Johns Hopkins University Anatomy Visualization Patent Granted

ChangeBridge: Patent Grants - Health Informatics (G16H)

Published March 24th, 2026

Detected March 24th, 2026

Summary

The USPTO has granted a patent to Johns Hopkins University for an anatomy visualization device. The patent covers technology that uses optical sensors and processing circuitry to determine organ placement predictions and render them as augmented reality objects on a patient's body.

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What changed

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted patent US12582481B2 to The Johns Hopkins University for an "Predictive internal anatomy visualization" device. The patent, effective March 24, 2026, describes a system that captures body registration points and external anatomical measurements, applies these to a body shape model to predict organ placement, and then renders this prediction as an augmented reality object aligned with the body. This technology aims to provide detailed organ position, size, and shape information.

This patent grant represents a new intellectual property asset for Johns Hopkins University in the field of health informatics and medical visualization. While not a regulatory rule imposing obligations on other entities, it signifies innovation in medical technology that could lead to future product development or licensing opportunities. Compliance officers in the medical device or healthcare technology sectors should be aware of this patent as it pertains to augmented reality applications in anatomy visualization and organ placement prediction.

Source document (simplified)

← USPTO Patent Grants

Predictive internal anatomy visualization

Grant US12582481B2 Kind: B2 Mar 24, 2026

Assignee

The Johns Hopkins University

Inventors

Robert S. Armiger, Catherine M. Carneal, Nathan G. Drenkow, Nathanael P. Kuo, Connor O. Pyles, Anna E. Knight

Abstract

An anatomy visualization device may include a display, an optical sensor, and processing circuitry. The processing circuitry may be configured to capture, via the optical sensor, body registration points on a body of an individual, receive external anatomical measurements of the body, apply the external anatomical measurements to a body shape model, and determine an organ placement prediction for the body based on the application of external anatomical measurements to the body shape model. The organ placement prediction may include organ position information, organ size information, and organ shape information for a plurality of organs. The processing circuitry may also align the organ placement prediction with the body registration points and render, on the display, the organ placement prediction in alignment with the body registration points as an augmented reality object on the body.

CPC Classifications

G16H 40/63 G06T 7/344 G06T 7/60 G06T 7/73 G06T 19/006 G06T 19/20 G06T 2207/10132 G06T 2207/20081 G06T 2207/20084 G06T 2207/30004 G06T 2207/30196 G06T 2210/41 G06T 2219/2004 A61B 34/10 A61B 90/361 A61B 2034/105 A61B 2034/252 A61B 2090/061 A61B 2090/365 A61B 2090/372 A61B 2090/373 A61B 2090/502