The invention relates to a method and system for its implementation for
referencing or registering a body part in a camera-assisted, medical
navigation system, comprising: manually manipulating a light beamer so as
to scan a light beam produced thereby across a surface of the body part
to sequentially reflect light off the surface of the body part at a
plurality of locations; sequentially detecting the light reflected from
the surface of the body part at the plurality of locations; determining
three-dimensional spatial positions of the plurality of locations based
on the detected light; and referencing or registering the body part to
medical image data based on the three-dimensional spatial positions of
the plurality of locations and surface data determined from the medical
image data.