Project Details
Projekt
FOR 474: Image-Based Temporal and Regional Analysis of Ventilation - Perfusion Ratios within the Lung
Subject Area
Medicine
Term
from 2002 to 2008
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5469452
Aim of the research unit which consists of physicians and natural scientists is twofold: (1) to investigate the complex function of the human lung with novel self-developed examination strategies and (2) to apply this knowledge directly to the benefit of patients. Recent individual studies of ventilation and perfusion of the lung and the results of the research activities within the workpackages of the research unit will be integrated as parts of a functional examination protocol and validated. In basic studies novel visualization techniques for MRI of the lung will be significantly improved. In parallel, positron emission tomography (PET) will be developed further in order to selectively visualize beta-receptors, which play an important role in bronchoconstriction. The new radiological techniques for functional studies have to prove their suitability and relevance for measurements of temporal and spatial distribution of ventilation and perfusion of the lung, of the visualization of the microstructure of the lung parenchyma and the measurement of oxygen partial pressure in lung and blood. From there the individual contribution to gas exchange and its impairment can be determined. By the comparative use of MRI, PET and CT their advantages and disadvantages can be defined. Beyond the mere acquisition of images sophisticated strategies for image post-processing will be applied to quantitate characteristic surrogates of ventilation and perfusion. The research unit will provide new radiological strategies which can be used in clinical routine. They will significantly enhance the knowledge for diagnosis and therapy of many pulmonary diseases, such as chronic bronchitis, emphysema, asthma, pulmonary embolism and acute lung failure, and also play an important role in the follow-up of patients after lung transplantation. Improvements of ventilation therapies, e.g. on the intensive care unit, are another important aim. The transfer of the new radiological strategies form the research unit into clinical routine of a university clinic makes clear that physiological relationships will not only be visualized and quantified, but they will also be applied to improve the therapy of patients.
DFG Programme
Research Units
Projects
- Beatmungstherapie und Hypoxie (Applicant Markstaller, Klaus )
- Einflussfaktoren der pulmonalen Mikrostrukur auf das MRT-Signal (Applicant Schreiber, Laura Maria )
- Lungenperfusion (Applicants Kreitner, Karl-Friedrich ; Ley, Sebastian )
- Matching für Ventilation und Perfusion, Klinische Studie (Applicant Düber, Christoph )
- Physik, Laserentwicklung, Polarisator (Applicants Heil, Werner ; Spiess, Hans Wolfgang )
- Sauerstoffsensitive Bildgebung und Gasaustausch (Applicants Gast, Klaus K. ; Ley, Sebastian )
- Synthese und biochemische sowie nuklearmedizinische Evaluierung hochaffiner 18F-markierter Liganden zur Visualisierung der adrenergen beta 2-Rezeptoren mittels der Positronenemissionstomographie (Applicant Rösch, Frank )
- Verteilung der Ventilation (Applicant Gast, Klaus K. )
Spokesperson
Professor Dr. Christoph Düber, since 7/2005
