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About

Paul Herijgers is a leading researcher at the intersection of cardiovascular surgery and medical robotics, whose work is fundamentally shaping safer, less invasive surgical interventions. His most impactful contribution is the development of a micro optical force sensor for force feedback during minimally invasive robotic surgery, a landmark paper with 338 citations that addresses the critical lack of haptic information in robotic procedures. Building on this foundation, Herijgers has pioneered the concept of imposing damage thresholds on surgical instruments to prevent collateral tissue damage, systematically studying the correlation between mechanical loading and soft tissue damage in both healthy and diseased arteries. His research extends to the intuitive teleoperation of active catheters for endovascular surgery, where he has developed control strategies to reduce procedural complexity and radiation exposure for both patients and surgeons. Notably, his work on how atherosclerosis alters loading-induced arterial damage has profound implications for robotic surgery safety. Through his comprehensive approach—from sensor design to in vivo tissue damage assessment—Herijgers is enabling a new generation of surgical robots that can "feel" tissue properties and automatically avoid causing harm, making complex cardiovascular interventions safer for patients considered unfit for conventional open surgery.