Polaris Vega & Polaris Vicra Product Introduction
Building on passive optical measurement technology, Polaris Vega and Polaris Vicra use near-infrared (IR) light to detect and track the 3D positions of navigation markers attached to tools (e.g., passive marker spheres, Radix™ Lens). Each tool features a unique array of markers, allowing individual tools to be distinguished. Mapping the coordinate data of each marker to a specific tool enables the calculation of the tool’s transformation — that is, the determination of the tool’s position and orientation.
Similar to GPS navigation, the coordinate data localizes tools and their attached markers in 3D space in real time. Once the tracking data is integrated into the OEM host application, it can be used to navigate surgical instruments relative to the patient’s image dataset. Tracking is performed within a pre-calibrated pyramid or extended pyramid measurement volume, and all tool transformation information is reported within the global coordinate system of the Polaris optical tracker. The entire tracking process follows a clear, efficient workflow: first, markers are attached to OEM surgical instruments; then, the Polaris optical tracker illuminates the measurement volume with infrared (IR) light, which reflects from the markers back to the IR sensors on the tracker. The intersection of light rays is used to triangulate the 3D (X-Y-Z) coordinates of the markers within the measurement volume, and the coordinate data is then mapped to the corresponding instrument to compute its transformation (pose). Finally, once tracking data is transmitted to the host application, the relevant instruments overlaid on the patient’s image dataset are visualized and navigated in real time.
