Abstract: A method for transforming a bone image data set representing at least a partial image of a long bone to a robotic coordinate system, comprising: generating the bone image data set from a bone image; registering a bone digitizer arm to the robotic coordinate system; generating a digitized bone data set by taking bone surface position measurements with the digitizer arm; and transforming the bone image data set into the robotic coordinate system by performing a best-fit calculation between coordinates of the bone image data set and corresponding coordinates of the digitized bone data set.

Abstract: A method for transforming the image of a long bone into a system coordinate space, such as robotic system coordinate space, comprises identifying in the image data set directional coordinates representing bone axis and at least one positional coordinate on the bone surface. Corresponding coordinates in the actual bone immobilized in the robotic or other system space are then determined by contacting a probe, such as a probe at the end of a manipulatable arm on a robot, to corresponding locations in the actual bone. The coordinates within the image data set are then registered with the actual coordinates within the immobilized bone to produce a transfer function that can be used to transform the image data set to the coordinate system space.