Rich Chen

Papers

Total Citations

144

H-Index

About

Rich Chen is a pioneering figure in robotic cardiac surgery, whose work centers on the development of minimally invasive tools and techniques for beating-heart procedures. His major contributions lie at the intersection of robotics and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), where he has designed novel metal MEMS tools for tissue approximation and removal. Chen’s landmark paper, “Percutaneous intracardiac beating-heart surgery using metal MEMS tissue approximation tools” (2012, 96 citations), demonstrates an integrated approach to robot, tooling, and procedure design, enabling the closure of atrial septal defects without cardiopulmonary bypass. His subsequent work on tissue removal tools (30 citations) and approximation instruments (18 citations) further advances the field by leveraging micron-scale features in millimeter-scale devices. With a total of 144 citations across his most-cited works, Chen’s research has significantly impacted the feasibility of robotic intracardiac interventions, reducing trauma and recovery time. His achievements include pioneering the use of metal MEMS in surgical robotics, a notable innovation that bridges engineering and medicine, offering new possibilities for complex, beating-heart surgeries.