Abstract: A magnetic resonance (MR) coil unit, comprising: —an MR coil body which houses at least one MR coil, the MR coil body having a front surface for facing a patient, a reverse surface opposite to the front surface, and at least one opening through the MR coil body which connects the front and reverse surfaces; —at least one MR marker located at least partly in said at least one opening in the MR coil body; and—at least one optical marker located above the reverse surface of the MR coil body.

Abstract: The invention relates to a fixation system for attaching a medical image registration matrix (40) to a patient holder (2) which is to be covered by a sterile drape (10), wherein the fixation system comprises at least one fixation set (L, R) comprising a lower part (6) which is adapted to be connected to the patient holder (2) and an upper part (26) which is adapted to be connected to the registration matrix (40) or one of its supporting elements, wherein: the lower and upper parts (6, 26) can be connected to each other by a connector (25) which does not penetrate the drape (10); the lower and upper parts (6, 26) comprise mutually engageable profiled interfaces (8, 28) which are formed so as to accommodate and clamp the drape (10) between them; and wherein the profiled interfaces (8, 28) fit together over a continuous zone of engagement.

Abstract: A connector for attaching a reference array in a fixed positional relationship with respect to a patient to be covered by a sterile drape in an attachment area, includes a support to be situated below the drape and a clamping element which is to be situated above the drape and can directly or indirectly hold the reference array or a reference array adaptor, wherein the clamping element clamps the support, with the drape caught between the two, by at least two distinct clamps which clamp the support from at least partly opposing directions in such a way that the positional shift in the clamping element as a result of clamping the drape at the clamping position is compensated for, such that its overall positional shift is substantially zero. A method attaching a reference array in a fixed positional relationship relative to a patient above a sterile drape is also provided.

Abstract: A connector for attaching a reference array in a fixed positional relationship with respect to a patient to be covered by a sterile drape in an attachment area, includes a support to be situated below the drape and a clamping element which is to be situated above the drape and can directly or indirectly hold the reference array or a reference array adaptor, wherein the clamping element clamps the support, with the drape caught between the two, by at least two distinct clamps which clamp the support from at least partly opposing directions in such a way that the positional shift in the clamping element as a result of clamping the drape at the clamping position is compensated for, such that its overall positional shift is substantially zero. A method attaching a reference array in a fixed positional relationship relative to a patient above a sterile drape is also provided.

Abstract: The invention relates to a connector (1) for attaching a reference array (72) in a fixed positional relationship with respect to a patient, wherein the patient is to be covered by a sterile drape in the attachment area, the connector (1) comprising: a support (12) which is to be situated below the drape (30); and a clamping element (14) which is to be situated above the drape and can directly or indirectly hold the reference array (72) or a reference array adaptor, wherein the clamping element (14) clamps the support (12), with the drape (30) caught between the two, by means of at least two distinct clamps (16) which clamp the support (12) from at least partly opposing directions in such a way that the positional shift in the clamping element (14) as a result of clamping the drape (30) at the clamping position is compensated for, such that its overall positional shift is substantially zero.

Abstract: A data processing method for co-registering a medical 3D image dataset and a spatial reference (27), comprising the steps of: acquiring the 3D image dataset, wherein the 3D image dataset represents a medical CT image, a medical MR image or an angiograph of at least a part (20) of a patient and a set of hybrid markers (11); detecting the positions of the hybrid markers (11) in the 3D image dataset so as to obtain a scan matrix representing the arrangement of the set of hybrid markers (11) in the 3D image dataset and the position of the scan matrix in the 3D image dataset; acquiring the positions of the hybrid markers (11) with respect to the spatial reference (27), so as to obtain an image matrix (22a) representing the arrangement of the set of hybrid markers (11) in three-dimensional space and the position of the image matrix (22a) relative to the spatial reference (27); and co-registering the scan matrix and the image matrix (22a).

Abstract: A magnetic resonance (MR) coil unit,comprising:—an MR coil body which houses at least one MR coil, the MR coil body having a front surface for facing a patient, a reverse surface opposite to the front surface, and at least one opening through the MR coil body which connects the front and reverse surfaces;—at least one MR marker located at least partly in said at least one opening in the MR coil body; and—at least one optical marker located above the reverse surface of the MR coil body.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for positionally correlating, with computer assistance, patient image information included in image data generated by a magnetic resonance scanner and fiducial patient markers represented in the image data, wherein a positional relationship between the patient image information and the fiducial markers is determined by taking into consideration at least the following parameters: a) the material properties of the fiducial markers; b) image generation data included in the image data or provided with the image data; c) the resonance frequency recording mode of the magnetic resonance scanner; and d) any relative positional shift between the patient data and the fiducial markers resulting from the combination of the parameters a) to c). The invention also relates to the use of such a positional correlation in a method for registering patient image data and in a method for navigationally assisting a medical procedure.

Abstract: The invention relates to a connector (1) for attaching a reference array (72) in a fixed positional relationship with respect to a patient, wherein the patient is to be covered by a sterile drape in the attachment area, the connector (1) comprising: a support (12) which is to be situated below the drape (30); and a clamping element (14) which is to be situated above the drape and can directly or indirectly hold the reference array (72) or a reference array adaptor, wherein the clamping element (14) clamps the support (12), with the drape (30) caught between the two, by means of at least two distinct clamps (16) which clamp the support (12) from at least partly opposing directions in such a way that the positional shift in the clamping element (14) as a result of clamping the drape (30) at the clamping position is compensated for, such that its overall positional shift is substantially zero.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for positionally correlating, with computer assistance, patient image information included in image data generated by a magnetic resonance scanner and fiducial patient markers represented in the image data, wherein a positional relationship between the patient image information and the fiducial markers is determined by taking into consideration at least the following parameters: a) the material properties of the fiducial markers; b) image generation data included in the image data or provided with the image data; c) the resonance frequency recording mode of the magnetic resonance scanner; and d) any relative positional shift between the patient data and the fiducial markers resulting from the combination of the parameters a) to c). The invention also relates to the use of such a positional correlation in a method for registering patient image data and in a method for navigationally assisting a medical procedure.