Tim Lueth's Research Page

MIMED congratulates its long-standing colleague Dr. Yilun Sun on his appointment as associate professor at Tongji University in Shanghai, China. As a doctoral student and postdoctoral researcher, he was a teaching assistant for the course “Mathematical Software Tools”/“Numerical Software Tools for Engineers” for many years. We wish him all the best in his new position and hope to stay in touch.

Started by Tim Lüth in 2006, the textbook on Surgical Navigation and Robotics, which was sent to Springer Verlag in 2023, will finally be published in 2024. It is thanks to Mattias Träger, co-author and book project manager, and also Renate Heuser, Chief of MIMED Administration, that the textbook will finally see the light of day.

Founder involved: Dr.-Ing. Jan Gumprecht

Company Background: An idea from 2006 called "desktop sports" was turned into a first prototype by Lorenzo D'Angelo in 2011. By using it at his desk, Tim Lueth reduced his weight almost by 20 kg. The publication was submitted in 2012. However, the entrepreneurial vision was only realized by Jan Gumprecht, who founded the company FitSeat in 2016 after completing his doctorate at the chair.

Selection of our publications:

• Lorenzo T D'Angelo and Tim Lueth (2011): "Desktop Sport: Desk with Integrated Bicycle Ergometer and Cadence Feedback by Automatic Computer Screen Switch," submitted to IEEE Int'l Conference on EMBC

MIMED congratulates its colleague Dr.-Ing. Houde Dai on his appointment as professor at the Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Houde Dai, invited from Shenzhen to Munich in 2009, remained at the chair until 2013 and published an exceptional amount of high-quality work on sensor technology for deep brain stimulation in Lorenzo D'angelo's AgeTech group. In addition to his doctorate, another highlight of his time in Munich was coming in second place in the dragon boat race in the Olympic Park.

Project: Development of a compact endoscope guidance robot for head surgery (2008-2011)

Participating scientists: Max Krinninger, Thomas Maier, Gero Strauß, Andreas Dietz, Tim Lüth

Objective: Based on the concepts of the autoclavable Robo-Point robot (Dirk Schauer), the aim was to develop a small robot that could be attached to the operating table and guide an endoscope in 5 DoF, but in which the degrees of freedom could be achieved not by sequential kinematics as with the Robopoint, but by parallel kinematics in two planes.

Results: Max Krinninger built such a robot for the ICCAS in Leipzig, and TUM Mimed sold several copies of it to Karl Storz. The robot was clinically used and evaluated by Gero Strauß at Andreas Dietz's clinic in 2011. In 2014, Max Kinnninger and Stephan Nowatischin founded the medical robotics company Medineering.

Selection of our publications:

• Berger, T., Maier, T., Scholz, M., Lüth, T. (2016): Evaluation of a micromanipulator for middle ear surgery: A preclinical study. *Laryngo-Rhino-Otologie*.
• Neumuth, T., Meixensberger, J., Lüth, T. (2013): The "Surgical Deck": A new generation of operating rooms for ENT surgery. *Laryngo-Rhino-Otologie*.
• Krinninger, M., Maier, T., Berger, T., Dietz, A., & Lüth, T. (2012): Clinical use of a micromanipulator system: preliminary clinical experience in middle ear surgery. *HNO / PubMed*.
• Krinninger, M., Maier, T., Berger, T., Dietz, A., & Lüth, T. (2012): Clinical use of a micromanipulator. *HNO*, Springer.
• Schaller, S., Strauss, G., Krinninger, M., Hurka, F. et al. (2011): Influence of an auto-motorized optical navigation camera on the surgical workflow in ENT surgery. *Laryngo-Rhino-Otologie*.
• Schaller, S., Strauss, G., Krinninger, M. et al. (2011): The effects of a robot-guided navigation camera in ENT surgery. *Laryngo-Rhino-Otologie*.
• Krinninger, M. (2011): A system for endoscope guidance in ENT surgery. *Dissertation*, d-nb.info.
• Dietz, A., Krinninger, M., Lüth, T. (2010): A Modified Technique for FESS with an Endoscope Manipulator. *Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery*.
• Krinninger, M., Strauß, G., Markert, M., Kraus, T., & Lüth, T. (2009): The kinematic design of the new endoscope manipulator system (EMS) for functional endoscopic sinus surgery and familiar techniques in ENT surgery. *World Congress on Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering*, Springer.

Project: A navigation system for liver surgery 

Scientists involved: Mathias Markert, Nikita Shevchenko, Johannes Schwaiger, Niko Dörfler, Stephan Nowatschin, Stefan Weber, Tim Lueth 

Objective: In liver surgery, compact tumors are embedded in the flexible liver tissue. The tumors are resected in open surgery. Liver tissue (parenchyma) grows back. The liver's vascular system, which does not grow back, is located in the immediate vicinity of the tumors. Damage to the vascular trees during surgery can pose a significant risk to patients, which is why tumors should be removed as close as possible to their margins. If tumor tissue remains, there is a considerable risk of tumor recurrence. A risk assessment is therefore necessary, which was first calculated by the Peitgen group in Bremen. The aim now is to implement a navigation system for soft tissue that can be used by the medical team to plan surgery in such a way as to minimize risk. 

Results: Between 2005 and 2010, a clinically approved liver navigation system was developed and evaluated in a clinical study at several clinics in Germany.   

Other important research teams at that time:  Heinz-Otto Peitgen, MEVIS, University of Bremen   

Selection of our publications: 

• Johannes Schwaiger, Mathias Markert, Nikita Shevchenko, and Tim C. Lueth: "The effects of real-time image navigation in operative liver surgery," International Journal of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery, Volume 6, Number 6, 785-796, 2011, DOI: 10.1007/s11548-011-0557-5
• Bernhard Seidl, Nikita Shevchenko, Tim Christian Lueth, "Efficient Semi-Automatic Segmentation of Liver Tumors from CT Scans with Interactive Refinement," Proceedings of the IASTED International Conference "Biomedical Engineering" (Biomed 2011), February 16 - 18, 2011, Innsbruck, Austria, pp. 310 - 315., DOI: 10.2316/P.2011.723-019
• Doerfler, N.; Seidl, B.; Shevchenko, N.; Stenzel, R.; Lueth, T.C.; "Blood vessel detection in navigated ultrasound: An assistance system for liver resections," Complex Medical Engineering (CME), 2011 IEEE/ICME International Conference on, 2011, pp. 445–450, DOI: 10.1109/ICCME.2011.5876781
• Nikita Shevchenko, Mathias Markert and Tim C. Lueth, "A Fast Recognition Algorithm for Liver Tissue Segmentation from CT Scans", Proceedings of the IASTED International Conference "Biomedical Engineering" (Biomed 2011), February 16 - 18, 2011, Innsbruck, Austria, pp. 316 - 320., DOI: 10.2316/P.2011.723-021
• Shevchenko, N.; Schwaiger, J.; Markert, M.; Flatz, W.; Lueth, Tim C.; , "Evaluation of a resectable ultrasound liver phantom for testing of surgical navigation systems," Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, EMBC, 2011 Annual International Conference of the IEEE, vol., no., pp. 916–919, Aug. 30, 2011–Sept. 3, 2011, doi: 10.1109/IEMBS.2011.6090205
• Markert M, Koschany A, Lueth T.: "Tracking of the liver for navigation in open surgery." Int J Comput Assist Radiol Surg. 2010 May;5(3):229-35. Epub 2009 Aug 7. Review., DOI: 10.1007/s11548-009-0395-x, PMID: 20033499
• Schwaiger, J.; Markert, M.; Seidl, B.; Shevchenko, N.; Doerfler, N.; Lueth, T.C.; , "Risk analysis for intraoperative liver surgery," Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC), 2010 Annual International Conference of the IEEE , vol., no., pp.410-413, Aug. 31 2010-Sept. 4 2010, doi: 10.1109/IEMBS.2010.5627313, PMID: 21096534
• Shevchenko, N.; Seidl, B.; Schwaiger, J.; Markert, M.; Lueth, T.C.; , "MiMed liver: A planning system for liver surgery," Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC), 2010 Annual International Conference of the IEEE , vol., no., pp.1882-1885, Aug. 31, 2010-Sept. 4, 2010, doi: 10.1109/IEMBS.2010.5627120, PMID: 21096423
• Oldhafer KJ, Stavrou GA, Prause G, Peitgen HO, Lueth TC, Weber S.: "How to operate a liver tumor you cannot see." Langenbecks Arch Surg. 2009 May;394(3):489-94. Epub 2009 Mar 12., doi: 10.1007/s00423-009-0469-9, PMID: 19280221
• G. A. Stavrou, S. Weber, H.-O. Peitgen, T. C. Lueth, and K. J. Oldhafer: "[First Resection of a Non Visible, Non Palpable Liver tumor Using Modern Visualization Techniques and Navigation]" CHIRURGISCHES FORUM UND DGAV FORUM 2009 German Society for Surgery, 2009, Volume 38, VI, 81-83, DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-00625-8_33
• Markert M.; Koschany A.; Lueth T.C.  "Tracking of the liver for navigation in open surgery." CARS: Int'l Congress on Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery, Berlin, Germany, June 23-27, 2009. In Lemke, et al. (Ed.), International Journal of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery 4(Suppl. 1), Springer Verlag, pp. S286-S287.
• Nowatschin, S.; Markert, M.; Weber, S.; Lueth, T.C.; , "A system for analyzing intraoperative B-Mode ultrasound scans of the liver," Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, 2007. EMBS 2007. 29th Annual International Conference of the IEEE , vol., no., pp.1346-1349, 22-26 Aug. 2007, doi: 10.1109/IEMBS.2007.4352547
• Nowatschin S., W. S., Lueth T.C.. "Automatic landmark extraction in intraoperative ultrasound images of the liver. " CARS 2007 Proceedings of the 21th Congress on Computer Aided Radiology and Surgery, June 27-30, Berlin, Germany
• Markert M., Weber S., Kleemann M., Bruch H.P., Lueth T.C. (2006): "Comparison of fundamental requirements for soft tissue navigation with a novel assistance system for open liver surgery." CARS 2006: Int'l Congress on Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery, Osaka, Japan,  Int J CARS (2006) 1:pp. 498-499.
• Nowatschin S., Weber S., Lueth T.C. (2006): "Comparison of different phantoms for evaluating new assistance systems for open liver surgery." CARS 2006: Int'l Congress on Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery, Osaka, Japan, Int J CARS (2006) 1:498
• Nowatschin S., Weber S., Lueth T.C. (2006): "Fast and simple segmentation of vessels in the liver using intraoperative ultrasound data." CARS 2006: Int'l Congress on Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery, Osaka, Japan,  Int J CARS (2006) 1:288-290.
• Weber S., Markert M., Nowatschin S., Kleemann M., Bruch H.P., Lueth T. C.: "Computer Assistance for Supporting Complex Liver Resections." World Congress of the International Hepato-Biliary-Pancreato Association (IHBPA), Edinburgh, UK , September 3 - 7, 2006.

Tim Lüth is delighted that Franz Irlinger (Academic Director) will become his sole deputy at the chair, perfectly organizing teaching and taking care of the topics of microtechnology, mechanisms, and 3D printing. Until his retirement in 2024, he will also continue to support the German Gear Technology Colloquium (Aachen-Dresden-Munich) and teach Tim Lüth in the field of mechanism theory.

MIMED is very proud that Stefan Weber, doctoral student and postdoctoral researcher for many years as head of medical devices at Tim Lüth, has been appointed professor in Lutz Nolte's department at the COME Research Institute of the University of Bern in collaboration with the Inselspital.

Project: Certification of the MIMED Chair/Professor Lüth as a medical device manufacturer according to ISO13485 & ISO9001

MIMED group leaders involved: Stefan Weber, Franz Irlinger, Franz Niederhofer, Ralf TIta, Tim Lueth 

Objective: The objective was to have the new MIMED Chair officially certified as a medical device manufacturer as quickly as possible after Tim Lüth moved from Charité Berlin to the Technical University of Munich.

Results: After one year, following an audit in June 2006, not only the MIMED chair but also the start-up ERGOSURG GmbH were certified by TÜV Rheinland according to ISO 13485 and ISO 9001. The auditors from TÜV had already certified the former chair and the BZMM under the direction of Tim Lüth in Berlin.

Tim Lueth moves to the Technical University of Munich (MIMED) in the 2005/06 winter semester.

Background: After Tim Lueth did not consider moving to Munich in 2001, he will be appointed to the Technical University of Munich in 2005.

Independent Research: Tim Lueth was appointed professor for life at the Technical University of Munich on July 1, 2005, and began his work on October 1, 2005, for the 2005/2006 winter semester. His chair is called MIMED (Microtechnology and Medical Device Technology). The inaugural lecture will take place on April 5, 2006. The teaching load will increase from 2 SWS to 9 SWS. Tim Lueth is leaving the Fraunhofer Society to reduce potential conflicts between the university/FhG and company start-up activities.

Project: Certification of BZMM as a medical device manufacturer – ISO 13485 ISO 9001 (2004)

Scientists involved: Stefan Weber, Peter Tetenz (TÜV Rheinland), Tim Lüth

QM Beauftragte: Stefan Weber, Dirk Mucha, Dirk Schauer

Objective: Now that the Otto robot (delta kinematics) has been approved as a medical device by SRL Charité as a single unit, the BZMM (IPK MedTech and Charité SRL) should be able to be officially listed as a certified medical device manufacturer with DIMDI. In addition to documented proof that we have been working in accordance with ISO 13485 for a year, we need QM documentation and an internal and external TÜV audit in order to be recognized as an MPG manufacturer.

Results: While Tim Lüth programs the networked Filemaker database for the approval documents, Stefan Weber takes care of documenting the work instructions and the overall design of the QM manual. We will receive the certificates in June 2004!

Tim Lueth is delighted that his long-standing deputy and head of the Medical Devices Department at Fraunhofer IPK Berlin, Andreas Hein, has accepted the professorship for “Automation and Measurement Technology” at the University of Oldenburg. Congratulations from all colleagues at BZMM (Charité and IPK). With SRL since July 1997, doctorate in February 2000, head of department at IPK (2001) and professor beginning of 2003 – an impressive career.

Project: EFRE Project BZMM (Berlin Center for Mechatronic Medical Devices) 2002

Directors: Tim Lueth (Managing Director), Juergen Bier, Eckart Uhlmann

Objective: With the approval end of 2002 of the EU infrastructure (EFRE) application BZMM (Berlin Center for Mechatronic Medical Devices) in June 2000, the joint Berlin center between Fraunhofer IPK and Charité, under the management of Prof. Dr. Tim Lüth, can officially begin in December 2002. At this point, Tim Lüth was already a Fraunhofer professor at Charité according to the Berlin model with a reduced teaching load of 2SWS. The goal is to establish IPK Berlin within the Fraunhofer Society as a leading location for medical robots and computer-assisted surgery and to enable further company start-ups in Berlin Brandenburg after JJM GmbH, FIMR gGmbH, LB Medical GmbH, and RoboDent GmbH.

Results: With the opening, funds were available to hire additional staff at Charité and the Fraunhofer Institute (Timo Krüger, Dirk Mucha, Emanuel Jank, Andreas Rose) and to expand previous developments in navigation towards electromagnetic (Aurora), new redundant robot arm kinematics (Mitsubishi PA10), or X-Ray systems. The state of Berlin provided €1.2 million in funding from the EFFE fund. The Fraunhofer Society provided a similar amount and financed the C4 professorship of Tim Lüth, who, in parallel to his work at Charité, also held the position of division director at IPK for medical technology. Tim Lüth had already set up the first laboratory for the BZMM at the IPK Berlin during his time as acting division director from 2001 onwards, for example to work on the C-arm project for the company ZIEHM. RoboDent also funded the BZMM with €800,000 as part of a BMBF application to have the source code handed over to the BZMM revised. For this reason, the RoboDent source code was available at the IPK and Charité. With Tim Lueth's move to the Technical University of Munich at the end of 2005, Klaus Radermacher (academic advisor at RWTH Aachen University) and then Erwin Keeve (Bonn, Oslo) was appointed as the new director, a position he held until 2017.

Other important research teams at that time: Munich, MITI (Hubertus Feussner, TUM-MRI), Strasbourg IRCAD (Jacques Marescaux), Karlsruhe-Heidelberg (SFB 414 Computerassisted Surgery)

Project: Foundation of CURAC (German Society for Computer- and Robot-Assisted Surgery)

Objective: On March 9, 2001, the German Society for Computer- and Robot-Assisted Surgery (CURAC) will be founded in Leipzig at the Hotel Fürstenhof, based on the International Society for Computer Aided Surgery (ISCAS).
The founding board members are: President Prof. F. Bootz, ENT, Leipzig; 1st Vice President Prof. R. Fahlbusch, NCh, Erlangen; 2nd Vice President Prof. Hirzinger, Robotics, Munich; Secretary General Prof. Dr. H. U. Lemke, Computer Science, Berlin; Treasurer Prof. Schlag, Surgery, Berlin; Deputy Treasurer Prof. Dr. V. Seifert, NCh, Frankfurt, Secretary Prof. Lüth, Robotics, Berlin, Deputy Secretary PD Hassfeld, MKG, Heidelberg

Founding members: from ISCAS are Prof. H.U. Lemke, Computer Science, Berlin Prof. Dr.-Ing. G. Hirzinger, Robotics, DLR Prof. Dr. P.M. Schlag, Surgery, Berlin, Prof. Dr. F. Bootz, ENT, Leipzig, Prof. Dr. W. A. Kalender, Physics, Erlangen Prof. Dr. A. Schweikard, Computer Science, Munich, Prof. Dr. Dr. J. Bier, MKG, Berlin,  Dr. U. G. Kühnapfel, Computer Science, Karlsruhe Prof. Dr. V. Seifert, Neurosurgery, Frankfurt, Prof. R. Fahlbusch, Neurosurgery, Erlangen Prof. Dr. T. C. Lueth, Robotics, Berlin,  Prof. Dr. R. Wetzel, Orthopedics, Munich, PD Dr. Dr. S. Hassfeld, MKG, Heidelberg, Prof. Dr. F. W. Mohr, Cardiac Surgery, Leipzig, PD Dr. Volkmar Falk, Dr. Gero Strauß, among others (see list)

Project: Founding of RoboDent GmbH

Founder involved: Tim Lüth and Jürgen Bier

Background: Triggered by the Alfried Krupp Prize for young university teachers, the visibility of medical robotics research in Berlin was once again significantly increased. Following the medical approval of the robot for surgical use on the head and the first operations, interest in navigation and robotics also grew among implant manufacturers and OPG manufacturers. At the same time, the industry lacked the know-how to convert this technology into a product itself in the short term. Since the university cannot take on series production or product liability, the only option was to spin off the company.

The company: At the end of 2000, Jürgen Bier (1/3) and Tim Lüth (2/3) founded LB Medical GmbH and, for the collaboration with Thomas Straumann AG (CH), RoboDent GmbH in Berlin. Their task was to further develop head navigation outside the university, obtain MDD approval, and start series production of navigation systems for maxillofacial surgery and dental implantology. At the company headquarters on Schwedenstraße, as well as at Jojumarie GmbH, a loft was converted into office space, a production facility, and a workshop. The first devices were still equipped with "Ropal" stereo cameras from Rhowedder Visotech (Manfred Schmied, Christian Lappe). However, this company was acquired by the Canadian company NDI in early 2000 and renamed NDI Europe. From mid-2000, NDI Polaris devices were then installed. From 2004, the NDI Vicra was designed in collaboration with RoboDent and installed from 2005. Key employees: Olaf Schermeier (later CTO at Dräger and Fresenius Medical Care), Sabine Woytowicz (later customer director at Valeo)

Competitors: Joshua Lustman, Hebrew University, DenX (Ori Hadomi), Israel, W.F.Thumfart, Innsbruck, Michael Truppe, Wien, Austria, and Company Materialise

Project: Tissue engineering of heart valves 

Scientists involved: Ralf Sodian, Andreas Hein, Daniel Szymanski, Roland Hetzer, Tim Lueth 

Objective: The aim of the project was to produce tissue-engineered heart valve replicas based on the geometry of individual heart valves and to implant these instead of using standardized heart valves. 

Results: We were able to show that it is possible to segment the vascular geometry based on CT image data, print it in 3D, and use the 3D prints to produce scaffolds for cell colonization on the scaffolds. The cells were grown on the scaffolds in a bioreactor. The grown valves were implanted in sheep. 

Other important research teams at that time: Joseph Philip Vacanti, Harvard Medical School Robert Langer, MIT, Cambridge 

Selection of our publications: 

• Szymanski, D.; A. Hein, R. Sodian, P. Fu, R. Hetzer, T. Lüth: "3D reconstruction of cardiovascular structures for rapid prototyping and tissue engineering." Automed 2001, Bochum, Germany, Sep. 17-18, 2001
• Sodian R, Loebe M, Hein A, Martin DP, Hoerstrup SP, Potapov EV, Hausmann H, Lueth T, Hetzer R.: "Application of stereolithography for scaffold fabrication for tissue engineered heart valves." ASAIO J. 2002 Jan-Feb;48(1):12-16.
• Sodian R, Fu P, Lueders C, Szymanski D, Fritsche C, Gutberlet M, Hoerstrup SP, Hausmann H, Lueth T, Hetzer R.: "Tissue engineering of vascular conduits: fabrication of custom-made scaffolds using rapid prototyping techniques." Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2005 Jun;53(3):144-149.

Project: 3D ultrasound imaging and robot-assisted seed implantation for brachytherapy of the prostate 

Participating scientists: Stefan Weber, Rolf Lechtenberg, Christoph Tiede, Andreas Eckert, Tim Lueth

Objective: The objective was to develop an integrated 3D ultrasound and seed implantation assistance system for brachytherapy of the prostate. 

Results: An ultrasound probe is moved in the rectum via a linear drive that can be actively controlled or passively moved by the physician. A patented tissue protection device with integrated ultrasound-visible markers allows non-invasive tomographic imaging of the tissue around the prostate as well as tracking and position measurement of the needle tip of manually or assisted-inserted needles. An ejection mechanism can be activated when the needle is withdrawn to eject a seed where the current position of the needle tip and continuous radiation planning indicate the optimal position for the radiation source. The method is patented and was used in a similar way for Navifitty or freehand 3D printing in 2006. 

Other important research teams at that time: no group known to us at that time 

Selection of our publications:

• Tim Lueth (2000): Method and applicator for positioning and/or ejecting radiation sources via hollow needles into biological tissue, Granted German Patent DE-10058163-C2, Bebig Isotopen- und Medizintechnik GmbH, later Eckart und Ziegler AG
• Tim Lueth (2000): Device for the linear and/or rotary guidance of an object such as a probe and instrument guidance, Granted German Patent DE-10051953-C1, Bebig Isotopen- und Medizintechnik GmbH, later Eckart und Ziegler AG

Project: Table-integrated robot for mammabiopsy in nuclear spin tomography (MRI)

Participating scientists: Oliver Wendt, Yuichiro Honda, Tim Lueth, Johann Oellinger, Carsten Siewert, Roland Felix

Objective: The aim was to develop a robot that can be operated without image artifacts in a magnetic resonance tomograph and can perform a precise breast biopsy.

Results: In the period 1997-2000 such an MRT table and coil-integrated robot was developed. At the time of completion, however, the focus for mammary biopsies was again on CT and ultrasound. A patent dispute with Siemens stopped the conversion into the final medical product. The pictures show the trade fair appearance at MEDICA 2000.

Other important research teams: Siemens Medical

Selection of our publications:

• M Hentschel, J. Oellinger, C. Siewert, H. Wieder, N. Hosten, O. Wendt, T. Lueth, U. Boenick and R. Felix: "H and P-NMR Characterisation of a Double Breast Coil for Spectroscopic Measurements and Imaging - Characteristics of a Newly Developed Mammado Double Coil for NMR Spectroscopy 1H31P) and Imaging", Biomedical Engineering 1999 44:10 , 272-277 , DOI: 10.1515/bmte.1999.44.10.272, PMID: 10584401
• Oellinger H, Wendt O, Siewert C, Park IC, Dorsch M, Lueth TC, Felix R, Boenick U.: "Effects of para- and diamagnetic materials in a 1.5 Tesla high field magnetic resonance tomography system (MRT)," Biomed Tech (Berl). 1998 Oct;43(10):281-6, DOI: 10.1515/bmte.1998.43.10.281
• O Wendt, J. Oellinger, T C Lueth, R. Felix and U. Boenick: "The Effects of the Use of Piezoelectric Motors in a 1.5-Tesla High-Field Magnetic Resonance Imaging System (MRI) - Effects of Piezoelectric Motors in a 1.5-Tesla High-Field Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRT)", Biomedical Engineering/Biomedical Engineering 2000 45:1-2 , 20-25 , DOI: 10.1515/bmte.2000.45.1-2.20
• O. Wendt, J. Oellinger, U. Boenick, R. Felix, T.C. Lueth, D. Schauer: "Biopsy device for histological preservation of small tumors in MR mammography," Biomedical Engineering Jan 2000, Volume 45, No. s1, Pages 220-221, DOI: 10.1515/bmte.2000.45.s1.220
• Johann Oellinger, Oliver Wendt, Carsten Siewert, Tim Lueth (2000): "Automatically controlled breast biopsy." Humboldt Spectrum, 3/2000, p.48-51.
• Oliver Wendt, Johann Oellinger, Tim Lueth (1999): "Positioning unit for magnetic resonance tomography installations simultaneously serves patient's support, and functions in combination with automatically controllable positioning system of medicinal instruments," Granted patent DE19905239A1 (2006-08-24)
• Oliver Wendt, Johann Oellinger, Tim Lueth (2000): Device for navigating and positioning medical instruments in magnetic resonance tomographs, Filed PCT Patent WO-0213709-A1

Tim Lueth was honored with the Alfried Krupp zu Bohlen und Halbach Prize for young university teachers in 1999. The prize is awarded annually to only one young university teacher in Germany, aged 38 or under, across all disciplines. The prize was/is endowed with 1 million DM/euros, thus freeing the winner from financial worries in their research for the next few years. Tim Lüth received the prize from Federal President Dr. Johannes Rau and Curatorium Chairman Professor Dr. h.c. mult. Berthold Beitz in November 1999 at Villa Hügel in Essen.

Project: Founding of JoJuMarie GmbH 

Founder involved: Andreas Eckert, Tim Lüth, Jürgen Bier 

Background: Since 1986, inspired by neurosurgeon Professor Alim Louis Benabid in Grenoble, a robot for stereotactic (navigated) deep brain stimulation without a stereotactic frame has been under development. This work was initially carried out at François DANEL's company AID. With the development of delta kinematics by Reymond Clavel at EPFL Lausanne, a team led by Hervé Druais in Grenoble at Integrated Surgical Systems (ISS, DeeMed) developed a navigation system and a robot for guiding a heavy surgical microscope using delta kinematics. The combination of navigation and robotics took place at DeeMed in Grenoble starting in 1991. The ceiling-mounted system was called SurgiScope. The first Surgiscope was installed in Grenoble in 1994 and at the Surgical Robotics Lab in Berlin in 1997. Tim Lüth worked in Grenoble for several months in 1997 to learn how to control and assemble the robot so that he could convert the device from a motorized microscope stand to a tactile surgical robot. Carl Zeiss developed a floor-mounted co-worker product called MKM. After the Swedish company ELEKTA (stereotactic frames) acquired DeeMed, it was sold to Medtronic in 2000, which thus became the world leader in surgical navigation ahead of the German company Brainlab. The robotics division was purchased at the end of 1999 by the start-up JoJuMarie GmbH, Berlin, from the US company Medtronic. There were 40 SurgiScope installations worldwide. 

The Company: In 1999, Andreas Eckert (business), Jürgen Bier (surgeon), and Tim Lueth (engineering) founded the company Jojumarie Intelligente Instrumente GmbH with the aim of developing and producing medical robots and computer-assisted surgical technologies in Germany. However, the bursting of the dot-com bubble in 2000 made it extremely difficult to attract investors in Germany for computer-assisted medicine. This also affected Eckert & Ziegler AG, which was only able to return to its initial valuations 20 years later. Key employees were Stefan Weber and Christoph Tiede (later founders/CEOs of Cascination and LEM, Bern, Switzerland). Tim Lueth and Juergen Bier withdraw from JJM at the end of 2000.

Project: An interactive hands-on robot for oral and maxillofacial surgery

Participating scientists: Andreas Hein, Jochen Albrecht, Malte Stien, Stefan Zachow, Frank Hoelzle, Martin Klein, Juergen Bier, Tim Lueth

Objective: The aim was to realize the world's first clinically applicable instrument-guiding Hands-on Robot (OTTO from ceiling) for tactile head surgery and to demonstrate an advantageous use for patients. 

Results: In the period from early 1997 to late 1999, the ceiling-mounted delta kinematics of the SurgiScope were converted from a double joystick-controlled (submarine mode) microscope holder to a hands-on instrument-guiding robot. This involved the modification and extension of hardware components as well as a completely new real-time control, which included the active stereo camera (IGT Flashpoint 5000) in addition to the robot encoder. The robot was controlled by the surgeon's touch, whereby the robot receives a virtual mass and a virtual friction as well as virtual potential fields to precisely achieve an off-line programmed task (several implants) based on volumetric CT imaging and still give the physician the feeling of being able to move the robot freely. The controller was completed in 1999. The preparation of the approval documents for the TÜV in the period end of 1999 - beginning of 2000. The first clinical use took place in May 2000. The robot was operated in combination with a mobile intraoperative computer tomograph, TomoScan M from Philips, for 1 year regularly clinically. The doctors involved were Jürgen Bier, Martin Klein and Frank Hoelzle. The following projects investigated smaller robots (RoboDent), redundant robots (OTTO II, Mitsubishi PA-10) and Navigated Control® as a replacement for the large ceiling mounted robot. Malte Stien dealt with simulation and telemanipulation, Andreas Hein with real-time control of the hands-on robot and Jochen Albrecht (Queck) with intraoeprative tomographic imaging and automatic registration of CT and robot/navigation.

Other important research teams: a) Brian Davies, Imperial College London, United Kingdom, b) Russel Taylor, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA, c) Moshe Shoham, Technion, Haifa, Israel

Selection of our publications:

• Lueth, T.C.; Hein, A.; Albrecht, J.; Demirtas, M.; Zachow, S.; Heissler, E.; Klein, M.; Menneking, H.; Hommel, G.; Bier, J.; , "A surgical robot system for maxillofacial surgery," IEEE IECON 1998 Industrial Electronics Society, 1998. vol.4, no., pp.2470-2475
• Hein, A.; Lueth, T.C.; Hommel, G.; , "Contact observation of interactive surgical robotics systems," Intelligent Robots and Systems, 1999. IROS '99. Proceedings. 1999 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on , vol.2, no., pp.733-739 vol.2, 1999
• Andreas Hein and Tim C. Lueth: "Image-Based Control of Interactive Robotics Systems" MEDICAL IMAGE COMPUTING AND COMPUTER-ASSISTED INTERVENTION - MICCAI'99 Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 1999, Volume 1679/1999,

OTTO von Decke based on a SurgiScope Delta-3 kinematics with 6DoF. It was the first clinical used "hands-on" robot. The video shows the clinical case of the first patient.  

Video 2000: Worldwide 1st surgical operation using an approved surgical robot at the skull (3:30 Minutes)

Project: Simulation and Monitoring of Robot Assisted Surgery

Participating scientists: Malte Stien, Daniel Szymanski, Andreas Hein, Tim Lueth

Objective: If the movement of patients and instruments can be monitored by stereotactic measurement technology (IGT Flashpoint 5000) and by encoders of the movement of the robot kinematics, then it is possible to graphically calculate a scene that reflects the current operating situation in detail. During bone surgery (head surgery), even the removal of bone tissue and changes in CT image data can be recorded. The advantage of this procedure is that viewers can take any focus. 

Results: We were able to show that using graphical simulation systems such as AnySYM/Robcad, it was possible to load image textures of current screen contents as well as medical image data into the graphical simulation in order to carry out a monitoring system for interventions in this way. In the period 1998-1999 the spectrum of applications was extended from MKG surgery to dentistry and prostate seed implantation (brachytherapy). Have in mind, that in 1999, the first onboard graphics cards for computers were shipped. We used at this time a silicon graphics machine for 100.000 DM for graphical visualization, that could be replaced by a Mac-Laptop with a comparable graphics power of 5% of the price of the SG machine a year later. The computer game “Far Cry” motivated us to introduce 3D surface models into surgical navigation and robotics.

Other important research teams: Gerd Hirzinger, DLR Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany,  Hervé Druais, DeeMed-Elekta IGS, Grenoble, France, Stefan Linner, AnySIM, Munich, Germany

Selection of our publications:

• Stien M, Hein A, Szymanski D, Lueth T.: "A new approach for modelling kinematic dependencies for monitoring locations of objects in closed kinematic chains." Stud Health Technol Inform. 2002, Springer, Medicine Meets Virtual Reality (MMVR), Newport Beach, USA, Jan. 23 - 26, pp. 85: 504-506.
• Stien M, Hein A, Szymanski D, Lueth T.: "A system for simulation and monitoring of robot-assisted and navigation-assisted surgical interventions." Stud Health Technol Inform. 2002, Springer, Medicine Meets Virtual Reality (MMVR), Newport Beach, USA, Jan. 23 - 26, pp. 85: 501-503.
• Stien, M; Y.-W. Lin, T. Lueth, H. Druais, G. Volkwein, S. Linner, J. Bier (1999): "Simulation and Monitoring of Surgical Robotics Interventions," CARS 1999 Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery, Elsevier Science B.V., 1999, pp. 818-822
• Stien, M., T. Lueth, A. Hein (1999): "Safety aspects of distributed information systems in a hi-tech OR" Automed'99, 2nd workshop "Automation processes for medicine", Darmstadt, February 25-26.In S. Leonhardt, et al. (Ed.), Progress Reports VDI - Series 17, No. 183, VDI Verlag GmbH.Stien, M.; A. Hein, D. Szymanski, T. Lüth: "Optimization of navigation-supported surgical procedures through graphic simulation."Automed 2001, Bochum, Germany, Sep. 17-18, 2001

Automatically controlled imaging and registration with a motorized mobile CT scanner 

Scientists involved: Jochen Albrecht-Queck, Cyrill v. Tiesenhausen, Oliver Schwerdner, Frank Hoelzle, Martin Klein, Norbert Hosten, Nils Haberland, Roland Felix, Juergen Bier, Tim Lueth

Objective: The aim of the work was to perform automatic registration of the patient during intraoperative imaging with a computer tomograph in order to subsequently perform surgical navigation or surgical robotics with minimal registration error. 

Results: The procedure was first published by Tim Lüth in April 1998 in Humbold-Spektrum. For this purpose, a stationary tracker with several active LEDs was attached to the IGT Flashpoint 5000 stereo camera system and a tracker was attached to the operating table or directly to the patient's head. Since the tracker geometry can be recognized relative to the patient in the CT image and the position of the image relative to the CT tracker is also known, the patient can be registered automatically. A similar system was implemented in a second project by Cyrill v. Tiesenhausen for the BGU Clinic in Frankfurt.

Other important research teams at that time: Thorsten M. Buzug, Philips Research Laboratories, Hamburg 

Selection of our publications: 

• Tim Lueth: "Navigation and Robotics in Medicine," Humboldt-Spektrum 04/1998, issue 4/98, pp. 16-20.
• Albrecht, J.; T. Lueth, A. Hein, M. Stien, J. Bier (1999): Accuracy Analysis of CT Images With a Navigated Intraoperative CT. CARS'99, Paris, France, June. In H.U. Lemke et al. (Eds.), Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery 1999, Elsevier Science Publishers.
• Hoelzle F, Klein M, Schwerdtner O, Lueth T, Albrecht J, Hosten N, Felix R, Bier J.: "Intraoperative computed tomography with the mobile CT Tomoscan M during surgical treatment of orbital fractures." Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2001 Feb;30(1):26-31

At the end of 1996, the textbook Technical Multi-Agent Systems is submitted as a postdoctoral thesis (Habilitation) after four years at the Faculty of Information Science at the University of Karlsruhe (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, KIT). The successful examination for the title of Dr.-Ing. habil. or Priv.-Doz. takes place in July 1997. The book is published in 1998 by Hanser-Verlag.

Project: Simulation and planning of assembly systems and autonomous robots (ESPRIT-2 CIM-PLATO | SFB314)

Participating scientists: Klaus Hoermann, Bernd Welz, Tim Lueth, Jianwei Zhang, Ulrich Rembold, Georg Näger, Ulf Osmers, Christoph Winterhalter

Objective: The aim of Tim Lueth's work was to plan the layout of a robot production cell in such a way that movement tasks could be performed without collision.

Results: Using the software library developed by Peter Adolphs (later CEO of Pepperl+Fuchs) at Professor Henning Tolle's (ISRA AG) for real-time motion planning of a KUKA robot, it was possible to transform the potential obstacles into the Cartesian configuration space (Klaus Hoermann). We were able to show that motion planning is possible under geometric constraints in Cartesian configuration space and thus without simulation.

Other important research teams at that time: Hartmut Weule and Dieter Spath, University of Karlsruhe, Peter Adolphs and Henning Tolle, Technical University of Darmstadt

Selection of our publications:

• Lueth, T.C.; , “Automated planning of robot workcell layouts,” Robotics and Automation, 1992. Proceedings., ICRA 1992 IEEE International Conference on , vol., no., pp.1103-1108 vol.2, May 12-14, 1992
• Näger, G.; Lueth, T.C. (1994): Development of an Integrated Domain Representation for Configuration, Action Planning, and Layout Planning of Assembly Systems, ISPE/IFAC Int.´l Conf. on CAD/CAM, Robotics and Factories of the Future, Ottawa, August, 21-24, 1994, pp. 87-92.
• T. Lueth, U. Osmers, D. Spath, U. Rembold: “Information Infrastructure and Information Processing in Distributed Controlled Production Cells,” FAIM'96, 6th Int'l. Conf. on Flexible Automation & Intelligent Manufacturing, Atlanta, Georgia, May 13-15, 1996

Method & System: Impact Point Calculation for the Control of a Table Tennis Game Robot with Neural Networks

Participating scientists: Kurt Siedenburg, Joachim Wietzke, Rüdiger Bien, Tim Lueth, Wolfgang Hilberg 

Objective: The aim of Tim Lüth's work was to determine the point of impact of a flying table tennis ball with the help of neural networks from several position data of two PSD elements (simple 2D cameras).

Results: Based on the methods of Joachim Schürmann, the trajectory was approximated using polynomial classifiers and the quick-and-dirty rule (multi-layer perceptron) from a sequence of 2D position information of a pair of PSD element doubles and the impact point of the club (planar loudspeaker) was calculated. In the thesis, the estimated impact position was compared with the theoretically calculated impact position. The comparison with the real trajectory could not be completed.

Other important research teams at this time: Joachim Schürmann, Daimler Benz Research, Helge Ritter, Bielefeld University

Selection of our publications:

• Tim Lueth, Joachim Wietzke, Rüdiger Bien:Neural networks play table tennis [Neural-Net controlled robot plays Ping Pong] . DAGMSymposium1991: Proceeding pattern recognition 1991, 13th DAGM-Symposium, Springer-Verlag 82-87