Daniel Palanker Email palanker@stanford.edu
Phone (650) 725-0059
URL https://web.stanford.edu/~palanker/
Address Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory
452 Lomita Mall, room 135
Stanford, CA 94305-4085

Professional Interests

Optical and electronic technologies for diagnostic, therapeutic, surgical and prosthetic applications, primarily in ophthalmology:

  • Electro-Neural interfaces: Photovoltaic Retinal Prosthesis; Electronic Control of Vasculature and of the Glands
  • Optical Imaging and Spectroscopy: Interferometric detection of neural activity
  • Laser-Tissue Interactions:
    • Non-damaging retinal laser therapy
    • Ultrafast laser surgery of transparent tissues
  • Retinal plasticity:
    • Cellular preservation and proliferation in response to therapy
    • Transplanation of retinal cells and neural rewiring

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Current research projects

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Some of the previous research projects

  • Electronic Control of Organs
  • Retinal Plasticity - migration and rewiring of the retinal neurons
  • Pulsed Electron Avalanche Knife (PEAK)
  • Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering (CARS) Microscopy
  • Optical detection of physiological stress (based on light scattering spectroscopy)
  • Plasma-mediated electroporation
  • Pulsed liquid microjet
  • Near-field Infrared Microscopy with:
    • Transient optical elements (using photo-induced reflectivity)
    • Tapered fibers
    • Solid-immersion microlenses
  • ArF excimer laser-based system for vitreoretinal surgery and for skin debridement
  • Laser-assisted in-vitro fertilization:
    • Photolysis of zona pellucida using the ArF excimer laser-based system
    • Thermolysis using a microheater-based system
  • Laser poration of cellular membrane: parallel permeabilization of millions of cells using an array of microapertures
  • Statistical approach to sub-wavelength measurements using an array of near-field apertures (This idea later inspired rapid DNA sequencing: SMRT™ technology)

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Teaching

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STARTUPS and Technology Transfer

More than 70 patents became foundation of 7 platform technologies transferred to industrial development and manufacturing via startups. The following technologies are currently in clinical use world-wide: Others are in clinical trials: