M.D. O'Leary

Naval Surface Warfare Center, Johns Hopkins University

Papers

Total Citations

918

H-Index

About

M.D. O’Leary is a pioneering figure in the field of medical robotics and surgical simulation, with a primary focus on the mechanics of needle insertion into soft tissue. Their most influential work, “Force Modeling for Needle Insertion Into Soft Tissue” (2004), has garnered over 815 citations and established a foundational framework for understanding the forces involved in percutaneous procedures. This model is critical for advancing accurate surgical simulators, preoperative planning, and intelligent robotic assistance. In a complementary study, “Robotic needle insertion: effects of friction and needle geometry” (2004, 103 citations), O’Leary conducted experiments using bovine liver to characterize friction forces and the influence of needle geometry under CT fluoroscopic imaging. These contributions have had a lasting impact on the design of robotic systems for minimally invasive therapies, improving both precision and safety. O’Leary’s work remains essential reading for researchers in surgical robotics, haptics, and biomechanics, bridging the gap between theoretical modeling and practical clinical application.