Andreas MELZER

Andreas Melzer

Germany

Director

ICCAS University Leipzig and IMSaT University Dundee

Andreas Melzer studied General and Dental Medicine in Mainz and Tübingen and has 28 years experiences in the development of medical technologies named on 113 patents and over 200 publications. Since 1989 he serves as general sectary of iSMIT. Since 2006 he is Full Professor and Founding Director of the Institute for Medical Science and Technology and Honorary Clinical Professor NHS Tayside, Dundee. IMSaT has exceeded €35 million total project budget. The IMSaT strategy developed by Professor Melzer is focused on a synergistic program of translational research of basic science to clinical applications. In 2014 he has been appointed as Professor and Director of ICCAS the Innovation Center for Computer Assisted Surgery of the University Leipzig, Germany. In 2014 he has been invited as one of 1000 experts to serve as Professor of FUS at Chongqing University, China. He was awarded €4.5 million in 6 EU projects and in access of 20 m € funding from the German Ministry of Science for the development of MRI-guided interventions and focused ultrasound including LIFU for targeted drug delivery and radiation therapy. He founded and established the EAES Technology Committee in 1995. Together with Calin Tiu he is organizing the first ever hands on EAES annual Ultrasound courses for surgeons since 2017.

Biomedical Engineering and Imaging guided procedures

Dental and general Medicine, Training as interventional Radiologist

Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences, Investigator awards at iSMIT, ISMRM and EAES, Hamlyn Robotic Design Challenge

Melzer A, Schurr MO, Kunert W, Buess G, Voges U, and Meyer JU “Intelligent Surgical Instrument System ISIS. Concept and Preliminary experimental application of components and prototypes” Endoscopic Surger & Allied Techn 1 (3) 165 - 170 (1993) This paper presents the results of the pioneering project of the nuclear research center of Karlsruhe (KFK) with the University of Tubingen to develop the first laparo-endoscopic manipulator for robotic surgery ISIS (precursor of DaVinci robotics). Under his leadership the first remote handled laparoscopic cholecystectomy have been performed in an ex vivo model. Various instruments for robotic surgery, multi-functional instruments, deflectable articulated and suturing instruments (EndoStich) have been developed and became commercially available. Melzer A, Riek S, Roth K, and Buess G “Endoscopically controlled Trocar and Cannula Insertion” Endoscopic Surgery and Allied Technologies 3 (1) 63 - 68 (1995) The development of the ‘optical scalpel’ together with Olympus had a very wide impact in the field as this instrument tackled on one of the major risks of laparoscopic surgery the initial blind trocar insertion through the abdominal wall, which has led to fatal complications. Andreas Melzer’s concept was taken on by the major vendors and has changed the view on the safety of the access techniques to the peritoneal cavity. Melzer A, Schmidt A, Kipfmüller K, Grönemeyer G, and Seibel R “Technology and principles of tomographic image-guided interventions and surgery” Surgical Endoscopy - Ultrasound and Interventional Techniques 11 (9) 946 - 956 (1997) The paper presents an impressive successful transition of his research in surgery to the field of Radiology in 1994. In very short time AM developed MRI compatible devices, clinical techniques and performed MRI guided interventional procedures (iMRI) on more than 300 patients in the Siemens Open 0.2 Tesla Magnet (1995 – 1998). The MRI compatible titanium instruments have been very useful and currently available from InVivo Medical. Immel E and Melzer A “Improvement of the MR imaging behaviour of vascular implants” Minimally Invasive Therapy and Allied Technologies 15 (2) 85 – 92 (2006) This pioneering research and development MR enhancing implants has raised a total of €5m funding for 3 spinout companies and the 47 issued patents across 8 patent families were licensed to Boston Scientific. Melzer A, Gutmann B, Remmele T, Wolf R, Lukoscheck A, Bock M, Bardenheuer H, and Fischer H. INNOMOTION for percutaneous image-guided interventions IEEE Eng. Med. Biol. Magazine 27 (3) 66 - 73 (2008) The described MR/CT Robot is the first of its kind and has got CE mark in 2005.