Papers
17
Total Citations
172
H-Index
9
About
Xinli Du is a biomedical engineer and robotics researcher whose work sits at the intersection of surgical robotics, sensory-guided instrumentation, and minimally invasive surgery. Best known for pioneering the development of smart surgical micro-drills for cochleostomy — a critical step in cochlear implantation — Du's research has focused on preserving delicate inner ear structures by enabling robotic tools to autonomously detect and respond to tissue interfaces in real time. His landmark 2010 paper on sensory-guided surgical micro-drilling (28 citations) laid the foundation for a series of increasingly refined systems, culminating in human cadaver trials and a pilot clinical study demonstrating the first robotic cochleostomy performed on human subjects. Du's comparative studies consistently showed that robotic drilling produces significantly less intracochlear disturbance than manual techniques, offering meaningful promise for hearing preservation outcomes. Beyond cochlear applications, his research has expanded into flexible robotic manipulators for minimally invasive surgery, including novel optical shape sensing systems and joint angle measurement technologies. With over 140 cumulative citations, Du's body of work represents a sustained and impactful contribution to precision surgical robotics, offering tangible clinical benefits for patients undergoing delicate microsurgical procedures.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1A sensory-guided surgical micro-drill28 citations · 2010
- 2
- 3Robustness analysis of a smart surgical drill for cochleostomy17 citations · 2012
- 4
- 5Feasibility Study of a Hand Guided Robotic Drill for Cochleostomy13 citations · 2014
- 6
- 7A hand-guided robotic drill for cochleostomy on human cadavers10 citations · 2018
- 8
- 9Mechatronic Feasibility of Minimally Invasive, Atraumatic Cochleostomy9 citations · 2014
- 10