Michael Yip
Bioengineering
Bio-X Bowes Fellow 2013/2014
Profs. David Camarillo (Bioengineering), Paul Wang (Medicine), and Kenneth Salisbury (Computer Science, Surgery)

Atrial fibrillation is a chronic heart condition that afflicts more than 2.5 million in the US and is a significant risk factor for stroke. Tissue ablation using catheters is the standard procedure for treating AF, but this is encumbered by difficult and non-intuitive catheter manipulation and poor visual feedback. Michael is investigating robotic control methods that integrate real-time imaging and tracking technologies to autonomously perform ablation tasks. He aims to reduce the complexity of the procedure, the training needed to perform the operation, and the amount of x-ray radiation to the patient, thereby making the procedure safer, more widely available, and cost-effective.