Imaging devices and physics

 

Within our institute, we are running an advanced imaging lab, which is equipped with various imaging modalities, such as:

  • 1-Tesla and 7 Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
  • Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI)
  • Photoacoustic Imaging (PA)
  • Ultrasound Imaging (US)
  • Fluorescent Mediated Tomography (FMT)
  • Computed Tomography (CT)
  • Positrion Emission Tomography (PET) combined with MRI

Beside this pool of imaging modalities, our research on imaging devices and imaging physics focuses on the exploration and development of new imaging modalities and their combinations. Recent investigations in MRI explored new imaging sequences for quantitative imaging, such as MR-fingerprinting at 1.5-Tesla and 7-Telsa systems, as well as methods to visualize different tissue types with MRI, such as cortical bone using our inhouse developed UTE-DIXON sequence.

In the field of hybrid imaging, we are working on novel PET-detector concepts to achieve better spatial and timing resolution. In addition, these detectors allow simultaneous operation with MRI systems ranging from 1-Telsa to 7-Tesla. In EU-FP7, EU-H2020 and industrial projects, we are developing in cooperation with partners dedicated PET-MRI devices for e.g. breast cancer, neurology, and radiotherapy applications.

Furthermore, we are working on 3D quantitative fluorescence imaging and explored novel reconstruction methods for the FMT. In this context, we also frequently choose a hybrid imaging approach and combine FMT with computed tomography (CT) or MRI to assess exact boundaries of the organisms and their organs. This information is then used to improve the reconstruction and as an anatomical reference.

For the imaging modality FMT, we investigate novel reconstruction methods that incorporate light scattering in tissue.

Research in the field of the new imaging modality MPI focuses on increasing sensitivity, enhancing image reconstruction, and reconstruction of parameters other than nanoparticle distribution. For this purpose, we are building our own prototypes and study the performance in imaging experiments.