Projects

Interventional MRI is a groundbreaking technology revolutionizing medicine. With real-time imaging and precise guidance, it enhances accuracy during minimally invasive procedures. From biopsies to ablations and therapeutic interventions, interventional MRI improves outcomes, ensures patient safety, and drives the future of personalized healthcare.

Tumor ablations

Tumor ablations represent a cutting-edge frontier in cancer treatment, providing minimally invasive solutions for tumor eradication. Microwave ablation (MWA) employs electromagnetic waves to generate localized heat, effectively destroying tumors. Alternative ablation techniques such as Irreversible electroporation (IRE) and cryoablation come with their own benefits and may be used where MWA is not applicable. Our ongoing research focuses on a multitude of aspects to enhance these techniques. The development of MR sequences such as real-time 3D thermometry, MR-Fingerprinting, and 3D-Xe-PRF thermometry allows fast imaging for improved guidance and more precise visualization during ablation procedures. Correction of imaging artifacts caused by magnetic field drift, changes in magnetic susceptibility, respiratory and bowel motion or measurement noise enable more versatile and robust imaging. Thermometry is used in combination with sophisticated thermal dose models such as the pCEM43 model to estimate the boundaries of the ablated volume with utmost precision. Navigation of applicators is performed by qualified radiologists or the award-winning µRIGS system allowing highly precise robotic interventions.

These advancements allow for improved visualization, precise targeting, and better assessment of treatment efficacy. By pushing the boundaries of knowledge and technology, tumor ablations hold the promise of revolutionizing cancer care, offering patients safer and more effective alternatives to conventional therapies.