Research – RCHST

TePUS Telepresence robots for the care and support of stroke patients
Telepresence robots are to be tested for their suitability for practical use. On the basis of these tests support services are to be delevoped. The project is carried out at OTH Regensburg, within the framework of the DeinHaus4.0 funding line in the administrative district of Upper Palatinate.

Ethics & Technology Assessment, Prof. Dr. Karsten Weber (Project lead) / Research associates: Gudrun Bahr (M.A.) (Project management), Vanessa Mücke (B.Sc.), Dr. Debora Frommeld
Social Research, Prof. Dr. Sonja Haug / Research associate: Edda Currle (Dipl.-Pol.)
eHealth, Prof. Dr. Georgios Raptis / Research associate: Luise Middel (B.Sc.), Christof Popp (M.Sc.)
Logopedics, Prof. Dr. Norina Lauer / Research associate: Nina Greiner (M.Sc.)
Physiotherapy, Prof. Dr. Andrea Pfingsten / Research associate: Natalie Kudienko (M.Sc.)
Nursing Science, Prof. Dr. Christa Mohr/ Research associates: Katrin Ettl (M.A.), Norbert Lichtenauer (M.Sc.)
Nursing Science, Prof. Dr. Annette Meussling-Sentpali

More information: TePUS DeinHaus4.0

Artificial Intelligence and Ethics
Based on endoscopic images, a procedure for AI-assisted diagnosis of esophageal cancer is being developed, in cooperation with the University Hospital Augsburg (Prof. Dr. Messmann). With the help of this example, the normative questions of AI-assisted medical diagnoses will be investigated. In this context, a (preliminary) ethical guideline on how AI-assisted diagnostics may or should be used will be formulated as an orientation framework.

ReMIC, Prof. Dr. Christoph Palm / Research associate: Robert Mendel (M.Sc.)
Ethics, Prof. Dr. Karsten Weber / Research associate: Arne Sonar (M.A.)

More information: Deep learning for computer-assisted early detection of esophageal cancer from endoscopic images
Stakeholder perspectives on AI-assisted medical decision-making and development of ethical guidelines for the use of AI systems in medicine (2018-2020)

Blended Physio
Development of an app to support physiotherapeutic care as part of a combination of physical and virtually supported therapy units. After a comprehensive examination, exercises are individually adapted to patients. The implementation and progress of measures carried out at home are documented. A real-time feedback should ensure adequate implementation.

Physiotherapy, Prof. Dr. Andrea Pfingsten / Research associate: Hanna Brandt (M.Sc.)
Biomechanics, Prof. Dr. Sebastian Dendorfer / Research associate: Simon Auer (M.Sc.)

Biofluid Mechanics, Prof. Dr. Lars Krenkel / Research associate: Melina Tauwald (M.Sc.)

Nasopharyngeal flows
The project aims to provide numerical and experimental reference data for optimized OP planning in the nasopharyngeal region. This open source project is made in cooperation with the Milan University of Technology (Politecnico di Milano). These reference data can be used for testing and optmizing of novel numerical flow calculation codes.

all other research projects of the laboratory Biofluid Mechanics

Biomechanics, Prof. Dr. Sebastian Dendorfer / Research associate: Simon Auer (M.Sc.)

The influence of psychological stress on muscle control
Psychological stress has direct and long-term effects on the musculoskeletal system. In this project the specific change of muscular stress during fast movements under mental stress will be investigated.
One possible application is the analysis of the risk of injury during football matches.

all other research projects of the laboratory Biomechanics

Medical Devices, Prof. Dr. Thomas Schratzenstaller / Research associate: Moritz Burger (M.Sc.)

MI Implant for orbital floor fractures
Orbital floor fractures are usually caused by a blunt trauma of the midface, such as a violent offence or a fall. The fracture can lead to complications ranging from cosmetic deficits to serious functional disorders such as double vision and blindness. The OrbitaTreat project has the goal to develop an orbital floor implant including an implantation system. A new type of implantation path - transnasally into the maxillary sinus - significantly reduces possible complications (e.g. an injury of the optic nerve) compared to established methods going through the eye socket. The use of a novel implantation mechanism, as well as the innovative combination of different materials and their processing procedures for the implant, ensures permanent fracture stabilization by the implant.
Cooperation: University Hospital Regensburg (UKR), industrial partners

all other research projects of the laboratory Medical Devices

ReMIC, Prof. Dr. Christoph Palm / Research associate: Robert Mendel (M.Sc.)

Image based early detection of cancer of Barrett's esophagus with semi-monitored learning algorithms

The performance of digital neural networks largely depends on the quality and quantity of the underlying data. However, in medicine, the creation of a comprehensive data set is associated with a high expenditure of time and money. Therefore in this project algorithms are developed that can learn from both annotated and non-annotated image material. This means that less annotated data is required for the same recognition rate.

all other research projects of the laboratory Regensburg Medical Image Computing (ReMIC)

ReMIC, Prof. Dr. Christoph Palm / Research associate: David Rauber (M.Sc.)

Machine learning for scene segmentation in surgical robots
AI is used to segment medically relevant objects in endoscopic videos. In a surgical robot such objects can be e.g. the instruments of a robot (manipulator, joint, shaft), anatomical objects (kidney, intestine, ...) or medical material (needles, threads, clamps, ...). The semantic segmentation is based on a deep learning neural network in the form of an encoder-decoder architecture.

all other research projects of the laboratory Regensburg Medical Image Computing (ReMIC)

eHealth, Prof. Dr. Georgios Raptis / Research associates: Markus Deglmann, Markus Ritthaler (M.Sc.), Julia Spornraft (B.Sc.), Jennifer Wolter (M.Sc.)
Sozialforschung, Prof. Dr. Sonja Haug / Research associate: Anna Scharf (M.A.)

Digital rehabilitation consil with connection to the telematics infrastructure
The aim of the project is to connect medical rehabilitation facilities to the telematics infrastructure - TI for short - and thus enable direct, real-time medical teleconsultations between general practitioners and selected rehabilitation facilities. For this purpose, international standards such as HL7-CDA and HL7-FHIR will be used for optimal interoperability.
In addition, social science methods will be used to conduct an inventory of technical and human resources to assess the level of digitization in clinics and rehabilitation facilities.

Project partners outside OTH:
Monks Ärzte-im-Netz GmbH, telemedical service provider for medical professional associations.

eHealth, Prof. Dr. Georgios Raptis / Research associate: Jennifer Wolter (M.Sc.)

Digital Nursing Counsil – Inter-sectoral communication and data exchange between outpatient / (partly) inpatient geriatric care and family doctor / specialist

The project "Digital Nursing Counsil" aims to network all relevant contact persons in the field of nursing in order to improve the care of people in need of care. With the help of a tele-consult (Pflegekonsil), nursing staff, general practitioners, specialists and, optionally, occupational physicians can work together better, more directly and faster than before, thus pooling their expertise for the benefit of their patients, increasing treatment efficiency and effectiveness. Part of this telemedical consultation is a "nursing app", which enables technically low-threshold "virtual home visits" and support in inpatient facilities or at home. Relatives also have access to this system. The position of the nursing staff, who are often the most important contact persons for the doctor, is strengthened by care-initiated consultation and treatment paths; experts in occupational medicine can be consulted alongside general practitioners and specialists. The treatment and care of the patient is carried out and documented via a decentralized "digital nursing consultation file", which has an innovative access system and can thus be used elsewhere in the health care system, e.g. in the future in the telematics infrastructure.
The cooperation partner is Monks Vertriebsges.mbH.

more information: Digital Care Counsil

Technology Assessment, Prof. Dr. Karsten Weber / Research associates: Helene Gerhards (M.A.), Uta Bittner (M.A.), Linda Koott (M.A.)

Saving Autonomy: Assessing Patients' Capacity to Consent using Artificial Intelligence (SMART)
In healthcare, respect for patient autonomy is a key concern and is fulfilled by informed consent. Due to certain diseases capacity to give informed consent may be impaired or non-existent. Physician in charge has the duty to assess the patient’s decisional capacity. Several assessment tools exist but are building on patients cognitive and verbal abilities (emotional abilities are neglected). Besides that, physician’s subjective factors also may influence the assessment. We raise the question of whether artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to compensate for the weaknesses of the assessment tools and the subjective bias of physicians within the assessment procedure. Until now, there are no efforts in the field of AI to overcome the limitations in assessing patient’s decisional capacity. First, we aim to build up an interdisciplinary network of scientists in order to work out the weaknesses and restrictions associated with an assessment about a patient’s decisional capacity. Second, we will entail an empirical pre-study with focus groups. As result, third, we will write a full grant proposal regarding the question of whether and how transferring these findings into AI systems will be technically feasible and socially, politically, legally as well as ethically desirable.

In addition, the supplementary module "Corona" will be carried out in 2021. SMART investigates the use of AI systems to determine the capacity of patients to give consent. In the medical context, capacity to consent is considered an expression of individual autonomy. However, the concept of autonomy is very complex; especially in times of crisis, as we are currently experiencing with the COVID-19 pandemic, or in times of rapid technological change, concepts such as autonomy also come under pressure. The additional module "Corona" therefore analyzes which dimensions the concept of autonomy encompasses, how technology and/or crises change it, and how this change possibly fuels political disputes about autonomy interventions.

Project partner:
Dr. med. Heiner Fangerau, University Düsseldorf
Dr. iur. Tanja Henking, University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt
Dr. rer. nat. Christoph Palm, ReMIC, OTH Regensburg
Vasilija Rolfes, M.A., University Düsseldorf & OTH Regensburg

more information: SMART

all other research projects of the Institute for Social Research and Technology Assessment (IST)

Technology Assessment, Prof. Dr. Karsten Weber / Research associates: Uta Bittner (M.A.), Vasilija Rolfes (M.A.)

Ethical evaluation tools for the care and health sector
The objective of the work for the RCHST is to conduct a guideline-supported interview study on the topic "Attitude and Knowledge of Reproductive Physicians Working in Germany on the Method of In-Vitro-Gametogenesis (IVG)". In this study, attitudes and knowledge of reproductive physicians about IVG are to be asked and evaluated by qualitative analysis in order to gain a basis for concrete needs for clarification and regulation.

all other research projects of the Institute for Social Research and Technology Assessment (IST)

Logopedics, Prof. Dr. Norina Lauer / Research associates: Daniel Kreiter (B.Sc.), Christina Kurfeß (M.Sc.)
PeerPAL
Peer-to-peer support for aphasia to improve quality of life
Development and evaluation of an app especially for people with neurological speech disorders to support social integration and increase quality of life.

BMBF-funded joint project with Mainz Catholic University of Applied Sciences

all other research projects of the laboratory Logopedics (Prof. Dr. Norina Lauer)

RCHST research projects