US 12,262,956 B2
Systems and methods for magnetic resonance imaging guided robotics
Waiman Meinhold, Atlanta, GA (US); Ai-Ping Hu, Atlanta, GA (US); John N. Oshinski, Atlanta, GA (US); Jun Ueda, Atlanta, GA (US); and Daniel E. Martinez, Atlanta, GA (US)
Assigned to Georgia Tech Research Corporation, Atlanta, GA (US); and Emory University, Atlanta, GA (US)
Filed by Georgia Tech Research Corporation, Atlanta, GA (US); and Emory University, Atlanta, GA (US)
Filed on Aug. 17, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/404,619.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/066,578, filed on Aug. 17, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0047334 A1, Feb. 17, 2022
Int. Cl. A61B 5/00 (2006.01); A61B 34/20 (2016.01); A61B 34/30 (2016.01); A61M 5/42 (2006.01); B25J 9/16 (2006.01); G01R 33/28 (2006.01); A61B 90/00 (2016.01)
CPC A61B 34/20 (2016.02) [A61B 34/30 (2016.02); A61M 5/427 (2013.01); B25J 9/1694 (2013.01); G01R 33/287 (2013.01); A61B 2034/2051 (2016.02); A61B 2090/3954 (2016.02)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of controlling a robot comprising:
performing a cycle comprising:
receiving, by a controller, more than one MRI image from an MRI machine, the MRI image comprising a position of one or more fiducial markers of a surgical tool;
merging the MRI images, wherein the MRI images are spatially shifted MRI images, and wherein each of the MRI images is spatially shifted by a known amount by displacing, via one or more actuators of the robot, the one or more fiducial markers of the surgical tool by a known amount;
estimating an enhanced resolution image comprising the position of the one or more fiducial markers of the surgical tool, based, at least in part, on the merged MRI images;
determining a fiducial position error based, at least in part, on the position of the one or more fiducial markers of the surgical tool in the enhanced resolution image and target fiducial coordinates indicative of a desired position of the one or more fiducial markers; and
moving, by the one or more actuators of the robot, the surgical tool to a position based, at least in part, on the determined fiducial position error.