In January 2018, the kick-off meeting of the newly launched joint project ‘MR-Suitable Flexible Biopsy Forceps for Minimally Invasive Tissue Sampling’ took place in Dettingen/Erms. Project partner of this BMBF-funded KMU-innovative project is EPflex Feinwerktechnik GmbH, which is located there.
Goal is to research a worldwide first MR-suitable flexible biopsy forceps. This should improve the minimally invasive and image-guided removal of tissue samples without the previous high x-ray exposure. The subproject of ICCAS is under the direction of Prof. Andreas Melzer and deals with fundamental research of novel MRI and x-ray markers as well as experimental set-ups for the testing of the biopsy forceps.

Right at the beginning of the new year, distinguished visitors were welcomed at the ICCAS. On the day of the two status seminars SONO-RAY and ICCAS, Saxony’s Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer, who visited Leipzig University for the first time since taking office, was warmly welcomed. Prof. Andreas Melzer, Prof. Thomas Neumuth and Prof. Andreas Dietz gave an insight into the current development of state-of-the-art OR-technologies and let the Prime Minister lend a hand in the research operating room. In addition, Kretschmer was explained a robot-assisted therapy approach from the SONO-RAY project. Further guests were Rector Prof. Beate Schücking, the Prorectors Prof. Erich Schröger and Prof. Thomas Lenk and Dean Prof. Michael Stumvoll from Leipzig University, Prof. Wolfgang E. Fleig from Leipzig University Hospital as well as Prof. Markus Krabbes and Prof. Jens Jäkel from the Leipzig University of Applied Sciences for Technology, Economics and Culture (HTWK).

Approximately 90 guests attended the status seminars and listened to the exciting presentations on the research work carried out in 2017 as well as to the outlook on future tasks. The SONO-RAY project group opened the event day with an own status seminar together with the scientists of the cooperation partner OncoRay (Dresden), led by Prof. Mechthild Krause. The collaboration with the Clinics for Radiology and Nuclear Medicine of Leipzig University Hospital, the Saxonian Incubator for Clinical Translation (SIKT), the Helmholtz Center Dresden Rossendorf and the Fraunhofer IBMT was recognized.

The ICCAS status seminar was opened by Prof. Andreas Melzer and Prof. Erich Schröger, Prorector for Research and Young Academics. After the group leaders gave a summarized overview of the research areas of ICCAS, the scientists presented their achievements in the last part of the event by means of selected live demonstrations. The special day ended with the ICCAS advisory board meeting.

The ICCAS would like to thank all guests for their interest and is looking forward to a successful cooperation in the new year!

A healthy and merry Christmas and a good start into a great new year, which will take its course at ICCAS with the status seminars on January 18, 2018. We are looking forward to numerous guests!

At the end of November, Stefan Franke successfully defended his PhD thesis entitled “Modeling of Surgical Procedures and Context-Aware Assistance in the Operating Room”. In December, Mario Cypko also successfully completed his PhD thesis on “Therapy Decision Support System Using Bayesian Networks for Multidisciplinary Treatment Decisions ” Congratulations!
Mario Cypko left ICCAS at the end of November to face new challenges at the European Space Research and Technology Center (ESTEC) in Noordwijk (NL). Since April 2013, he worked in the research group Digital Patient and Process Model. Much success on the new way!

Bereits zum zweiten Mal führte die Wirtschaftsförderung Sachsen GmbH im ICCAS innoavtive Köpfe zusammen, die sich mit zukunftsweisenden Themen im Medizintechnikbereich beschäftigen. Der erste Workshop stand unter dem Motto “Flexible Elektronik in der Medizintechnik für Krankenhäuser”. Im heutigen Workshop ging es um das Thema “Automatisierung und Digitalisierung von Routine-Laboren”. Die Gäste erhielten zudem Einblicke in die Arbeit am ICCAS. Die Wirtschaftsförderung Sachsen GmbH unterstützt sächsische Unternehmen bei ihrem wirtschaftlichen Wachstum durch Produktentwicklung, Kooperation und Export.

Mit dem Exponat “Modelbasierte Entscheidungsunterstützung für die Krebstherapie” stellt die Forschungsgruppe Digitales Patientenmodell am 4. Dezember im Augusteum eine neuartige Sichtweise auf einen Patienten vor. Im Computer wird ein „digitaler Zwilling“ abgebildet, der Auskunft über alle relevanten Patienteninformationen gibt. Daraus können für hochkomplexe Krankheiten – wie bspw. Tumoren im Kopf-Hals-Bereich – mögliche Therapien berechnet und verständlich dargestellt werden. So errechnete personalisierte Therapieentscheidungen sollen eine höhere Behandlungssicherheit erreichen. Die Wissenschaftler freuen sich auf viele Besucher.

Datum: Montag, 04.12.2017
Ort: Augusteum, Augustusplatz 10
Zeit: 11:00 – 15:00 Uhr

ICCAS invites all interested parties to join the next ICCAS colloquium lecture of PD Dr.-Ing. habil. Heiko Enderling on “Quantitative personalized oncology – mathematical models for precision radiotherapy” on 20 November, 2017. Heiko Enderling ist Director for Education and Outreach of the Departments „Integrated Mathematical Oncology“ and „Radiation Oncology“ at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center Florida as well as extraordinary professor at Morsani College of Medicine of the University of South Florida.

Date: Monday, 20.11.2017
Time: 4:00 – 5:30 pm
Venue: Leipzig University Hospital, Liebigstraße 20, Room Justus von Liebig 0015/0016 (Glaskasten)

CV of PD Dr.-Ing. habil. Heiko Enderling

At the end of October, Prof. Neumuth gave 8 to 12 years old kids an inside into the future of operating rooms at Leipzig’s children university. Main topic of the demonstrative lecture were robots – what they are able to do nowadays, how they support the medical professionals before, during and after an operation and their advantages compared to humans.

ICCAS joined the 29th conference of the international Society for Medical Innovation and Technology (iSMIT) in Torino in the beginning of November. Prof. Melzer was chair of the sessions ‘Image Guided Surgery,‘Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technology and Surgery’ as well as ‘New tools for laparoscopy and interventional radiology’. Additionally, he gave a lecture on the ‘Role of multitasking platforms’. Prof. Neumuth introduced the advantages of ‘AI to improve the workflow in a fully integrated operating room on the example of the project OR.net.’

From November 13 – 16, ICCAS presents the comuter assisted robot system ‘RoboDirect’ at MEDICA 2017 in Düsseldorf. RoboDirect should be used for punctures, biopsies or ablations. It supports surgeons or interventional radiologists to optimize the guidance of instruments during image-guided minimal-invasive interventions. This sould reduce stresses and strains for patients and physicians and thus increase precision and efficiency in the long term.

Booth location:
MEDICA 2017
Am Staad
40474 Düsseldorf

Hall 3
Booth: E74a