Patent Document ID: 10039507
Application ID: 14030791
Patent Flag: 1

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 the processor, each image segment of the sequences 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 value segments; 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, wherein extending the microelectrode is performed manually and/or by a robotic device; receiving, via the microelectrode, a sequence of electrophysiological signals as the microelectrode extends on the physical path toward the physical target; and comparing, via the processor, the sequence of electrophysiological signals received by the microelectrode on the physical path to the sequence of electrophysiological value segments of the selected one virtual path of the plurality of virtual paths, wherein when the received sequence of electrophysiological signals matches the electrophysiological value segments of the selected one virtual path of the plurality of virtual paths, continuing to extend the microelectrode on the physical path, and when the received sequence of electrophysiological signals does not match the electrophysiological value segments of the selected one virtual path of the plurality of virtual paths, withdrawing the microelectrode from the brain, comparing the received sequence of electrophysiological signals to the sequence of electrophysiological value segments of the plurality of defined virtual paths, selecting an alternate virtual path from among the defined virtual paths that includes the sequence of electrophysiological value segments that matches the sequence of electrophysiological signals received by the microelectrode, calculating a spatial distance between the selected one virtual path and the selected alternate virtual path, calculating an alternate physical path to the physical target based on the calculated spatial distance, and extending the microelectrode into the brain on the calculated alternate physical path.