Abstract: A method of monitoring and/or diagnosing an autoregulation mechanism of blood pressure of a living being using an ECG signal includes recording the ECG signal of the living being, and the recording a pulse wave curve synchronously with the recording of the ECG signal. Heart rate intervals are determined from the ECG signal. A pulse wave transit time is determined for each heart rate interval from the pulse wave curve. A plurality of significant changes in the pulse wave transit times are determined according to a specified criterion. One respective heart rate interval correlated in time with each significant change in the pulse wave transit times is selected as an anchor point. A determined limited number of temporally successive heart rate intervals temporally before and/or after each anchor point are selected to thus generate a limited sequence of heart rate intervals for each anchor point.

Abstract: A data processing method for calculating the contact position of a medical ultrasound transceiver on the head of a patient, comprising the steps of: a) acquiring ROI data which represent a region of interest (ROI) corresponding to at least a part of a vessel in a vascular structure; b) acquiring contact region data which represent a contact region for the ultrasound transceiver on the head, wherein the contact region corresponds to one or more acoustic windows; c) determining at least one target point in the region of interest; d) determining at least two entry points on the contact region; e) calculating a set of lines which comprises the lines between the two points of each respective possible pair consisting of one entry point and one target point; f) eliminating lines which pass through a bony structure other than the bone immediately beneath the contact region; g) calculating a score for each of the remaining lines; and h) selecting the entry point of the line with the highest score as the contact positi

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for calibrating a projection device, in particular a hand-held projection device, in a navigational environment for medical purposes, comprising the steps of: providing a detection device (1) configured to detect light emitted by the projection device (2); determining the spatial position of the detection device (1); projecting a known projection (3), comprising an area (4) configured to stimulate the detection device (1), towards the detection device (1) by means of the projection device (2); determining the position of the projection device (2), particularly in relation to the detection device (1) when the area (4) stimulates the detection device (1).

Abstract: A method for tracking trackable objects using a medical tracking device, the tracking device being a camera or an EM transmitter, during a medical workflow comprising a plurality of workflow steps, wherein each trackable object has at least one marker and the method comprises the steps of: —acquiring a set of camera positions, wherein each tracking device position is associated with at least one workflow step; —identifying a workflow; —sequentially and automatically moving the tracking device to the camera positions associated with the workflow steps; and—performing a tracking step only when the tracking device is in a fixed position.

Abstract: A method of monitoring and/or diagnosing an autoregulation mechanism of blood pressure of a living being using an ECG signal includes recording the ECG signal of the living being, and the recording a pulse wave curve synchronously with the recording of the ECG signal. Heart rate intervals are determined from the ECG signal. A pulse wave transit time is determined for each heart rate interval from the pulse wave curve. A plurality of significant changes in the pulse wave transit times are determined according to a specified criterion. One respective heart rate interval correlated in time with each significant change in the pulse wave transit times is selected as an anchor point. A determined limited number of temporally successive heart rate intervals temporally before and/or after each anchor point are selected to thus generate a limited sequence of heart rate intervals for each anchor point.

Abstract: A system, in particular for image-guided surgery, comprising: at least two display devices; a position determinator for determining the relative position of the display devices; and an image generator for generating images, which are to be displayed by the display devices, in accordance with the determined relative position.

Abstract: A system, in particular for image-guided surgery, comprising: at least two display devices; a position determinator for determining the relative position of the display devices; and an image generator for generating images, which are to be displayed by the display devices, in accordance with the determined relative position.

Abstract: A system, in particular for image-guided surgery, comprising: at least two display devices; a position determinator for determining the relative position of the display devices; and an image generator for generating images, which are to be displayed by the display devices, in accordance with the determined relative position.

Abstract: A system, in particular for image-guided surgery, comprising: at least two display devices; a position determinator for determining the relative position of the display devices; and an image generator for generating images, which are to be displayed by the display devices, in accordance with the determined relative position.

Abstract: A system, in particular for image-guided surgery, comprising: at least two display devices; a position determinator for determining the relative position of the display devices; and an image generator for generating images, which are to be displayed by the display devices, in accordance with the determined relative position.

Abstract: A system, in particular for image-guided surgery, comprising: at least two display devices; a position determinator for determining the relative position of the display devices; and an image generator for generating images, which are to be displayed by the display devices, in accordance with the determined relative position.

Abstract: The invention relates to a medical image registration method in which an actual patient's body or portion of a patient's body (22) is positionally registered to a patient image created using a medical body-imaging technique such as MR, CT or x-ray imaging, wherein in a medical navigation system, the actual spatial position of at least a part of the body or body portion (22) is assigned to a respective position in the image of said body or body portion (22), wherein the part of the body or body portion (22) comprises a registration area in the form of the surface of a substantially rigid body structure, in particular an inner structure, made of bone or cartilage. The invention also relates to a medical image registration device which comprises a surface scanner (15) for scanning a registration area comprising the surface of a substantially rigid body structure, in particular an inner structure, made of bone or cartilage.

Abstract: A data processing method for calculating the contact position of a medical ultrasound transceiver on the head of a patient, comprising the steps of: a) acquiring ROI data which represent a region of interest (ROI) corresponding to at least a part of a vessel in a vascular structure; b) acquiring contact region data which represent a contact region for the ultrasound transceiver on the head, wherein the contact region corresponds to one or more acoustic windows; c) determining at least one target point in the region of interest; d) determining at least two entry points on the contact region; e) calculating a set of lines which comprises the lines between the two points of each respective possible pair consisting of one entry point and one target point; f) eliminating lines which pass through a bony structure other than the bone immediately beneath the contact region; g) calculating a score for each of the remaining lines; and h) selecting the entry point of the line with the highest score as the contact positi

Abstract: A method for tracking trackable objects using a medical tracking device, the tracking device being a camera or an EM transmitter, during a medical workflow comprising a plurality of workflow steps, wherein each trackable object has at least one marker and the method comprises the steps of: —acquiring a set of camera positions, wherein each tracking device position is associated with at least one workflow step; —identifying a workflow; —sequentially and automatically moving the tracking device to the camera positions associated with the workflow steps; and—performing a tracking step only when the tracking device is in a fixed position.

Abstract: A method for sampling surface points on the surface of an object using a medical navigation system and a light beam source, wherein the light beam source generates a light beam which creates a light spot on the surface, and a camera of the medical navigation system records image data from which the location of the light spot is determined as the location of a sample point, said method comprising the steps of: generating a quality measure for a sample point using a quality measurement device which is at least partially attached to the light beam source and used to determine quality measurement data from which the quality measure is determined; and processing the sample point on the basis of the quality measure.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for calibrating a projection device, in particular a hand-held projection device, in a navigational environment for medical purposes, comprising the steps of: providing a detection device (1) configured to detect light emitted by the projection device (2); determining the spatial position of the detection device (1); projecting a known projection (3), comprising an area (4) configured to stimulate the detection device (1), towards the detection device (1) by means of the projection device (2); determining the position of the projection device (2), particularly in relation to the detection device (1) when the area (4) stimulates the detection device (1).

Abstract: The invention relates to a medical image registration method in which an actual patient's body or portion of a patient's body (22) is positionally registered to a patient image created using a medical body-imaging technique such as MR, CT or x-ray imaging, wherein in a medical navigation system, the actual spatial position of at least a part of the body or body portion (22) is assigned to a respective position in the image of said body or body portion (22), wherein the part of the body or body portion (22) comprises a registration area in the form of the surface of a substantially rigid body structure, in particular an inner structure, made of bone or cartilage. The invention also relates to a medical image registration device which comprises a surface scanner (15) for scanning a registration area comprising the surface of a substantially rigid body structure, in particular an inner structure, made of bone or cartilage.

Abstract: A system (1), in particular for image-guided surgery, comprising: at least two display devices (2, 3); a position de-terminator (8) for determining the relative position of the display devices; and an image generator (9) for generating images, which are to be displayed by the display devices, in accordance with the determined relative position.

Abstract: The invention relates to a medical image registration method in which an actual part of a patient's body is locationally assigned to a stored image of the part of the body with computer assistance, wherein the part of the patient's body comprises a rigid structure and a soft-tissue structure above it, wherein the location of at least one reference point on the rigid structure is ascertained, through the closed soft-tissue structure, by means of optical coherence tomography (OCT), when detecting the actual spatial location of the part of the body. It also relates to a pointer unit of a medical image registration apparatus, which comprises an optical coherence tomography (OCT) scanner or its emitting unit.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for identifying and localizing body tissue, in which a light beam emitted from a tissue point or tissue region of interest is on the one hand positionally determined with the aid of an optical medical tracking system and is on the other hand analyzed with respect to its light properties, in order to determine from this the nature of the tissue point or tissue region. It also relates to a device for identifying and localizing body tissue, comprising: an optical medical tracking system which detects a light beam emitted from a tissue point or tissue region of interest and positionally determines the location of the tissue point or tissue region; and a light analyzer which analyses the light beam with respect to its light properties, in order to determine from this the nature of the tissue point or tissue region.