Importance

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Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for providing a navigational array for use with a computer-aided surgical navigation system. A navigational array according to an embodiment of the present invention is configured to provide a plurality of fiducial members comprising portions capable of being sensed by at least two sensors associated with the computer-aided surgical navigation system in order to determine position and orientation of the array by the system. The array can include a non-segmenting common point connecting at least some of the fiducial members, wherein at least one of the fiducial members is out of plane with the other three fiducial members, and wherein a position and orientation associated with the navigational array can be determined from sensing at least three of the fiducial members by a computer-aided surgical navigation system. The array can also include a mount adapted to support the navigational array adjacent to an object, a surgical instrument, or a joint replacement prosthesis; whereby the physical possibility for all of the fiducial members to be positioned coplanar to at least two sensors in the computer-aided surgical navigation system is precluded, and whereby when two of the fiducial members are positioned collinear to one of the sensors in the computer-aided surgical navigation system, no other of said members are positioned collinear to any other of said sensors.

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First Claim