Papers
42
Total Citations
1,295
H-Index
17
About
Ken Masamune is a pioneering researcher in the field of medical robotics and image-guided surgical systems, whose work has fundamentally shaped how robots assist in minimally invasive and precision surgery. Since the mid-1990s, Masamune has focused on developing robotic systems that integrate seamlessly with medical imaging technologies, including MRI and CT, to enhance surgical accuracy and safety. His landmark 1995 paper on an MRI-compatible needle insertion manipulator for stereotactic neurosurgery, which has garnered over 300 citations, established early groundwork for imaging-compatible surgical robotics — a technically demanding challenge given the magnetic constraints of MRI environments. Building on this foundation, he developed CT-guided robotic systems for percutaneous needle placement and prostate biopsy, collectively drawing hundreds of citations from the surgical robotics community. Masamune has also explored autonomous surgical systems for oral and maxillofacial surgery using markerless camera-based navigation, and contributed significantly to haptics and tactile sensing in minimally invasive surgery. Perhaps most notably, his work on the Scrub Nurse Robot reflects a broader vision of human-adaptive robotics designed to address real-world clinical staffing challenges, demonstrating a uniquely socially conscious dimension to his engineering research.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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- 8MR-Safe Pneumatic Rotation Stepping Actuator43 citations · 2012
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