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Nicholas Patronik
Postdoctoral Fellow

Email address: patronik@cmu.edu

Mailing address:
Carnegie Mellon University
Robotics Institute
5000 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213

For more information, see my personal homepage.

Jump to: Research interests | Keywords | Labs & groups | Projects | Publications

My research involves the development and analysis of robotic systems for use in minimally invasive intervention. Minimally invasive instrumentation and techniques have decreased the morbidity associated with surgery, primarily through the use of endoscopic and catheter-based therapies. These techniques, however, reduce the workspace and dexterity of the surgeon during the procedure. Robotic instrumentation has the ability to augment the capabilities of the surgeon under these restricted conditions. To this end, I have designed and tested a miniature mobile robot (HeartLander) to enhance the precision and stability of interaction with the surface of the beating heart in a less invasive manner. This device adheres to the surface of the beating heart, autonomously navigates to the specified operative site, and administers the therapy under the control of the physician.

control, design, haptics, mechatronics, medical applications, and medical robotics

• Medical Instrumentation Lab - We are developing intelligent tools for microsurgery and minimally invasive surgery.

• HeartLander - A miniature mobile robot for minimally invasive therapy on the beating heart through a single percutaneous incision.

Note: This list may not be comprehensive. It contains only those publications in the RI publications database. Entries are listed in reverse chronological order.

• Percutaneous Subxiphoid Access to the Epicardium Using a Miniature Crawling Robotic Device
  T. Ota, N. Patronik, C. Riviere, and M.A. Zenati
  Innovations, Vol. 1, No. 5, October, 2006, pp. 227-231. [Abstract]
  Download: pdf [660 KB] copyrighted

• Improved Traction for a Mobile Robot Traveling on the Heart
  N. Patronik, T. Ota, M.A. Zenati, and C. Riviere
  28th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBS), September, 2006, pp. 339 - 342. [Abstract]
  Download: pdf [272 KB] copyrighted

• Enhancing the Locomotion of an In Vivo Robot for Cardiac Surgery
  F. Razjouyan, N. Patronik, M.A. Zenati, and C. Riviere
  Proceedings of the IEEE 32nd Annual Northeast Bioengineering Conference, April, 2006, pp. 97 - 98. [Abstract]
  Download: pdf [240 KB] copyrighted

• A Miniature Cable-Driven Robot for Crawling on the Heart
  N. Patronik, M.A. Zenati, and C. Riviere
  Proceedings of the 27th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBS), September, 2005, pp. 5771 - 5774. [Abstract]
  Download: pdf [330 KB] copyrighted

• Preliminary Evaluation of a Mobile Robotic Device for Navigation and Intervention on the Beating Heart
  N. Patronik, M.A. Zenati, and C. Riviere
  Computer Aided Surgery, Vol. 10, No. 4, July, 2005, pp. 225 - 232. [Abstract]
  Download: pdf [663 KB] copyrighted

• The HeartLander: A Novel Epicardial Crawling Robot for Myocardial Injections
  N. Patronik, C. Riviere, S.E. Qarra, and M.A. Zenati
  Proceedings of the 19th International Congress of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery, Elsevier, Vol. 1281C, June, 2005, pp. 735-739. [Abstract]
  Download: pdf [242 KB] copyrighted

• Development and Preliminary Testing of a Mobile Robot for Cardiac Intervention
  N. Patronik
  master's thesis, tech. report CMU-RI-TR-05-08, Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, February, 2005. [Abstract]
  Download: pdf [651 KB] copyrighted

• Crawling on the Heart: A Mobile Robotic Device for Minimally Invasive Cardiac Interventions
  N. Patronik, M.A. Zenati, and C. Riviere
  Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Medical Image Computing and Computer-Assisted Intervention (MICCAI), Springer, Vol. LNCS 3117, September, 2004, pp. 9 - 16. [Abstract]
  Download: pdf [196 KB] copyrighted

• A Prototype Epicardial Crawling Device for Intrapericardial Intervention on the Beating heart
  C. Riviere, N. Patronik, and M.A. Zenati
  The Heart Surgery Forum, Forum Multimedia Publishing, LLC, Vol. 7, No. 6, July, 2004, pp. E639 - E643. [Abstract]
  Download: pdf [299 KB] copyrighted

• Development of a Tethered Epicardial Crawler for Minimally Invasive Cardiac Therapies
  N. Patronik, M.A. Zenati, and C. Riviere
  IEEE 30th Annual Northeast Bioengineering Conference, IEEE, April, 2004, pp. 239-240. [Abstract]
  Download: pdf [246 KB] copyrighted