Image-Guided Robotic Biopsy Patents 2026 | PatSnap Eureka
Medical Robot Image-Guided Biopsy Patents 2026
Robotic manipulators, real-time MRI/CT/ultrasound imaging, and AI-driven control systems are converging to enable sub-millimeter biopsy targeting. This dataset spans 1996–2026 across prostate, breast, lung, brain, and emerging IVF applications.
How Robotic and Imaging Pillars Define Image-Guided Biopsy
Medical assistant robot image-guided biopsy (MRIGB) systems couple a robotic platform — typically 4–6 degrees of freedom — capable of precise needle insertion, positioning, and trajectory control with one or more imaging modalities providing real-time spatial feedback to localize a target lesion and confirm instrument placement.
Four imaging modalities dominate within this dataset: MRI, CT/cone-beam CT, ultrasound, and vision/camera-based systems. Hybrid approaches — particularly MRI/CT fusion and augmented fluoroscopy — are also present. A distinguishing challenge is MRI compatibility, driving innovations toward pneumatically actuated, non-metallic robot architectures.
Control approaches range from teleoperation and semi-autonomous positioning to fully autonomous reinforcement-learning-based needle insertion. The computational layer includes image registration, trajectory planning, intra-procedural feedback, and AI-based tissue acquisition planning, all tightly coupled to the mechanical hardware.
In this dataset, the plurality of patent filings is concentrated in 2014–2025. The most active recent assignees in retrieved records are Philips (4 records), University of Houston System (6 records), GE Precision Healthcare (3 records), Voxel Rad (3 records), and Mako Surgical/Stryker (3 records).
Patent Filing Clusters and Imaging Modality Breakdown
The retrieved patent records span three distinct temporal clusters — a 1996 foundational filing, a 2011–2018 organ-specific platform maturation phase, and a 2019–2026 acceleration phase characterized by AI integration and multi-modal fusion.
Patent Records by Imaging Modality — Image-Guided Robotic Biopsy (Dataset Snapshot)
MRI and CT/CBCT modalities account for the largest share of retrieved patent records in this dataset, followed by vision/camera-based and ultrasound-guided systems.
↗ Click bars to explorePatent Filing Timeline by Cluster — Image-Guided Robotic Biopsy (Dataset Snapshot)
In this dataset, the 2019–2026 acceleration cluster contains the largest concentration of active patent filings, reflecting the shift toward AI integration, autonomous control, and multi-modal fusion in retrieved records.
↗ Click bars to exploreKey Clinical Application Areas in Robotic Image-Guided Biopsy
Retrieved patent and literature records document robotic image-guided biopsy applications across prostate, breast, lung, brain, cardiac, and embryo domains. Each domain is shaped by distinct imaging modalities and target tissue constraints.
Prostate Cancer Biopsy
The Johns Hopkins University’s pneumatic MRI-safe robot (WO 2014, US 2018) directly targets transrectal prostate biopsy, achieving bench precision of 0.17 mm and in vivo MRI-guided accuracy of 2.58 mm in animal studies. Clinical literature confirms robotic transperineal MRI/US fusion biopsy in 86 consecutive patients with 51.2% clinically significant cancer detection. This sub-domain represents the single most technically elaborated application area in this dataset.
MRI-Guided RoboticsBreast Cancer Biopsy
GE Precision Healthcare holds an active multi-jurisdiction patent family on vision-guided mammography biopsy (US 2022 active, US 2024 active, EP 2022 pending), while Hologic holds active US patents on tomosynthesis-guided prone biopsy (US 2016). Clinical studies document MRI-guided vacuum-assisted biopsy (VAB) technical success rates of 98.4% in large multi-center European cohorts and growth rates of 97%.
Vision / TomosynthesisLung / Peripheral Nodule Biopsy
FDA-cleared robotic bronchoscopy platforms — including the Ion Endoluminal System (Intuitive Surgical) and Monarch (Auris Health) — use shape-sensing and electromagnetic navigation for peripheral nodule access. Clinical literature documents navigation success in 88.6% of 167 cases in initial multicenter experience. CT-guided robotic navigation (Maxio, Perfint Healthcare) was evaluated in Hong Kong in a 50-patient prospective design, and Auris Health filed AI-based bronchoscopy instrument phase recognition (US 2026).
Robotic BronchoscopyBrain / Neurosurgical Biopsy
Robot-assisted stereotactic brain biopsy using systems such as the NeuroMate robot (Renishaw, UK) has a 30-year clinical history documented across a systematic review covering 1988–2017. Frameless approaches reported in 103 consecutive brainstem biopsies (2001–2017) enabled precise histopathological and molecular diagnosis. CBCT-based automated registration for frameless brain biopsy in companion animals achieved a median needle placement error of 1.8 mm.
Frameless StereotaxyLeading Assignees in Image-Guided Robotic Biopsy — Dataset Snapshot
In this dataset, Koninklijke Philips N.V. and the University of Houston System account for the highest filing counts in retrieved records, with 4 and 6 patent records respectively, spanning intra-procedural feedback and MRI-compatible robotic platforms. Innovation in retrieved records is moderately concentrated among a handful of well-capitalized players alongside academic and startup actors.
Top Assignees by Patent Record Count — Image-Guided Robotic Biopsy (Dataset Snapshot)
↗ Click bars to exploreKoninklijke Philips N.V.
Philips holds 4 patent records in this dataset spanning US (2011, 2015, 2018 inactive; 2025 active), EP (2018 active), and IN (2024 active) jurisdictions, covering image-based biopsy guidance and intra-procedural accuracy feedback. The active EP (2018) and IN (2024) filings cover real-time needle throw modeling and image fusion overlay. Continued prosecution of the feedback family into a 2025 EP continuation and 2024 India filing indicates active life extension and geographic expansion into emerging markets.
NetherlandsUniversity of Houston System
The University of Houston System holds 6 patent records in this dataset — the largest filing count in retrieved records — across US, WO, CA, AU, NZ, EP, and HK jurisdictions (2013–2016), covering a foundational MRI-compatible robotic platform for image-guided surgery. These patents are described as largely inactive or expired. The broad international prosecution across 7 jurisdictions reflects the foundational nature of this platform for MRI-safe robotic biopsy.
United StatesWhere Image-Guided Robotic Biopsy Is Heading in 2025–2026
The most recent filings in this dataset (2024–2026) point to five directions: real-time ML feedback loops, intra-procedural accuracy feedback as a product category, sensor-guided handheld devices, cross-domain ML application, and MRI/CT fusion without in-gantry constraints.
Real-Time ML Feedback Loops and Autonomous Control
Auris Health’s 2026 US patent on AI-based tool presence and workflow phase recognition and Olympus’s dual 2025 US filings on AI-based endoscopic tissue acquisition planning indicate that AI-driven procedure planning is moving from research to commercial patent prosecution. These systems use historical procedure datasets to train models that recommend tool type, biopsy location, and insertion parameters in real time. CooperSurgical’s 2025 WO filing extends ML-controlled biopsy into IVF embryo biopsy via real-time virtualization.
Sensor-Guided Handheld Devices for Broader Adoption
Siemens Healthineers’ 2024 US pending filing describes a handheld biopsy device with an embedded position sensor and a marking/guidance system registered to tomosynthesis imaging data. This approach lowers the barrier to robotic-assisted accuracy without requiring a full robotic arm. GE’s vision-guided arm-on-gantry design represents a similar mid-tier product category that could dominate community and mid-tier radiology settings before fully autonomous systems achieve broad regulatory clearance.
MRI-Compatible Robotic Systems vs. CT/Vision-Guided Robotic Systems
Click any row to explore further.
| Dimension | MRI-Compatible Robotic Systems | CT / Vision-Guided Robotic Systems |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Imaging | Real-time MRI (T1/T2, steady-state free precession) | CT, Cone-Beam CT, Stereo / Structured-Light Camera |
| Actuation Type | Pneumatic, non-metallic (plastics, ceramics) — MRI-safe materials required | Electric / electromechanical — no MRI compatibility constraint |
| Targeting Accuracy | Bench precision 0.17 mm; in vivo MRI-guided accuracy 2.58 mm (Johns Hopkins, animal study) | Median needle placement error 1.8 mm (CBCT frameless brain biopsy); mean targeting error ~5.7 mm (2011 MRI/US clinical evaluation) |
| Key Application Areas | Prostate, breast (MRI VAB), cardiac endomyocardial biopsy | Lung (CT/CBCT), brain (stereotactic frameless), mammography (vision/tomosynthesis) |
| Representative Assignees | Johns Hopkins University, Promaxo Inc., General Electric Company, University of Houston System | Voxel Rad Ltd., GE Precision Healthcare LLC, Hologic Inc., Siemens Healthineers AG |
| Patent Status (Dataset) | Active: Promaxo WO 2021, AU 2022; Johns Hopkins US 2018; Philips EP 2018, IN 2024, EP 2025 | Active: Voxel Rad US 2014/2015/2017; GE Precision US 2022/2024; Hologic US 2016; Siemens US 2024 (pending) |
| Primary Engineering Challenge | RF artifact avoidance, non-metallic component design, bore space constraints | Radiation dose management (CT), registration accuracy between pre/intra-procedural images |
| AI Integration Level | Real-time image analysis loop; reinforcement learning needle insertion (emerging) | ML-based planning (Olympus 2025), phase recognition (Auris Health 2026), vision-based localization |
Frequently Asked Questions: Medical Robot Image-Guided Biopsy Patents
Within this dataset, four imaging modalities dominate: MRI, CT/cone-beam CT (CBCT), ultrasound, and vision/camera-based systems. Hybrid approaches — particularly MRI/CT fusion and augmented fluoroscopy — are also present. MRI-guided systems have the largest number of associated patent records, driven by demand for soft-tissue contrast in prostate and breast applications.
The earliest patent-level evidence in this dataset dates to 1996: ‘Application of Robots to Biopsy and Related Equipment’ filed by Domus Salutis S.R.L. (Italy). This filing established the basic paradigm of probe-based lesion localization, coordinate transformation, and robotic execution. The patent is described as now inactive.
According to data in this dataset, the Johns Hopkins University’s pneumatic, all-non-metallic MRI-safe robot achieves bench precision of 0.17 mm and accuracy of 0.37 mm, and in vivo MRI-guided accuracy of 2.58 mm in animal studies. Clinical literature cited in this dataset confirms robotic transperineal MRI/US fusion biopsy in 86 consecutive patients with 51.2% clinically significant cancer detection.
In this dataset, the most active AI-related filers in 2024–2026 are: Auris Health, Inc. (US 2026, AI-based bronchoscopy tool presence and workflow recognition), Olympus Corporation (dual US 2025 filings on AI-based endoscopic tissue acquisition planning), CooperSurgical, Inc. (WO 2025, ML-controlled embryo biopsy), Siemens Healthineers AG (US 2024, sensor-guided handheld biopsy), and Philips (IN 2024, EP 2025, intra-procedural accuracy feedback continuation).
According to this dataset, Philips holds an active EP patent (2018) and an active IN patent (2024) on intra-procedural accuracy feedback for image-guided biopsy, covering real-time feedback on needle position, throw modeling, and image fusion overlay. An EP continuation filed in 2025 is also active. The US counterpart is inactive, which this dataset’s strategic analysis notes may create an exploitation opportunity — while the active EP and IN coverage still requires licensing consideration for market entrants.
Based on the strategic implications in this dataset, three IP white spaces are identified: (1) the intersection of reinforcement learning with physical needle insertion under real-time MRI remains minimally claimed; (2) pneumatic non-metallic MRI-safe robotic actuation is technically validated but commercially underexploited, particularly for prostate and cardiac targets; and (3) the US expiry of the Philips intra-procedural feedback patent may open exploitation opportunity, though active EP and IN coverage requires licensing consideration.
Data and insights on this page are based on a limited patent and literature dataset and are for reference only. Figures may not represent the complete technology landscape.