Jonathan Sorger

About

Jonathan Sorger is a leading figure in the convergence of advanced optics, molecular imaging, and robotic surgery. His research focuses on developing real-time guidance technologies to overcome the critical challenge of incomplete tumor resection during minimally invasive procedures. Sorger’s major contributions include pioneering the use of autofluorescence lifetime imaging as an augmented reality overlay for robotic surgery, a technique that compensates for the loss of tactile feedback by providing surgeons with real-time, molecular-level tissue characterization. He has also been instrumental in designing "AND-gate" contrast agents—smart probes that activate only in the presence of multiple cancer-specific signals, dramatically improving the specificity of fluorescence-guided surgery. With over 280 citations for his foundational work on 3D surface reconstruction in laparoscopic surgery, Sorger’s impact is substantial. Notably, he led the first-in-human evaluation of a PSMA-targeted near-infrared dye for prostate cancer, demonstrating the clinical translation of his lab’s innovations. His narrative reviews and technical papers on augmented reality and cone-beam CT guidance have shaped the field, making him a key architect of the next generation of intelligent, image-guided robotic surgical systems.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Optical techniques for 3D surface reconstruction in computer-assisted laparoscopic surgery

   281 citations · 2013
2. 2
   AND-gate contrast agents for enhanced fluorescence-guided surgery

   139 citations · 2020
3. 3
   Autofluorescence lifetime augmented reality as a means for real-time robotic surgery guidance in human patients

   87 citations · 2019
4. 4
   A narrative review of fluorescence imaging in robotic-assisted surgery

   48 citations · 2021
5. 5
   Augmented reality and cone beam CT guidance for transoral robotic surgery

   47 citations · 2015
6. 6
   Robotic Skull Base Surgery via Supraorbital Keyhole Approach

   36 citations · 2012
7. 7
   First-in-human Evaluation of a Prostate-specific Membrane Antigen–targeted Near-infrared Fluorescent Small Molecule for Fluorescence-based Identification of Prostate Cancer in Patients with High-risk Prostate Cancer Undergoing Robotic-assisted Prostatectomy

   35 citations · 2023
8. 8
   Augmented reality for image guidance in transoral robotic surgery

   34 citations · 2019
9. 9
   Protease Activated Probes for Real-Time Ratiometric Imaging of Solid Tumors

   33 citations · 2023
10. 10
    The da Vinci Surgical System

    28 citations · 2019

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links