Uwm Research Foundation, Inc.

University of Hawai'i

The Medical College of Wisconsin, Inc.

The Queen's Medical Center

Eaton Corporation

Go Sensors, LLC

Other

Brian Stewart Randall Armstrong

Thomas Michael Ernst

Thomas Edmund Prieto

QingHui Yuan

Luis R Pereira

Karl B Schmidt

Carlos H Rentel

Todd P Kusik

Robert T Barrows

Jose A Gutierrez

Sujit R Das

Ethan V Munson

This invention relates to a system that adaptively compensates for subject motion in real-time in an imaging system. An object orientation marker (), preferably a retro-grate reflector (RGR), is placed on the head or other body organ of interest of a patient (P) during a scan, such as an MRI scan. The marker () makes it possible to measure the six degrees of freedom (x, y, and z-translations, and pitch, yaw, and roll), or 'pose', required to track motion of the organ of interest. A detector, preferably a camera (), observes the marker () and continuously extracts its pose. The pose from the camera () is sent to the scanner () via an RGR processing computer () and a scanner control and processing computer (), allowing for continuous correction of scan planes and position (in real-time) for motion of the patient (P). This invention also provides for internal calibration and for co-registration over time of the scanner's and tracking system's reference frames to compensate for drift and other inaccuracies that may arise over time.

Motion tracking system for real time adaptive imaging and spectroscopy

A camera assembly for use in a MRI machine. The camera assembly includes a Faraday cage defining a shielded cavity and an optical path mount constructed of a highly stiff, dense, and non-electrically-conductive material in the shielded cavity. The camera imager and lens are mounted to the optical path mount. The camera assembly includes a capacitor-based power regulation circuit. The optical path mount is not subject to eddy currents because it is non-electrically-conductive. The capacitor-based power regulation circuit includes very little ferrous material and is within the shielded cavity, to reduce eddy currents. The resulting camera assembly reduces vibrations and shaking in the magnetic field environment of the MRI machine.

Ceramic camera for MRI

A target for use in a motion tracking system includes an optically transparent substrate with front and rear artwork. A robust landmark is comprised of portions of the front and rear artwork, and includes alternating spokes and interstitial spaces. The front and rear artwork also define orientation dependent radiation regions that occupy a portion of the interstitial spaces. The artwork also provides target identification markings and markings for providing in-plane rotation information. The surface area of the robust landmark maximized with respect to the total surface area of the target size.

Target for motion tracking system

This invention relates to a system that adaptively compensates for subject motion in real-time in an imaging system. An object orientation marker, preferably a retro-grate reflector (RGR), is placed on an organ of interest of a patient during a scan, such as an MRI scan. The marker allows measuring the six degrees of freedom or 'pose' required to track motion of the organ of interest. A detector, preferably a camera, observes the marker and continuously extracts its pose. The pose from the camera is sent to the scanner via an RGR processing computer and a scanner control and processing computer, allowing for continuous correction of scan planes and position (in real-time) for motion of the patient. This invention also provides for internal calibration and for co-registration over time of the scanner's and tracking system's reference frames to compensate for drift and other inaccuracies that may arise over time.

A method for controlling a rotary fluid device includes providing a rotary fluid device having a fluid displacement assembly and a plurality of control valves. The fluid displacement assembly includes a first member and a second member. The first and second members have relative movement and define a plurality of volume chambers. The plurality of control valves is in fluid communication with the plurality of volume chambers. A desired displacement is received. A relative position of the first and second members is determined. An optimal displacement family is selected from a plurality of displacement families that is based on peak displacements of a plurality of displacement curves. A phase shift angle for the optimal displacement family is selected so that an actual displacement of the fluid displacement assembly approaches the desired displacement. The control valves of the rotary fluid device are actuated in accordance with the phase shift angle.

Rotary fluid device with multi-level phase shift control

Methods for controlling the net-displacement of a rotary fluid pressure device are disclosed. One of the net-displacement control methods () includes obtaining a desired input parameter () and a relative position () of a first member () and a second member () of a fluid displacement mechanism. A determination of a first and second output value is then made for each of a plurality of volume chambers () when the volume chambers () are supplied with fluid at fluid inlet and fluid outlet conditions, respectively. A total output value is then computed for each of a plurality of control valve configurations () and compared to the desired input parameter (). The control valve configuration () with the total output value most similar to the desired input parameter () is then selected. A plurality of control valves () are then actuated in accordance with the selected control valve configuration ().

Net-displacement control of fluid motors and pumps

Current MRI technologies require subjects to remain largely motionless for achieving high quality magnetic resonance (MR) scans, typically for 5-10 minutes at a time. However, lying absolutely still inside the tight MR imager (MRI) tunnel is a difficult task, especially for children, very sick patients, or the mentally ill. Even motion ranging less than 1 mm or 1 degree can corrupt a scan. This invention involves a system that adaptively compensates for subject motion in real-time. An object orientation marker, preferably a retro-grate reflector (RGR), is placed on a patients' head or other body organ of interest during MRI. The RGR makes it possible to measure the six degrees of freedom (x, y, and z-translations, and pitch, yaw, and roll), or 'pose', required to track the organ of interest. A camera-based tracking system observes the marker and continuously extracts its pose. The pose from the tracking system is sent to the MR scanner via an interface, allowing for continuous correction of scan planes and position in real-time. The RGR-based motion correction system has significant advantages over other approaches, including faster tracking speed, better stability, automatic calibration, lack of interference with the MR measurement process, improved ease of use, and long-term stability. RGR-based motion tracking can also be used to correct for motion from awake animals, or in conjunction with other in vivo imaging techniques, such as computer tomography, positron emission tomography (PET), etc.

Improvements to the art of orientation measurement are disclosed whereby the phase angle of each of the plurality of orientation dependent radiation patterns is measured at a single common and unique point of measurement on the observation surface and correspondingly in the image of the observation surface, and whereby a central landmark is located at the point of measurement without loss of accuracy in the determination of the plurality of phase angles of orientation dependent radiation so that the precise point of measurement can be determined in the image without errors introduced by an offset between the positions of landmarks and the position of phase angle measurement. Additionally, the preferred embodiment provides characteristics of the central landmark and other landmarks of the orientation dependent radiation source which provide a means to resolve the cosine ambiguity, which is known to those skilled in the arts of image-based orientation measurement as a challenge and source of error for prior-art image-based orientation measurement means.

Orientation dependent radiation source and methods

A system includes first and second wireless nodes having a clock with plural times, a wireless transceiver, and a processor cooperating with the transceiver to transmit and receive packets. The second node transceivers wirelessly communicate with the first or other second node transceivers. The second nodes include a Kalman filter with an output, plural filter gains, and an input representing the difference between: about the time of the clock when a received packet should have ideally been received, and a time when the received packet was actually received as measured by the clock. A circuit provides dynamic adjustment of the filter gains. The Kalman filter output estimates the difference between the time of the receiving node clock and a corresponding one of the times of the transmitting node clock. The second processor cooperates with the Kalman filter output to adjust the times of the receiving node clock.

Synchronization system and method for wireless communicating nodes

A system for monitoring an unsupervised worker is provided that includes a plurality of sensors and a base station provided at the monitored location, a service provider server located remotely from the monitored location and operated by a third party service provider, and a computing device associated with a subscriber to the system. At least a portion of the sensed data is sent to and stored by the service provider server so that a report based thereon may, at the request of the system subscriber, be selectively generated and provided to the system subscriber. The computing device is also adapted to generate configuration data for one or more of the sensors and transmit the configuration data to the service provider server. The configuration data is then sent to the base station and used to control the operation of the sensors.

System for monitoring unsupervised workers and generating and delivering a report based on the monitored activities such as utilizing a third party service provider and system subscription

A wireless system includes a plurality of wireless nodes structured to participate in a system test of the wireless nodes. The system test includes a plurality of test packets. A packet sniffer node includes a wireless receiver, a memory storing a schedule defining transmission and reception of the test packets by the wireless nodes, and a processor cooperating with the wireless receiver and the memory to receive at least some of the test packets responsive to the schedule, and to output data corresponding to the received test packets of the system test. A monitoring computer receives the output data from the processor of the packet sniffer node. Operation of the packet sniffer node, which does not transmit, does interfere with or alter execution of the system test.

Growing community of inventors

Shorewood, WI, United States of America

Brian Stewart Randall Armstrong