G.R.I.D. (Global Researchers in Dialogue)

KIAT US Office 에서 지원하는 글로벌 연구자들과의 대화 시리즈 입니다. 한-미 산학연 간의 네트워크를 구축하고, 공동 R&D를 희망하시는 분들의 많은 참여를 부탁드립니다.  

This is a series of Dialogue supported by the KIAT US Office with global researchers. We invite everyone interested in building networks between Korean and U.S. academia, industry, and research institutes, as well as those seeking joint R&D opportunities, to actively participate.

Toward Autonomous Microsurgery: 

Optical Imaging and Artificial Intelligence

금번 웨비나는 존스홉킨스 대학교 강진우 교수님을 모시고 광학 영상(OCT)과 인공지능을 결합한 차세대 로봇 수술 기술의 최신 발전을 소개합니다. 특히 실시간 3D OCT 영상과 수술 도구에 통합된 광섬유 센서 기술을 다룰 예정입니다. 이러한 기술을 통해 미세 수술 과정에서 조직 경계, 기구-조직 상호작용, 깊이 정보를 정밀하게 시각화할 수 있는 방법을 설명합니다.

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Webinar

Jin U. Kang

Webinar Abstract

Recent advances in optical imaging and artificial intelligence are accelerating the development of next-generation robotic surgical systems. In these intelligent surgical platforms, high-resolution optical sensors and advanced neural networks are seamlessly integrated with robotic instruments to achieve performance beyond the limits of freehand human operation. At Johns Hopkins University, our laboratory, led by Jin U. Kang, has pioneered real-time three-dimensional imaging systems tailored for robotic microsurgery, with particular emphasis on optical coherence tomography (OCT). A central component of this work is the development of miniaturized OCT fiber-optic sensors that can be fully integrated into surgical instruments and robotic end-effectors. These fiber-based OCT sensors provide micron-scale, depth-resolved imaging in real time, enabling subsurface visualization of optically transparent and semi-transparent tissues during active manipulation. By combining OCT imaging with AI-driven analysis, our systems enhance the surgeon’s ability to identify and track nearly invisible tissue boundaries, maintain safe stand-off distances, detect early instrument–tissue contact, measure applied deformation, and assess depth of penetration with micron-level precision. The integration of OCT fiber sensors directly into surgical tools also enables quantitative feedback for force estimation and tissue characterization, creating a closed-loop, image-guided robotic platform. Collectively, these innovations reduce surgical risk, improve precision and safety, and expand the scope of achievable microsurgical procedures. In this talk, I will summarize our progress in OCT-based image-guided robotic surgery, highlight the role of fiber-integrated sensing technologies, and outline future directions for intelligent, autonomous surgical systems.

Speaker

Jin U. Kang is the Jacob Suter Jammer Endowed Chair Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and a Professor in the Department of Dermatology at Johns Hopkins University, where he has been a faculty member since 1998. Over the past two decades, he has built an internationally recognized research program at the intersection of photonics, biomedical optics, and translational medicine. His research focuses on the development of novel optical imaging and sensing techniques, with particular emphasis on optical coherence tomography (OCT), fiber-optic sensors, ultrafast lasers, and miniaturized photonic devices. He has pioneered high-resolution, real-time 3D OCT systems and fiber-integrated OCT probes for image-guided microsurgery and robotic surgery. His work has enabled micron-scale, depth-resolved visualization of tissue during active surgical manipulation, providing surgeons with enhanced precision, safety, and quantitative feedback. In addition to surgical guidance, his laboratory has contributed broadly to biomedical optical imaging, ophthalmic diagnostics, cancer detection, and other translational biophotonics applications. Dr. Kang has authored hundreds of peer-reviewed publications and holds numerous patents in biomedical optics and photonic instrumentation. His work has been continuously supported by federal agencies and industry, and his technologies have helped bridge the gap between laboratory innovation and clinical deployment. He has played a significant leadership role in the optics and photonics community, serving as General Chair of the Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics (CLEO) and as a program committee member for the SPIE Biosensing group. He is a Fellow of Optica (formerly OSA), SPIE, and American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.