Thomas Neff

Papers

Total Citations

355

H-Index

About

Thomas Neff is a pioneering researcher in medical robotics, with a primary focus on autonomous robotic ultrasound systems for image-guided interventions. His major contributions lie in developing methods that enable robots to autonomously acquire ultrasound images guided by pre-operative MRI data, significantly reducing operator dependency and improving repeatability. His most cited work, "Towards MRI-Based Autonomous Robotic US Acquisitions" (218 citations), introduced a novel workflow combining 3D scanning and calibration to automate this process. In a second highly influential paper (121 citations), Neff applied force-compliant robotic control to screen for abdominal aortic aneurysms, addressing the critical challenge of inter-operator variability in ultrasound diagnostics. He also contributed to open-source infrastructure through the OpenIGTLink interface for robot state control, facilitating broader adoption in image-guided therapy systems. Neff's research directly tackles the translation of robotic assistance from engineering concepts to clinical practice, offering tangible solutions for improving diagnostic consistency and accessibility. His work is essential reading for students and researchers interested in the intersection of robotics, imaging, and autonomous medical systems.