Experimental Cardiovascular Imaging (ExCaVI)

Our group is active in the research and development of dedicated techniques for in vivo magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and spectroscopy and their application to biomedical translational research including preclinical and clinical evaluation. In close collaboration with different partners within the University and the University Medical Center, tailored imaging and spectroscopy solutions are developed for a variety of preclinical and clinical applications. Activities range from basic MR technologies to application-specific optimization of the basic techniques for routine clinical evaluation. For multi-modal imaging purposes, close collaboration with the Departments of Nuclear Medicine and Radiology is established.

The group also runs the Core Facility Small Animal Imaging of the Medical Faculty of Ulm University and is part of the DFG funded Center for Translational Imaging MoMAN.

Profilbild von Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Volker Rasche

Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Volker Rasche

Head of Workgroup

Research fields

Cardiovascular MRI

Small Animal MRI

Dental MRI

Image-Guided Interventions

In ovo MRI

Lung MRI

Method Development

Infrastructure

Within the Cardiovascular MRI group, two whole-body MRI systems operating at

  • 1.5T Philips Achieva, R5.1.7, 32 receive channels
  • 3.0T Philips Achieva, R5.1.7, 32 receive channels

are available for clinical and methodological research. Both systems are fully equipped with high-performance gradient systems, dedicated cardiovascular imaging software and state-of-the-art receive coils relevant for cardiovascular imaging such as dedicated cardiac and carotid phased array coils.

A Research collaboration with Philips Medical Systems and Philips Research Europe is well established ensuring access to latest MRI technology and pulse programming software enabling the adaptation of the scanner SW to individual demands.

A dedicated small animal high-field MRI system (BioSpec 117/16, Bruker Biospin) equipped with an 8-channel receive system and prepared for 1H, 13C, 19F, 23Na, and 31P imaging and spectroscopy is available at the Core Facility Small Animal Imaging.

Publications

2022

Trainee Educational Stipend ISMRM 2022 (P. Metze, T. Speidel)

2021

Trainee Educational Stipend ISMRM 2021 (P. Metze, T. Speidel)

2020

Poster EMIM Virtual Edition 2020 (G. Winter et al., #0581)
Multi-modal PET and MR imaging in the Hen’s egg test chorioallantoic membrane (HET-CAM) model for initial in vivo testing of target-specific radioligands.

Magna Cum Laude Poster ISMRM 2020 (P. Metze et al., #0438)
Lung Imaging and Proton Fraction Quantification for Highly Irregular Respiratory Patterns Using nonuniform Self-Gating.

Summa Cum Laude Poster ISMRM 2020 (T. Speidel et al., #1087)
Retrospective Compensation of Cardiac and Respiratory Motion in Mice using nonuniform Self-Gating.

Trainee Educational Stipend ISMRM 2020 (A. Balasch, T. Huefken, P. Metze, T. Speidel, K. Stumpf)

Towards sub-microlitre MRS in the mouse brain in vivo at ultra-high field. Work selected for the Molecular/MRS Highlight Session of ISMRM 2020 (A. Abaei et al., #0372)

Lung Imaging and Proton Fraction Quantification for Highly Irregular Respiratory Patterns Using Nonuniform Self-Gating. Work selected for the Body Highlight Session of ISMRM 2020 (P. Metze et al., #0438)

2019

Trainee Educational Stipend ISMRM 2019 (P. Metze, T. Speidel)

Hertha-Nathorff-Programm (HNP) der Medizinischen Fakultät (A. Balasch, I. Vernikouskaya)

2017

Trainee Educational Stipend ISMRM 2017 (A. Abaei)

2016

Magna Cum Laude Poster ISMRM 2016 (M. Tibiletti et al., #2912, #2921)

Trainee Educational Stipend ISMRM 2016 (A. Abaei, J. Paul, M. Tibiletti, Z. Zuo)

National Award for Outstanding Self-financed Chinese Students Abroad (Z. Zuo)

2015

Hertha-Nathorff-Programm (HNP) der Medizinischen Fakultät (I. Vernikouskaya)

Magna Cum Laude Poster ISMRM 2015 (S. Wundrak et al., #3638)

Trainee Educational Stipend ISMRM 2015 (J. Paul, M. Tibiletti, I. Vernikouskaya)

Georg-Schmorl-Award 2015 (H.-J. Wilke, A.Kienle, S. Maile, V.Rasche, N. Berger-Roscher)

Poster Award 2015 "Deutsche Gesellschaft für Orthopädie und Unfallchirurgie" (H.-J. Wilke, A.Kienle, S. Maile, V.Rasche, N. Berger-Roscher)

2010

Award of the University of Ulm for collaboration between academics and industry (V. Rasche)

2008

Award of the University of Ulm for outstanding education (V. Rasche)

2022

Non-water suppressed Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
Fabian Bschorr, Master's Thesis

Efficient Sampling Strategies for N-D MRI
Micha Bischoff, Master's Thesis

Evaluation of a Polar Acquisition Reconstruction Technique in MRI
Maria Concialdi, Bachelor's Thesis

Construction and Characterization of an active Phantom for simultaneous Diffusion weighted PET-MRI in Oncology
Leonard Lauber, Bachelor's Thesis

2021

Design and Spatial Encoding Field Simulations for a low-Field MRI Scanner
Christos Papadopoulos, Bachelor's Thesis

Image Reconstruction for inhomogeneous Spatial Encoding Fields in a low-Field MRI Scanner
Andre Schulz-Harder, Bachelor's Thesis

Characterization of 29Si Nanoparticles using NMR
Sophie Stolte, Bachelor's Thesis

High-Resolution MRI of the Adult Zebrafish Heart
Julian Schüle, Bachelor's Thesis

Development of a GUI for the Reconstruction of radially acquired MRI Datasets
Johannes Mokosch, Bachelor's Thesis

Fat-water quantification using multi-point Dixon methods 
Steven Roth, Bachelor's Thesis

Examination of acceleration methods for diffusion weighted imaging 
Rauf Hood Boudenne, Bachelor's Thesis

Deep Learning Approaches for Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy 
Oleg Winokurow, Bachelor's Thesis

2020

Towards Quantification of IMCL/EMCL in a Human Muscle with Nuclear Magnetic Resonance 
Fabian Bschorr, Bachelor's Thesis

Lung MRI Ising a Non-Uniform Self-Gating Approach 
Fabian Straubmüller, Master's Thesis

BURST MRI
Dominik Zeck, Master's Thesis

Longitudinal Evaluation of DSS-induced Murine Ulcerative Colitis In vivo
Eric Karuu, Dissertation

Simulation and Prototyping of an X-Nuclei MR Coil
Andreas Horneff, Dissertation

Real-Time Cardiovascular Flow Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Dominik Notz, Master's Thesis

Myocardial T1 mapping at 11.7T
Micha Bischoff, Bachelor's Thesis

Real-time magnetic resonance imaging of the temporomandibular joint
Johannes Ziegler, Bachelor's Thesis

2019

Optimization and characterization of a biplanar gradient system for microscopic MR-imaging at 11.7T
Lukas Staiger, Bachelor's Thesis

Real-time cardiac MRI at 11.7T
Margareta Metzner, Bachelor's Thesis

Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) Applied to Respiratory Motion Detection in Fluoroscopic Frames
Christoph Baldauf, Master's Thesis

2018

Real-time MRI of speaking: an approach on off-resonance correction
Markus Jakob, Bachelor's Thesis

Implementation of gradient Impulse Response Measurement on a 3T MRI scanner for Gradient System Characterization
Anja Kleemann, Master's Thesis

Real-time MRI for Cardiovascular Applications
Claudia Lumpp, Master's Thesis

Development and characterization of a microscopy insert for high-field MR systems
Thomas Hüfken, Master's Thesis

2017

Cardiovascular Tissue Characterization with MRI
Patrick Metze, Master's Thesis

Model-based iterative Reconstruction for Diffusion Quantification
Jannik Arbogast, Master's Thesis

Anatomical and functional lung imaging with MRI
Marta Tibiletti, Dissertation

Darstellung apikaler Parodontitis vergleichend in der Magnetresonanztomographie und in der digitalen Volumentomographie
Elena Sophia Schreiber, Dissertation

2016

Advanced SPI Methods for MR Imaging of ultrashort T2(*) Relaxation Time Spin Systems
Tobias Speidel, Master's Thesis

Tiny Golden Angles and Nonuniform Self-Gating: MRI of Nonunigorm Motion
Stefan Wundrak, Dissertation

Analysis of velocity based motion parameters in volunteers and patients with left ventriculur dyssynchrony and myocardial infarction using magnetic resonance imaging
Raphael Beck, Dissertation

Dental MRI for Identification and Quantification of Initial Caries Lesions
Anna-Katinka Bracher, Dissertation

Respiratory and Cardiac Self-Gated Radial MRI
Jan Paul, Dissertation

Entwicklung eines MRT-Phantoms mit T1/T2-Relaxationszeiten im Bereich des menschlichen Gewebes
Christoph Blank, Bachelor's Thesis

2015

High resolution MRI analysis of breast cancer xenograft on the chick chorioallantoic membrane
Zhi Zuo, Dissertation

Qualitative and Quantitative Assessment of the Local Contrast Agent Aggregations using MRI
Ina Vernikouskaya, Dissertation

Optimierung der MRT-Bildrekonstruktion von radial gemessenen Echtzeitdaten in MATLAB und CUDA.
Harald Frey, Master's Thesis

2014

Die Compliance der Aorta nach endovaskulärer Versorgung bei akuter traumatischer Aortenraptur
Robert Kohlschmitt, Dissertation

Applikation der Magnetresonanztomographie für zahnmedizinische Fragestellungen
Michael Mess, Dissertation

Applicability of three-dimensional ultra-short echo time magnetic resonance imaging for in vivo assessment of caries lesions and early demineralization.
Christian Hofmann, Dissertation

2013

Volumetric left ventricular tissue phase mapping at 3T - Sequence optimization and motion quantification
Anja Müller-Lutz, Dissertation

2012

Gradientenfeldmessung eines 3Tesla Magnetresonanztomographen
Michael Eder, Dipl. Ing.

Berechnung und Analyse von Parametern zur Quantifizierung der Asynchronität des Herzschlages aus geschwindigkeitscodierten MRT-Aufnahmen
Jan Paul, Dipl. Inf.

2011

T2-Prepared Segmented 3D Gradient Echo for Fast T2-Weighted High Resolution Three-Dimensional Imaging of the Carotid Artery Wall
Jian Zhu, Dr. med.

2010

Automatische Verfolgung von Ablationskathetern in 3D
Diana Adam, M. Sc.
in Zusammenarbeit mit der Hoschschule Ulm, Fakultät Informtik, Prof. Harald Groß

Rekonstruktion von unterabgetasteten MRI Datensätzen, akquiriert auf beliebigen Abtastgittern
Christine Köhnlein, Dipl. Phys.

Projektionsrekonstruktionsmethoden für die fluoroskopische MRT unter Verwendung der "Goldenen Schnitt" Geometrie
Anna-Lena Bracher, Phsik B.Sc.
in Zusammenarbeit mit AG Materialwissenchaftliche Elektronenmikroskopie, Uni Ulm, Prof. Ute Kaiser

Integration eines low-cost Ultraschallsystems im MRT zur Detektion der atmungsabhängigen Herzlage
Sina Phister, B.Sc.
in Zusammenarbeit mit der Fakultät für Mechatronik und Medizintechnik, Hoschule Ulm, Prof. Ronald Blechschmidt-Trapp

Computer-aided detection of vessel wall thickening in MRI images
Moritz Eberl, M. Sc.
in Zusammenarbeit mit der Fakultät für Informatik, Hochschule Augsburg, Prof. Roesch

2009

MRI Studies of Gadolinium based contrast agents loaded nanocapsules and iron loaded nanocapsules in chemical and biological environment
Sonu Sharma, Dr. biol.hum.

Iron Labelling of Mesenchymal Stem / Stroma Cells for MRI: Studies on Poly-L-Lactid Acid - Iron Nanoparticles
Gerlinde Schmidtke-Schrezenmeier, Dr. med.
in Zusammenarbeit mit der Klinik für Dermatologie und Allergologie der Universitätsklinik Ulm
Prof. Karin Scharffetter-Kochanek

Automatic modeling methods for 3D cardiac X-ray
Uwe Jandt, Dr. biol. hum.

Diagnostik der Aorten- und Mitralklappeninsuffizienz MRT versus Echokardiographie
Pierre Youtcheua Njindeu, Dr. med

2008

Vierdimensionale Minimierung von patienteninduzierten Magnetfeldinhomogenitäten für die kardiale Magnetresonanztomographie
Miriam Rabea Kubach, Dipl. phys.
in Zusammenarbeit mit der Fakultät für Physik, Prof. Dr. G. Nienhaus

2006

Integration von Magnetresonanztomographiedaten und Roentgenfluoroskopiedaten zur Unterstützung interventioneller Verfahren in der Kardiologie
Alois Goeth, Master of Science
in Zusammenarbeit mit der Fachhochschule Augsburg, Prof. Dr. Peter Roesch

Dreidimensionale Registrierung in der Koronardiagnostik
Danial Magg, Dipl. inf (FH)
in Zusammenarbeit mit der Hochschule Ulm, Prof. Dr. Guenter Gramlich

Collaborators & Sponsors