HYPMED

HYPMED

Innovative Breast-cancer research project HYPMED gets EU funding over six million euros. Reviewers explicitly praise the scientific and clinical potential of the proposal.

Würzburg/Brüssel, 07.09.2015 – The from NORAS supported and led by Uniklinik RWTH Aachen project proposal HYPMED (development of a hybrid MRT/PET-system for diagnostics of breast cancer) achieved top marks from the reviewers of the EU-program „Horizon 2020“ and unlimited funding recommendation. The innovative concept was praised by the reviewer commission: „The project has an extremely high potential. We expect, that the new approach of the HYPMED project will lead to earlier and better diagnosis of breast cancer by using determined MR/PET-imaging.“

„The HYPMED-project combines medical competence and physical-technical competence as well with engineering expertise in an ideal matter. It shows what potential the Uniklinik RWTH Aachen has in the field of medicine and technology “, highlights the project leader, Univ.-Prof. Dr. med. Christiane Kuhl, director of the clinic for diagnotic and interventionel radiology at Uniklinik RWTH Aachen. Together with the RWTH Aachen and other partners from all over europe NORAS will work on the HYPMED project. The Horizon 2020-program is highly competetive; only two percent of the submitted proposals receive funding. It is extremely exceptional to score with full points from the reviewers in such a competition.

Diagnose breast cancer earlier and improve treatment

Breast cancer is still the leading cause of cancer related deaths among women. That’s why the search for new possibilities to diagnose the illness in an early state and to treat it is still in the focus of scientific research nowadays. The HYPMED-project aims to develop a new device for medical imaging based on the basic science of physics over the engineering implementation into the clinical test. The new device will deliver a so far not possible combination of breast-MRI and PET (positron emission tomography) thus pushing the frontiers globally in breast cancer research. “With the new device every conventional MR-system can be become a so called hybrid system if needed. It will allow us to recognize even the smallest changes and improve the assessment of tumor aggressiveness”, elaborates Prof. Kuhl. “Such imaging modalities are desperately needed for a targeted treatment”. This is not only true for breast cancer. The new concept will also allow for other diseases new diagnostic possibilities. “With the success of the HYPMED-project a new chapter in medical imaging will be written”, says Prof. Kuhl

Peak performance engineering based on decades of experience

„For the HYPMED project the company Noras MRI products GmbH will develop a new patient rest with an integrated MRI coil concept as well as a biopsy system. Especially the integration of the PET-unit will ask for highly innovative and new solutions and thus for peak performance in engineering.“, says Daniel Gareis, CTO of Noras MRI Products GmbH. „Here of course decades of experience in MRI guided breast biopsy will help us. However the European Union also allows small companies like us with their Horizon 2020 research initiative to do highly innovative research. By this the European Union helps us to keep our global technical leadership and keep employment in Europe.“

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 667211

www.hypmed.eu