Perfusion Technology Group
Table of contents
Overview
The working group focuses on application-oriented research in the field of extracorporeal perfusion in order to enable an improvement of technical solutions available today.
The focus of the working group is on device and process developments for transplantation medicine and for extracoporal life support systems (ECLS). The research and development work includes design, modelling and simulation, construction and prototype building as well as experimental validation and testing of perfusion technology components and systems. The work is based on a close interdisciplinary linking of engineering and natural sciences with medical disciplines. Joint research projects are conceived and realised in national and international interdisciplinary cooperation with hospitals, industry and research institutions.
Combining current research with teaching is important to us. Students from different disciplines will find a wide range of topics for project work and theses.
Collaboration
Interested students have the opportunity to work on research topics of the group at any time within the framework of project, study, diploma and master theses or through employment as a WHK/SHK.
Specific enquiries should be addressed to the reasearch group leader (see below for contact details).
We are looking for a student assistant (10 h/week) for the semester to support the teaching and research. The work time is 10 hours/week. The specific timeslot can be adjusted according to your schedule. The duration of employment is in accordance with the WissZeitVG.
Tasks:
- Support in the preparation and execution of tests on medical devices.
- Support in the preparation and execution of experiments
- Construction of accessories for measuring stations
- Processing of 3D printing orders.
Requirements:
- Matriculation at a university
- Knowledge of CAD (preferably Inventor)
- Interest in working in a medical environment
- Very good knowledge of the German language.
Please submit your application documents with CV and current overview of grades by e-mail to:
Ms Dr.-Ing. Susanne Kromnik
susanne.kromnik@tu-dresden.de
- ECMO applications
Support with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation is used as a rescue procedure when care via the lungs using invasive ventilation can no longer be guaranteed. ECMO therapy ranges from a few hours to several weeks. The key element of ECMO is the oxygenator. This is where oxygen is enriched and carbon dioxide is eliminated from the blood. The functionality of this component in the ECMO system is of crucial importance.- Research areas of current oxygenator concepts
Investigation of current research developments, such as novel concepts or integration of functions into the oxygenator component. -
Market analysis of existing gas mixing systems for ECMO
- Research areas of current oxygenator concepts
- 3D printing for medical technology
Additive manufacturing of components is a fast and cost-effective process for the production of very small series. This process is also being used more and more frequently in the field of medical technology.- Topics on request
- Respiratory technology and respiratory gas analysis
- Investigation of the current state of research and identification of adverse events in rescue vehicles
04. Kidney
- Investigation of the current state of research in the field of electrical impedance tomography
Use of impedance tomography in the field of organ perfusion and evaluation of organs -
Current research areas in the field of kidney and liver replacement therapy
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Analysis and processing of hyperspectral images
Individual topic suggestions on current topics of the working group are possible at any time.
Topics for student research projects and diploma theses include:
- Development of device components and control strategies for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)
- Conceptual design of an evaluation of the oxygenator in ECMO application
- Development of device concepts for ex vivo organ perfusion
- Further development of the organ storage based on existing concepts
- Conceptual design and development of an emergency power system
- Development of components for the controlled oxygenated reperfusion (COR) of donor kidneys for NMP
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Evaluation of existing data sets (blood data, perfusion data, image data) with regard to existing standards
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Further development of existing topology concepts with regard to optimized usability
- Research in the field of 3D printing for medical technology
- Conceptual design of in-process quality assurance methods for 3D printing
- Optimization and modularization of an existing silicone 3D printing system
- Investigation of oxygen enrichment in air vehicles during high-flow oxygen therapy
Our partners offer the following topics or positions:
VIVE-Medtech
Pulmonary Engineering Group, Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus
Selected Projects
Organ models
In surgical training of minimally invasive procedures, the use of animal organs should be avoided. This requires the provision of technical models to simulate human physiology. The Institute of Biomedical Engineering at the Technical University of Dresden has developed innovative organ phantoms of the gastrointestinal tract, including the liver and gall bladder, in cooperation with the Research Institute for Leather and Plastic Sheeting FILK in Freiberg and the Research Group for Minimally Invasive Interdisciplinary Therapeutic Intervention (MITI) at the Technical University of Munich. These are characterised by a realistic appearance (shape, size, colour, texture) and haptics (weight, viscosity, elasticity) as well as by their suitability for surgical preparation methods such as sharp or electrocautery cutting, clipping, grasping, injecting, suturing, stapling and for display in imaging procedures. The developed collagen-based organ phantoms were integrated into an ELITE surgical phantom to provide a training unit for various applications, e.g. cholecystectomy (removal of the gallbladder).
- Optimisation of perfusion for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)
- Extracorporeal perfusion of kidneys
Hyperspectral imaging for the assessment of organ status during perfusion.
Partner

Partner im Netzwerk Organ lifetool
Close multidisciplinary cooperation between engineers, natural scientists and physicians is absolutely necessary for medical technology innovations to solve complex medical problems. Only in this way can new procedures or products be developed from the results of life science basic research or clinical patient-oriented research to market maturity. The ZIM cooperation network Medical Technology: Focus on Organ Perfusion as an association of companies and research institutions from all over Germany aims to bundle the competences of innovative medical technology companies along the value chain of product development throughout Germany to develop the technology of extracorporeal organ perfusion and to bring them together with research institutions and clinical expertise at an early stage.
Further contacts:
- University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden
- Clinic and Polyclinic for Urology
- Clinic and Polyclinic for Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Therapy
- VIVE-MedTech GmbH
- Diaspective Vision GmbH
Researcher

Research Group Leader
NameMs Dr.-Ing. Susanne Kromnik
Perfusion Technology Group
Send encrypted email via the SecureMail portal (for TUD external users only).
Visitor Address:
Fetscherforum (F29), 1st Floor, Room 36 Fetscherstr. 29
01307 Dresden
None
Mr Andreas Döcke, M. Sc.
Lab- and IT-Administration
Send encrypted email via the SecureMail portal (for TUD external users only).
Visitor Address:
Fetscherforum (29), 1st Floor, Room 35 Fetscherstr. 29
01307 Dresden
None
Publications
2022
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Investigation of the Drift Characteristics of Inline Blood Gas Sensors , 31 Aug 2022, In: Biomedical engineering : joint journal of the German Society for Biomedical Engineering in VDE and the Austrian and Swiss Societies for Biomedical Engineering. 67, s1, p. 153-153, 1 p.Electronic (full-text) versionResearch output: Contribution to journal > Meeting abstract
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Biomarkers of kidney damage correlate with macroscopic quality of porcine kidneys during normothermic whole blood machine perfusion , 19 Aug 2022, Die Urologie: Abstracts des 74. Kongresses der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Urologie e. V.. Suppl 3 ed., Springer Medizin Verlag GmbH, Vol. 61. p. S129-S129, 1 p., AF07.1Electronic (full-text) versionResearch output: Contribution to book/conference proceedings/anthology/report > Conference contribution
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Machine-derived data and molecular markers as indicators of organ quality in normothermic machine perfusion with whole blood , Feb 2022, In: European urology. 81, S1, p. S1599-S1599, 1 p., A1086Electronic (full-text) versionResearch output: Contribution to journal > Meeting abstract
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Molekularbiologische Untersuchungen an normotherm perfundierten porcinen Nieren zur Evaluation eines neuentwickelten Perfusionssystems mit Vollblut , 2022Research output: Contribution to conferences > Abstract
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Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and N-acetyl-a-d-glucosaminidase (NAG) reflect macroscopic injury during normothermic machine perfusion with whole blood , 2022, Abstracts of the 31st Annual Meeting of the German Transplantation Society (DTG 2022). Erlangen: German Transplant Society, p. 97 - 98, 2 p.Electronic (full-text) versionResearch output: Contribution to book/conference proceedings/anthology/report > Conference contribution
2021
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Monitoring of specific metabolites in plasma by nmr spectroscopy under normothermic machine perfusion (nmp) of porcine kidneys with whole blood , 3 Oct 2021, In: Transplant international. 34, Suppl 2, p. 31-31, 1 p., PO-106Electronic (full-text) versionResearch output: Contribution to journal > Meeting abstract
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The suitability of the classical kidney injury markers ngal, kim-1 and nag as early markers of reperfusion injury in porcine kidneys during normothermic whole-blood perfusion , Oct 2021, In: Transplant international. 34, S2, p. 26-26, 1 p., PO-070Electronic (full-text) versionResearch output: Contribution to journal > Meeting abstract
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KIM-1 shows potential to be predictive of re-perfusion damage in porcine kidneys during normothermic whole-blood machine perfusion , Sep 2021, Der Urologe 2021 (Suppl. 1): Abstracts des 73. Kongresses der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Urologie e. V.. Suppl 1 ed., Springer-Medizin Verlag, Vol. 60. V06.1Electronic (full-text) versionResearch output: Contribution to book/conference proceedings/anthology/report > Conference contribution
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3D Printed Catheters in Organ Perfusion with respect to hemolysis , 1 Jun 2021, ZenodoElectronic (full-text) versionResearch output: Book/Report/Anthology > Anthology
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Normothermic machine perfusion of porcine kidneys with whole blood - Evaluation of an assistance system for donor kidneys in transplant medicine , Jun 2021, In: European urology. 79, p. S493-S493Research output: Contribution to journal > Meeting abstract