Microsurgical Robotics Laboratory

The Microsurgical Robotics Laboratory led by Dr. Daniel H. Kim focuses on developing next-generation robotic devices for treating endovascular conditions such as cerebral stroke and other life-threatening conditions such as fetal malformations and brain abnormalities via microsurgery.  Devices are miniaturized to navigate through small, narrow, and branched blood vessels in the brain and access deep sites in the body that are currently unreachable with other surgical devices.  With microsurgical robotic devices, patients can be treated remotely when living in isolated regions of the world where special surgical procedures are not otherwise readily accessible.

Dr. Daniel H. Kim is a Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston where he also serves as Director of Reconstructive Spinal Neurosurgery and Reconstructive Peripheral Nerve Surgery.  Dr. Kim is also adjunct professor in the Department of Bioengineering and Electrical and Computer Engineering at Rice University.  Dr. Kim has built an academic program focused on innovation in medical device technology and minimally invasive surgical techniques for the spine. Dr. Kim oversees the development engineering team of the lab and Dr. Dongsuk Shin serves as a lead engineer under Dr. Kim’s guidance.

Dr. Mark Dannenbaum, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston is an endovascular neurosurgeon. He currently co-directs the development of microsurgical robotic devices, particularly steerable robotic microcatheters for endovascular procedures.

CURRENT PROJECTS

1) Steerable robotic microcatheters for cerebral stroke intervention

2) Microsurgical robotics for fetal, brain, and endonasal surgery

3) Image-guided, robot-assisted surgery

TEAM MEMBERS

CONTACT

Email: [email protected]
Office Phone: 713-500-5534

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

1. Jang, T., Lee, K.: A novel registration method for computer-assisted total knee arthroplasty using a patient-specific registration guide. Surgical Innovation 2014;21(1):80-9.
2. Baek, T.-H., Kim, I., Hong, J.-T., Kim, D.H., Shin, D., Lee, S.-W.: Feasibility of bilateral crossing C7 intralaminar screws: a cadaveric study. J Korean Neurosurg Soc. 2014;56(1):5–10.
3. Sim, K., Park, S.Q., Choi, H.A., Kim, D.H.: Demonstration of traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage from the anterior choroidal artery. J Korean Neurosurg Soc. 2014; 56(6):531-3.
4. Suzuki, R., Bhutani, M.S., Shin, D., Irisawa, A., Fleming, J.B. Ohira, H., Richards-Kortum, R.: Endoscopic ultrasound-assisted direct peritoneal visualization with a small-caliber scope – a proof of concept study in a swine model. Endoscopic Ultrasound 2014;3(4):226-231.
5. Park SH, Esquenazi Y, Kline DG, Kim DH. Surgical outcomes of 156 spinal accessory nerve injuries caused by lymph node biopsy. J Neurosurg Spine 2015;23(4):518-25.
6. Shin, D., Protano, M-A., Polydorides, A.D., Dawsey, S.M., Pierce, M.C., Kim, M.K., Schwarz, R.A., Quang, T., Parikh, N., Bhutani, M.S., Zhang, F., Wang, G., Xue, L., Wang, X., Xu, H., Anandasabapathy, S., Richards-Kortum, R.R.: Automated image analysis of in vivo microendoscopic images for quantitative diagnosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Clin. Gastroenterol. Hepatol. 2015;13(2):272-9.e1.
7. Ishijima, A., Richard A. Schwarz, R.A., Shin, D., Mondrik, S., Vigneswaran, N., Gillenwater, A.M., Anandasabapathy, S., Richards-Kortum, R.: Automated frame selection process for high resolution microendoscopy. J. Biomed. Opt. 2015;20(4):046014.
8. Protano, M-A., Xu, H., Wang, G., Polydorides, A.D., Dawsey, S.M., Cui, J., Xue, L., Zhang, F., Quang, T., Pierce, M.C., Shin, D., Schwartz, R.A., Bhutani, M.S., Lee, M., Parikh, N., Hur, C., Wang, X., Moshier, E., Godbold, J., Mitcham, J., Thomas, C., Richards-Kortum, R.R., Anandasabapathy, S.: Low-cost high resolution microendoscopy for the early detection of esophageal squamous cell neoplasia: An international trial. Gastroenterology 2015;149(2):321-329.
9. Shin, D., Lee, M., Polydorides, A.D., Pierce, M.C., Vila, P., Parikh, N., Anandasabapathy, S., Richards-Kortum, R.R.: Quantitative analysis of high-resolution microendoscopic images for diagnosis of neoplasia in patients with Barrett’s esophagus. Gastrointest Endosc. 2015;doi: 10.1016/j.gie.2015.06.045.
10. Dobbs, J.L., Mueller, J.L., Krishnamurthy, S., Shin, D., Kuerer, H., Yang, W., Ramanujam, N., Richards-Kortum, R.: Micro-anatomical quantitative optical imaging: toward automated assessment of breast tissues. Breast Cancer Res. 2015;17:105.