Peter Stalmans
Papers
15
Total Citations
543
H-Index
10
About
Peter Stalmans is a pioneering ophthalmologist and researcher whose career has been defined by a singular, transformative mission: making retinal vein cannulation a safe and clinically viable treatment for retinal vein occlusion, a leading cause of severe vision loss. Recognizing that the microscopic scale and fragility of retinal vasculature places this procedure beyond the limits of unaided human dexterity, Stalmans spearheaded the development of robotic surgical systems specifically designed to overcome tremor, imprecision, and inadequate force feedback. His team's work progressed systematically from early robotic manipulator design and teleoperation systems through rigorous animal model validation, accumulating over 500 citations across his most influential publications. A landmark achievement came in 2018 when Stalmans led the world's first in-human robot-assisted retinal vein cannulation, garnering 122 citations alone and marking a historic milestone in ophthalmic surgery. Complementing this, he advanced sophisticated sensing technologies — combining fiber Bragg grating force sensors with optical coherence tomography distance measurement — to give robotic systems the nuanced feedback surgeons require. His subsequent Phase I clinical trial further validated safety and feasibility in human patients, cementing Stalmans' legacy as a foundational figure in robotic retinal surgery.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1In-Human Robot-Assisted Retinal Vein Cannulation, A World First122 citations · 2018
- 2Design and realisation of a novel robotic manipulator for retinal surgery85 citations · 2013
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- 4Design of a teleoperated robotic system for retinal surgery47 citations · 2014
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