Methods and systems for guiding an emission to a target

Abstract

Disclosed are methods and systems for guiding emissions to a target. The methods and systems utilize, in part, Markerless Tracking software to detect a beam of energy, such as a laser, toward a target such as a tissue that is the subject of a medical procedure.

1 . A method of directing an emission to a target on a tracking object, the method comprising:
 generating a 3-dimensional model of the tracking object including the target;   
       generating real-time imagery of the object using an imaging device; aligning the 3-dimensional and the real-time imagery to determine a position and an orientation of the object with respect to the imaging device; determining a position and an orientation of an emission device with respect to the imaging device; and
 directing the emission from the emission device to the target, wherein the emission is configured to include at least two power levels including a first-low power level for real-time feedback adjustment and a second high power level used to direct the emission to the target. 
 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of determining the position and the orientation of the emission device with respect to the imaging device further comprises: calibrating a relative pose of the imaging device to the emission device by treating the emission device as a pin-hole camera. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising:
 calculating the relative pose by identifying a pixel position of one or more emission spots visible to the imaging device on the tracking object and determining an angle of the emission device to the one or more emission spots visible to the imaging device. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of generating the 3-dimensional model further comprises: generating a rigid or a compliant wireframe model. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of determining the position and the orientation of the object with respect to the imaging device further comprises aligning the 3-dimensional model to an image of the object to generate a keyframe. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , additionally comprising: tracking the target in real-time using the position and the orientation of the 3-dimensional model with respect to the imaging device. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of observing the emission on the target comprises: observing the location of the emission as a pixel location. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of directing the emission comprises: directing a laser. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of generating real-time imagery of the object comprises: capturing at least one image using a camera. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising: using computer vision algorithms to determine the relative pose. 
     
     
         11 . A system for directing an emission to a target on an object, comprising:
 an emission device;   an imaging device positioned to view the object;   at least one processor in communication with said emission device and said imaging device and configured to execute software code for:
 generating a wireframe model of the object; 
 determining a position and an orientation of the object with respect to the imaging device by aligning the wireframe model and a real-time imagery; 
 determining a position and an orientation of the emission device with respect to the imaging device; 
 aligning the wireframe model to a real-time image to generate a keyframe; and 
 directing an emission from the emission device to the target, wherein the emission includes at least two power levels, the first of the at least two power levels being a low power level emission configured for real-time feedback adjustment and the second of the at least two power levels is a high power level configured for directing the emission to the target. 
   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the emission device is a laser. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the imaging device is a camera. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute software code for: calibrating a relative pose of the imaging device to the laser. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute software code for:
 identifying a pixel position of one or more laser spots visible to the camera on an object;   and determining a mirror angle corresponding to the pixel position of said one or more laser spots.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute software code for: determining a relative pose. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the executable software code is stored on one or more memory devices in communication with said at least one processor.