Today Comaniciu works with his teams in Princeton, Erlangen, Munich, and Graz. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) recently honored him with the Longuet-Higgins Prize, an important award for researchers who have made fundamental contributions to the field of computerassisted image recognition. Comaniciu was recognized for his work on the real-time tracking of objects whose shape constantly changes.

The 46-year-old researcher’s most far-reaching patent idea is a mathematical concept called Robust Information Fusion. It is based on a mathematical approach to detecting and weeding out questionable information from any given data source. The system improves the quality and validity of the most diverse types of data, regardless of whether the information comes from a surveillance camera or an ultrasound signaling unit. “Once you have reliable data that can be fused, you can then develop expert systems to evaluate these data and draw conclusions from them,” he explains.

The first commercial applications are syngo Auto Ejection Fraction (EF) and Auto OB; both programs were developed by CT in conjunction with the Healthcare Sector. Auto EF uses ultrasound images to automatically determine the amount of blood ejected by the heart during a contraction as a fraction of the total volume of the ventricle. And it does so much faster than a human expert could. Auto OB uses advanced pattern recognition technology to recognize anatomical landmarks.

Comaniciu’s team is also involved in longer-range projects for the development of databases and algorithms for various applications, such as those for the automatic detection of colon and prostate cancer and vascular disorders. The team recently succeeded in portraying a scalable model of a heart on a computer, with which complete information about the anatomy, hemodynamics, and biomechanics can be analyzed. Comaniciu considers such models to be the key to new therapies for cardiac patients. “You always have to push the limits,” he says. “People often come to me and tell me that something’s just not possible. And my response to them is always the same: ‘Then try it again!’ As a manager, you constantly have to walk a tightrope. You have to have a plan and know how to stick to it. But at the same time, you have to give people enough leeway to develop their creativity. You’ve got to have fun with what you’re doing and know how to convince your team members that they are working on something big that could change society.”