Fraunhofer MEVIS, Institute for Medical Image Computing (FME) was founded in 1995 as an independent non-profit research and development centre in the neighbourhood of the University of Bremen and is now part of Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung. The research focuses on computer-assistance for medical diagnosis and therapy based on modern imaging, quantitative image analysis and visualisation, computer-aided teaching and training, and medical workstation design. FME is dedicated to achieving practically useful solutions to clinically relevant problems. One of its core research activities is directed towards surgical risk analysis, planning, and intraoperative support including liver surgery, neurosurgery, and thoracic surgery besides computer-assisted breast and prostate cancer diagnostics. FME has successfully acquired and managed research projects worth more than 13 million EUR. Among the projects that are of relevance for this proposal, FME has a central role in the national FUSION project (Future Environment for Gentle Liver Surgery Using Image Guided Planning and Intra-Operative Navigation). FME has received a top ranking for the SCREEN project (Development of a Soft-Copy Reading Environment for Digital Mammography in Breast Cancer Screening) that was funded by the European Commission with about 1.5 million EUR and finished in March 2002. SCREEN has led to founding MeVis BreastCare (MBC) in 2001 and to the successor project SCREEN-TRIAL. More recently, FME was the initiator of the VPH project HAMAM (Highly Accurate Breast Cancer Diagnosis through Integration of Biological Knowledge, Novel Imaging Modalities, and Modelling) that started in September 2008 and is coordinated by EIBIR. Finally, FME has developed a distant service for liver surgery risk analysis that is run as a commercial entity within MeVis Medical Solutions AG, a company spin-out of FME in 1997. FME has a multidisciplinary staff of more than 40 computer scientists, physicists, mathematicians, engineer, and medical doctors. Research and development is done in close collaboration with more than 100 clinical and scientific partners from Germany, Europe and abroad.

FME will be coordinating and managing FUSIMO as a whole (WP1). Also, FME will be coordinating the work packages WP5 and WP6. The main scientific contributions will be in the area of modeling of organ physiology and function. Moreover, FME will be integrating the modules and contributions from the other partners into the demonstrator application for patient specific simulation of focused ultrasound.

For more than fourteen years Fraunhofer MEVIS has been working in the development of patient specific software assistants for diagnosis, therapy planning and follow-up based on digital radiological image data. The research has led to several products that can be considered world successes. Since seven years the group on modeling and simulation has been investigating models and simulation based support for thermal radio frequency ablation. In particular the optimization of the probe location as well as the approaches to accelerated and interactive simulations for the planning of the therapy have received very good reception in the community and among the clinicians. The Modeling and Simulation group at Fraunhofer MEVIS is one of the leaders in this area. Within FUSIMO the experience as well as the models and simulations developed for blood flow and heat diffusion in the context of radio-frequency ablation will be integrated. Regarding MR imaging, extensive knowledge exists in the field of physiological imaging including perfusion and diffusion measured by non-invasive techniques. These methods allow to repeatedly assess functional tissue parameters during application of focused ultrasound.

Prof. Dr. Tobias Preusser is Professor for Mathematical modeling of medical Processes at Jacobs University Bremen, Germany. He is the head of the group “Modeling and Simulation” of Fraunhofer MEVIS and member of the management board of Fraunhofer MEVIS. The research group of Prof. Preusser has been working on the patient specific modeling and simulation of radio frequency ablation for more than seven years now. The results of these research efforts will be integrated into the demonstrator to be developed within FUSIMO. Prof. Preusser will be coordinating FUSIMO.

Prof. Dr. Matthias Guenther is professor for MR imaging and spectroscopy at the University of Bremen, Germany, and head of the MR physics group at Fraunhofer MEVIS. He has extensive experience in development of MRI sequences and hybrid ultrasound and MR imaging. Within FUSIMO Prof. Guenther will assume the role of the technical coordinator.

Dr. Tim Kröger has a degree in Mathematics; he is a senior scientist in the group “Modeling and Simulation” at Fraunhofer MEVIS. For several years he has been working on the modeling and simulation of RF ablation. In particular he has investigated suitable time stepping schemes and adaptive discriminations that allow for efficient simulations.

IMSaT houses GEs first European Centre of Excellence for MRI guided Interventions and Surgery including 3 Tesla MRI suite and CT arm. This is fully equipped with all required facilities for interventional surgical research including the latest HiFu focused ultrasound system ExAblate with body and confomal system. Ultrasonic, Photonic and cell-tissue culture biolab are equipped with state of the art kit including latest AFM.

The Surgical Technology Unit at IMSaT develops and prototypes new interventional instruments and implants. The workshop is equipped with the tools and machines to produce high quality high precision tools suitable for use in interventional and stent development. IMSaT is linked to the new Clinical Research Center near-by at the Ninwells Hospital campus. The CRC host the world’s first MR/PET/CT surgical suite with Siemens 3T and the new mCT 128 PET/CT combined to a multi-purpose interventional surgical suit. Strong clinic research is being performed in cardiovascular disease and novel imaging The Scottish patient data base is the world’s top most complete data base of all the 5.5M Inhabitants dating back more than 25 years.

IMSaT will perform preliminary test and validation in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo of the newly developed models on experimental set ups and human cadavers soft embalmed with Thiel techniques providing similar tissue color and physical characteristics of fresh cadavers. The main task is to enable these cadavers for validation of the patient specific models with paulsatile flow of arterial and venous segments and to estblish respiratory motion of the target organs liver and kindney. The MR compatible ultrasound system from MED will be implemented and connected the MR comatible robotic system Innomotion in collaboration with IBSmm. The team will further coordinate the clincial tasks and provide both MR imaging of healthy volunteers and MRI/CT imaging form selected patients with the relevant diseases. IMST will further collaborate with MEDIS for coordination and organization of dissemination events.

IMSaT University Dundee UNIVDUN hosts GE’s first European Centre of Excellence for MRI guided Interventions and Surgery. The team works on device and procedure development for hybrid interventional techniques using 1.5 Tesla MRI and C-Arm in an adjacent surgical suite with the Maquet 1150 OR table that allow transition of patients between OR to MR. The group has extensive experience in the development of MRI compatibility, MR guided procedures and is equipped with working models, simulating a human body - including pulsatile flow for ex vivo organs, blood vessels and mechanical simulation of respiratory motions. Novel techniques including targeted drug delivery have been developed for MR guided Focused ultrasound (ExAblate) and the first MRI compatible robotic system INNOMOTION has been co-invented and integrated with the GE plattform. IMSaT has experiences in ultrasound system development, biophotonic and cell-tissue culture biolab technologies. The Surgical Technology Group at IMSaT has developed many instruments for Karl Storz over the past two decades including the recently released EndoCone for single port surgery. The team has developed the world’s first MR/PET/CT surgical suite connecting Siemens 3T and the new mCT 128 PET/CT Biograph.

Prof. Andreas Melzer, 20 years experiences in the development of medical technology for laparo-endoscopic surgery, interventional radiology, interventional & intraoperative MRI and image guided robotics, surgical instrumentation, surgical robotics and Nitinol devices and is named on more than 100 patents and over 200 publications, more than 500 oral and poster presentations. His major expertise is the development of novel surgical and interventional tools with particular regard to MR compatibility. He has served as co editor of three medical journals, Co-founder and partner of six start up companies in the medical technology for MRI field and consultant for major vendors in interventional medicine. Within FUSIMO Prof. Melzer will assume the role of the clinical coordinator.

Prof. Graeme Houston, Prof Houston is chair of Clinical Imaging, University of Dundee. As an interventional and cardiovascular radiologist for 16 years, his main research is in the field of cardiovascular image guided diagnosis and therapy and interventional. Previously his thesis was on imaging of diaphgragmatic movement. Responsible for the scientific, preclinical and clinical trials he has 10 years experience in research, development and testing of cardiovascular devices. In particular he has an extensive experience of cardiovascular fluid dynamics and non-invasive imaging using MRI.

Dr. Ghulam Nabi, Consultant Urologist at Ninewells Hospital and Senior Lecturer Urology. His core research is in the field of biomarker, early detection of renal and prostate cancer and in the field of minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery and MR guided Focused Ultrasound.

Given the effects of significant growth in the world population in the coming decades and the ongoing quest for greater economic prosperity worldwide, major technological breakthroughs will be essential in order to satisfy people’s basic needs. These global trends will have a profound impact on the societal mission and the long-term position of TUD in the coming years – all within a context of the further rigorous internationalisation of political, economic and academic networks. With its unique technological infrastructure, broad knowledge base, worldwide reputation and successful alumni, TUD is contributing significantly to the development of responsible solutions to urgent societal problems in the Netherlands and the rest of the world.

TUD intends to fulfill its mission by developing new, ground-breaking insights that will pave the way for the urgently needed technological breakthroughs (knowledge as a product). A key part of this vision is to realise world-level multidisciplinary research and design with a view to sustainability. The faculties and unique large-scale technological research facilities at TUD will play a key role in realising this vision. TUD disseminates its knowledge by training highly qualified knowledge workers and by stimulating the application of research results (knowledge as capital). Its programmes are internationally attractive. One of the driving aims behind the vision is to attract and utilise a variegated pool of talent. Education and research, both important prerequisites for knowledge valorisation, are interwoven and harmonised.

Role of TUD will be to evaluate the safety and efficiency of the developed system. The functionality (e.g. ease of use) will be determined in an early phase of the design process of the models and algorithms. The evaluation includes the application of principles about human behaviour, abilites and limitations to the designed system. The tasks will be to measure the correctness and efficency of the tasks performance, protocols and instruments used. Therefore, parameters and quantitative measures have to be defined. Evaluation during the whole design process will be performed using work flow analysis methods.

The TUD has developed a methodology to incorporate human factors engineering during the design process (den Boer et al.). This method can be used to evaluate the design process in different stages of evaluation. The group has experience in performing observation and workflow analysis studies in the field of minimally invasive techniques. It has used the methodology to measure the quality, efficiency, and difficulties during surgical task performance. Recently a reasoning system was developed to automatically determine work flow from measured activities during laparoscopic cholecystectomies.

Prof Dr. Jenny Dankelman has a degree in Mathematics, with specialisation in System and Control Engineering. For 15 years she has been researcher at Man-Machine Systems group, TUD, and since 2001 as professor in Biomechanical Engineering. In 2007 she became head of the Minimally Invasive Surgery and Interventional Techniques group (www.misit.nl) consisting of 12 PhD students, 2 Postdocs and 5 staff members. Her work focuses different application fields: minimally invasive surgery, flexible endoscopy, needle interventions and endovascular interventions. She is (co-) author of over 100 publications. She is cooperating with surgeons of several (academic) hospitals. Her interests and research projects are in the fields of designing novel medical (steerable) instruments, medical haptics, training and simulation tools, and patient safety, with the focus on minimally-invasive techniques.

SNF is a multidisciplinary R&D institute with 2200 employees, structured into six business areas. The participating deartment is Dept of Medical Technology with more than 15 years of extensive experience in navigation technology, processing and visualisation of medical data (MR, CT), and ultrasound, related to R&D at the National centre for 3D ultrasound in surgery. The center is a close collaboration with Trondheim University Hospital (St. Olavs Hospital) and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). The interdisciplinary research team has performed technological and clinical research which has been published in international journals and has received several national and international awards.

The main role of SNF is to maintain a close contact with clinical groups to ensure applicability of technological solutions in collaboration with several of the other partners in FUSIMO. SNF has a leading role in the following tasks: specification of clinical requirements and technological demands, infrastructure set-up for the project, software integration, and motion tracking in ultrasound imaging.

The Medical Technology group at SNF has more than 15 years experience working with ultrasound, image guided minimally invasive therapy, and software development for surgical and therapeutic guidance. We work in close collaboration with the technological university (NTNU) and the University Hospital in Trondheim. We have been a national center of competence in 3D ultrasound in surgery since 1995. Previous experience in EU projects include: 1) VECTOR (IP FP6) – development of a smart microrobotic capsule for early detection of GI cancers; 2) IIIOS – ITN project for Integrated Interventional Imaging Operating System; 3) 3MICRON (IP FP7) – development of next generation smart ultrasound contrast bubbles and new methods for improved ultrasound imaging. Our main tool box is a development and research software and hardware platform for navigation in image guided therapy.

Dr. Thomas Langø is a Senior Research Scientist and Project Manager (since 2002) for navigation and ultrasound imaging in laparoscopic surgery. He has been with SNF since 1996, receiving his PhD in ultrasound guided minimally invasive surgery in 2000 and finished a PostDoc study in technology accuracy evaluation on surgical navigation systems. Dr. Langø is working in close collaboration with several surgeons (including clinical champion and European pioneer Dr. Ronald Mårvik) at Trondheim University Hospital. Dr. Langø is a member of the SMIT (Society for Medical Innovation and Technology) international steering committee.

Dr. Frank Lindseth is a Senior Research Scientist and Project Manager for software development in surgical navigation and visualisation. He has been with SNF since 1996, receiving his PhD in ultrasound guided minimally invasive surgery in 2002. Dr. Lindseth is working in close collaboration with neurosurgeons at Trondheim University Hospital. He is also a member of the international team developing the IGSTK software platform in collaboration with a team in Geaorgetown University, USA (Prof. Kevin Cleary).

Medical Imaging Research Institute GmbH, founded 2004, provides research services to scientific work groups in the broad field of medical imaging. Extensive knowledge and experience in Magnetic Resonance Imaging, ultrasound imaging, real-time image processing and post-processing was build up. Prior work performed at MED includes the development of 2D motion tracking device using low-cost ultrasound system, which will provide the basis for the research proposed in this grant application. Twice, in 2004 and 2006, MED was awarded the Innovation award by the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

MED receives substantial funding from the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) to develop real-time ultrasound tracking for radiation therapy. One focus in this project is to examine the durability of ultrasound transducer under ionizing radiation. Man power and results of this project will be brought into the proposed project FUSIMO.

MED will take the leading role in the development and application of motion detection using ultrasound imaging. This includes the integration and shielding of the ultrasound imaging device in the MRI setup and shielding and the integration of ultrasound imaging with the HiFU applicator. The proposed US system optimization in combination with the development of advanced 2D and 3D tracking and registration algorithms will be used to integrate reliable information on organ motion into the multi-level models. The Medical Imaging Research Institute GmbH will also assist the development and implementation of non-invasive perfusion imaging techniques (Arterial-Spin-Labeling) for the MR experiments.

MED works in the field of motion detection based on ultrasound imaging since its foundation in 2004 with great success. MED scientists have in-depth expertise in MR and as well as ultrasound imaging. From the developments within the company an MR-compatible ultrasound system for research purposes has emerged which will be used for the model verification experiments. In the course of these developments the company acquired substantial experience in the shielding of ultrasound imaging devices within MR surrounding, The company has developed robust image post processing algorithms for motion detection in ultrasound images which based on active contour propagation. The company holds several patents for its ultrasound tracking methodologies and devices.

On the MR side MED has specialized on physiologic MRI methods with specific emphasis on perfusion imaging. The company has developed ASL sequences for several applications with exceptional stability and Signal/Noise Ratio. Current developments extend this to the modelling and quantification of several physiologic parameters from ASL mesurements.

Dr. Andre Bongers works with MED since the founding in 2004. He performs basic research in MR-imaging, ultrasound imaging and image processing for over ten years. A lot of the prior work related to real-time motion tracking with ultrasound within a MR scanner was performed by him. He is now responsible for developing ultrasound motion tracking in radiation therapy. Since 2009 A. Bongers is deputy director of MED.

Dr. Jürgen Jenne is a physicist working in the field of focused ultrasound since 1992. He developed the first focused ultrasound system for breast application. He has profound expertise in MR-guided focused ultrasound and he is therefore very experienced in shielding ultrasound components in MR-scanners. He is a leading scientist in the ultrasound motion tracking project at MED since 2007.

IBS_MM, founded in 1987 as design house of embedded electronics applications for digital healthcare, is one of the leading and most innovative companies in its field. Starting activities in Germany, the company has a know-how centre in the Czech Republic for 20 years and production partners worldwide. Today, IBS_MM has business activities in consulting for innovative embedded PC technology for digital healthcare, digital video signal distribution, visualisation and documentation systems, development of embedded imaging solutions, ODM as well as contract design and manufacturing.

Smarter Technology eXtension, developed by IBS_MM, is a world¬wide accepted open STX-standard for embedded Systems-on-a-Module (SoM), COM for medical applications. With their STX-Modules, embedded imaging solutions and real-time Full-HD Audio-Video conferencing systems for live surgery, IBS_MM is offering embedded electronics multimedia solutions for secure investments in healthcare applications.

IBS_MM is Intel® Embedded Alliance member and Intel® Healthcare partner. Connected to Intel® Business Link IBS_MM benefits from superior Intel® premier support. IBS_MM takes part in Early Adopted Program regularly and develops embedded products for digital healthcare based on Intel® next generation platforms.

IBS_MM will evaluate the use of the INNOMOTION robot system for MR guided FUS. Thereby the placement of a robot mounted FUS tranducer and the tracking of the transducer with organ motion shall be investigated. The robot system will be located at the university of Dundee and the evalutaion will be performed within WP7.

The company has more than 20 years experience in the design and development of embedded electronics applications for digital healthcare. They have particular experience in signal conversion, in medical image distribution and in embedded electronics for medical applications.

Michael W. Müller, president and founder of IBS_MM has over 25 years experience in embedded PC electronics, visualisation and embedded imaging. As Chief System Architect he leaves his footprint on alignment and characteristics of the majority of IBS_MM products, OEM and ODM. After his diploma in Electrical Engineering at the Technical University in Brno he gained ten years of experience as developer with Siemens before he set up IBS_MM.

Martin Krouzek, works for IBS_MM since 2007 as head of the IBS_MM Czech Design Center in Brno and as QM specialist for certification of medical products. He received his diploma from Technical University in Brno and provides over 6 years experiences leading of electronics R&D department.

InSightec was founded in 1999 when GE Healthcare (then GE Medical Systems) and Elbit Medical Imaging transferred their proprietary technology to the company to enable it to concentrate on developing the promising MR guided focused ultrasound surgery both companies had investigated. Since then, InSightec has invested over $100 million in research and development. The company holds over 30 patents with additional intellectual property pending.

InSightec developed ExAblate® 2000– a product that integrates focused ultrasound energy and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to provide a non-invasive treatment modality that can replace invasive procedures and provide therapeutic alternatives. ExAblate was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in October 2004 to treat symptomatic uterine fibroids and to date over 6000 women has been treated worldwide for symptomatic uterine fibroids. InSightec is conducting clinical trials in oncology indications: pain palliation of bone metastases, breast cancer, prostate, brain applications, liver tumours and Fertility Enhancement trial. ExAblate also received the European CE mark for treating pain palliation caused by bone metastases.

By leading WP4, InSightec will contribute its rich experience with acoustic simulation and treatment modelling to this project.

InSightec was choosen to lead the development of a comprehensive acoustic simulation of volumetric treatment model.

InSightec has rich experience with acoustic simulation and treatment modelling acquired in more than 10 years of HIFU/FUS products development.

Dr. Yoav Medan: Vice President and Chief Systems Architect, is responsible for developing InSightec’s new platforms for the Magnetic Resonance guided Focused Ultrasound technology. Dr. Medan received his D.Sc. and B.Sc.(Summa Cum Laude) in Aeronautical Engineering from the Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, and a M.B.A diploma from Bradford University, UK.

Dr. Yoav Levy: R&D manager for liver program. Dr, Levy received his PhD. in Biomedical Engineering from the Technion Israel Institute of Technology for his work on “Investigation of New Techniques for Ultrasonic Imaging”

Dr. Alexander Kenis: Physicist. Dr, Keniss received his PhD. in Physics from the Technion Israel Institute of Technology for his work on “Design of Optical Devices by Means of Quantum Mechanical Approaches and Computational Methods”

Gilad Halevy M.Sc.: Senior software engineer. Gilad Halevy got his M.Sc. from the Institute of Computer Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem Israel, for his work on Motion of disturbances: detection and tracking of multi-body non-rigid motion.

GEMS PET Systems AB is developing and manufacturing the cyclotrons and radiochemistry units for production of short lived isotopes to be used for labeling and thereafter imaging of radio-tracers. GEMS PET is a cornerstone in our Molecular Imaging business. Within FUSIMO GEMS PET Systems AB will participate with its legal entity the Uppsala Applied Science Lab – UASL. The UASL has a focus on Molecular Imaging (MI) which is a multi-disciplinary technology covering a number of steps from radionuclide and tracer production, as well as tracer validation into the clinical applications. Such a work covers many techniques used in biology and relates to clinical seen from a diagnostic or a treatment perspective. Utilizing validated tracers which may related to new valuable information obtained from other GEHC technology platforms based on genetics and proteomics indicates where there are new areas to consider. Tracer kinetics is essential in the MI applications and Biacore technology as well new data-handling technology covering all imaging modalities is valuable. Development and validation of new ways of collecting and interpreting data is important especially implemented into data of value for the future. It is important to emphasize that improvement in the diagnostics will be more valuable if related to therapy. Today the Uppsala Applied Science Lab team consists of 10 scientists.

Within FUSIMO GEMS PET Systems AB and the UASL will participate in work packages 2,3 and 5-8. Thus, they will participate in the activities around motion modeling, functional organ modeling, the model integration and the evaluation and validation. A central role is to provide support in imaging and in particular PET imaging with novel radio-tracers in order to see very small quantities of residual tumor tissue due to the specificity and sensitivity of PET. Moreover, a research focus lies in the development of the clinical & technological requirements in order to apply some of the quality procedures that are used in product development and product introduction on the market.

GE, whose life-science headquarters is in Uppsala, Sweden, is the world’s leader in transformational medical technologies for patient care. We are a partner in many ongoing EU programs and National programs related to Imaging. These projects span from Diagnostic methods for AD, Biomarker discovery and application, Stroke diagnosis and follow up, from very Basic science to early diagnostic to individualization of treatment and tools for better recovery and rehabilisation . We are a partner in the Marie Curie Project IIIOS led by University of Dundee developing image guided interventional proceedures. The GE role in the IIIOS project is to develop an easy to use MR user interface for real time MR catheter interventions integrated with MR guided Focused Ultrasound for treatment and stimulation (InSightec). Another important area important also for the FUSIMO Project is to develop and introduce Molecular Imaging into the interventional and surgical proceedures. Understanding the biology better and understanding the biology respons to drugs, interventions and ablations will be an important task for the future. This will be key in the strive to individualizing treatments and for personalizad healthcare in general.

Dr. Bengt Nielsen is Chief Executive of GE Healthcare International Research Division. He studied at University of Linkoeping in Sweden where he received his Dr. Degree in radiation physics and medical science in 1985. He worked at the Department of Radiation Physics at the same university. From University of Linkoeping he became the Technical Manager in General Electric CGR AB, Managing Director/Zone Manager in GE Medical Systems Sweden, MR Marketing Manager for Europe, MR Development Manager and Cardio- & Neurovascular MR Program Manager in GE Medical Systems Europe and Regional Sales Manager for Nordic Region in GE Medical Systems Nordic (Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland and Estonia).

Since 2005 Bengt is the General Manager for the Academic Program in GE Healthcare International. He has 34 publications in peer reviewed papers and has experience from work within expert groups in the EU FP-7 program.

The University of Roma – Sapienza is the largest university in Italy. The University Hospital is a 1000 beds tertiary care center. With regards to liver tumours, the hospital has a Liver Transplantation and Surgery Programme, which is a partipating center of the European Liver Transplant Registry, and a Center for Chronic Liver Disease and Hepatocellular Carcinoma with more than 2000 patients in follow-up. The Department of Radiology houses an Interventional Radiology Unit and an MR guided focused ultrasound Unit which have a strong clinical collaboration with these two centers for Liver Surgery and HCC.

The LSR is in a unique position to be the clinical site to test the application of the tools developed in the FUSIMO project. The Department of Radiological Sciences already houses an MRgFUS unit on a 3Tesla MR imaging unit. There is strong previous experience in the non-invasive management of patients with liver tumors, in close collaboration with the Liver Transplantation Programme and the Center for Chronic Liver Disease and Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Test and validation ex vivo and in vivo of the new developed models on experimental set ups. Clinical application of the developed models.

The staff at LSR has strong clinical knowledge of the role of MR and other cross-sectional imaging techniques in the diagnosis and staging of liver tumours and other neoplastic conditions. The Interventional Radiology Unit has a 30 year experience in image guided therapy, both in oncological and vascular diseases; its clinical activities include the non-invasive management of liver tumor with percutaneous interventional techniques (chemoembolization, radiofrequency ablation, microwave ablation). In collaboration with other disciplines (surgery, oncology, gastroenterology) the Interventional Radiology Unit has been involved in several pre-clinical and clinical studies, the most recent being the SPACE trial (Sorafenib or Placebo in Combination with TACE for Intermediate-Stage HCC)(ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT00855218). There is also a strong experience in imaging of the response to treatment, with both morphological and functional studies.

Prof. Mario Bezzi,MD is Agg. Professor of Radiology at the University of Rome – Sapienza.

As an interventional and oncologic radiologist for 20 years he has worked in the field of interventional radiology of liver and biliary neoplasms and oncologic cross-sectional imaging.

He has been involved in preclinical and clinical trials on the use of biliary stents and embolic particles for chemoembolization of the liver (SPACE trial). He is in charge of the programme for the non-invasive management of liver tumor with percutaneous interventional techniques (chemoembolization, radiofrequency ablation, microwave ablation).He is named on more than 100 publications and more than 200 oral and poster presentations. He is in the Scientific Programme Committee of the Cardiovascular and Interventional Society of Europe (CIRSE). Recently he has joined a Departmental Project at LSR on the therapeutic applications of MR guided focused Ultrasound.

Alessandro Napoli, MD, PhD is a Board Certified Radiology with a PhD in Cardiovascular Physiology and Functional Imaging. He has also completed a Research Fellowhsip in Cardiovascular Imaging at the University of Stanford. He is currently in charge of the clinical development of an MRgFUS unit which has been installed in the Department of Radiological Sciences at LSR. He has strong clinical experience in MR and cross-sectional imaging in oncology.

The Computer Vision Laboratory of the ETH Zurich works on the computer based interpretation of 2D and 3D image data. One part of the Lab investigates into recognition, tracking of objects and people, and active 3D techniques. The Medical Image Analysis and Visualization group concentrates on the development of image analysis, visualization and simulation methods, providing information technology tools for biomedical research and clinical patient care. A special focus is the support of the complete chain of medical interventions, starting from computer aided diagnosis through interventional planning, intra-operative image guided navigation and intelligent instrumentation to post-operative follow-up and surgical training and education. The group has collected significant experience in generating detailed, patient-specific anatomical and physiological models from radiological images and characterizing of the motion of organs under physiological conditions, llike respiration. The Laboratory has participated in numerous projects of the EC IST/ICT Research Programmes since the 4th Framework, like most recently in the projects Passport, Hamam, Intuition, Beaming, Immersence, Cobol, Dirac, Hermes, Scovis, e.g.

ETH is responsible for creating 4D respiratory motion models for the abdomen and individualized them according to available pre- and intra-operative imaging data (like MRI and US). It will also lead WP3 and support the experimental validation efforts.

The Computer Vision Laboratory has long-year experience on the field of medical image analysis, visualization, virtual reality and physiological simulations. Specifically the group performed pioneering work in acquiring data about respiratory organ motion using MRI, building the corresponding statistical models and using them for supporting radiation therapy.

Gábor Székely authored over 150 peer reviewed journal and conference contributions. He is member of the Scientific Committees of several leading international conferences and the Editorial Boards of numerous journals on the field of computer aided surgery and radiology. He is currently full professor at ETH and director of the Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research on Computer Aided and Image Guided Medical Interventions.

Christine Tanner received her Master’s degree in electronics research in 1999 and PhD in medical image analysis in 2006 at the King’s College London. She joined the Computer Vision Laboratory in 2008, currently working on image registration, multi-modal image fusion and organ motion characterization.

Fundatia Medis represents the Romanian branch of the Societiy for Medical Innovation and Technology (SMIT) (www.smit.de). SMIT has members from more that 40 countries and is hosting international conferences in Europe and the rest of the world and organizes special focus sessions at other major medical conferences. Meetings have taken place in London (UK) 1989; Vienna (Austria) 1990, Boston (USA) 1991; Dublin (Ireland) 1992; Orlando (USA) 1993; Berlin (Germany) 1994; Portland (USA) 1995; Milan (Italy) 1996; Kyoto (Japan) 1997; London (UK) 1998, Boston (USA) 1999, Gelsenkirchen (Germany) 2000; Berlin (Germany) 2001, Oslo (Norway) 2002; Amsterdam (The Netherlands) 2003; Rome (Italy) 2004; Naples (Italy) 2005; Sendai (Japan) 2006 ; Vienna (Austria) 2007; Sinaia (Romania) 2008, Trondheim (Norway) 2009.

The foundation was created in 1999 under the shape of a non-governmental organization, primarily oriented towards the Continuous Medical Education activity and for this reason the Medis Foundation is accredited as CME provider, by the Romanian National College of Physicians.

The Medis Foundation unfolds part of its activity, in a strong collaboration with the clinical platform of “Medis Camp” Diagnosis and Treatment Centre, Campina, and also in an important alliance with Campina Municipal Hospital.

Several results of the medical studies effectuated by our foundation, have been sustained in sessions within important international congresses such as EuroAmerican Summit for Minimally Invasive Surgery, editions of 2005, 2007, 2009; EUROSON Congress, EAES Congresses and SMIT Conferences all along the past few years.

The role of SMIT MEDIS is to organize dissemination events like workshops, conferences and minisymposia and to assist in developing the dissemination plan.

MEDIS has been developing very fast in the area of congress organization. In fact the foundation has organized more than 50 congresses, medical symposia, workshops and hands-on trainings, not only at the national level but also at the international one. And in this sense, the most representative of all the medical events organized by the Medis Foundation so far, has been the 21st International Conference of “Society for Medical Innovation and Technology”, held on 7th -9th October 2009, in Sinaia, and which gathered numerous important figures of the medical world, from no less than 21 countries all around the globe.

Tiu Calin MD, PhD, is Head of Department of Surgery at the Municipal Hospital, Campina. His research expertise covers Visceral surgery, Laparoscopic surgery, Trauma surgery, Proctology, Phlebology, Upper endoscopy, Colonoscopy and Interventional sonography.

Dr. Calin is president and founder of Fundatia Medis and President of SMIT 2009. He is member of the NEW European Surgical Academy (NESA) and Active Member of the European Association of Endoscopic Surgery (EAES). Calin is a founder member of the European Association of Study of Acute Abdominal Pain(president-Van Elk, Deventer, Holland, England). Moreover he is member of Romanian Society of Surgery (SRC) and of Romanian Association of Endoscopic Surgery, ARCE.