| abstract |
Apparatus for X-ray guided surgery, including a reference element (20), which is placed in contact with the body (32) of a subject. The element includes a plurality of fiducial marks (22a, 22b, 22c) and a first coordinate sensing device (24), in predetermined, fixed positions in the element (20). A surgical tool (36), having a distal end for insertion into the body (32), includes a second coordinate sensing device (40) fixed thereto. A fluoroscope (54) forms an X-ray image of the body, including the fiducial marks. A computer analyzes the image to determine the position of the reference element in the image, so as to find coordinates of the first coordinate sensing device relative to the image, and registers the positions of the tool with the X-ray image by referring coordinates of the second coordinate sensing device to the known coordinates of the first position sensor. |