector for each of the plurality of orientations;

a processing module for determining an imaging source focal point displacement due to bending for each of the plurality of orientations using the reference position of the imaging source, the reference position of the imaging receptor, the position of the imaging source and the position of the imaging receptor in correspondence to the local gravity vector; and

a database module for storing information on the position of the imaging source, the position of the imaging receptor, the gravity vector, and the imaging source focal point displacement for each of the plurality of orientations, for use in subsequent interpolation of imaging source focal point displacement based on a specific position of an imaging receptor and a specific local gravity vector.

20. An apparatus of claim 19 wherein the position determining module comprises a position sensor which communicates with the first and second position trackers for computing the positions of the first and second position trackers.

21. An apparatus of claim 20 wherein the imaging source is an X-ray source.

22. An apparatus of claim 19 wherein the imaging source comprises an image intensifier.

23. An apparatus of claim 19 wherein the gravity sensor is positioned proximate to the imaging receptor.

24. An apparatus of claim 19 further comprising a sensor for determining a magnetic field distortion for each of the plurality of orientations.

25. An apparatus of claim 24 wherein the sensor for determining a magnetic field distortion comprises a magnetic pole sensor positioned proximate to the C-arm.

26. An apparatus of claim 25 wherein the magnetic pole sensor is positioned on a support base of the C-arm.

27. An apparatus of claim 25 wherein the C-arm lacks a calibration plate or dewarp grid.

28. An apparatus of claim 19 wherein the C-arm is provided with a single calibration plate.

29. An imaging system comprising:

a C-arm imaging device for obtaining image; and

a system for calibrating the C-arm imaging device according to claim 19 .

30. An imaging system comprising:

a C-arm imaging device for obtaining image; and

a system for calibrating the C-arm imaging device according to claim 24 .