Importance

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Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for providing a patient-mounted navigational sensor for use in computer-aided surgery are disclosed. A navigational sensor according to embodiments of the invention includes at least two optical tracking cameras for sensing surgical references and a mount adapted to be attached to the bone of a patient. Because the sensor is mounted to the bone rather than to external apparatus, and is thus closer to the surgical references that it is tracking, it is less likely that line of sight issues due to an acute angle between the plane of the surgical reference and the sensor or due to medical personnel obstructing the path of the reference's signal. Because the navigational sensor is much closer to the surgical references being tracked than in a typical computer-aid surgery scenario, the required camera separation is greatly reduced. Other advantages also accrue from such sensor positioning, as related more fully in this document.

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First Claim