Research News
The team around Dr Erika Garutti (fifth from the left): Niklas Hegemann, Maximilian Schmidt, Dr Alessandro Silenzi, Dr Martin Goettlich and Chen Xu. Photo: DESY
Detector Technology for Cancer Diagnostics
Since five years, Dr Erika Garutti heads a Helmholtz young investigator group at DESY near Hamburg and develops detector technology for particle accelerators. The high energy physicist has now raised EU funds amounting to six million Euro for a new project. Together with some 60 colleagues from 13 countries, she develops a miniaturised PET scanner for cancer diagnostics, in particular for pancreatic or prostate cancer. One of the two detectors is to be installed at the tip of an endoscope and inserted into the body, whereas the other detector receives the signals from an external position.
How, as a particle physicist, did you arrive at the idea of collaborating in a health research project?
Garutti: We often ask ourselves, how can we use our advanced technology for everyday problems. But funnily enough the idea indeed was triggered by a journalist to whom I explained my calorimetre. She said, this may be very interesting indeed but can you also save a life with it? That was an interesting question. I then went on to think about it and found that our highly sensitive calorimetres could actually considerably improve the resolution of PET examinations.
What are the first steps you need to take to this end?
Garutti: We want to miniaturise our detector technology so far to be able to fit it into a normal endoscope. For instance, a detector head could thus be passed into the body through the oesophagus and be brought to the near proximity of the pancreas. The sensitivity would be around one-hundred times higher than with full body PET scanners measuring the patient from the exterior.
In how far does the new cooperation agreement PIER between the Helmholtz Centre DESY and the University of Hamburg contribute to your project?
Garutti: PIER makes it easier to realise such an interdisciplinary project. We develop the detector technology here at DESY but a lot more can be achieved when working together with physicians and biologists. So far, as particle physicist I have had little contact with the medical and biological faculties at the university. PIER will help me to find partners and PhD students from other disciplines. For instance, PIER gives us the opportunity to work together with the university hospital in Eppendorf.
Do you see other exciting uses for detector technology?
Garutti: Oh yes, there are a few. For example, with photo detectors from accelerator physics one can develop a device to measure the natural radon radiation in the ground and in houses. The devices on the market for this purpose are either rather expensive or not accurate enough. And in some regions in the south of Germany and in Switzerland the radon contamination of the ground really is a problem.
Thank you very much for the interview!
