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About

Alan B. McMillan is a leading researcher in the field of MRI-compatible robotic systems for interventional medicine, with a focus on precision surgical tools that operate within the challenging environment of magnetic resonance imaging. His major contributions center on the design and control of pneumatically and shape-memory alloy (SMA)-actuated robots, enabling safe, image-guided procedures without compromising MRI quality. Notably, his 2010 work on a 1-DOF pneumatically actuated needle driver with long transmission lines (103 citations) established foundational techniques for precise position control in MRI, while his 2011 paper on an SMA-actuated neurosurgical robot (86 citations) advanced dexterous, MRI-compatible tools for tumor resection beyond line-of-sight. McMillan also pioneered a pneumatically-actuated robot for continuous MRI-guided breast biopsy (40 citations), addressing limitations of blind targeting in current clinical practice. His research has garnered over 235 citations, reflecting significant impact on surgical robotics and interventional radiology. By integrating MRI’s superior imaging with robotic precision, McMillan’s work paves the way for safer, more accurate minimally invasive procedures, particularly in oncology.