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Medical ultrasound has transformed diagnosis and management in all areas of clinical medicine. However, current ultrasound imaging has limited spatial resolution, depends on bulky devices and is highly user dependend. HybridEcho is an interdisciplinary group of engineers, computer scientists and physicians working on methods and technologies to resolve these issues.

With our research group we cover the complete area of medical ultrasound, from transducer development over signal design to advanced algorithms.

Transducer Design

Imaging & Signal Processing

Clinical Studies

Transducer Design

Imaging & Signal Processing

Clinical Studies

News

All-Hands Meeting hosted by SITEC in Chemnitz

All-Hands Meeting hosted by SITEC

At our All-Hands Meeting hosted by SITEC Industrietechnologie GmbH, Julian Kober unveiled the first prototype of our very own “HybridEcho Ultrasound Machine.” While it may still have the unmistakable look of a lab prototype (and we embrace that 😄), it marks the culmination of years of dedication and sets the stage for exciting advancements ahead. This year’s ambitious goal? Producing the first tissue image using the HybridEcho approach! The meeting was packed with updates that highlight the incredible collaboration across our consortium:

  • Marco Kircher (Fraunhofer IPMS), alongside Erhard Landgraf and Daniel Köhler (Infineon Technologies), presented major strides in cMUT development.
  • Tönnis Trittler (HybridEcho) shared groundbreaking work on metamaterial-based transducers, created in partnership with SITEC Industrietechnologie GmbH, HETEROMERGE GmbH, and Fraunhofer IKTS.
  • Dr.-Ing. Richard Nauber, Cornelius Kühnöl, and Edgar Dorausch demonstrated innovative approaches to adapting mobile communication signal processing techniques to ultrasound imaging.
  • Karsten Stork (Exelonix GmbH) introduced signal orchestration methods developed with Contronix Engineering GmbH.
  • Sebastian Wolfram (WOLFRAM Designer und Ingenieure) showcased visionary design concepts that give a glimpse into the future of the HybridEcho project.

All-Hands Meeting hosted by SITEC in Chemnitz

Jacob Urban finishes Diploma Thesis

Jacob Urban finishes Diploma Thesis

Jacob Urban successfully completed his Diploma Thesis in December as part of the HybridEcho Team.

Jacob Urban successfully completed his Diploma Thesis in December as part of the HybridEcho Team. As part of the technology development for a new ultrasound probe, Jacob examined parameters that influence the assessment of ergonomics and measurement the limits of good ergonomics for these. This meant that new concepts were developed and tested. In the end, a new form was successfully implemented and validated.

Jacob Urban finishes Diploma Thesis

Pascal Stöver finishes Diploma Thesis

Pascal Stöver finishes Diploma Thesis

Pascal Stöver successfully completed his Diploma Thesis in December as part of the HybridEcho Team. In his thesis, Pascal developed an advanced Fourier Transform algorithm, a critical component for the reconstruction of ultrasound images. Following the completion of his thesis, Pascal continued his work with the HybridEcho Team, contributing further to advancements in medical imaging technology. We congratulate Pascal on this significant achievement and wish him continued success in his endeavors.

 

Pascal Stöver finishes Diploma Thesis

Luisa Recknagel finishes Diploma Thesis

Luisa Recknagel finishes Diploma Thesis

We are proud to announce the defense of yet another Diploma Thesis from the HybridEcho project: Luisa Recknagel focused on the acoustical characterization of micro-scaled samples from Two-Photon Lithography. She developed a measurement technique using a Scanning Acoustic Microscope to determine the specific acoustic impedance. The thesis was developed and supervised together with Susan Walter from our project partner Fraunhofer IKTS.   Great work, Luisa!

EUROSON 2024

EUROSON 2024 – Annual Meeting of the European Ultrasound Society in Naples

During the second weekend of November, Julia, Tina, and Johanna, three members of the HybridEcho team, attended Euroson 2024 in Naples, Italy – a global meeting of ultrasound professionals focused on clinical applications and recent innovations in ultrasound technology. This annual event is a crucial platform for sharing insights, exploring groundbreaking research, and setting standards in the field.

Throughout the conference, we tested cutting-edge imaging technologies firsthand and assessed their potential impact on clinical practice. In addition to attending inspiring lectures, symposia, and workshops, we presented our latest research on the following topics: “Backscatter coefficient in focal liver lesions – Influence of attenuation correction” and “Backscatter Coefficient in Raw Ultrasound from Handheld Devices for Quantification of Liver Steatosis.”

Euroson 2024 offered a valuable opportunity to connect with other experts in the field, exchange ideas with national and international colleagues, and explore multidisciplinary perspectives on advancing ultrasound technology. The setting of Naples, with its unique atmosphere, provided an inspiring backdrop to an already enriching experience for the HybridEcho team.

Summa Cum Laude for Jakob Schäfer

Suma Cum Laude for Jakob Schäfer

Jakob Schäfer successfully defended his dissertation this week. He has spent the last two years at HybridEcho researching quantitative ultrasound on the liver and wrote his dissertation on the topic of ‘Correlation between spectroscopic attenuation of broadband raw ultrasound data collected by handheld devices and the Controlled Attenuation Parameter (CAP)’.

Ultraschall 2024

Ultraschall 2024 – Anual meeting of the DEGUM, ÖGUM and SGUM

During the first week of October, Moritz and Johanna, both members of the HybridEcho clinical team had the pleasure of attending the DLT2024 (Dreiländertreff), hosted by the ÖGUM, DEGUM and SGUM in Salzburg, Austria. The DLT is a multidisciplinary ultrasound meeting of the German-speaking countries Austria, Germany, and Switzerland and takes place annually. The event is a platform for discussing innovative techniques, exploring the latest research findings and developing common standards regarding the application of ultrasound in the medical field. Experts of clinical and technical aspects of ultrasound came together to explore the recent developments, test new equipment and gain knowledge in meetings, lectures, workshops and case discussions. In this context Johanna had the opportunity to present the latest results regarding the current researches of our team in the field of quantitative ultrasound and its application on focal liver lesions. Dr. med. Nicole Kampfrath showcased part of our research on the quality of ultrasound imaging.  

The conference proved to be a framework for connecting with like-minded people, exchanging ideas with national and international collaboration partners and discussing multidisciplinary approaches on further development of ultrasound technology. 

Viszeralmedizin 2024

Ultraschall 2024 – Anual meeting of the DEGUM, ÖGUM and SGUM

This year Hybrid Echo again joined the annual conference for visceral medicine hosted by the DGVS in Leipzig. Recent findings of their research activities were presented in different sessions, the group displayed demos of their technology in the exhibition hall to discuss and exchange ideas with clinical experts from all over germany amd hosted a session at the interface between medicine and technology.

Since working on new probe designs the group also showcased and tested ergonomic prototypes with clinicians to collect user feedback. Thanks to DGVS for organizing this great event, we are looking forward to come back next year!

IEEE IUS 2024

2024 IEEE Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control Joint Symposium in Taiwan

The HybridEcho team showcased their latest advancements in medical ultrasound technology at the 2024 IEEE Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control Joint Symposium in Taiwan. They presented six scientific posters and a lecture covering hardware, signal processing, and clinical applications. Congratulations to Tina Gabriel for winning 1st place and Julian Kober for taking 2nd place in the 90-second pitch competition.

AIEFM 2024

AI & Electronics for Medicine

We had the opportunity to present a variety of demos at the AI & Electronics for Medicine Conference 2024.

As an interdisciplinary research project, we’re driven by these questions:

– How can we improve the diagnostic output for physicians?
– How can we use 6G-based algorithms to get a better ultrasound picture?
– How can we build a probe to utilize advanced algorithms and signals?

That’s what we are demonstrating at the booth! We want to highlight the tremendous signal quality gains achieved by the hybrid technology approach together with optimized waveforms and processing compared to conventional piezo-based sensor systems.

Beyond that we’re excited to show you which technologies from our consortium partners are in the HybridEcho prototypes. Therefore the Fraunhofer IPMS shows their extremely sensitive MEMS with their cMUT Eval Kit and HETEROMERGE GmbH demonstrates their microscale 3D printing capabilities of Metamaterials.

We already had lots of interesting exchange and discussions and are looking forward to future cooperations. Many thanks belong to the Else Kröner Fresenius Center for Digital Health for the excellent organization of the event.

UltrasounDD 2024

AI & Electronics for Medicine

Last week, our team hosted the first-ever Interdisciplinary Ultrasound Symposium (UltrasounDD) in Dresden, welcoming over 50 attendees from diverse fields. Engineers, clinicians, researchers, and industry leaders gathered to exchange knowledge. Key insights included the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and the exciting local ultrasound research.

A special thanks to our speakers, exhibitors, EKFZ for their support, and our hardworking students. We look forward to continuing these conversations and hope to see everyone next year!

Workshop “Messtechnische Anwendungen von Ultraschall” at Monastery Drübeck

Workshop “Messtechnische Anwendungen von Ultraschall” at Monastery Drübeck

Our scientists Julian and Tönnis recently attended the renowned workshop, „Messtechnische Anwendungen von Ultraschall“  (Measurement Applications of Ultrasonics), hosted by the DEGA e.V. Ultrasound Expert Committee. The biyearly event, held at the Monastery Drübeck in the Harz Mountains, brings together experts from various companies and research facilities in Germany to explore the world of ultrasonics. 

Tönnis showcased part of our research on transducer characterization with his talk on the topic „Broadband Characterizations of Non-Linearities of Ultrasonic Transducers using Swept-Sine Technique.” 

 

The workshop proved to be a melting pot of knowledge, fostering fruitful discussions and enabling extensive networking opportunities. Engaging with like-minded professionals and enthusiasts, Julian and Tönnis exchanged ideas, experiences, and cutting-edge research, further strengthening their understanding of ultrasonic applications.

The event featured a diverse range of presentations, each delving into the vast potential of ultrasonics in various fields. From medical imaging advancements to industrial applications and beyond, the workshop showcased the limitless possibilities that ultrasonics offer in today’s world.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the organizers of the workshop from the University of Paderborn for organizing this event.

Highlights from our first Hackathon with MMS-Telekom

Highlights from Our First Hackathon with MMS-Telekom

Our research group recently organized our first hackathon in cooperation with MMS-Telekom. This event was an incredible success, drawing nearly 30 enthusiastic participants from diverse backgrounds.

The hackathon featured three exciting challenges designed to test and expand the participants’ skills:

  1. Analysis of Raw Ultrasound Data: Participants tackled the complexities of interpreting raw ultrasound data, applying innovative techniques to enhance data accuracy and usability.
  2. Cleaning and Controlling Databases: This challenge focused on the essential task of maintaining and managing large datasets, ensuring data integrity, and optimizing database performance.
  3. Setting Up a Good Medical Database: Participants worked on creating a robust medical database, emphasizing the importance of data organization and accessibility for medical research and applications.

The event was a fantastic opportunity for our group to engage with talented individuals, exchange ideas, and advance our understanding of critical topics in medical technology and data management. We are grateful to MMS-Telekom for their support and collaboration in making this hackathon a memorable and productive experience.

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Tina Gabriel recieves presentation price at ISCOMS 2024

Tina Gabriel recieves presentation price at ISCOMS 2024

In the beginning of June, ISCOMS 2024 took place in Groningen, Netherlands, showcasing a well-organized student congress centered on biomedical topics.

Among the many participants, Tina Gabriel presented her work on “H-Scan in Liver Steatosis – Based on Raw Ultrasound Data.” Her presentation received recognition as the session winner in “Nuclear Medicine and Imaging Techniques.”

Tina will continue her work on this subject as part of her medical thesis. Future research will not only aim to stage the level of steatosis but also attempt to differentiate between different etiologies.

Tina recieves presentation price at ISCOMS 2024

Demonstration of the first implementation in the ULA-OP at the 6G Summit

Demonstration of the first implementation in the ULA-OP at the 6G Summit

Our research group, recently had the pleasure of participating in the 6GSummit once again. During the event, we showcased our innovative approach to medical ultrasound using the “ULA-OP 256” from Italy in a demo setup.

Translating the MIMO approach to ultrasound is one of the fundamental hypotheses of our research group. Engaging with current researchers in the field of 6G is incredibly valuable for us, even though ultrasound imaging and mobile communications may not seem related at first glance.

Marco Arnegger finishes his thesis on non-linearities in acoustical transducers

Marco Arnegger finishes his thesis on non-linearities in acoustical transducers

Congratulations to Marco Arnegger on completing his Diploma Thesis! In his thesis, Marco developed a new method to analyze non-linearities across a broad spectrum. This method was applied to compare the performance of capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (cMUTs) and piezoelectric transducers (piezos). His results will assist the HybridEcho Group in transducer design.

After completing his thesis, Marco plans to travel through Europe before transitioning into the industry. We congratulate Marco on his achievement and wish him well in his future endeavors.

Julian shows Hybrid Acoustic Stacks at iMAPS Medical Workshop

Julian shows our embedded Hybrid Acoustic Stacks at iMAPS Medical Workshop
Last week Julian had the chance to attend and present our work on a novel ultrasound transducer concept at the iMAPS Medical Microelectronics Workshop in Arizona, USA.
 
To increase the resolution and therefore also diagnostic output of our ultrasound concept, we’ve used a broadband piezoelectric material to built a prototype. In combination with a transducer embedding in a flexible biocompatible substrate we’ve showed that this acoustic stack is able to emit comparable amplitudes of sound pressure in a laboratory setup in comparison with a traditional wire bonded solution. The flexibility of the shown solution could not only prove to be advantageous in our hybrid solution but also in other miniaturized medical applications as intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), ultrasound wearables and handhelds.
 
Our partners Eckardt Bihler, Gregor Schmidt and Marc Hauer from DYCONEX, Julius Weber from Contronix Engineering GmbH and Susan Walter from Fraunhofer IKTS have put a lot of effort into making the embedded acoustic stack possible. Many thanks to them.
 
In summary, the event was compact and delightful. Julian had the opportunity to connect with fellow researchers who specialize in medical microelectronics packaging for medical devices.

Workshop Microprinting 2024

Workshop Microprinting 2024

Tönnis Trittler presented the latest research results within our SAB funded project at the Workshop Microprinting 2024 in Bad Schandau. The workshop covered emerging trends in Microprinting, showcasing materials, methods and applications. Our shown work shows how we are pursuing additive manufacturing of matching layers for ultrasonic transducers using two-photon-polymerization lithography. We would like to thank all involved project partners for making these advancements possible – namely Fraunhofer IPMS, Fraunhofer IKTS and HETEROMERGE GmbH.

HybridEcho at the University of Florence

HybridEcho at the University of Florence
Collaborating with the MSDLab, Moritz Herzog, Cornelius Kühnöl, Edgar Dorausch and Julian Kober from the HybridEcho Team, visited the the Università degli Studi di Firenze last week.
All experiments were conducted utilizing the Research platform ULA OP 256, one of the few systems boasting Linear Amplifiers, enabeling real arbitrary signal transmission in 256 channels.
Cornelius Kühnöl focused on testing ultrasound signal forms, Edgar Dorausch worked on refining his image reconstruction algorithms and Julian Kober delved into investigating heating and crosstalk phenomena.
Despite the relatively short timeframe, we were able to obtain our first image, albeit requiring further fine-tuning.
We are grateful to the EKFZ and the Sächsische Aufbaubank – Förderbank –  for their financial support, as well as to Enrico Boni, Alessandro Ramalli and Piero Tortoli for the fantastic collaboration!

Tina Gabriel attends JUGA Winter School

Tina Gabriel attends JUGA Winter School 2024
Tina was able to attend the JUGA Winter School this year, organized by JUGA and the UMG Göttingen.
The program covered a diverse range of topics, offering insightful hands-on courses across 7 different areas for each group. One highlight was the practical session with an endoscope as well as improving the participants ultrasound skills in another session. For Tina, it was particularly interesting to improve her ultrasound capability in order to be able to help the HybridEcho team with further research steps. The very competent instructors provided valuable tips, enhancing her skills and knowledge in the process.
Thanks to the organizers for the excellent event and to the EKFZ for making Tinas participation possible!

10/2023: Tönnis Trittler receives „KONTAKT“-Award for his Diploma Thesis

Tönnis Trittler receives „KONTAKT“-Award for his Diploma Thesis

5 people standing in front of an audience. Tönnis in the middle holding the prize

Tönnis was awarded the KONTAKT-Prize for an outstanding diploma thesis on the field of electronic packaging technology. The prize is sponsored by the association “Förderung der Elektronik-Technologie an der TU Dresden e.V.“.

The title of the diploma thesis was „Investigations on the structuring of monocrystalline PMN-PT wafers for the production of piezoelectric 1-3 composite materials”.

This is a recognition not only for Tönnis’ work, but also the collaborative interdisciplinary work of the HybridEcho group and the outstanding student mentoring we provide.

5 people standing in front of an audience. Tönnis in the middle holding the prize

09/2023: Daniel Swist and Edgar Dorausch publish their results at the IUS in Montreal

Daniel Swist and Edgar Dorausch publish their results at the IUS in Montreal

We joined the IUS 2023 in Canada, as one of the most important conferences for ultrasound technology.

Edgar Dorausch discussed his “Pizza-Algorithm,” a Fourier-based method for synthetic aperture ultrasound imaging enhancement.

Daniel Swist presented his  research on merging mobile communication signals with ultrasound imaging to address the penetration vs. resolution trade-off.

All these results would not have been possible without the help of the rest of the group, especially Julian Kober, Cornelius Kühnöl, and Tönnis Trittler!

09/2023: HybridEcho at the InnoDays 2023

HybridEcho at the InnoDays 2023

We presented our latest prototype at the InnoDays 2023!

This year’s edition of the conference was somewhat special since it was also the interim check of the Else Kröner Foundation. As part of the EKFZ, we are proud to showcase our results, thereby supporting the center in its application for future funding.

We thank all the people involved in the development of our system and especially in the preparation of the set up!

09/2023: First results of the analysis of raw US data presented at the “Viszeralmedizin 2023”

First results of the analysis of raw US data presented at the “Viszeralmedizin 2023”

We presented the first results of our analysis of ultrasound raw data at the ‘Viszeralmedizin 2023’.

In this study, we demonstrated the correlation between the attenuation in raw ultrasound signals of handheld devices and the CAP value of the FibroScan. The next steps will include the calculation of more sophisticated parameters as well as the implementation of AI. With this development, we hope to turn inexpensive handheld devices into valuable screening tools.

The abstract can be found at:
https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/html/10.1055/s-0043-1771818

Thanks to Antje Urbig, Jakob Schäfer und Charlotte Herzog for their support in this study.

09/2023: HybridEcho All-Hands Meeting in Dresden

HybridEcho All-Hands Meeting in Dresden
Group picture of the all-hands SAB meeting Our HybridEcho Consortium had another productive All-Hands Meeting in Dresden! It was a full day of discussions aimed at turning our vision of a new ultrasound device into reality. Thanks to the tremendous effort everyone is contributing to the project we are making rapid progress. The open spirit among us enables the sharing of problems and to find solutions due to the incredible knowledge within the consortium. Part of the All-Hands meeting were members of Fraunhofer IKTS, Fraunhofer IPMS, Infineon Technologies, HETEROMERGE GmbH, Contronix Engineering GmbH, Exelonix GmbH, SITEC Industrietechnologie GmbH, Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus, WOLFRAM Designer und Ingenieure and of course the HybridEcho research group.
Group of people is standing in a half circle

08/2023: Omid Chaghaneh presents his work at the summer school for Data-driven Exploration and Design of Materials” in Dresden

Omid Chaghaneh presents his work at the summer school for Data-driven Exploration and Design of Materials” in Dresden

We are happy to announce the participation of Omid Chaghaneh and Tönnis Trittler in the “Data-driven Exploration and Design of Materials” summer school. This summerschool is part of the D3-Graduate School for Metamaterials at TU Dresden, aimed at facilitating knowledge sharing among PhD students working in the metamaterials field.

Omid and Tönnis discussed their ideas on metamaterial-based piezoelectric structures and matching layers with the other participants and presented the preliminary results of Omids simulation in a poster titled “Numerical Study of Metamaterial Piezoelectric Structure with Medical Ultrasonic Imaging Application”.

07/2023: Cornelius Kühnöl defends his master thesis on signal design for MIMO based ultrasound imaging

Cornelius Kühnöl defends his master thesis on signal design for MIMO based ultrasound imaging

After an intensive six-month period, Cornelius Kühnöl successfully completed his Master’s thesis in an Cooperation between FAU (Erlangen-Nürnberg) and TU-Dresden, culminating in July 2023. The research was centered around the investigation of various signal forms’ suitability for MIMO techniques in ultrasound imaging. This independent endeavor showcased Cornelius’s commitment to advancing the field. Building on this accomplishment, Cornelius is poised to embark on a new chapter in 2023, commencing his Ph.D. studies within our group.

06/2023: Moritz Herzog Receives “JUGA Studiensiegel” Award in Berlin

Moritz Herzog Receives “JUGA Studiensiegel” Award in Berlin

The JUGA Summerschool in Berlin once again united young researchers in the field of gastroenterology, creating an inspiring environment for knowledge exchange and collaboration. This gathering provided an ideal platform for participants to showcase their own research.

A much-anticipated annual highlight of the Summerschool is the presentation of the “JUGA Studiensiegel” award, honoring the two most outstanding scientists. We are delighted to announce that Moritz Herzog received this prestigious award for his ongoing work in the field of raw ultrasound data analysis.

05/2023: IEEE 6G Summit Dresden

IEEE 6G Summit Dresden

We are delighted to announce the participation of our ultrasound research group at the recently concluded 6G Summit in Dresden. As the industry focuses on taking sixth generation (6G) mobile communications to a new level, our attention was focused on exploring the potential of cutting-edge ultrasound technology driven by mobile communications technologies. The conference served as a platform for industry executives, academics and leading professionals in the field of mobile communications. Together we shared trends, ideas and business opportunities.

The centrepiece of our presence at the 6G Summit was our booth, where we showcased the remarkable capabilities of ultrasound technology. Visitors were excited to discover the many applications made possible by the convergence of ultrasound technology and mobile communication architectures.

One of the highlights of our stand was that visitors had the opportunity to immerse themselves in an interactive demonstration showcasing the power of ultrasound technology. At our stand was a human body model that was to be fed with a specific fluid. The aim was to use ultrasound technology to determine whether the liquid contained alcohol or not. The idea behind that was to use the speed of sound to distinguish between different kind of liquids.

The enthusiastic response of the conference participants underlined the immense potential offered by modern ultrasound technology thanks to advances in mobile communication architectures and techniques. Participants were able to see first-hand the exceptional accuracy and versatility of ultrasound in identifying substances in the human body, which opened up new applications and possibilities.

05/2023: Kick-Off SAB Proposal

Kick-Off SAB Proposal

Exciting news: the HybridEcho research group had a meeting to plan a new project grant that will be filed at the Sächsische Aufbaubank – Förderbank – as part of the SEMECO Cluster! Our project aims to develop a new medical ultrasound system that leverages the power of microelectronic systems and metamaterials to enable advanced signal structures. This interdisciplinary project brings together several companies and research institutes to work on cutting-edge technologies that will revolutionize medical imaging. We are proud to be part of such a motivated and innovative consortium involving Infineon Technologies, HETEROMERGE GmbH, Fraunhofer IPMS, Fraunhofer IKTS, SITEC Industrietechnologie GmbH, Exelonix GmbH, WOLFRAM Designer und Ingenieure, Vodafone Chair Mobile Communications Systems, Else Kröner Fresenius Center for Digital Health

Thanks to the HybridEcho Team for the excellent preparation especially Julian Kober, Tönnis Trittler, Edgar Dorausch, Daniel Swist and to our patrons Jochen Hampe and Gerhard Fettweis.

03/2023: Clinicum Digitale 2023

Clinicum Digitale 2023

Group photo all participants of Clinicum Digitale 2023Advances in information technology will significantly shape and change medicine in the future. Experts from medicine and high-tech can only actively shape the upcoming change together.

The two-week interdisciplinary Springschool is designed to give students an insight into the basics of each other’s disciplines, they can make new contacts and discover future research areas across disciplines.

The cooperation between high-tech and medicine will lay the foundation for future-oriented university medicine. Students from the above-mentioned disciplines are invited to discover the promising technologies that result from the merging of the disciplines.

More than 40 medical, engineering and computer science students had the opportunity to network across disciplines and discover future research areas.

The HybridEcho Research Group was significantly involved in the organisation of the Spring School. Our ultrasound experts gave several lectures and taught the participants in hands-on workshops to make the technology tangible.

Group photo all participants of Clinicum Digitale 2023

02/2023: SPIE Medical Imaging

SPIE Medical Imaging
After publishing the results of his master thesis at the SPIE 2023, Edgar Dorausch recieved the best students poster award.
Edgar Dorausch gewinnt Posterpreis
Edgar Dorausch gewinnt Posterpreis

12/2022: Diploma thesis Julian and Tönnis

Diploma thesis Julian and Tönnis

After six months, Julian Kober and Tönnis Trittler finished their diploma theses successfully and will start their PhDs in our group in 2023.

  • Tönnis Trittler: “Investigations on the structuring of monocrystalline PMN-PT wafers for the production of piezoelectric 1-3 composite materials”
  • Julian Kober: “Investigation of the thermal behavior of piezoelectric ultrasonic transducers when excited with continuous signals”

Tönnis und Julian Diplom

Tönnis und Julian Diplom

10/2022: International Ultrasonics Symposium

International Ultrasonics Symposium
Tönnis Trittler won the best student pitch award at the International Ultrasound Symposium in Venice.
Gewinner Student Pitch Competition - Gruppenbild vor Monitor
Gewinner Student Pitch Competition - Gruppenbild vor Monitor

09/2022: DGSV Viszeralmedizin

DGSV Viszeralmedizin
During our demonstration of the proof of concept at the DGVS 2022 we received a lot of helpful feedback from the visiting physicians.
Messestand mit Teammitgliedern
Messestand mit Teammitgliedern

07/2022: Master’s thesis Edgar Dorausch

Master’s thesis Edgar Dorausch
Congratulations to Edgar Dorausch on your excellent Master’s thesis “Investigations of Multistatic Methods for Realtime Ultrasound Imaging”. We are happy to welcome you as PhD Student.
Edgar Dorausch
Edgar Dorausch

05/2022: 5G++ Summit – Best Exhibition Award

5G++ Summit – Best Exhibition Award
The Hybrid Echo research team has been awarded with the best exhibition award (academic category) at the 7th IEEE 5G++ Summit in Dresden
Preisverleihung - drei Personen auf einer Bühne
Preisverleihung - drei Personen auf einer Bühne
Completed Theses

Chronic liver diseases affect ~1.5 billion people worldwide and cause 3.5% of all deaths. Hepatic steatosis can progress to irreversible damage, making early detection crucial. Non-invasive assessment has been challenging, but quantitative ultrasound-based methods are gaining importance.

This study aimed to develop a quantitative ultrasound parameter to assess liver steatosis using transient elastography’s controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) as a reference. Raw ultrasound radiofrequency (RF) data from handheld devices were analyzed. The main hypothesis proposed a strong correlation between ultrasound attenuation recorded with a handheld linear transducer and CAP values.

Between November 2022 and March 2023, raw ultrasound data were collected from patients undergoing ultrasound and Fibroscan examinations using Clarius C3HD3 and L15HD3 transducers. Three-second recordings were processed using a Python script. A non-frequency-specific attenuation parameter (AP) and a frequency-specific AP were calculated via short-time Fast Fourier Transformation (stFFT). Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients were determined, and Fishers-z tests compared correlations.

Data from 135 participants were analyzed. Pearson correlation coefficients between non-frequency-specific AP and CAP were 0.634 (C3) and 0.694 (L15). For frequency-specific AP, correlations were 0.693 (C3) and 0.712 (L15). The correlation between frequency-specific AP and CAP was not significantly higher than that of non-frequency-specific AP.

Strong correlations between ultrasound APs and CAP values suggest handheld ultrasound devices can quantify liver steatosis. However, frequency-specific APs require further investigation. Validation with MRI-PDFF is recommended.

Publications

Ultrasound Spectroscopy for the detection of inflammation in inflammatory bowel disease

Read full article

Comparative Analysis of Mismatched Filtering Techniques: Cyclic vs. Non-Cyclic Approach

Read full article
Learning and career trajectory

At HybridEcho, we offer a unique environment combining hands-on medical ultrasound research experience with structured academic and professional development. Guided by experienced physicians, our members gain insight into ultrasound examinations, while our technical experts introduce them to transducer fabrication and image reconstruction. Beyond research, we foster a vibrant community through group activities such as hikes, movie or game nights, and much more, creating a collaborative and inspiring atmosphere.

Find out more in the boxes below and reach out to moritz.herzog@tu-dresden.de if you’re interested!

Clinicum Digitale

Supported by the EKFZ for Digital Health and the local medtech cluster, we welcome 40 students every year for a springschool on medtech.

Read more at: https://digitalhealth.tu-dresden.de/career-education/students/clinicum-digitale/

Innovate-a-thon

In Cooperation with the MMS we annually host a MedTech hackathon with a price money of 1000 €.

Read more at: https://digitalhealth.tu-dresden.de/innovate-a-thon/

Thesis Concept
  • Structured support through biweekly Jour Fixe with your supervisor
  • Cross-connection through weekly meetings in your core team
  • Agile project management with Notion for efficient workflows
  • Publication opportunities: Present your research as a first author
  • Dedicated workspace on the university hospital premises
  • Industry collaborations with established companies and start-ups
Alumni and past thesis

Theses in Medicine:

  • Tina Gabriel
  • Jakob Schäfer

Theses in Transducer Design:

  • Marco Arnegger
  • Julian Kober
  • Luisa Recknagel
  • Tönnis Trittler
  • Julius Weber

Theses in Imaging & Signal Processing:

  • Edgar Dorausch
  • Cornelius Kühnöl
  • Franz Richter
  • Pascal Stöver

We have open positions for students (engineering, computer science and medicine) as SHK or for Bachelor-/Master-/Diplomathesis in the following areas:

  • Signal design for ultrasonic imaging, including support in the theoretical design and experimental validation.
  • Implementation of imaging algorithms in an FPGA.
  • AI-based analysis of ultrasonic raw data.
  • Usability studies of clinical ultrasound.
  • Simulation of acoustic metamaterials.

For all areas, we do not require specific knowledge beforehand, since most of the required skills are usually learned while working on the problem.

Who We Are

Group Leader

Dr. med. Moritz Herzog

Group Leader

Moritz started his research career in anaesthesiology, developing new methods of ventilation and lung imaging. After starting his residency in gastroenterology in 2020, he started to build up the HybridEcho research group in 2020.

Dr.-Ing. Richard Nauber

Group Leader

Richard is postdoctoral researcher and head of the “Health” group at
the Vodafone Chair (TU Dresden). He specializes in real-time imaging algorithms and innovative signal processing methods. After his diploma degree in Mechatronics and a Dr.-Ing. degree in Electrical Engineering, he worked as an Embedded Software Architect for renewable energies and as a Postdoc at IFW Dresden, focusing on photoacoustic-guided closed-loop control of microrobots.

Group Members

M. Sc. Edgar Dorausch

Lead scientist on image reconstruction

Edgar joined the HybridEcho group as a PhD student after finishing his master’s thesis on Fourier-based multistatic image reconstruction in 2022. Under the supervision of Prof. Gerhard Fettweis, he is responsible for the development of new algorithms for image reconstruction and data compression.

Dipl.-Ing. Julian Kober

Lead scientist on system integration

Julian joined the research group in 2022 after attending the “Clinicum Digitale”. In his diploma thesis he investigated the thermal behaviour of ultrasonic transducers during continuous broadband excitation. He is continuing his work as a PhD student, focusing on the hybrid integration of broadband ultrasound transducers.

Dipl.-Ing. Tönnis Trittler

Lead scientist on transducer manufacturing

Tönnis studied mechatronics at TU Dresden (2016 – 2022). For his diploma thesis, he joined the HybridEcho research group, investigating the micromachining of the piezoelectric material PMN-PT with ultrashort laser pulses. After graduation he started his PhD on the manufacturing of broadband ultrasound transducers.

M. Sc. Cornelius Kühnöl

Lead scientist on signal conditioning

Cornelius, a Microelectronics Master’s graduate from FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, joined the project through a research internship. His passion for cutting-edge technology led him to complete a Master’s thesis on coded signals for MIMO ultrasound. As a Ph.D. candidate supervised by Prof. Fettweiß, Cornelius delves into System-on-Chip integration for advanced ultrasound imaging, along with FPGA implementations.

Dr. med. Antje Naas

Lead scientist on usability and image quality

Antje is a Medical Doctor at the University Hospital Dresden. She joined the HybridEcho team in 2023 to conduct multi-centered clinical studies for the analysis of RF Data under the patronage of Dr. Herzog and Prof. Hampe. Antje graduated 2016 at the TU Dresden in Medicine and worked in Switzerland before returning to the University Hospital Dresden in 2021.

M. Sc. Omid Chaghaneh

Lead scientist on quantitative ultrasound

Omid completed his M.Sc. in Computational Modeling and Simulation at TU Dresden in 2022. He joined the HybridEcho team in 2023 and is conducting research in Quantitative Ultrasound. His research is focusing on developing various mathematical models and analyzing ultrasonic signals with medical diagnosis purposes.

Dipl.-Ing. Pascal Stöver

Lead scientist on embedded software

After participating in the Clinicum Digitale in 2023, Pascal joined the HybridEcho team in 2024 to work on his diploma thesis. His research focused on implementing Edgar Dorausch’s Fourier-based image reconstruction algorithm on an adaptive compute acceleration platform. Pascal now continues as a scientific engineer, specializing in software prototyping for advanced ultrasound imaging systems.

Paul-Henry Koop

Lead scientist on clinical studies

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Alexa Sieghardt

Lab Coordination

Alexa is a medical-technical assistant and has many years of professional experience in various medical fields and laboratories. She has been working at Dresden University Hospital since 2010 and since December 2024 she supported the HybridEcho team with the organization, clinical studies and laboratory experiments.

Student Members

Yannick Fuchs

SHK clinical studies

Yannick has been studying medicine at TU Dresden since 2023. After taking part in the Clinicum Digitale 2024, he joined the working group due to his interest in technical solutions for medicine. Currently, he is mainly working on algorithms for the automated analysis of raw ultrasound data.

Franz Richter

SHK image reconstruction

Franz studies computer science and joined the HybridEcho research group as a student assistant in November of 2022. He assists Edgar Dorausch in the process of optimizing Fourier-based image reconstruction algorithms. Being generally interested in low-level code optimization, Franz recently started writing his Bachelor thesis, where he investigates the real-time capabilities of a SoC for a specific imaging algorithm.

Mai Leonie Beckers

SHK biomediacal engeneering

Mai has been studying Biomedical Engineering at the TU Dresden since 2022. She joined the research group in 2024 as a student assistant and is currently focused on optimizing the testbed for measuring transducer design parameters.

Shamoil Ejaz

SHK signal architecture

Shamoil Ejaz is a master´s student in Nanoelectronic Systems at TU Dresden. In April 2024, he joined the HybridEcho group as a research assistant SHK. His research is centered on signal architecture and communication between ultrasound transducers, where he is contributing to advancements in this specialized field.

Lisa Schurck

SHK system integration

Lisa studies Biomedical Engeneering at the TU Dresden. She became part of the HybridEcho team in 2023. As a student assistant she works on improving the testbed an performs sound field measurements.

Thesis Students

Tina Gabriel

Thesis clinical studies

Tina Gabriel studies medicine at the Carl Gustav Carus Universitätsklinikum Dresden since 2019. In 2023, she became part of the HybridEcho Group for her medical thesis, where her research focuses on the acquisition and analysis of focal liver lesions through quantitative ultrasound techniques.

Johanna Pfeifer

Thesis clinical studies

Johanna Pfeifer studies medicine at the Carl Gustav Carus Universitätsklinikum Dresden since 2019. In April 2024, she became part of the HybridEcho Group for her medical thesis. She will support our team with the acquisition of data for the analysis of quantitative ultrasound techniques.

Jonas Petzsche

Thesis clinical studies

Jonas Petzsche has been studying medicine at the Carl Gustav Carus Universitätsklinikum Dresden since 2021. After participating in the Clinicum Digitale in March 2024, he joined the HybridEcho Group to work on his medical thesis. He will support our team in acquiring data for the analysis of quantitative ultrasound in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Erik Kaiser

Thesis economics

Erik Kaiser is studying industrial engineering at TU Dresden, majoring in finance and electrical engineering. He has been part of the HybridEcho team since January 2025 for his research and diploma thesis. He supports the team in their research on wearable ultrasound and future applications in wearables.

Tobias Gohlke

Thesis economics

Tobias joined the research group in 2024 after attending the “Clinicum Digitale.” In his diploma thesis, he is exploring the potential of wearable ultrasound patches for continuous monitoring of vital parameters. Studying Industrial Engineering at TU Dresden with a specialization in Biomedical Engineering, he combines his interdisciplinary expertise to advance the development and application of innovative ultrasound technologies.

Maximilian Brambach

Thesis economics

Maximilian Brambach studies Industrial Engineering at TU Dresden and joined HybridEcho in 2024 after attending Clinicum Digitale. For his research and diploma thesis he is investigating the ultrasound Market and the potential of HybridEcho in the Market.

Merit Städler

Thesis Hardware

Merit is studying Industrial Engineering at the TU Dresden. Following her participation in “Clinicum Digitale 2024,” she became a member of the HybridEcho team. As part of her thesis preparation, she is investigating methods to characterize CMUT behaviour. Her thesis will focus on evaluating the receiver sensitivity of CMUTs.

Former thesis Students

Jakob Schäfer

Thesis clinical studies

Jakob joined the HybridEcho team after attending the Clinicum Digitale for his medical thesis on the analysis of raw ultrasound data from the liver as part of his initial studies. In October 2024 he passed his thesis with summa cum laude and is now continuing to study medicine at the University of Halle.

Marco Arnegger

Marco studied mechatronics at the TU Dresden. After his engagement at Clinicum Digitale in 2023, he moved to HybridEcho for his thesis. He was dedicated to the characterization and simulation of CMUT behavior. He finished his thesis sucessfully in April 2024 an now works at Sunfire in Dresden.

Jacob Florentin Urban

Thesis hardware design

Jacob studied Industrial Design at TU Dresden and joined Hybrid Echo in 2024 after attending Clinicum Digitale. In his thesis he examined ways to improve the ergonomic properties of ultrasound probes in order to develop a new design. In December 2024 he sucessfully completed his Diploma thesis and will be a PhD-Student at the TU Munich from April 2025.

Patronage

man with glasses wearing a doctors goan

Prof. Dr. med.
Jochen Hampe

Patron
blond man in front of a book shelf wearing a light blue checkered shirt

Prof. Dr.-Ing.
Gerhard Fettweis

Patron
man with curly short hair wearing glasses and a dark blue suit

Prof. Dr.-Ing.
Henning Heuer

Patron
Impressions
HybridEcho Group 2025
HybridEcho Subgroup Scubs
HybridEcho Subgroup MacGyver
HybridEcho Subgroup IT Crowd
HybridEcho Subgroup Economics
REWE Teamchallenge
SEMECO Kick-Off
sightseeing during a congress
Christmas Party at the EKFZ
Hospitations in the endscopy and ultrasound departement
Prototyping with 3D Printer, Lasercutter, CNC and more
Hands-on Journal Club
Advisor during closing days of the kindergarten
Cooperations
Fraunhofer IPMS | Marco Kircher

In collaboration with Fraunhofer IPMS, the HybridEcho Group investigates the potential of capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUTs) for ultrasonic applications. With many years of experience in ultrasound MEMS technology and its highly flexibel clean room processes Fraunhofer IPMS is supporting the special requirements of the HybridEcho development for super wideband signal use.

Fraunhofer IKTS | Susan Walter

The Fraunhofer IKTS site in Dresden‐Klotzsche has been working since many years in research and development of methods and systems for nondestructive evaluation. It offers methods, sensors and devices for different kinds of nondestructive testing and covers the entire value chain, all the way to prototype production. For special applications, Fraunhofer IKTS designs and manufactures customized ultrasonic probes and methods based on model calculations that can be adapted to different geometries, materials and other acoustic parameters in the best possible way. With this knowledge, it supports the HybridEcho group in developing highly effective and broadband piezoelectric ultrasound emitters.

Infineon Dresden

Infineon Dresden (IFD) is one of the largest and most modern semiconductor manufacturing and development sites. The main portfolio comprises discrete and smart power technologies, BiCMOS, embedded Flash, MEMS and Sensors. As partner in the HybridEcho Group IFD aims to develop MEMS-devices for medical applications.

Exelonix

Exelonix develops HW and SW for mobile communications systems especially in the area of the Internet of Things. The product portfolio comprises USB sticks with 4G/5G technologies, trackers, sensor nodes, and Bluetooth beacon enabled products, most connected to the cloud. In the HybridEcho Group Exelonix focuses on signal processing and interconnectivity.

Fraunhofer IPMS | Marco Kircher

In collaboration with Fraunhofer IPMS, the HybridEcho Group investigates the potential of capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUTs) for ultrasonic applications. With many years of experience in ultrasound MEMS technology and its highly flexibel clean room processes Fraunhofer IPMS is supporting the special requirements of the HybridEcho development for super wideband signal use.

Fraunhofer IKTS | Susan Walter

The Fraunhofer IKTS site in Dresden‐Klotzsche has been working since many years in research and development of methods and systems for nondestructive evaluation. It offers methods, sensors and devices for different kinds of nondestructive testing and covers the entire value chain, all the way to prototype production. For special applications, Fraunhofer IKTS designs and manufactures customized ultrasonic probes and methods based on model calculations that can be adapted to different geometries, materials and other acoustic parameters in the best possible way. With this knowledge, it supports the HybridEcho group in developing highly effective and broadband piezoelectric ultrasound emitters.

Infineon Dresden

Infineon Dresden (IFD) is one of the largest and most modern semiconductor manufacturing and development sites. The main portfolio comprises discrete and smart power technologies, BiCMOS, embedded Flash, MEMS and Sensors. As partner in the HybridEcho Group IFD aims to develop MEMS-devices for medical applications.

Exelonix

Exelonix develops HW and SW for mobile communications systems especially in the area of the Internet of Things. The product portfolio comprises USB sticks with 4G/5G technologies, trackers, sensor nodes, and Bluetooth beacon enabled products, most connected to the cloud. In the HybridEcho Group Exelonix focuses on signal processing and interconnectivity.

Contronix

more information coming soon

SITEC

SITEC is valued across the world as a partner and supplier of automated production systems and for series manufacturing of modules and components. Our strengths include the optimisation of technological se­quences and flexible reaction to the challenges of a dynamic market with ever-shorter product cycles. In the in-house application center, 14 different laser sources of different designs and wavelengths are available for technology development. Based on the highest quality and environmental standards, SITEC offers efficient production technologies and complete turnkey solutions Made in Germany.

WOLFRAM Designer und Ingenieure

WOLFRAM Designer und Ingenieure (WDI) offers user-centered engineering and design services. The interdisciplinary team of designers and engineers provides product development for the market entry of technical innovations. WDI supports the HybridEcho research group in the product development process:

  • product conception and product design
  • usability conception, user interface design and user experience
  • mechanical engineering, technology integration and prototyping
Heteromerge

HETEROMERGE is a StartUp company that offers complete multi-material solutions for 3D micro-printing to realize high-performant functional systems. Based on our multi-material print head, we provide automated in situ material exchange in two-photon 3D laser-printing. As partner in the HybridEcho group, we support the fabrication of novel ultrasonic transducer elements via micro-additive processes.

Contronix

More information coming soon

SITEC

SITEC is valued across the world as a partner and supplier of automated production systems and for series manufacturing of modules and components. Our strengths include the optimisation of technological se­quences and flexible reaction to the challenges of a dynamic market with ever-shorter product cycles. In the in-house application center, 14 different laser sources of different designs and wavelengths are available for technology development. Based on the highest quality and environmental standards, SITEC offers efficient production technologies and complete turnkey solutions Made in Germany.

WOLFRAM Designer und Ingenieure

WOLFRAM Designer und Ingenieure (WDI) offers user-centered engineering and design services. The interdisciplinary team of designers and engineers provides product development for the market entry of technical innovations. WDI supports the HybridEcho research group in the product development process:

  • product conception and product design
  • usability conception, user interface design and user experience
  • mechanical engineering, technology integration and prototyping
Heteromerge

HETEROMERGE is a StartUp company that offers complete multi-material solutions for 3D micro-printing to realize high-performant functional systems. Based on our multi-material print head, we provide automated in situ material exchange in two-photon 3D laser-printing. As partner in the HybridEcho group, we support the fabrication of novel ultrasonic transducer elements via micro-additive processes.

Funded by
Logo EKFZ
Logo BMBF Förderung
TUD Logo

HybridEcho is also part of the Cluster4Future SEMECO. The Free State of Saxony is additionally funding this project. HybridEcho complements the innovative pool of ideas in the cluster ecosystem.

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