Student operates an MRI scanner while a patient lies on the table, ready for a scan.

Imaging & In Vitro Diagnostics

Learn to visualise and interpret the processes in human cells and bodies, in order to detect diseases and monitor health.

Are there painless and more reliable ways to detect breast cancer? Within the specialisation in Imaging & In Vitro Diagnostics, you will develop new strategies and improve existing techniques for visualising the human body and detecting abnormalities in cells and tissues in order to detect diseases and monitor health. The focus is on generating medical images of the human body on the one hand (imaging), and on analysing bodily fluids and tissue samples outside of the human body on the other hand (in vitro diagnostics).

As a student of this specialisation, you will understand exactly which diagnostic technique to use for which purpose. You get a broad overview of techniques for both imaging or in vitro diagnostics.

Séverine Le Gac, associate professor in the department of Applied Microfluidics for BioEngineering Research

About this specialisation

Courses & research Career perspectives How to apply?

What is Imaging & In Vitro Diagnostics?

This specialisation familiarises you with the latest techniques and developments in the field of optics, optical microscopy, photoacoustics, ultrasound, radiation, (electro)magnetism as well as in vitro diagnostics, including lab-on-a-chip devices. You will not only gain an understanding of these techniques and apply them in medical contexts, but you will also aim to improve these techniques. You might for example focus on optimising the accuracy or efficiency of certain diagnostic techniques, or on reducing the impact on patients by imaging the body without the need for an operation or the injection of contrast fluid. Ultimately, you will enable physicians to offer their patients better treatment based on optimal evidence.

Examples of courses you will follow during this specialisation:

  • In In Vitro Diagnostics, you and your team members will design an IVD solution for a disease or disorder, answering unmet needs by current solutions, and present your solution to different clinical, industrial and academic stakeholders.
  • How can you improve medical imaging modalities to get outstanding images within the least amount of time? In Imaging Technology in Radiology, you learn how medical images are formed based on the measured signal.

In developing and improving such imaging and in vitro techniques, there’s a great variety of topics you might come across. For example, how can you perform a CT scan with minimal (harmful) radiation? How can you accelerate the analysis of MRI scans to optimise population cancer screening? And what about detecting infectious diseases through self-tests instead of laboratory testing? You will learn to deal with relevant, real-life challenges that are of topical interest in today’s clinical practice. This specialisation is integrated within UT’s inspiring and innovative TechMed Centre, enabling you to work on high tech experiments within multidisciplinary teams.

Background knowledge

For the specialisation in Imaging & In Vitro Diagnostics a strong foundation of imaging, optics, and signal analysis is essential. These examples provide insight into the types of background knowledge we typically expect from applicants. They are for illustrative purposes only and do not constitute a formal admission requirement or a guarantee of acceptance.

What will you learn?

In this specialisation, you focus on technologies that allow you to observe, measure, and interpret biological processes. You learn how imaging and diagnostic methods provide insight into health and disease at different scales.

Knowledge

After completing this Master’s specialisation, you:

  • understand principles behind medical imaging modalities such as MRI, CT, ultrasound, and optical imaging;
  • understand signal formation, image reconstruction, and quantitative image analysis;
  • understand in-vitro diagnostic technologies and biosensing principles;
  • can evaluate and optimise diagnostic systems for clinical use.
Skills

After successfully finishing this Master’s specialisation, you:

  • can analyse complex biomedical challenges and translate them into engineering solutions;
  • can design, conduct, and critically evaluate experimental and/or computational research;
  • can integrate engineering, biomedical, and clinical knowledge in the development of healthcare technologies;
  • can communicate scientific and technical results to researchers, clinicians, and other stakeholders;
  • can work independently and collaboratively in multidisciplinary and international teams.
Values

After completing this Master’s specialisation, you:

  • are driven to improve healthcare and patient outcomes through engineering innovation;
  • consider ethical, societal, regulatory, and sustainability aspects in your work;
  • adopt a patient- and user-centred perspective in the development of technology;
  • demonstrate scientific curiosity, critical thinking, and commitment to lifelong learning.

Other master’s and specialisations

Is this specialisation not exactly what you’re looking for? Maybe one of the other specialisations suits you better. Or find out more about related Master’s:

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