11. September 2014

Die 59. Jahrestagung der Gesellschaft für Medizinische Informatik, Biometrie und Epidemiologie e.V. (GMDS) versammelte in diesem September wieder zahlreiche Wegbereiter der Digitalisierung im Gesundheitsbereich. Die vom BMBF als Veranstaltung des Wissenschaftsjahres 2014 deklarierte Jahrestagung stand ganz im Zeichen von „Big Data und Forschungsinfrastruktur – Perspektiven für die Medizin“.

Aus dem ICCAS nahmen fünf Wissenschaftler, darunter GMDS-Präsidiumsmitglied Prof. Thomas Neumuth, teil. Referate hielten Dr. Kerstin Denecke (DPM) über Digitale Patientenmodelle zur Entscheidungsfindung in der Modellbasierten Medizin sowie Yihan Deng (DPM) zum Thema „Summarization of EHR Using Information Extraction, Sentiment Analysis and Word Clouds“.

11 September 2014

This September, the 59th Annual Meeting of the German Society for Medical Computer Science, Biometry and Epidemiology (GMDS) e.V. brought together again numerous pioneers of the digitalization in the healthcare sector. Declared from the BMBF as an Event of the Year of Science 2014 the annual meeting was entirely dedicated to the motto “Big Data and research infrastructure – perspectives for medicine.”

Five scientists from the ICCAS took part, among them GMDS-committee member Prof. Thomas Neumuth. Presentations were given by Dr. Kerstin Denecke (DPM) on digital patient model for decision support in model based medicine and Yihan Deng(DPM) on the topic “Summarization of EHR using information extraction, sentiment analysis and word clouds“.

09 September 2014

The ICCAS participated at the 25th European Medical Informatics Conference (MIE 2014) with two conference contributions from the research field Digital Patient- and Process Model. Dr. Kerstin Denecke and Yihan Deng traveled to Instanbul to present their concepts for analysis and modeling of patient data.

Dr. Denecke’s lecture dealt with the analysis of the linguistic features of medical weblogs, particularly against the background including such information in a digital patient model. Deng spoke about the visualization of unstructured patient data for the evaluation of diagnoses and courses of treatment.

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09 September 2014

As in 2012, a researcher of the ICCAS could receive the award for the 2nd place of the Karl-Heinz-Höhne-Preis (MedVis-Award). Frank Heckel got the honor, which is awarded every two years from the Visual Computing for Biology and Medicine (VCBM) Group, for his scientific work on interactive post-correction of automatically generated segmentation results in oncology. The computer scientist from the Fraunhofer-Institut für Bildgestützte Medizin (MEVIS) has been working as guest researcher at the ICCAS for over one year. Here, he analyzes image qualities for the collaborative project OR.NET and supports the cooperation between the ICCAS and the Fraunhofer MEVIS within the scope of the OR.NET-initiatives.

Four days after the award ceremony, Frank Heckel could celebrate another professional success. He defended his doctoral thesis entitled “Sketch-Based Interactive Segmentation and Segmentation Editing for Oncological Therapy Monitoring“ at the Jacobs University Bremen. In this work, he dealt with methods for more accurate and reproducible volumetric measurements of tumors in computer tomography data. The procedures were developed to support radiologists evaluating the effective of chemotherapy. Heckel’s success at the MedVis-Award is based on findings of the dissertation.

The ICCAS congratulates to the outstanding achievements and looks forward to another year, from now on with Dr. Frank Heckel in the research team.

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01 September 2014

Sandra von Sachsen was speaker at the International Conference on Biomedical Engineering and Systems (ICBES) in Prague. At the specialist conference, researchers met who deal with theories and applications of biomedical sciences and biomedical engineering.

Von Sachsen’s lecture on computer-assisted defect classification for the treatment of cervical spinal stenosis presented important research results of the HWS-group – a coding scheme for the description of identified defect characteristics of degenerative modified cervical spinal stenosis and a method for the fully automated detection of stenosis of the spinal canal in the MRT image. The audience asked questions concerning the applicability of the method in the diagnosis of vertebral body fractures. According to Sandra von Sachsen, this is quite possible. A crucial prerequisite is the providing of a greater amount of image data for the image-based classification of the relevant vertebral fractures.

09. August 2014

OR.NET ist ein vom Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung gefördertes Verbundprojekt und steht für „sichere dynamische Vernetzung in Operationssaal und Klinik“. Das ICCAS – von Beginn an Partner in fast allen Teilprojekten – arbeitet seit Anfang des Jahres im Teilprojekt 6 an der Koordinierung des Aufbaus aller Demonstratoren sowie an der Erstellung des Integrationsdemonstrators am Standort Leipzig.

Ca. 20 Partner, darunter Vertreter namhafter Medizintechnikfirmen, Hersteller klinischer Informationstechnologien, Anbieter integrierter Operationssäle sowie Wissenschaftler aus Forschungsinstituten, sind am Teilprojekt 6 beteiligt. Deren Synchronisierung findet regelmäßig in Workshops statt. So auch jenem, der Ende Juli von den Teilprojektleitern Max Rockstroh (ICCAS) und Markus Birkle (UKL Heidelberg) am ICCAS organisiert wurde. Es gab hauseigene Vorträge zum Thema Workflowmanagement und Vorträge der Partner zu den gegenwärtigen Arbeiten an zentralen Komponenten der Open Surgical Communication Platform (OSCP). Zudem wurden die aktualisierten Versionen der Storyboards (Drehbücher) für die Demonstratoren vorgestellt. Die Demonstratoren dienen dazu, die im Gesamtprojekt entwickelten Konzepte und Systeme später in einer realitätsnahen Umgebung anzuwenden.
Der Workshop bot genügend Raum für konstruktive Lösungsvorschläge. Zudem nutzten Teilnehmer die Gelegenheit, den gegenwärtigen Demonstrator-OP des ICCAS in Augenschein zu nehmen.

09 August 2014

OR.NET is a collaborative project funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and stands for “Secure and dynamic networking in the operation room”. From the very start, the ICCAS has been partner in nearly all sub-projects of this lighthouse project. Since the beginning of this year, the ICCAS has been working on the coordination of the construction of all demonstrators and on the establishment of the integration demonstrator at the Leipzig location.

About 20 partners including representatives of renowned medical technology companies, manufacturers of clinical information technology, provider of integrated operating rooms as well as scientists from research institutes are involved in the sub-project 6. The synchronization of the partners takes regularly place in workshops. At the end of July, such a workshop was organized by the subproject leaders Max Rockstroh (ICCAS) and Markus Birkle (UKL Heidelberg) at the ICCAS. The workshop included in-house presentations on workflow management and guest lectures about the current work on the central components of the Open Surgical Communication Platform (OSCP). Furthermore, updated versions of the storyboards for the demonstrators were presented. The demonstrators will be used to apply the overall project concepts and systems in a realistic environment.
The workshop on sub-project 6 left enough room for proposed solutions. Besides, participants took the opportunity to inspect the current demonstrator–OR.

08 August 2014

Last year in autumn, employee of New Zealand’s National Institute for Health Innovation (NIHI) visited the ICCAS to explore common research interests. They already showed interest in working together with the ICCAS at that time. Now the return visit followed by Dr. Kerstin Denecke, who traveled to Auckland with plenty information material about the ICCAS and the work of the research group Digital Patient- and Process Modell. Her points of reference were the NIHI – where studies for information technologies in the healthcare sector are conducted – and the Department of Computer Science at the University of Auckland. Furthermore, an initial meeting with the Bioengineering Institute took place which also deals with patient modelling.

The conversations at the NIHI were successful. Both sides see benefits in a closer cooperation. While the Leipzig scientists are leading in methodical development, the Auckland researchers have much to offer in the field of patient studies. The reason for that is a good availability of patient data gathered over decades. Just as the ICCAS, the National Institute endeavors developments of standardized applications which use openEHR – a good reason to remain in contact.
Further research periods are planned. The Leipzig – Auckland – Research is taking shape.

Wenn am 22. September 2014 die Summerschool des ICCAS für eine Woche ihre Türen öffnet, erwartet die Teilnehmer ein reich gefülltes Programm, das die Entwicklungen und Herausforderungen im Bereich Informationstechnologie für den digitalen Operationssaal zum Gegenstand hat.

In den Räumlichkeiten des neuen Augusteums sowie der Bibliotheca Albertina werden erfahrene Wissenschaftler aus der Medizin, dem Ingenieurwesen und der Informatik ihre Erfahrungen auf den Gebieten medizinische Bildverarbeitung, Computer Vision und IT-Technologien weitergeben und den Teilnehmern beratend zur Seite stehen. Zudem sprechen Klinikbetreiber über Möglichkeiten der Umsetzung neuer IT-Infrastrukturen in ihren Häusern. In einem praktischen Teil werden die Teilnehmer in die menschliche Physiologie und Anatomie eingeführt. Eine Hospitation im OP soll Arbeitsabläufe und Technologien näher bringen. Im ICCAS Konzept-OP können schließlich neueste Entwicklungen anhand von Prototypen und Simulatoren selbst getestet werden.

Angesprochen sind vor allem junge Wissenschaftler und Doktoranden, die sich den neuen Anforderungen an eine personalisierte Medizin mithilfe anwendbarer technologischer Assistenz stellen und dazu Expertenkenntnisse aus erster Hand erfahren möchten. Aber auch alle anderen Interessenten, die den direkten Austausch innerhalb der wissenschaftlichen Community im Bereich computerassistierte Chirurgie suchen, sind herzlich willkommen.
Die Teilnehmerzahl ist begrenzt. Anmeldungen können bis einschließlich 31. 08. 2014 erfolgen.
Das ICCAS freut sich auf lehrreiche Tage in Leipzig, in denen auch das gegenseitige Kennenlernen nicht zu kurz kommen soll.

Weitere Informationen sowie das Anmeldeformular zur DORS gibt es unter www.iccas.de/dors.

Flyer zur DORS

When the ICCAS – Summerschool will open its doors for one week on 22nd September 2014, participants can expect a richly filled program which has the developments and challenges in the field of information technology for the digital operating room as subject matter.

In the premises of the new Augusteum and the Bibliotheca Albertina, experienced scientists from medicine, engineering and computer science will share their experiences in the fields of medical image processing, computer vision and IT-technologies. They will also provide advisory support to the participants. Furthermore, hospital operators speak about the possibilities of implementing new IT-infrastructures in their institutions. During a practical session participants will be introduced into the human physiology and anatomy. An operating room visit will show the current state of the art OR-technologies and workflows in practice. Latest developments can finally be tested on prototypes and simulators in the ICCAS Concept-OR.

Especially young researchers and Ph.D. students should feel concerned who want to face the new requirements on personalized medicine and who want to receive firsthand knowledge from experts. But all other interested persons who are looking for a direct exchange within the scientific community of computer-assisted surgery are very welcome.

The number of participants is limited. Registrations can be submitted until 31st August 2014.
The ICCAS is looking forward to informative days in Leipzig where also the mutual acquaintance should not be neglected.

Further information and the registration form can be found under: www.iccas.de/dors.

Flyer DORS

23 July 2014

Information processing and knowledge management are important workspaces of the DPM research area. Sentiment Analysis of clinical texts is one part of it and the specialty of Yihan Deng. The computer scientist reported about the current research results of this rather unusual method of information retrieval in the medical field at this year’s International ACM SIGIR Conference in Gold Coast (Australia). Among the participants was also DPM junior research group leader Dr. Kerstin Denecke, who is involved in the investigations just like the physician Matthäus Stöhr. The scientists prove that medical records are far away from being objective data sets. They rather include important observations and assessments of the clinical staff about the current health situation of the patients. This allows deducing indications for further therapeutic measures. The sentiment analysis can thus provide important information for the digital patient model which otherwise would remain hidden in the patient records.

The conference – organized by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and the Special Interest Group on Information Retrieval (SIGIR) – is one of the most important events on the topic of “Information Retrieval”. Here, scientists come together who are concerned with the recognition, organization, storage, retrieval and distribution of information in public and private sectors.

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17. Juli 2014

Wenn jemand weiß, wie die Forschung am ICCAS ins Rollen kam, dann Dr. Stefan Bohn. Der sympathische Wissenschaftler war einer der ersten Mitarbeiter im Gründungsjahr des Innovationszentrums. Nun, nach fast neunjähriger Tätigkeit, verlässt er seinen Arbeitsplatz in der Semmelweisstraße, um zu anderen Ufern aufzubrechen. Schweren Herzens lässt ihn das ICCAS ziehen, denn mit ihm verliert es einen zuverlässigen, engagierten und sehr schöpferischen Mitarbeiter.

Stefan Bohn brachte schon im Jahr 2005 mit dem Master für Biomedizinische Technik wichtige Kenntnisse in der Entwicklung von medizintechnischen Systemen in das ICCAS ein. Von Beginn an arbeitete er an der Konzeptionierung und Umsetzung einer Architektur zur hersteller-übergreifenden Integration von Medizingeräten, klinischen IT-Systemen und chirurgischen Assistenzsystemen. Dieser Aufgabenbereich schloss auch die Doktorarbeit mit ein, die er 2013 erfolgreich an der Universität Leipzig verteidigte. Das dabei entstandene Gesamtsystem kommt bereits Medizinern und Patienten im Universitätsklinikum Leipzig zugute. Lösungsstrategien des Ingenieurs finden sich auch im BMBF-geförderten Verbundprojekt OR.NET wieder. Zudem war Dr. Bohn an der Konzeptionierung und dem Aufbau des ICCAS-Demonstrator-OPs beteiligt, welcher heute der präklinischen Erprobung neuer Technologien dient. Zuletzt arbeitete er im Forschungsfeld Modellbasierte Automation und Integration an der Fertigstellung des klinischen Informationssystems oncoflow, welches in diesem Jahr einen Innovationspreis erhielt. Neben der Leitung wissenschaftlicher und klinischer Projekte war Stefan Bohn auch in der Lehre tätig und engagierte sich für das ICCAS auf vielen internen und öffentlichen Veranstaltungen.

Neun Jahre gute Zusammenarbeit, tatkräftiger Einsatz und herausragende wissenschaftliche Erfolge werden schwer zu ersetzen sein. Das Team des ICCAS dankt dem langjährigen Kollegen für seinen Eifer und die Einsatzbereitschaft zum Wohle des Instituts und aller seiner Mitstreiter und wünscht ihm für den zukünftigen Lebensweg alles erdenklich Gute sowie weiterhin eine feine Spürnase für medizinisch technische Innovationen, denn Dr. Bohn bleibt auch an neuer Wirkungsstätte der Medizintechnikbranche treu.

Mehr über Dr. Bohns Wirkungsbereiche und Publikationen am ICCAS17 July 2014

If anyone knows how the research at the ICCAS got rolling, then Dr. Stefan Bohn. The likeable scientist was one of the first employees in the founding year of the Innovation Center. Now, after nearly nine years of work he leaves his employment in the Semmelweisstraße to start a new career. It is with deep regret that the ICCAS lets him go, because with Stefan Bohn it loses a reliable, dedicated and very creative colleague.

Already in 2005, Bohn brought with his Master of Biomedical Engineering important knowledge about the development of medical technology systems into the ICCAS. From the beginning, he worked on the conception and implementation of a system architecture for the vendor-independent integration of medical devices, clinical IT systems and surgical assistant systems. These activities also included the doctoral thesis which he successfully defended at the Leipzig University in 2013. Health professionals and patients at the Leipzig University Hospital already benefit from the suitable overall system. Solution strategies of the engineer can also be found in the BMBF-funded joint project OR.NET. In addition, Dr. Bohn was involved in the conception and construction of the ICCAS demonstrator OR which is used today for the preclinical testing of new technologies. Most recently, he worked on the completion of the clinical information system oncoflow which received an innovation award this year. Besides the leading of scientific and clinical projects, Stefan Bohn was also active in teaching and got involved with the ICCAS at many internal and external events.

Nine years of excellent collaboration, dynamic commitment and outstanding scientific achievements will be hard to substitute. The team of the ICCAS thanks the long-time colleague a lot for his great efforts for the benefit of the institute and its employees. It wishes him all the very best for the future and furthermore a good nose for medical technology innovations, because Dr. Stefan Bohn will stay within the medical technology sector at his new place of activity.

More about Dr. Bohn’s scopes and publications at ICCAS

10 July 2014

A delegation of academics, physicians and students from the Faculty of Fundamental Medicine of the Buryat State University in Ulan-Ude visited the ICCAS on 9th July 2014.
After Professor Thomas Neumuth had warmly welcomed the guests from the capital of the Russian Republic of Buryatia, Mario Cypko and Stefan Franke gave insights into current research work at the ICCAS. Mario Cypko presented previous results and further projects relating to the digital patient model. He initiated the guests into the development and use of Multi-Entity Bayesian Networks for improving the therapeutic decision making. Following, interesting questions about actuality and scope of the applicability and about privacy had to be answered.
During the live demonstration in the ICCAS concept-OR Stefan Franke was closely surrounded by the participants. Whether surgical milling tool, ultrasound with navigating puncture needle or navigation system for ENT surgery – the modern devices were carefully examined. Unfortunately, the guests had very little time in their bags, because the ICCAS was only one of many program points of the Leipzig stay.

The Buryat State University is one of the oldest universities in Siberia and an important establishment for modern science and higher education in the Russian Republic. Professors and students of the Faculty of Medicine regularly organize fact-finding trips to technologically advanced institutions in Germany and other European countries to promote the concept of Integrative Medicine using traditional and modern methods of treatment and innovative technologies and to forge collaborations.

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