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About

J. Michael Fitzpatrick is a pioneer in the field of robotic otologic and neurosurgery, with a primary focus on developing safe, precise, and minimally invasive surgical systems for the inner ear and brain. His major contributions center on the design and validation of compact, bone-attached robots for mastoidectomy—a challenging procedure to access the middle and inner ear—and on the creation of robotically-adjustable microstereotactic frames for image-guided neurosurgery. Fitzpatrick’s work is distinguished by its rigorous attention to safety: he has developed probabilistic error models and statistically derived safety margins that account for registration uncertainty, ensuring that robotic bone milling can proceed near vital anatomy without causing damage. His most-cited paper, "Robotic Mastoidectomy" (2010), has garnered 46 citations and laid the groundwork for automating this delicate surgery. With over 200 total citations across his top papers, Fitzpatrick has established himself as a leading figure in surgical robotics, advancing both the engineering and clinical validation of systems that promise to improve outcomes for patients undergoing complex ear and brain procedures.