Fluoroscopic tracking and visualization system

1. A method for surgical imaging and display of the type including an imaging assembly having an x-ray source and detector, for displaying an image for surgical guidance, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

positioning a defined set of markers disposed in a pattern so as to be imaged in each pose or view of the imaging assembly, the set of markers being fixed in pre-determined positions in a rigid carrier;

securing a first tracking element against motion with respect to the rigid carrier so that determining a position of the first tracking element in a single measurement determines positions of all the markers of the set; and

identifying images of at least a subset of the markers in a first view.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said positioning step comprises disposing the set of markers in a plurality of planes having a defined separation therebetween.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising securing additional tracking elements to at least one object selected from among a patient and a medical instrument so as to determine a position of said object.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising securing a second tracking element to the detector.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising securing a second tracking element to a patient being imaged.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising securing a second tracking element to a medical instrument.

7. A method for surgical imaging and display of tissue structures of a patient, comprising:

affixing a fixture to an imaging side of a fluoroscope for providing patterns of an array of markers that are imaged in each fluoroscope image;

deriving at least one image in a display from a fluoroscope during a surgical procedure;

securing at least one of a plurality of tracking elements against motion with respect to the fixture;

determining positions of the fixture and the patient through a tracking assembly having a plurality of tracking elements so that determining a position of the at least one of the plurality of tracking elements determines a position of each of the array of markers in a single measurement; and

displaying images in coordination with a tool image to facilitate manipulation of a tool during the surgical procedure.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein said affixing step comprises disposing the array of markers in a plurality of planes having a defined separation therebetween.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising providing an identification of a subset of the markers in at least one of the images.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising determining a camera model that includes at least one distortion of each fluoroscope image.

11. The method of claim 7 , further comprising automatically determining relative position data of the array of markers and the tool.

12. The method of claim 7 , further comprising determining an image transformation such that a representation of the tool is correctly positioned and oriented in the fluoroscope image.

13. The method of claim 7 , further comprising securing at least one of the plurality of tracking elements to a fluoroscope detector, securing at least one of the plurality of tracking elements to a patient being imaged, and securing at least one of the plurality of tracking elements to the tool.

14. A method of fluoroscopic imaging using a fluoroscope that includes a source and an image detector, said method comprising:

disposing a fixture having a three dimensional array of markers over a region in a rigid body that is positioned between the source and the detector,

automatically imaging the three dimensional array of markers as an image is acquired by the fluoroscope;

associating a first tracking element with a tool;

associating a second tracking element with a patient;

associating a third tracking element with the image detector;

associating a fourth tracking element with the fixture; and

configuring the tracking elements to automatically determine position data for each of the tool, patient, image detector and fixture relative to one another.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising identifying at least a subset of markers in the image.

16. The method of claim 15 , comprising determining camera imaging parameters for the image based on a table of predefined marker positions.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising forming a corrected tool navigation fluoroscopic image by way of a correction unit that is responsive to the camera imaging parameters and to the position data.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein each of said associating steps comprises associating more than one tracking element with each of the tool, patient, image detector and fixture.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein said three dimensional array of markers includes a plurality of arrays of markers disposed in a plurality of planes, wherein said planes have a defined separation therebetween.