| CPC A61B 6/0492 (2013.01) [A61B 6/487 (2013.01); A61B 6/4435 (2013.01); A61B 2034/107 (2016.02)] | 18 Claims |

|
1. A method of projecting an incision marker emitted from at least one laser onto a patient using an associated medical imaging system including an x-ray detector and a gantry comprising a base and a ring carrying the x-ray detector, wherein the x-ray detector is rotatable in the ring and attached with the at least one laser for movement of the at least one laser together with the x-ray detector, the method comprising:
capturing using the x-ray detector a fluoroscopic image of at least a part of bony structure of the patient from a viewing direction onto the patient;
setting a virtual marker at a first position in the fluoroscopic image;
moving the at least one laser relative to the patient by rotating the x-ray detector in the ring away from the viewing direction and controlling the at least one laser to project the incision marker onto the patient from a projection direction different from the viewing direction, wherein the incision marker is projected onto the patient at a first position on the patient in accordance with the virtual marker set at the first position in the fluoroscopic image;
changing a position of the virtual marker in the fluoroscopic image from being set at the first position in the fluoroscopic image to being moved to a second position in the fluoroscopic image; and
moving the at least one laser relative to the patient by rotating the x-ray detector in the ring and controlling the at least one laser to adapt in real time the incision marker from being projected onto the patient at the first position on the patient to a second position on the patient based on the position of the virtual marker being moved from the first position in the fluoroscopic image to the second position in the fluoroscopic image.
|