Such a planning and monitoring of a therapy hast to consider the organ morphology, the perfusion and motion to the point of microscopic and cellular level.

The relations of these levels are not yet well understood. They are objects of the project FUSIMO (Patient specific modelling and simulation of focused ultrasound in moving organs.) In the context of FUSIMO a multi-scale model for interventions with focused ultrasound in abdominal organs while breathing movement will be developed, implemented and validated.The project is funded by the EU for three years and will be realized with 11 partners from 9 countries.

After Prof. Andreas Melzer from the University of Dundee inaugurated the kick-off meeting, project coordinator Prof. Tobias Preusser from Fraunhofer MEVIS gave an overview of the project including the clinical background, the challenges and aims. All project partners introduced their institutions, their competences and project members. A highlight of the meeting was the "guided tour through the university labs" which includes an experimental demonstration of MR guided focused ultrasound intervention.

Fraunhofer MEVIS will explore mathematical models and numerical simulations for physiological processes in moving organs and is particularly involved in the development of software demonstrators for the simulation and therapy. Thereby Fraunhofer MEVIS is strengthening its project portfolio in the field of focused ultrasound, a promising therapy in the field of minimal invasive intervention.