Patent Document ID: 20140081127
Application ID: 14030791
Patent Flag: 0

Claim One:
1. A method for targeting a location within a brain for deep brain stimulation, or other types of brain surgeries requiring targeting, the method comprising: identifying a virtual target within an image of the brain, the image including a plurality of regions, each region including a hue corresponding to an electrophysiological value; defining, via a processor, a portion of the image into a plurality of virtual paths, each virtual path of the plurality of virtual paths including a sequence of image segments and at least one virtual path of the plurality of virtual paths extending to the virtual target; correlating, via a processor, each image segment of the sequence of image segments of the plurality of virtual paths into an electrophysiological value segment, thereby transforming the sequence of image segments of each virtual path into a sequence of electrophysiological values; correlating the virtual target within the image to a physical target in the brain; selecting one of the at least one virtual path of the plurality of virtual paths that extends to the virtual target; correlating the selected one virtual path to a physical path in the brain; extending a microelectrode into the brain on the physical path toward the physical target, which may be performed manually or automatically using a device such as a robot; receiving, via the microelectrode, a sequence of electrophysiological signals as the microelectrode extends on the physical path toward the physical target; matching, via a processor, the sequence of electrophysiological signals received by the microelectrode on the physical path to the sequence of electrophysiological values of a particular virtual path of the plurality of virtual paths; and determining, via the processor, whether the physical path of the microelectrode reaches the physical target.