Willi A. Kalender (born 1 August 1949) is a German medical physicist and professor and former chairman of the Institute of Medical Physics of the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg.[1] Kalender has produced several new technologies in the field of diagnostic radiology imaging.

Kalender is a Fellow of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) and Honorary Fellow of the British Institute of Radiology (BIR) and of the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM). Kalender was also elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering (2016) for the development of spiral computed tomography methods that enable modern high-speed 3D medical imaging with X-rays.

Education

Kalender started his studies in physics and mathematics at the University of Bonn, Germany. He completed his master's and Ph.D. degree in medical physics at the University of Wisconsin in 1974 and 1979, respectively. In 1988 he completed all postdoctoral lecturing qualifications (Habilitation) at the University of Tübingen, Germany. In order to get a better grasp of the subject, he took and successfully completed all courses in the pre-clinical medicine curriculum.

Career

From 1979 to 1995 Kalender worked in the research laboratories of Siemens Medical Systems in Erlangen, Germany; he was appointed head of the Medical Physics group in 1988. In 1995 he was appointed full professor and chairman of the newly established Institute of Medical Physics at the Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany. In 1999 he became distinguished visiting professor to the Department of Radiology at Stanford University, Stanford, CA, US.

Research and Development Achievements

Kalender has conducted research mainly in the area of diagnostic radiology imaging with a clear focus on special CT applications. The goals of and motivation for his projects were mostly derived from observations during patient exams in clinical radiology.

Kalender was involved in the development of the world's first product options for dual-energy CT [1] in 1983 and for metal artifact reduction (MAR) [2] in 1987.

Kalender developed volumetric spiral computed tomography; the world's first clinical spiral CT studies were presented at RSNA 1989 [3] . The combination of continuous data acquisition with slip-ring-based data transmission and continuous table translation led to considerable reduction of examination times, to an essential reduction of motion artifacts and image quality significantly improved by providing isotropic spatial resolution as a decisive feature.

Kalender developed angio-CT [4] and heart phase-specific cardiac imaging [6]

Other highly important fields of W. Kalender's research have been radiation protection and the development of intelligent and very efficient dose reduction approaches such as tube current modulation [7] and the optimization of the choice of x-ray spectra [8]. They allow reducing the patient dose by an order of magnitude in many cases without impairing image quality.

2008-2019 Kalender's research was focused on the development of an efficient breast-CT system to improve the early detection of breast cancer [10]. The scanner and in particular the development of its high-resolution photon-counting detector design allow scanning the breast with a dose similar to that of digital mammography, but with much higher resolution and clarity than mammography due to superposition-free fully 3D-resolution of breast-CT [11]. The introduction into clinical practice was performed in 2018 at the University Spital Zurich (Swiss).

Kalender has founded several university spinoff companies to transfer scientific results into products and small business.

Selected Honours & Awards

Publications

Kalender has authored 963 publications, including 286 original scientific papers; his Hirsch-index is cited with a 69 (ISI-Web of Knowledge, 2018)

Selected papers

Twelve out of 286 original scientific papers:

[1] Kalender WA, Klotz E, Süß C. An integral approach to vertebral bone mineral analysis by X-ray computed tomography. Radiology 1987; 164:419-423

[2] Kalender WA, Hebel R. Fast routine for the reduction of artifacts caused by metallic implants in CT images. Radiology 1986; 161(P):345

[3] Kalender WA, Seissler W, Klotz E, Vock P. Spiral volumetric CT with single-breath-hold technique, continuous transport, and continuous scanner rotation. Radiology 1990; 176:181-183

[4] Kalender WA. Thin-section three-dimensional spiral CT: Is isotropic imaging possible? Radiology 1995; 197: 578-580

[5] Bautz W, Strotzer M, Lenz M, Dittler HJ, Kalender WA. Preoperative evaluation of the vessels of the upper abdomen with spiral CT: Comparison with conventional CT and arterial DXA. Radiology 1991; 181(P):261

[6] Kachelrieß M, Kalender WA: ECG-correlated image reconstruction from sub second multi-slice spiral CT scans of the heart. Med. Phys. 2000; 27 (8): 1881-1902

[7] Kalender WA, Wolf H, Suess C, Gies M, Greess H, Bautz WA: Dose reduction in CT by online tube current control: principles and validation on phantoms and cadavers. Eur. Radiol. 1999; 9: 323-328

[8] Kalender WA, Deak P, van Straten M, Vollmar SV. Application- and patient size-dependent optimization of x-ray spectra for CT. Med. Phys. 2009; 36:993-1007

[9] Kalender WA. Dose in x-ray computed tomography. Phys Med Biol 2014; 59 R129-R150

[10] Kalender WA, Beister M, Boone JM, Kolditz D, Vollmar SV, Weigel MCC . High-resolution spiral CT of the breast at very low dose: concept and feasibility considerations Eur Radiol 2012; 22: 1-8

[11] Kalender WA, Kolditz D, Steiding C, Ruth V, Lück F, Rößler AC, Wenkel E. Technical feasibility proof for high-resolution low-dose CT of the breast. Eur Radiol 2017; 27:1081-1087

[12] The 4th edition of the textbook “Computed Tomography” by WA Kalender, published by Publicis Publishing Erlangen is expected for late 2018.

References

  1. ↑ "Institute of Medical Physics, Erlangen". www.imp.uni-erlangen.de. Retrieved 2017-08-11.
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