Funding for project on the "Next Digital Generation of Computed Tomography"
Joint project of the university hospitals of Freiburg, Tübingen and Mannheim supported by the state agency BIOPRO Baden-Württemberg is funded by the Ministry of Economics, Labor and Housing of the State of Baden-Württemberg with five million euros
The joint project "Photon-Counting CT Consortium: Establishing the next digital generation of computed tomography in Baden-Württemberg (PC3)" of the University Hospitals of Freiburg and Tübingen and the University Medical Center Mannheim with its partner Siemens Healthineers has been funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labor and Housing of the State of Baden-Württemberg since April 2021 with a total of around five million euros over a period of around one and a half years. Supported by the state agency BIOPRO Baden-Württemberg GmbH, the project coordinated by the Department of Radiology at the University Medical Center Freiburg is researching new innovative computed tomography (CT) devices that enable improved diagnostic possibilities and connection to a digitalized healthcare system.
The new photon counting technology, which was developed through extensive basic research by industry partner Siemens Healthineers, lays the foundation for the next CT generation. "The central element here is the use of a fully digitized CT detector based on cadmium telluride, which can convert X-rays directly into a digital signal," says Prof. Dr. Fabian Bamberg, Medical Director of the Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg (see Figures 1 and 2). "This step is a real quantum leap for CT technology and establishes a new generation of scanners," says Bamberg. In existing CT scanners, the X-rays are converted into visible light in an intermediate stage and the signals are read out indirectly using photodiodes.
New technology enables even higher resolution and lower radiation dose
The high-resolution conversion of individual incoming X-ray photons (hence photon counting) into a digital signal can also be evaluated spectrally, as energy information about singular photons can also be collected in this way. "This offers significant advantages in that anatomical structures can be resolved much better - for example the lung tissue in COVID-19 patients - and thus diseases can be better detected and understood," says Prof. Dr. Konstantin Nikolaou, Medical Director of the Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology at Tübingen University Hospital. "There will also be a considerable reduction in the radiation dose used," says Nikolaou. In future, it will also be possible to use new, even more precise contrast media or contrast media that can be combined with each other. Photon counting CT thus lays the foundation for substantially improved and digitalized patient care for children and adults.
The project aims to network the clinical and scientific infrastructure across locations. "This will create a new platform for exchanging complex data and for establishing and expanding innovative forms of cooperation in the field of digital medicine and the development of artificial intelligence (AI) methods," says Prof. Dr. Stefan Schönberg, Director of the Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine at the University Medical Center Mannheim. Structured data management of this kind creates the necessary conditions for processing large numbers of radiological findings and image data in real time, evaluating them statistically and merging them with other data sources. "By continuously optimizing the examination protocols and AI-supported post-processing, we want to further develop Baden-Württemberg as a science location and enable further leaps in the reduction of radiation doses," says Schönberg.
Background:
The consortium is also directly strengthening the state's digital infrastructure with regard to the possibilities of medical care and telemedicine. A platform is also being created for the current coronavirus pandemic to rapidly increase knowledge through the use of new CT technology and automated data analysis. In addition, the connection of telemedicine portals and expert networks as well as the establishment of clinical collaborations will also be strengthened for future pandemics.
The consortium is complemented by the state company BIOPRO Baden-Württemberg, which, as an innovation agency, promotes interaction with regional industrial partners, start-ups, research institutions and the spin-off and acceleration centers at the respective locations in Baden-Württemberg in order to ensure the economic connectivity and exploitation of the digital data platform. As a project partner, BIOPRO Baden-Württemberg GmbH is also helping to establish the process of defining an "innovation space" around PC-CT technology and to develop innovative development partnerships and collaborations. This will create a unique, long-term ecosystem in Baden-Württemberg, which will be built around PC-CT technology and thus support the healthcare industry in the field of biomarkers and contrast agents, digitization as well as medical bioinformatics and AI.
Figure 1: Schematic representation of a computed tomography system with the key components "X-ray tube" and "detector"
Image rights: Siemens Healthineers, 2021
Note: The product is under development and is not commercially available. Future availability cannot be guaranteed.
Figure 2: Exemplary representation of the detector system of a computer tomograph
Image rights: Siemens Healthineers, 2021
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Fabian Bamberg
Medical Director Department of Radiology
Uniklinik Freiburg
Phone: 0761 270-38050
fabian.bamberg@uniklinik-freiburg.de
Prof. Dr. Konstantin Nikolaou
Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology
University Hospital Tübingen
Phone: 07071 29-82087
konstantin.nikolaou@med.uni-tuebingen.de
Prof. Dr. Stefan Schönberg
Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine
University Medical Center Mannheim
Phone: 0621 3832-276
stefan.schoenberg@umm.de
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