Ruhr-Centre of Competence for Medical Engineering

Network Profile

The Ruhr-Centre of Competence for Medical Engineering (Kompetenzzentrum Medizintechnik Ruhr: KMR e.V.) in Bochum is a synonym for "Competence in Ultrasound": In the start up phase our main focus is Diagnostic Ultrasound. The medical and engineering competences are represented by many partners coming from research and development, enterprises and hospitals. Further partners come from the fields of health care, foundation consulting and financing. The cooperation of this partners cause, that the special issues of medical ultrasound expertise, market and legislation are considered. The whole “value creation chain” starting from research and development, via production up to commercialisation and implementation in the wide range of medical engineering will be utilized effectively.

The engineering and medical profile of the KMR is characterized by the topics and projects of diagnostic imaging in medicine. The main topic are image based tissue diagnosis using ultrasound and multimodal non-ionizing methods for the diagnostics of cancer and vascular diseases as well as the application in surgical navigation (3 topics: cancer, vascular, navigation, see Research and Development). In addition to high-frequency sonography, there is strong emphasis on real-time strain imaging and elastography in Bochum: With these methods we are able to visualize tissue rigidifications (tumor, plaques, etc.) in addition to “standard” ultrasound imaging. First clinical results are encouraging. Furthermore, we will use our established competence in the field of “computer vision” for novel concepts in real time ultrasound imaging, especially applied to moving and shape changing objects.

The General goals are to improve and to combine the existing methods and systems, and to make them more reliable in terms of diagnostic accuracy (sensitivity, specifity). Moreover, rather then long term research we like to reach near future goals to help “today’s people” in early detection of major diseases like cancer and arteriosclerosis and to supply treatment monitoring tools. First clinical results, e.g. the early diagnosis of prostate cancer and the diagnosis of skin cancer, promise further success. With such results good new chances for successful know-how transfers, new ways in production and the market arise.

Press releases

Further Information: www.kmr-bochum.de/