Fraunhofer IGD is the world's leading institute for applied research in the field of visual computing. Visual computing stands for image- and model-based information technology. It includes computer graphics, computer vision, as well as virtual and augmented reality. Fraunhofer IGD develops prototypes and complete solutions based on customer demands. The Competence Center for “Visual Healthcare Technologies” is developing solutions so that these medical image data can be used as effectively as possible in the hospital routine. In doing so, image data from different sources are often merged in order to make as much information usable as possible. An early-stage, reliable diagnosis is decisive for the treatment’s success in many diseases. For this purpose, Fraunhofer IGD provides solutions, for instance, to automatically extract anatomical structures from the image data and to recognize pathologies. With these data, surgical procedures may then be planned and simulated for the patient on an individual basis even before he or she is taken into the operating room. During surgical procedures, the physician is provided with additional visual information to guide him to the target region while avoiding risk structures.
Role in BD2Decide
Fraunhofer’s role is to provide a software tool enabling a radiologist to quantitatively extract robust imaging features from clinically acquired images and to perform automatic/semi-automatic tumor and lymph-nodes segmentation. Therefore, currently existing approaches shall be adapted in order to be used in a clinical environment. Furthermore, the whole process shall become more automated, to deliver even more reliable results and reduce the workload of the clinicians.
