History of the "General Radiology and Medical Physics" Department

 

Until 1975, the physics training of veterinary medicine students was carried out by the physics institutes of the University of Hannover. In 1975, Prof. Dr. Giese, who as a veterinary surgeon and scientific employee of the "Physiological Institute" had still completed a physics degree, was entrusted with the establishment and management of the subject area "Medical Physics". Since that time, the physics and radiology training of veterinary students has been carried out at the University of Veterinary Medicine itself. This possibility is unique when one considers the five faculties of veterinary medicine in Germany.

In the field of research, various investigations were carried out with radioactive isotopes, such as in placental perfusion. In 1985, at the instigation of Prof. Dr. Giese, the University of Veterinary Medicine acquired an isotope mass spectrometer. With this device and an infrared spectrometer that became available later, physical measuring methods were developed that made it possible to do without examinations with radioactive isotopes as far as possible.

Various electronic measuring systems were developed and used for the clinics and institutes of the University of Veterinary Medicine. These include a measuring system for monitoring the core temperature in slaughter animal halves during cooling. This makes it possible to optimise the cooling of the animals after slaughter. A measuring device for rapid temperature measurement was developed for the clinic for small cloven-hoofed animals, with the help of which diseases can be detected at an early stage, especially in large animal herds. Both research activities resulted in many dissertations, which were written in the department itself or in cooperation with other university institutions.

After the nuclear power plant accident in Chernobyl in 1986, the decontamination of humans, animals and food and feed became an important topic. Prof. Dr. Giese developed a caesium-specific ion exchanger ("Giese salt"), which was applied on a large scale in the decontamination of 5000 tonnes of contaminated whey powder. In addition, "Giese-Salz", which was internationally approved as a harmless feed and food additive, was used in the form of lickstones to decontaminate wild animals in various German states and European countries.

In 1999, Prof. Dr. Giese retired from university service. Between 1999 and 2002, teaching was carried out by Dr Koch and Dr Lüpke. In July 2002, Prof. Dr. Seifert, who had previously worked for 10 years as a medical physicist at the Radiological University Clinic in Homburg/Saar, succeeded Prof. Dr. Giese. Since he took up his post, the department has been called "General Radiology and Medical Physics".