Katherine E. Riojas
Papers
9
Total Citations
187
H-Index
6
About
Katherine E. Riojas is a leading researcher in surgical robotics, with a focus on concentric tube robots and cochlear-implant technology. Her work bridges continuum robotics and otologic surgery, pioneering dynamic models for concentric tube robots—the first of their kind—that extend beyond static and kinematic analyses to capture real-time behavior (58 citations). She has made transformative contributions to cochlear-implant electrode array insertion, demonstrating that magnetically steered robotic insertion reduces forces on delicate inner ear structures, including the basilar membrane, as shown in first-in-cadaver results (51 citations) and in vitro studies (18 citations). Riojas also explores counterintuitive applications, such as harnessing elastic instability in concentric tube robots for beneficial purposes (16 citations), and develops innovative hand-held surgical tools that provide wrist-and-elbow dexterity without motors (13 citations). Her work on the pull-back technique for precurved electrode arrays, combined with real-time impedance sensing, advances surgical precision in cochlear implantation. With over 180 total citations and multiple high-impact publications, Riojas is shaping the future of minimally invasive robotic surgery, particularly in hearing restoration.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1A Dynamic Model for Concentric Tube Robots58 citations · 2020
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- 3Robotic Ear Surgery20 citations · 2020
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- 5Can Elastic Instability Be Beneficial in Concentric Tube Robots?16 citations · 2018
- 6A Hand-Held Non-Robotic Surgical Tool With a Wrist and an Elbow13 citations · 2019
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