For the first time, Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts took part in the "Night of Biosignals" and presented innovative developments in medical technology research to interested parties.
A good 150 visitors responded to the call to the lecture hall at the UAS campus on Sonnenstraße on November 7, and around 500 more guests clicked into the live stream. This made the Dortmund location the most popular in the nationwide series of events.
In Dortmund, seven researchers and numerous academic staff and students presented exciting projects, interactive experiments and the latest technologies that make the signals of the human body visible and understandable. Exhibits such as the hyperspectral camera, which reveals more about biological tissue than our eyes can see, or the ultra-fast "ComplexEye" microscope, which can track immune cells in real time, as well as several VR goggles to try out, brought science to life. Fresh waffles and children's punch stimulated conversation, and the odd cup of coffee was served to keep the informative presentations going late into the evening.
In these presentations, professors, doctoral candidates and students explained how technology can save lives, promote health and shape the medicine of tomorrow. Prof. Dr. Lara Schlaffke, for example, reported on her research with people who play the drums. They coordinate both hands and feet at the same time - and in completely different movement patterns. What a brain power. Neuroscientist Lara Schlaffke, who recently became a professor at the Faculty of Information Technology, has found in a study that the areas of the brain responsible for motor functions are used much more efficiently by drummers.
Prof. Dr. Jens Kirchner also teaches at the Faculty of Information Technology and wants to communicate with molecules. Unlike conventional communication systems, which use electromagnetic waves, molecular communication works by using molecules as information carriers. Different patterns or concentrations can be used to transmit information in a targeted manner. This has long been taking place in our bodies, "but can we link this communication with technical components?" asks Prof. Kirchner. He was only able to provide a partial answer at the Night of Biosignals. Molecular communication is a very young field of research in biomedical information technology.
Better than the eye
Karoline Peters drew the guests at the "Night of Biosignals" into the truly colorful world of hyperspectral camera technology. "The human eye is sensitive to three colors: red, green and blue," she explained, taking the audience on a journey: "Now imagine if your eye was sensitive to dozens of other colors and could make the smallest changes in tissue visible." Hyperspectral cameras can do this and are therefore a key technology in the early detection of diseases such as tumors and targeted treatment.
Shortly before 10 p.m., Dominik Fromme once again demanded top performance from the guests. He has already completed his Bachelor's and Master's degrees at Fachhochschule Dortmund, has always worked with AI and has now made this subject close to his heart his doctoral thesis: AI in cardiac surgery. With the help of artificial intelligence, the measurement of the heart aortic valve during surgery is to be made even more precise, thereby avoiding errors. A large amount of data is needed to train the AI. But real images of human aortic valves are rare. That's why Dominik Fromme uses generative processes to create artificial training data for artificial intelligence - and can thus make the work of real doctors in the operating room easier. This can make a layperson's head spin.
The lively exchange over cookies and drinks provided support. Even after the last lecture, which was still very full in the large FH lecture hall, there was lively discussion in the FH foyer. The large number of guests both on site and in the livestream underlines the public interest in medical technology research and prompted Prof. Dr. Jörg Thiem, Vice-Rector for Research and Transfer, to make a direct promise: "We'll be back in two years' time for the next Biosignals Night."