Tommaso Ranzani | Profiles RNS

Tommaso Ranzani, PhD

Assistant Professor

Boston University College of Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

PhD, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies
MS, University of Pisa
BS, University of Pisa

Websites

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ORCID : 0000-0001-8362-3710

Professor Ranzani has extensive experience in the development of medical robots for Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS). He explored different technologies and developed a number of manufacturing paradigms to design and manufacture innovative robotic systems and tools. His main research area is soft robotics, he has explored soft robotic technologies to develop novel manipulators, which integrate design principles from biological systems for performing advanced procedures in MIS. He is interested in expanding the potential of soft robots across different scales to develop novel reconfigurable soft-bodied robots.

BU Research

Intracardiac beating heart tricuspid valve repair via robotics
12/07/2024 - 11/30/2028 (PI)
NIH/National Institute of Biomedical Imaging & Bioengineering
1R01EB035574-01A1

Bioinspired reconfigurable soft robots for underwater multi-modal locomotion and manipulation
04/01/2022 - 03/31/2025 (PI)
Department of Defense/ONR

Enabling advanced endovascular beating-heart procedures through soft robotics
09/16/2020 - 09/15/2024 (PI)
NIH/National Institute of Biomedical Imaging & Bioengineering
1R21EB028363-01A1

Draper Fellowship (Karan Mudgal)
09/01/2022 - 05/31/2024 (PI)
Draper Laboratory, Inc.

Title

Yr	Title	Project-Sub Proj	Pubs

Publications listed below are automatically derived from MEDLINE/PubMed and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing publications. Faculty can login to make corrections and additions.

iCite Analysis Copy PMIDs To Clipboard

Moran AM, Vo VT, McDonald KJ, Sultania P, Langenbrunner E, Chong JHV, Naik A, Kinnicutt L, Li J, Ranzani T. An electropermanent magnet valve for the onboard control of multi-degree of freedom pneumatic soft robots. Commun Eng. 2024 Aug 23; 3(1):117. PMID: 39179768; PMCID: PMC11344064; DOI: 10.1038/s44172-024-00251-y;

Rogatinsky J, Recco D, Feichtmeier J, Kang Y, Kneier N, Hammer P, O'Leary E, Mah D, Hoganson D, Vasilyev NV, Ranzani T. A multifunctional soft robot for cardiac interventions. Sci Adv. 2023 Oct 27; 9(43):eadi5559.View Related Profiles.

Feichtmeier, Joseph
Ranzani, Tommaso

PMID: 37878705; PMCID: PMC10599628; DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adi5559;

Gaeta LT, McDonald KJ, Kinnicutt L, Le M, Wilkinson-Flicker S, Jiang Y, Atakuru T, Samur E, Ranzani T. Magnetically induced stiffening for soft robotics. Soft Matter. 2023 Apr 05; 19(14):2623-2636. PMID: 36951679; PMCID: PMC10183112; DOI: 10.1039/d2sm01390h;

Rogatinsky J, Gomatam K, Lim ZH, Lee M, Kinnicutt L, Duriez C, Thomson P, McDonald K, Ranzani T. A Collapsible Soft Actuator Facilitates Performance in Constrained Environments. Adv Intell Syst. 2022 Oct; 4(10). PMID: 37449010; PMCID: PMC10338025; DOI: 10.1002/aisy.202200085;

Amadeo T, Van Lewen D, Janke T, Ranzani T, Devaiah A, Upadhyay U, Russo S. Soft Robotic Deployable Origami Actuators for Neurosurgical Brain Retraction. Front Robot AI. 2021; 8:731010.View Related Profiles.

Devaiah, Anand
Ranzani, Tommaso

PMID: 35096979; PMCID: PMC8795889; DOI: 10.3389/frobt.2021.731010;

McDonald K, Ranzani T. Hardware Methods for Onboard Control of Fluidically Actuated Soft Robots. Front Robot AI. 2021; 8:720702. PMID: 34485392; PMCID: PMC8415906; DOI: 10.3389/frobt.2021.720702;

Ranzani T, Russo S, Bartlett NW, Wehner M, Wood RJ. Increasing the Dimensionality of Soft Microstructures through Injection-Induced Self-Folding. Adv Mater. 2018 Sep; 30(38):e1802739. PMID: 30079470

N.R. Sinatra, T. Ranzani, V. Joost, K.K. Parker, R. J. Wood. Nanofiber-reinforced soft fluidic micro-actuators. Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering. 2018; 28.
J. Gafford, T. Ranzani, S. Russo, A. Degirmenci, S. Kesner, R. Howe, R. J. Wood, C. J. Walsh. Towards Medical Devices with Integrated Mechanisms, Sensors and Actuators via Printed-Circuit MEMS. Journal of Medical Devices. 2017; 11(1):011007-12.

Showing 10 of 41 results. Show More

S. Russo, T. Ranzani, C. J. Walsh, R. J. Wood. An Additive Millimeter-Scale Fabrication Method for Soft Biocompatible Actuators and Sensors. Advanced Materials Technologies. 2017. View Publication
Ranzani, S. Russo, F. Schwab, C. J. Walsh, R. J. Wood. Proceedings of Robotics and Automation (ICRA). Deployable stabilization mechanisms for endoscopic procedures. 2017.
Becker, T. Ranzani, S. Russo, R. J. Wood. The 2017 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems. Pop-Up Tissue Retraction Mechanism for Endoscopic Surgery. 2017.
Ranzani, S. Russo, C. J. Walsh, R. J. Wood. Proc. of 6th Hamlyn Symposium on Medical Robotics. A soft suction-based end effector for endoluminal tissue manipulation. 2016.
Gafford, T. Ranzani, S. Russo, H. Aihara, R. J. Wood, C. J. Walsh, C. Thompson. Proceedings of Robotics and Automation (ICRA). Snap-On Robotic Wrist Module for Enhanced Dexterity in Endoscopy. 2016; 4398-4405.
Russo, T. Ranzani, J. Gafford, C. J. Walsh, R. J. Wood. Proceedings of Robotics and Automation (ICRA). Soft pop-up mechanisms for micro surgical tools: design and characterization of compliant millimeter-scale articulated structures. 2016; 750-757.
T. Ranzani, M. Cianchetti, G. Gerboni, I. De Falco, A. Menciassi. A Soft Modular Manipulator for Minimally Invasive Surgery: Design and Characterization of a Single Module. IEEE Transactions on Robotics. 2016; 32(1).

Russo S, Ranzani T, Liu H, Nefti-Meziani S, Althoefer K, Menciassi A. Soft and Stretchable Sensor Using Biocompatible Electrodes and Liquid for Medical Applications. Soft Robot. 2015 Dec 01; 2(4):146-154. PMID: 27625915; PMCID: PMC4997627; DOI: 10.1089/soro.2015.0011;

Ranzani T, Gerboni G, Cianchetti M, Menciassi A. A bioinspired soft manipulator for minimally invasive surgery. Bioinspir Biomim. 2015 May 13; 10(3):035008. PMID: 25970550

Elsayed Y, Lekakou C, Ranzani T, Cianchetti M, Morino M, Arezzo A, Menciassi A, Geng T, Saaj CM. Crimped braided sleeves for soft, actuating arm in robotic abdominal surgery. Minim Invasive Ther Allied Technol. 2015; 24(4):204-10. PMID: 25744663

S. Sina, Y. Noh, M. Li, T. Ranzani, H. Liu, K. Althoefer. Macrobend optical sensing for pose measurement in soft robot arms. Smart Materials and Structures. 2015; 24.
Quinlivan, A. T. Asbeck, D. Wagner, T. Ranzani, S. Russo, C. J. Walsh. Proceedings of the ASME 2015 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences & Computers and Information in Engineering Conference (IDETC/CIE 2015). Force Transfer Characterization of a Soft Exosuit for Gait Assistance. Boston. 2015.
Sareh, Y. Noh, T. Ranzani, H. A. Wurdemann, H. Liu, K. Althoefer. 2015 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS). A 7.5mm Steiner chain fiber-optic system for multi-segment flex sensing. 2015; 2336-2341.
G. Gerboni, T. Ranzani, A. Diodato, G. Ciuti, M. Cianchetti, A. Menciassi. Modular soft mechatronic manipulator for minimally invasive surgery (MIS): overall architecture and development of a fully integrated soft module. 2015; 50(11):2865-2878. View Publication
T. Ranzani, G. Ciuti, G. Tortora, A. Arezzo, S. Arolfo, M. Morino, A. Menciassi. A Novel Device for Measuring Forces in Endoluminal Procedures. International Journal of Advanced Robotic Systems. 2015; 12:116. View Publication
G. Tortora, T. Ranzani, I. De Falco, P. Dario, A. Menciassi. A Miniature Robot for Retraction Tasks under Vision Assistance in Minimally Invasive Surgery. Robotics. 2014; 3(1):70-82. View Publication
M. Li, T. Ranzani, S. Sareh, L. Seneviratne, P. Dasgupta, H. Wurdemann, K. Althoefer. Multi-Fingered Haptic Palpation utilizing Granular Jamming Stiffness Feedback Actuators. Smart Materials and Structures. 2014.
Noh, S. Sareh, J. Back, H.A. Wurdemann, Ranzani T, E.L. Secco, A. Faragasso, H. Liu, K. Althoefer. Proceedings of Robotics and Automation (ICRA). A Three Axial Body Force Sensor for Flexible Manipulator. 2014; 6388-6393.
Manwell, T. Vítek, T. Ranzani, A. Menciassi, K. Althoefer and H. Liu. 36th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC). Elastic mesh braided worm robot for locomotive endoscopy. Chicago. 2014; 848-851.
A. Jiang, T. Ranzani, G. Gerboni, L. Lekstutyte, K. Althoefer, P. Dasgupta, T. Nanayakkara. Robotic Granular Jamming: Does the Membrane Matter?. Soft Robotics. 2014; 1(3):192-201.
Cianchetti, T. Ranzani, G. Gerboni, T. Nanayakkara, K. Althoefer, P. Dasgupta, A. Menciassi. Soft robotics technologies to address shortcomings in today’s minimally invasive surgery: the STIFF-FLOP approach. Soft Robotics. 2014; 1(2):122-131.

Manwell T, Vítek T, Ranzani T, Menciassi A, Althoefer K, Liu H. Elastic mesh braided worm robot for locomotive endoscopy. Conf Proc IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. 2014; 2014:848-51. PMID: 25570092

Wang, T. Geng, Y. Elsayed, T. Ranzani, C. Saaj and C. Lekakou. 2014 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS). A new coefficient-adaptive orthonormal basis function model structure for identifying a class of pneumatic soft actuators. 2014; 530-535.

Zimmermann M, Ranzani T, Menciassi A, Menciassi A, Kellner B. Development of a Cable Actuated Joint for a Surgical Robotic Flexible Arm. Biomed Tech (Berl). 2013 08; 58 Suppl 1. PMID: 24043112

M. Silvestri, T. Ranzani, A. Argiolas, M. Vatteroni, A. Menciassi. A multi-point of view 3D camera system for minimally invasive surgery. Sensors and Actuators A: Phys. 2013; 202:204-210.
Ranzani, M. Silvestri, A. Argiolas, M. Vatteroni, A. Menciassi. Proceedings of Robotics and Automation (ICRA). A novel trocar-less, multi-point of view, magnetic actuated laparoscope. 2013; 1199-1204.
Salerno, T. Mazzocchi, T. Ranzani, F. Mulana, P. Dario, A. Menciassi. 2013 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS). Safety systems in magnetic driven wireless capsule endoscopy. 2013; 3090-3095.
Tortora, M. Salerno, T. Ranzani, S. Tognarelli, P. Dario, A. Menciassi. 35th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC). A modular magnetic platform for natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery. 2013; 6265-6268.

Tortora G, Salerno M, Ranzani T, Tognarelli S, Dario P, Menciassi A. A modular magnetic platform for Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery. Conf Proc IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. 2013; 2013:6265-8. PMID: 24111172

Di Natali, T. Ranzani, M. Simi, A. Menciassi and P. Valdastri. Proceedings of Robotics and Automation (ICRA). Trans-abdominal Active Magnetic Linkage for robotic surgery: Concept definition and model assessment. 2012; 695-700.
Ranzani, C. Di Natali, M. Simi, A. Menciassi, P. Dario, P. Valdastri. Proc. of 4th Hamlyn Symposium on Medical Robotics. A novel surgical robotic platform minimizing access trauma. London. 2011.

This graph shows the total number of publications by year, by first, middle/unknown, or last author.

Bar chart showing 40 publications over 12 distinct years, with a maximum of 8 publications in 2014 and 2015

Bar chart showing 40 publications over 12 distinct years, with a maximum of 8 publications in 2014 and 2015

Year	Publications
2011	1
2012	1
2013	6
2014	8
2015	8
2016	4
2017	4
2018	2
2021	1
2022	2
2023	2
2024	1

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A bioinspired soft manipulator for minimally invasive surgery