Health trackers for autonomous targeting of tissue sampling sites
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Publication Number
US-12599313-B2
Publication Date
2026-04-14
Expiration Date
Abstract
Health trackers for targeting tissue sampling sites in accordance with embodiments of the invention are provided. In one embodiment, a health tracker includes: a scanner for capturing spectral data, the scanner comprising: a magnet configured to generate a field gradient across a region of interest; an RF transmitting antenna configured to generate a localized field; and an RF sensing antenna configured to sense a localized area; and where the scanner is configured to obtain magnetic resonance spectral data from predetermined locations with a volume of interest.
Core Innovation
The invention is a health tracker that autonomously targets optimal tissue sampling sites of a user's hand. The health tracker includes a scanner that captures magnetic resonance spectral data from optimal tissue sampling sites within a region of interest of the user's hand, and the scanner has an entrance funnel for receiving the user's hand and a hand rest for positioning the user's hand. It further includes a magnet generating a magnetic field gradient across the region of interest, an RF transmitting antenna generating a localized field, and an RF sensing antenna sensing a localized area.
The scanner is configured to capture magnetic resonance spectral data from optimal tissue sampling sites by first determining a search volume within the region of interest and segmenting the search volume into a plurality of R-regions. The plurality of R-regions narrows the search volume to allow voxel targeting within a selected R-region. The health tracker targets a plurality of voxels within a first R-region and obtains magnetic resonance spectral data for each targeted voxel within that R-region.
Using the magnetic resonance spectra data for the targeted voxels, the health tracker determines the optimal tissue sampling sites. In dependent embodiments, the health tracker determines optimal tissue sampling sites by detecting tissue types from magnetic resonance spectra in voxels and computing tissue gradients between centroids associated with voxels, and uses triangulation to locate the tissue type across an R-region. Additional embodiments configure the RF transmitting antenna to generate the localized field using RF steering and include position sensor-driven correction information to instruct the user to adjust placement of the user's hand.
Claims Coverage
The independent claim is clm-00001. It covers autonomously determining optimal tissue sampling sites within a segmented search volume using magnetic resonance spectral data from targeted voxels, with a hand-insertion scanner architecture using a magnet field gradient, an RF transmitting antenna, and an RF sensing antenna. Dependent claims add tissue type detection, tissue gradient computation with triangulation-based localization, RF steering, and position-sensor correction information.
Autonomous optimal tissue sampling site selection from voxel magnetic resonance spectral data
The health tracker determines optimal tissue sampling sites by determining a search volume within a region of interest, segmenting the search volume into a plurality of R-regions, targeting a plurality of voxels within a first R-region, obtaining magnetic resonance spectral data for voxels within the first R-region, and determining the optimal tissue sampling sites using the magnetic resonance spectra data for the voxels.
Scanner architecture with entrance funnel, hand rest, magnetic field gradient, localized RF field, and localized RF sensing
The scanner includes an entrance funnel and a hand rest for positioning the user's hand, a magnet configured to generate a magnetic field gradient across the region of interest of the user's hand, an RF transmitting antenna configured to generate a localized field, and an RF sensing antenna configured to sense a localized area.
Triangulation-based tissue localization using tissue gradients from voxel spectra
The health tracker detects tissue types from magnetic resonance spectra in voxels within an R-region, calculates a tissue gradient between those voxels, and uses triangulation to locate the tissue type using the magnetic resonance spectra data and the tissue gradient.
RF steering for generating the localized RF field
The RF transmitting antenna generates the localized field using RF steering.
Position-sensor-based correction information for hand placement
The health tracker sends correction information from a position sensor to a scanner so that the user is instructed to adjust placement of the user's hand.
Overall, the claim set centers on a health tracker that autonomously selects optimal tissue sampling sites by segmenting a search volume into R-regions and determining sites from magnetic resonance spectra obtained for targeted voxels, implemented with a scanner that uses a magnetic field gradient and localized RF transmission/sensing. Dependent features refine the approach with tissue type detection and triangulation-based localization using tissue gradients, add RF steering, and incorporate position-sensor correction for user hand placement.
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