High frequency research

Our interdisciplinary group of physicians, physicists and engineers works on preclinical characterization and optimization of high frequency electromagnetic fields for therapeutical use. The results of preclinical-biological research together with planning calculations and modeling promote improvement of applications and development of novel high frequency-based therapeutic devices and facilitate and accompany their clinical implementation. The group is also responsible for optimal application, continuous service and quality assurance of the clinical devices.

You are here:

Interdisciplinary high frequency research group

Our group works on high frequency modeling (power density- and temperature distributions, patient models from imaging data sets), phantom construction, quality assurance and development of hard- and software for planning and optimization of high frequency-based treatments in oncology. One focus is the development of technical solutions for translational research.

The group is associated with the department of radiation oncology and the Charité hyperthermia center. Cooperation partners include the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) and various institutions and clinical departments at Charité.

Methods, algorithms, devices:

  • FDTD-Solver (finite-difference time-domain method) to calculate high frequency electromagnetic fields
  • Time independent BHTE-Solver (bio-heat transfer equation) to calculate non-linear temperature profiles generated by high frequency electromagnetic fields
  • Sim4Life-platform to simulate electromagnetic fields, temperature distributions and to design novel applicators  
  • Eclipse registering and contouring platform (CT, MR, PET-CT)
  • I-Plan for contouring/registration/fusion of image datasets
  • MatLab-based algorithms to convert contours into voxel models
  • Amira DICOM reader and visualization platform
  • Manufacturing of phantom materials and phantoms
  • Semi-analytical and numerical cell models
  • High frequency measurement equipment (network analysis, spectral- and time analysis)
  • Thermometry: Fluorooptic system and high-resistive thermistors
  • Thermatrx TMX-2000 thermotherapy system for conduction of high frequency animal experiments
  • Oncotherm LabEHY-200 including an in-vitro and in-vivo applicator for conduction of high frequency experiments with amplitude modulation 

Research focus of the research group

Prof. Pirus Ghadjar / Principal Investigator

  • High frequency-based cell concepts
  • Biological, genomic/proteomic-experiments
  • Electrophysiological experiments
  • High frequency clinical expertise
  • Clinical trials

 
Prof. Peter Wust / Head of the Ambulatory Division of Radiotherapy

  • High frequency-based cell concepts
  • Electrophysiological experiments
  • High frequency clinical expertise
  • Clinical trials

 
Dr. Jacek Nadobny / Medical Physicist and Biomedical Engineer

  • High frequency-based planning and optimization of high frequency applications
  • Development of algorithms to calculate high frequency electromagnetic fields
  • Development of algorithms to calculate time independent temperature distributions
  • Development of algorithms to calculate/estimate high frequency effects in cells
  • Applicator design

 
Eva Oberacker / Post Doc

  • Clinical-physical analysis and optimization of high frequency applications
  • Testing and development of high frequency models using Sim4Life

 
Dr. Marcus Beck / Consultant of Radiation Oncology

  • High frequency effects and its clinical applications

 
Benjamin Chrzon / Medical physicist

  • Phantom development/construction, clinical-technical optimization of high frequency applications
  • Quality assurance

 
Dr. Mirko Weihrauch / Medical physicist

  • Image data transfer and analysis
  • IT solutions
  • MR-thermometry
  • MR-based optimization

 
Dr. med. univ. Benedikt Kortüm / Doctoral candidate, Scholar „Electromagnetic fields in Radiation Oncology and Radiation Therapy“

  • Biological, genomic/proteomic-experiments

 
Alexander Rattunde / Doctoral candidate

  • High frequency effects and its clinical applications