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About

Thijs H C M Meenink is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of robotics and ophthalmic surgery, whose work has fundamentally advanced the precision of vitreoretinal interventions. His key research areas include microsurgical robotics, vitreoretinal surgery, and subretinal drug delivery systems. Meenink’s major contributions center on developing robotic assistance capable of achieving micrometer-level accuracy—a critical requirement for delicate procedures inside the human eye. His most cited work, "Robot assistance for micrometer precision in vitreoretinal surgery" (2013, 24 citations), established foundational techniques for robot-assisted penetration motion and surgical manipulation. He further demonstrated the clinical potential of his systems through robot-assisted choroidotomy and sub-retinal bleb creation (2014, 6 citations), and notably led a first-in-man trial (2018, 2 citations) that successfully performed subretinal injections using robotic assistance inside the human eye—a landmark achievement in ophthalmic surgery. His compact system design (2011, 2 citations) also highlights his focus on translating laboratory innovations into practical, clinically deployable tools. With cumulative citations approaching 40, Meenink’s work continues to inspire new generations of researchers aiming to merge robotics with high-precision medicine.