The Robotics Institute lab: (412) 268-5905
Carnegie Mellon University office: (412) 268-9742
5000 Forbes Avenue email: patronik@cmu.edu
Newell-Simon Hall, 1612E web: www.cs.cmu.edu/~patronik
Pittsburgh, PA 15213 citizen: United States
A position in industry that explores robotics research for medical applications; with a focus on mechanical design, robotic control, user interfacing, and clinical testing
Carnegie Mellon University, The Robotics Institute, Pittsburgh, PA
Thesis: A Miniature Mobile Robot for Precise and Stable Access to the Beating Heart
Advisor: Prof. Cameron Riviere
Committee: Dr. Marco Zenati, Prof. Metin Sitti, Prof. Russell Taylor
Carnegie Mellon University, The Robotics Institute, Pittsburgh, PA
Thesis: Development and Testing of a Mobile Robot for Cardiac Intervention
Advisor: Prof. Cameron N. Riviere
Boston University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston, MA
Graduated summa cum laude
Thesis: Evaluation of a Sensory Substitution System for Eliciting Postural Responses
Advisor: Prof. Lars Oddsson
Carnegie Mellon University, The Robotics Institute, Pittsburgh, PA
Medical Instrumentation Laboratory
· Advised by Prof. Cameron Riviere
· Research focused on the design, control, user interface, and testing of a heart-mounted mobile robot (HeartLander) for navigation and positioning on the beating heart for minimally invasive cardiac therapy
· Developed a control system for path planning, trajectory generation, and navigation to targets located around the entire surface of the beating heart with an accuracy of 1 mm
· Designed delivery mechanisms for the administration of several cardiac therapies from HeartLander, including: regenerative material injection, lead placement, and ablation
· Demonstrated all system components using closed-chest beating-heart porcine models
Carnegie Mellon University, The Robotics Institute, Pittsburgh, PA
Medical Instrumentation Laboratory
· Advised by Prof. Cameron Riviere
· Research focused on the initial development of a mobile robot to provide minimally invasive access to the beating heart (HeartLander) from a concept to a working prototype
· Analyzed physiological constraints to determine design parameters
· Designed and constructed a wire-driven continuum-type mobile robot to provide enhanced minimally invasive access to the surface of the beating heart for cardiac therapy
· Demonstrated successful testing of prehension and locomotion designs using open-chest, beating-heart porcine models
Ecole Polytechnique Federal de Lausanne, Institut de Production et Robotique, Lausanne, Switzerland
Virtual Reality and Active Interfaces (VRAI) Group
· Advised by Prof. Terry Fong
· Research focused on haptic devices for needle biopsy training and assistance
· Redesigned a quick-release needle grasper for a passive, 6-DOF haptic device for needle biopsy
Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Department of Otology and Laryngology, Boston, MA
Jenks Vestibular Diagnostic Laboratory
· Advised by Prof. Conrad Wall, III
· Research focused on the development of techniques to assess and treat gait ataxia (incoordination) resulting from vestibular (inner ear) pathologies
· Coordinated a gait perturbation experiment with vestibulopathic subjects using a computer-controlled, programmable displacement platform and an optical tracking system
· Performed data analysis to determine how the recovery strategies of vestibulopathic subjects differed from healthy subjects
Boston University, The NeuroMuscular Research Center, Boston, MA
Injury Analysis and Prevention Laboratory
· Advised by Prof. Lars Oddsson
· Project lasted one year and required formal proposal, formal report, and oral presentation
· Research focused on motor control mechanisms related to balance and the effects of sensory substitution for the completion of mandatory senior thesis
· Constructed a pressure-based sensory substitution system for peripheral neuropathy
· Designed and conducted human experiments to analyze the postural behavior of subjects via stabilogram diffusion and electromyography to determine the effect of sensory substitution
Boston University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston, MA
Respiratory Systems Analysis Laboratory
· Supervised by Prof. Kenneth Lutchen
· Research focused on the mechanics of the lungs during ventilation
· Performed data analysis of lung mechanics and ventilation
Boston Scientific Corporation, Natick, MA
Microvasive Endoscopy Group
· Evaluated a prototype full-thickness resection device and its limitations to determine significant improvements to be implemented in the first major revision of the device
· Designed two experimental prototypes of the improved mechanical component of the device using solid modeling software Pro/ENGINEER, and validated the designs in bench testing
Boston Scientific Corporation, Natick, MA
Microvasive Endoscopy Group
· Researched and purchased vision system and control components for prototype robotic medical device
· Conducted in vivo animal studies with medical device to evaluate performance
· Designed mechanical layout for second revision of medical device using Pro/ENGINEER and conducted in vivo animal studies to evaluate performance following revisions
Sylvania Lighting International, Canton, MA
· Built, tested, and repaired ballast circuits for fluorescent lighting
Carnegie Mellon University, The Robotics Institute, Pittsburgh, PA
Mathematical Fundamentals for Robotics
· Graduate-level course covering the mathematical concepts often encountered in the study of robotics
· Prepared and delivered lecture
· Graded assignments
· Held office hours to assist students with assignments and general course material
Carnegie Mellon University, The Robotics Institute, Pittsburgh, PA
· Samuel Clanton, 2006 - 2008
· David Choi, 2006 - 2008
Carnegie Mellon University, The Robotics Institute, Pittsburgh, PA
· Peter Allen (1 publication), Harsha Tumala (1 publication), Faezeh Razjouyan (1 publication), Chee Kiat Ng (1st place in undergraduate honors thesis competition), Ye Gang
Refereed Journal Publications
[1] N. A. Patronik, T. Ota, M. A. Zenati, and C. N. Riviere, "Synchronization of stepping with heartbeat and respiration for locomotion on the beating heart," International Journal of Medical Robotics and Computer Assisted Surgery (IJMRCAS), 2008. (In preparation).
[2] N. A. Patronik, T. Ota, M. A. Zenati, and C. N. Riviere, "A miniature mobile robot for precise and stable access to the beating heart," IEEE Transactions on Robotics, 2008. (Submitted for review).
[3] T. Ota, N. A. Patronik, C. N. Riviere, and M. A. Zenati, "Minimally invasive epicardial injections using a novel semi-autonomous robotic device," Circulation, 2008. (In press).
[4] T. Ota, N. A. Patronik, C. N. Riviere, and M. A. Zenati, "Percutaneous subxiphoid access to the epicardium using a miniature crawling robotic device," Innovations: Technology & Techniques in Cardiothoracic & Vascular Surgery, vol. 1, pp. 227-231, 2006.
[5] N.A. Patronik, M.A. Zenati, C.N. Riviere, "Preliminary evaluation of a mobile robotic device for navigation and intervention on the beating heart," Computer Aided Surgery, vol.10, pp. 225-232, 2005.
[6] C. N. Riviere, N. A. Patronik, and M. A. Zenati, "Prototype epicardial crawling device for intrapericardial intervention on the beating heart," Heart Surgical Forum, vol. 7, pp. E639-643, 2004.
[7] C. Wall, 3rd, L. I. Oddsson, N. A. Patronik, K. Sienko, and E. Kentala, "Recovery trajectories of vestibulopathic subjects after perturbations during locomotion," Journal of Vestibular Research, vol. 12, pp. 239-253, 2002.
Refereed Conference Proceedings
[1] N. A. Patronik, T. Ota, M. A. Zenati, and C. N. Riviere, "Accurate positioning for intervention on the beating heart using a crawling robot," in Proceedings of the 2nd IEEE International Conference on Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics (BioRob), 2008. (In press).
[2] P. D. Allen, N. A. Patronik, M. A. Zenati, and C. N. Riviere, "A mobile robot driven by miniature onboard motors for cardiac intervention," in Proceedings of the 34th Annual Northeast Bioengineering Conference, 2008, pp. 9-10.
[3] N. A. Patronik, T. Ota, M. A. Zenati, and C. N. Riviere, "Improved traction for a mobile robot traveling on the heart," in Proceedings of the 28th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC). vol. 1, 2006, pp. 339-342.
[4] F. Razjouyan, N. A. Patronik, M. A. Zenati, and C. N. Riviere, "Enhancing the locomotion of an in vivo robot for cardiac surgery," in Proceedings of the 32nd IEEE Annual Northeast Bioengineering Conference, 2006, pp. 97-98.
[5] H. Tummala, N. A. Patronik, and C. N. Riviere, "The design of a mobile robot to record torques generated by cardiac motion," in ASME Summer Bioengineering Conference, 2006.
[6] N. A. Patronik, M. A. Zenati, and C. N. Riviere, "A miniature cable-driven robot for crawling on the heart," in Proceedings of the 27th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC). vol. 6, 2005, pp. 5771-5774.
[7] N. A. Patronik, C. N. Riviere, S. El Qarra, and M. A. Zenati, "The HeartLander: a novel epicardial crawling robot for myocardial injections," in Proceedings of the 19th International Congress of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery. vol. 1281C: Elsevier, 2005, pp. 735-739.
[8] N. A. Patronik, M. A. Zenati, and C. N. Riviere, "Crawling on the heart: a mobile robotic device for minimally invasive cardiac interventions," in Proceedings of the 7th International Medical Image Computing and Computer Aided Intervention Conference (MICCAI). vol. 3217: Lecture Notes Computer Science, 2004, pp. 9-16.
[9] N. A. Patronik, M. A. Zenati, and C. N. Riviere, "Development of a tethered epicardial crawler for minimally invasive cardiac therapies," in Proceedings of the 30th IEEE Annual Northeast Bioengineering Conference, 2004, pp. 239-240.
Conference Abstracts
[1] T. Ota, N. A. Patronik, C. N. Riviere, and M. A. Zenati, "Minimally invasive epicardial injection using a miniature crawling robotic device through a subxiphoid approach," in Proceedings of the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, 2007.
[2] T. Ota, N. A. Patronik, D. Schwartzman, C. N. Riviere, and M. A. Zenati, "Subxiphoid epicardial pacing lead implantation using a miniature crawling robotic device," in The Journal of Surgical Research. vol. 137, 2007, pp. 242-243.
[3] T. Ota, N. A. Patronik, C. N. Riviere, and M. A. Zenati, "Epicardial injection using a miniature crawling robotic device through a subxiphoid approach," in Proceedings of the 10th Annual Meeting of the International Society of Minimally Invasive Cardiothoracic Surgery (ISMICS), 2007, pp. 173-174.
[4] T. Ota, N. A. Patronik, C. N. Riviere, and M. A. Zenati, "Percutaneous subxiphoid access to the epicardium using a miniature crawling robotic device," in Proceedings of the 9th Annual Meeting of the International Society of Minimally Invasive Cardiothoracic Surgery (ISMICS), 2006, pp. 204-205.
[5] C. N. Riviere, N. A. Patronik, S. El Qarra, and M. A. Zenati, "Epicardial crawling device for myocardial injections," in Proceedings of the 8th Annual Meeting of the International Society of Minimally Invasive Cardiothoracic Surgery (ISMICS), 2005, p. 170.
Technical Reports
[1] N. A. Patronik, "A Miniature Mobile Robot for Precise and Stable Access to the Beating Heart," Doctoral thesis, technical report CMU-RI-TR-08-13, The Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, May, 2008.
[2] N. A. Patronik, "Development and Preliminary Testing of a Mobile Robot for Cardiac Intervention," Masters thesis, technical report CMU-RI-TR-05-08, The Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, February, 2005.
Patents
[1] C. N. Riviere, N. A. Patronik, M. A. Zenati, G. D. Stetten, "Robot for minimally invasive interventions," US and International Patents Pending, submitted November 5, 2004.
[2] S. K. Sharma, D. I. Freed, N. A. Patronik, J. M. Wendlandt, "Full thickness resectioning device," US Patent 6,685,079, issued to SciMed Life Systems, submitted May 24, 2002, issued February 3, 2004.
· NASA Graduate Student Researchers Program (GSRP) Fellowship, 2006 - 2008
· CMU Robotics Institute Fellowship, 2004 - 2008
· 1st Place Mini Presentation at 10th Annual Meeting of the International Society of Minimally Invasive Cardiothoracic Surgery (ISMICS), 2007
· 3rd Place Poster Presentation at IEEE 30th Annual Northeast Bioengineering Conference, 2004
· 3rd Place Oral Presentation at 15th Annual Boston University Biomedical Engineering Senior Project Conference, 2000
· BU University Scholarship, 1996 - 2000
· Biomedical Engineering Honor Society, 1998 - 2000
· BU Engineering Dean’s List, 1996 - 2000
Graduate
Kinematics, Dynamics, and Control
Advanced Topics in Kinematics
Fundamentals of AI for Robotics
Micro/Nano-Robotics
Computer Vision
Mobile Robot Programming
Surgery for Engineers (Johns Hopkins)
Sensing and Sensors
Entrepreneurial Thought and Action
Machine Learning
Mathematical Fundamentals for Robotics
Strategic Uses of Information Technology
Undergraduate
Electric Circuit Theory
Vector Mechanics
Electronics
Engineering Design I & II
Logic Design
Solid Biomechanics
Digital Signal Processing
Fluid Mechanics
Linear Signals and Systems
Intro to Medical Imaging
Linear Control Systems
Biomedical Instrumentation
· Pro/ENGINEER
· MATLAB
· SolidWorks
· C++
· HTML and CSS
· Reviewer, Computer Aided Surgery, 2008
· Reviewer, Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC), 2007, 2008
· Reviewer, IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), 2008
· Reviewer, International Medical Image Computing and Computer Aided Intervention Conference (MICCAI), 2007
· Reviewer, IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), 2007