An MR Safe Rotary Encoder Based on Eccentric Sheave and FBG Sensors

MRI-guided robotic systems are emerging platforms for minimally invasive intervention because of high positioning accuracy and excellent tissue contrast. MR safe encoders are critical components for closed-loop robotic control. This paper develops an MR safe absolute rotary encoder based on eccentric sheave and FBG sensors. The eccentric sheave transforms the rotational motion of the shaft to the bending deflection of the beam on which FBG sensors are integrated. A model is built by establishing the relationship of the kinematics of the sheave, the mechanical properties of the beam with unknown length, and the strain model of two Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors. A Pseudo-Rigid Body (PRB) 3R model is used to solve a set of constrained equations for accurate rotary encoding. A prototype is built to calibrate the parameters and validate the accuracy of the encoder and its MR compatibility. Results show that the maximum angular error is 1.6 degrees, and the RMS error is 0.46 degrees. MRI shows that no noticeable artifacts are observed, and the Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) is not affected. The results demonstrate the potential of the proposed method for it to be integrated with MR safe robots with easy fabrication, compact structures, and continuous measurement.