For DataCT, the BI is collaborating with Siemens Healthineers, the Vodafone Chair for Mobile Communications Systems at TU Dresden, Fraunhofer IZM, and NXP Semiconductors to develop a wireless technology capable of reliably transmitting image data in the demanding environment of a CT scanner. The long-term goal is to enable higher data rates, reduce maintenance costs, and improve the maintainability of future CT systems.
“CT systems must operate reliably for many years, even as the volume of image data continues to grow. With DataCT, we want to demonstrate that a wireless connection can reliably transmit this data—without the mechanical wear and maintenance costs associated with today’s solutions,” says Dr. Padmanava Sen, DataCT project coordinator at the Barkhausen Institute.
To date, DataCT has been developed in two funding phases of the SEMECO Future Cluster. In the first project phase, from 2023 to 2026, the consortium demonstrated the feasibility of the wireless transmission concept: The researchers characterized the transmission conditions in CT systems through measurements, developed initial custom hardware, and set up demonstration platforms. Building on this, the second phase, which began in May 2026, focuses on completing the system architecture, further developing the application-specific hardware, and validating the technology with custom hardware in realistic CT environments. Since the start of this phase, NXP Semiconductors has joined the research team as a new partner.
The new technology pursues several key objectives:
- Greater scalability and faster examinations: Advances in semiconductor technology are expected to enable wireless transmission chips to continuously increase their performance. Higher data rates could lead to shorter times to a finished image and support future generations of imaging techniques.
- Greater reliability: Fewer components prone to wear and tear reduce the risk of failure and increase the system’s availability in everyday clinical practice.
- Higher image quality: Data rates of up to 100 gigabits per second are expected to enable virtually lossless real-time transmission of image data, thereby laying the foundation for even more detailed CT scans.
- Compact and portable solutions: The technology could also be used for other wireless communication devices and serve as the basis for future portable medical devices.
The overarching goal of the research is to investigate how modern wireless technologies can make medical imaging more powerful and reliable in the future.
About SEMECO
Through the Clusters4Future initiative, the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR) supports excellent, primarily regional innovation ecosystems. SEMECO (Secure Medical Microsystems and Communications) is one of a total of 14 funded “Clusters for the Future.” SEMECO brings together research institutions with medical and industrial partners to develop secure microelectronic solutions for medical technology. Following the successful completion of the first funding phase, SEMECO will receive funding from the BMFTR for another three years. The second of up to three possible implementation phases began in May 2026.
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Related Links
👉 https://semeco.info/
Photo: Siemens Healthineers
