The MI Lab research plan can be summarised as follows:

• Ultrasound technology

Ultrasound is facing a paradigm shift in technology over the next 10 years that will totally change the way it is used. It can only be compared with the PC revolution in the computer industry. The critical technology will be in transducers, front-end beam formers, multiple harmonic imaging, increased contrast agent sensitivity and advanced decision support systems. The MI Lab research task is to create innovation in all these areas of ultrasound technology. Two specific goals are image resolution of 0.1-1 mm cubic (dependent on depth of imaged organ) and ten-fold increase in sensitivity for ultrasound contrast agents.

• Medical imaging applications for non-expert users

The MI Lab research task is to provide ultrasound capability at the general practitioner level and advanced MRI and ultrasound protocols at small local hospitals and imaging centres. The goal is to reduce the burden on specialist consultants and advanced medical institutions in accordance with the ‘initial point of care’ treatment philosophy. MI Lab will create innovation in data acquisition, data post-processing, parametric extraction and visualisation, and also in IT support systems for interpretation of the results, workflow infrastructure and communication with expert users. One specific goal is that follow-up of (multi) drug therapy adjustments for heart failure patients can be performed at the general practitioner using quantitative ultrasound imaging of cardiac function.

• Image-guided minimally invasive surgery

The MI Lab research task is to provide universally adaptable high quality of surgical procedures, and also include new methods for reduced risk and early detection of post-operative complications. MI Lab will create innovation of new intra-operative imaging based on combination of ultrasound and surgical navigation, innovation of new preoperative advanced MR imaging to obtain high quality anatomic and functional information for surgical planning and for display in the operation theatre, and innovation of new postoperative MR and ultrasound imaging for early detection of postoperative complications. One specific goal is to enable radical surgery of brain tumours with minimal damage to brain tissue and patient function.

• Image-based information to support medical decision making

The MI Lab research task is to provide acquisition protocols that integrate anatomical, functional, metabolic and molecular imaging to obtain more complete biological information about the patient and his/her disease entity. An integrated part will be to adapt the new imaging technology to relevant diagnostic and therapeutic methods in biotechnology and genomics. Four specific goals are to develop and evaluate methods for: in-vivo phenotyping of breast and prostate cancer with combined MR and ultrasound, ultrasound guidance of biopsy sampling from cancer ‘hot spot’, ultrasound monitoring of foetal cardiovascular growth and function, and MR guidance of stem cell therapy in heart and brain.