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Technical University of Munich
Technical University of Munich

Franz Pfeiffer

Fellowship
Carl von Linde Senior Fellow

Appointment
2015

Institution
Technical University of Munich

Department
Biomedical Physics

Focus Group
Phase Contrast Computed Tomography

Short CV

Franz Pfeiffer (b. 1972) studied physics at Munich’s Ludwig Maximilian University (1999) and was awarded doctorates by the Institut Laue-Langevin (Grenoble) and the University of Saarbrücken (2003). Following subsequent positions as a post-doc in Urbana-Champaign (USA) and as a member of scientific staff at the Paul Scherrer Institute (Switzerland, 2008), he initially assumed the position of assistant professor at École Polytechnique Fédérale in Lausanne (2008). He was appointed to the Chair of Biomedical Physics at TUM in 2009.

Selected Awards

  • 2011, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize of the German Research Foundation (DFG)
  • 2010, Röntgen Prize of Justus Liebig University Giessen
  • 2010, National Latsis Prize of the Swiss National Science Foundation
  • 2009, Starting Grant Award of the European Research Council

Research Interests

Franz Pfeiffer conducts research on biomedical X-ray physics. The focus of this research is new imaging methods for improved early diagnosis and detailed studies of illnesses such as cancer and osteoporosis. His scientific work extends from fundamentally oriented research with high-energy X-rays in large international research centers to applied research on new concepts in medical technology.

Selected Publications

  • Dierolf, Martin; Menzel, Andreas; Thibault, Pierre; Schneider, Philipp; Kewish, Cameron M.; Wepf, Roger; Bunk, Oliver; Pfeiffer, Franz: Ptychographic X-ray computed tomography at the nanoscale. Nature 467 (7314), 2010, 436-439.
  • Pfeiffer, F.; Bech, M.; Bunk, O.; Kraft, P.; Eikenberry, E. F.; Brönnimann, Ch; Grünzweig, C.; David, C.: Hard-X-ray dark-field imaging using a grating interferometer. Nature materials 7 (2), 2008, 134-137.
  • Thibault, Pierre; Dierolf, Martin; Menzel, Andreas; Bunk, Oliver; David, Christian; Pfeiffer, Franz: High-resolution scanning x-ray diffraction microscopy. Science (New York, N.Y.) 321 (5887), 2008, 379-382.
  • Pfeiffer, Franz; Weitkamp, Timm; Bunk, Oliver; David, Christian: Phase retrieval and differential phase-contrast imaging with low-brilliance X-ray sources. Nature Physics 2 (4), 2006, 258-261.
  • Pfeiffer, F.; David, C.; Burghammer, M.; Riekel, C.; Salditt, T.: Two-dimensional x-ray waveguides and point sources. Science (New York, N.Y.) 297 (5579), 2002, 230-234.

Publications as TUM-IAS-Fellow

2022

  • Frank, Manuela; Gassert, Florian; Urban, Theresa; Willer, Konstantin; Noichl, Wolfgang; Schick, Rafael; Schultheiß, Manuel; Viermetz, Manuel; Gleich, Bernhard; De Marco, Fabio; Herzen, Julia; Koehler, Thomas; Engel, Klaus; Renger, Bernhard; Gassert, Felix; Sauter, Andreas; Fingerle, Alexander; Haller, Bernhard; Makowski, Marcus; Pfeiffer, Franz: Dark-field Chest X-ray Imaging for the Assessment of COVID‑19‑Pneumonia. , 2022 more… BibTeX Full text ( DOI )
  • Urban, Theresa; Gassert, Florian T.; Frank, Manuela; Willer, Konstantin; Noichl, Wolfgang; Buchberger, Philipp; Schick, Rafael C.; Koehler, Thomas; Bodden, Jannis H.; Fingerle, Alexander A.; Sauter, Andreas P.; Makowski, Marcus R.; Pfeiffer, Franz; Pfeiffer, Daniela: Qualitative and Quantitative Assessment of Emphysema Using Dark-Field Chest Radiography. Radiology 303 (1), 2022, 119-127 more… BibTeX Full text ( DOI )
  • Viermetz, Manuel; Gustschin, Nikolai; Schmid, Clemens; Haeusele, Jakob; Teuffenbach, Maximilian von; Meyer, Pascal; Bergner, Frank; Lasser, Tobias; Proksa, Roland; Koehler, Thomas; Pfeiffer, Franz: Dark-field computed tomography reaches the human scale. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 119 (8), 2022, e2118799119 more… BibTeX Full text ( DOI )

2021

  • Willer, Konstantin; Fingerle, Alexander A; Noichl, Wolfgang; De Marco, Fabio; Frank, Manuela; Urban, Theresa; Schick, Rafael; Gustschin, Alex; Gleich, Bernhard; Herzen, Julia; Koehler, Thomas; Yaroshenko, Andre; Pralow, Thomas; Zimmermann, Gregor S; Renger, Bernhard; Sauter, Andreas P; Pfeiffer, Daniela; Makowski, Marcus R; Rummeny, Ernst J; Grenier, Philippe A; Pfeiffer, Franz: X-ray dark-field chest imaging for detection and quantification of emphysema in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a diagnostic accuracy study. The Lancet Digital Health 3 (11), 2021, e733-e744 more… BibTeX Full text ( DOI )

2019

  • Gradl, R.; Morgan, K. S.; Dierolf, M.; Jud, C.; Hehn, L.; Gunther, B.; Moller, W.; Kutschke, D.; Yang, L.; Stoeger, T.; Pfeiffer, D.; Gleich, B.; Achterhold, K.; Schmid, O.; Pfeiffer, F.: Dynamic <italic>In Vivo</italic> Chest X-ray Dark-Field Imaging in Mice. IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging 38 (2), 2019, 649-656 more… BibTeX Full text ( DOI )

2018

  • Birnbacher, Lorenz; Maurer, Stefanie; Scheidt, Katharina; Herzen, Julia; Pfeiffer, Franz; Fromme, Tobias: Electron Density of Adipose Tissues Determined by Phase-Contrast Computed Tomography Provides a Measure for Mitochondrial Density and Fat Content. Frontiers in Physiology 9, 2018 more… BibTeX Full text ( DOI )
  • Birnbacher, Lorenz; Viermetz, Manuel; Noichl, Wolfgang; Allner, Sebastian; Fehringer, Andreas; Marschner, Mathias; von Teuffenbach, Maximilian; Willner, Marian; Achterhold, Klaus; Noël, Peter B.; Koehler, Thomas; Herzen, Julia; Pfeiffer, Franz: Tilted grating phase-contrast computed tomography using statistical iterative reconstruction. Scientific Reports 8 (1), 2018 more… BibTeX Full text ( DOI )
  • Braig, Eva-Maria; Birnbacher, Lorenz; Schaff, Florian; Gromann, Lukas; Fingerle, Alexander; Herzen, Julia; Rummeny, Ernst; Noël, Peter; Pfeiffer, Franz; Muenzel, Daniela: Simultaneous wood and metal particle detection on dark-field radiography. European Radiology Experimental 2 (1), 2018 more… BibTeX Full text ( DOI )
  • Braig, Eva; Böhm, Jessica; Dierolf, Martin; Jud, Christoph; Günther, Benedikt; Mechlem, Korbinian; Allner, Sebastian; Sellerer, Thorsten; Achterhold, Klaus; Gleich, Bernhard; Noël, Peter; Pfeiffer, Daniela; Rummeny, Ernst; Herzen, Julia; Pfeiffer, Franz: Direct quantitative material decomposition employing grating-based X-ray phase-contrast CT. Scientific Reports 8 (1), 2018 more… BibTeX Full text ( DOI )
  • De Marco, Fabio; Marschner, Mathias; Birnbacher, Lorenz; Noël, Peter; Herzen, Julia; Pfeiffer, Franz: Analysis and correction of bias induced by phase stepping jitter in grating-based X-ray phase-contrast imaging. Optics Express 26 (10), 2018, 12707 more… BibTeX Full text ( DOI )
  • Eggl, Elena; Grandl, Susanne; Sztrόkay-Gaul, Anikό; Dierolf, Martin; Jud, Christoph; Heck, Lisa; Burger, Karin; Günther, Benedikt; Achterhold, Klaus; Mayr, Doris; Wilkens, Jan J.; Auweter, Sigrid D.; Gleich, Bernhard; Hellerhoff, Karin; Reiser, Maximilian F.; Pfeiffer, Franz; Herzen, Julia: Dose-compatible grating-based phase-contrast mammography on mastectomy specimens using a compact synchrotron source. Scientific Reports 8 (1), 2018 more… BibTeX Full text ( DOI )
  • Gradl, Regine; Dierolf, Martin; Günther, Benedikt; Hehn, Lorenz; Möller, Winfried; Kutschke, David; Yang, Lin; Donnelley, Martin; Murrie, Rhiannon; Erl, Alexander; Stoeger, Tobias; Gleich, Bernhard; Achterhold, Klaus; Schmid, Otmar; Pfeiffer, Franz; Morgan, Kaye Susannah: In vivo Dynamic Phase-Contrast X-ray Imaging using a Compact Light Source. Scientific Reports 8 (1), 2018 more… BibTeX Full text ( DOI )
  • Hehn, Lorenz; Gradl, Regine; Voss, Andrej; Günther, Benedikt; Dierolf, Martin; Jud, Christoph; Willer, Konstantin; Allner, Sebastian; Hammel, Jörg U.; Hessler, Roland; Morgan, Kaye S.; Herzen, Julia; Hemmert, Werner; Pfeiffer, Franz: Propagation-based phase-contrast tomography of a guinea pig inner ear with cochlear implant using a model-based iterative reconstruction algorithm. Biomedical Optics Express 9 (11), 2018, 5330 more… BibTeX Full text ( DOI )
  • Hehn, Lorenz; Morgan, Kaye; Bidola, Pidassa; Noichl, Wolfgang; Gradl, Regine; Dierolf, Martin; Noël, Peter B.; Pfeiffer, Franz: Nonlinear statistical iterative reconstruction for propagation-based phase-contrast tomography. APL Bioengineering 2 (1), 2018, 016105 more… BibTeX Full text ( DOI )
  • Hellbach, Katharina; Baehr, Andrea; De Marco, Fabio; Willer, Konstantin; Gromann, Lukas B.; Herzen, Julia; Dmochewitz, Michaela; Auweter, Sigrid; Fingerle, Alexander A.; Noël, Peter B.; Rummeny, Ernst J.; Yaroshenko, Andre; Maack, Hanns-Ingo; Pralow, Thomas; van der Heijden, Hendrik; Wieberneit, Nataly; Proksa, Roland; Koehler, Thomas; Rindt, Karsten; Schroeter, Tobias J.; Mohr, Juergen; Bamberg, Fabian; Ertl-Wagner, Birgit; Pfeiffer, Franz; Reiser, Maximilian F.: Depiction of pneumothoraces in a large animal model using x-ray dark-field radiography. Scientific Reports 8 (1), 2018 more… BibTeX Full text ( DOI )
  • Töpperwien, Mareike; Gradl, Regine; Keppeler, Daniel; Vassholz, Malte; Meyer, Alexander; Hessler, Roland; Achterhold, Klaus; Gleich, Bernhard; Dierolf, Martin; Pfeiffer, Franz; Moser, Tobias; Salditt, Tim: Propagation-based phase-contrast x-ray tomography of cochlea using a compact synchrotron source. Scientific Reports 8 (1), 2018 more… BibTeX Full text ( DOI )
  • Viermetz, Manuel; Birnbacher, Lorenz; Willner, Marian; Achterhold, Klaus; Pfeiffer, Franz; Herzen, Julia: High resolution laboratory grating-based X-ray phase-contrast CT. Scientific Reports 8 (1), 2018 more… BibTeX Full text ( DOI )

2017

  • F. Pfeiffer et al.: Pre-clinical dark-field CT imaging of small-animal lung disease models. Proceedings of the 4th Internatonal Meeting on image formation in X-ray CT, 2017 more… BibTeX
  • Gromann, Lukas B.; De Marco, Fabio; Willer, Konstantin; Noël, Peter B.; Scherer, Kai; Renger, Bernhard; Gleich, Bernhard; Achterhold, Klaus; Fingerle, Alexander A.; Muenzel, Daniela; Auweter, Sigrid; Hellbach, Katharina; Reiser, Maximilian; Baehr, Andrea; Dmochewitz, Michaela; Schroeter, Tobias J.; Koch, Frieder J.; Meyer, Pascal; Kunka, Danays; Mohr, Juergen; Yaroshenko, Andre; Maack, Hanns-Ingo; Pralow, Thomas; van der Heijden, Hendrik; Proksa, Roland; Koehler, Thomas; Wieberneit, Nataly; Rindt, Karsten; Rummeny, Ernst J.; Pfeiffer, Franz; Herzen, Julia: In-vivo X-ray Dark-Field Chest Radiography of a Pig. Scientific Reports 7 (1), 2017 more… BibTeX Full text ( DOI )
  • Teuffenbach, Maximilian von; Koehler, Thomas; Fehringer, Andreas; Viermetz, Manuel; Brendel, Bernhard; Herzen, Julia; Proksa, Roland; Rummeny, Ernst J.; Pfeiffer, Franz; Noël, Peter B.: Grating-based phase-contrast and dark-field computed tomography: a single-shot method. Scientific Reports 7 (1), 2017 more… BibTeX Full text ( DOI )
  • Teuffenbach, Maximilian von; Koehler, Thomas; Fehringer, Andreas; Viermetz, Manuel; Brendel, Bernhard; Herzen, Julia; Proksa, Roland; Rummeny, Ernst J.; Pfeiffer, Franz; Noël, Peter B.: Grating-based phase-contrast and dark-field computed tomography: a single-shot method. Scientific Reports 7 (1), 2017 more… BibTeX Full text ( DOI )

2016

  • Allner, S; Koehler, T; Fehringer, A; Birnbacher, L; Willner, M; Pfeiffer, F; Noël, P B: Bilateral filtering using the full noise covariance matrix applied to x-ray phase-contrast computed tomography. Physics in Medicine and Biology 61 (10), 2016, 3867-3856 more… BibTeX Full text ( DOI )
  • Birnbacher, Lorenz; Willner, Marian; Velroyen, Astrid; Marschner, Mathias; Hipp, Alexander; Meiser, Jan; Koch, Frieder; Schröter, Tobias; Kunka, Danays; Mohr, Jürgen; Pfeiffer, Franz; Herzen, Julia: Experimental Realisation of High-sensitivity Laboratory X-ray Grating-based Phase-contrast Computed Tomography. Scientific Reports 6 (1), 2016 more… BibTeX Full text ( DOI )
  • Marschner, M.; Willner, M.; Potdevin, G.; Fehringer, A.; Noël, P. B.; Pfeiffer, F.; Herzen, J.: Helical X-ray phase-contrast computed tomography without phase stepping. Scientific Reports 6 (1), 2016 more… BibTeX Full text ( DOI )
  • Yaroshenko, Andre; Pritzke, Tina; Koschlig, Markus; Kamgari, Nona; Willer, Konstantin; Gromann, Lukas; Auweter, Sigrid; Hellbach, Katharina; Reiser, Maximilian; Eickelberg, Oliver; Pfeiffer, Franz; Hilgendorff, Anne: Visualization of neonatal lung injury associated with mechanical ventilation using x-ray dark-field radiography. Scientific Reports 6 (1), 2016 more… BibTeX Full text ( DOI )

2015

  • B. Brendel, M. von Teuffenbach, P. B. Noël, F. Pfeiffer, and Th. Koehler: Intensity based iterative reconstruction for differential phase contrast imaging with reconstruction parameter estimation. International Meeting on Fully Three-Dimensional Image Reconstruction in Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (Fully3D, 2015 more… BibTeX
  • Bidola, Pidassa M.; Zanette, Irene; Achterhold, Klaus; Holzner, Christian; Pfeiffer, Franz: Optimization of propagation-based phase-contrast imaging at a laboratory setup. Optics Express 23 (23), 2015, 30000 more… BibTeX Full text ( DOI )
  • Bidola, Pidassa; Stockmar, Marco; Achterhold, Klaus; Pfeiffer, Franz; Pacheco, Mírian L.A.F.; Soriano, Carmen; Beckmann, Felix; Herzen, Julia: Absorption and Phase Contrast X-Ray Imaging in Paleontology Using Laboratory and Synchrotron Sources. Microscopy and Microanalysis 21 (5), 2015, 1288-1295 more… BibTeX Full text ( DOI )
  • Brendel, Bernhard; von Teuffenbach, Maximilian; Noël, Peter B.; Pfeiffer, Franz; Koehler, Thomas: Penalized maximum likelihood reconstruction for x-ray differential phase-contrast tomography. Medical Physics 43 (1), 2015, 188-194 more… BibTeX Full text ( DOI )
  • Brendel, Bernhard; von Teuffenbach, Maximilian; Noël, Peter B.; Pfeiffer, Franz; Koehler, Thomas: Penalized maximum likelihood reconstruction for x-ray differential phase-contrast tomography. Medical Physics 43 (1), 2015, 188-194 more… BibTeX Full text ( DOI )
  • Eggl, Elena; Schleede, Simone; Bech, Martin; Achterhold, Klaus; Loewen, Roderick; Ruth, Ronald D.; Pfeiffer, Franz: X-ray phase-contrast tomography with a compact laser-driven synchrotron source. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 112 (18), 2015, 5567-5572 more… BibTeX Full text ( DOI )
  • Epple, Franz M.; Ehn, Sebastian; Thibault, Pierre; Koehler, Thomas; Potdevin, Guillaume; Herzen, Julia; Pennicard, David; Graafsma, Heinz; Noel, Peter B.; Pfeiffer, Franz: Phase Unwrapping in Spectral X-Ray Differential Phase-Contrast Imaging With an Energy-Resolving Photon-Counting Pixel Detector. IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging 34 (3), 2015, 816-823 more… BibTeX Full text ( DOI )
  • F. Pfeiffer: Principles of X-ray Phase- and Darkfield Imaging. nternational Symposium on Biomedical Applications of X-ray Phase Contrast Imaging, 2015 more… BibTeX
  • F. Pfeiffer: Wave-optical X-ray Imaging Phase- and Dark-Field Contrast. International Conference on Medical Image Computing and Computer Assisted Intervention, 2015 more… BibTeX
  • Hahn, Dieter; Thibault, Pierre; Fehringer, Andreas; Bech, Martin; Koehler, Thomas; Pfeiffer, Franz; Noël, Peter B.: Statistical iterative reconstruction algorithm for X-ray phase-contrast CT. Scientific Reports 5 (1), 2015 more… BibTeX Full text ( DOI )
  • M. von Teuffenbach, B. Brendel, Th. Koehler, P. B. Noël, and F. Pfeiffer: Iterative Reconstruction of Sliding Window PCCT. International Conference on X-ray and Neutron Phase Imaging with Gratings (XNPIG), 2015 more… BibTeX
  • Prade, F.; Chabior, M.; Malm, F.; Grosse, C.U.; Pfeiffer, F.: Observing the setting and hardening of cementitious materials by X-ray dark-field radiography. Cement and Concrete Research 74, 2015, 19-25 more… BibTeX Full text ( DOI )
  • Ruiz-Yaniz, M.; Koch, F.; Zanette, I.; Rack, A.; Meyer, P.; Kunka, D.; Hipp, A.; Mohr, J.; Pfeiffer, F.: X-ray grating interferometry at photon energies over 180 keV. Applied Physics Letters 106 (15), 2015, 151105 more… BibTeX Full text ( DOI )
  • Ruiz-Yaniz, M.; Zanette, I.; Rack, A.; Weitkamp, T.; Meyer, P.; Mohr, J.; Pfeiffer, F.: X-ray-refractive-index measurements at photon energies above 100 keV with a grating interferometer. Physical Review A 91 (3), 2015 more… BibTeX Full text ( DOI )
  • Sarapata, Adrian; Ruiz-Yaniz, Maite; Zanette, Irene; Rack, Alexander; Pfeiffer, Franz; Herzen, Julia: Multi-contrast 3D X-ray imaging of porous and composite materials. Applied Physics Letters 106 (15), 2015, 154102 more… BibTeX Full text ( DOI )
  • Schaff, Florian; Bech, Martin; Zaslansky, Paul; Jud, Christoph; Liebi, Marianne; Guizar-Sicairos, Manuel; Pfeiffer, Franz: Six-dimensional real and reciprocal space small-angle X-ray scattering tomography. Nature 527 (7578), 2015, 353-356 more… BibTeX Full text ( DOI )
  • Stockmar, Marco; Zanette, Irene; Dierolf, Martin; Enders, Bjoern; Clare, Richard; Pfeiffer, Franz; Cloetens, Peter; Bonnin, Anne; Thibault, Pierre: X-Ray Near-Field Ptychography for Optically Thick Specimens. Physical Review Applied 3 (1), 2015 more… BibTeX Full text ( DOI )
  • Thomsen, M.; Knudsen, E.B.; Willendrup, P.K.; Bech, M.; Willner, M.; Pfeiffer, F.; Poulsen, M.; Lefmann, K.; Feidenhans’l, R.: Prediction of beam hardening artefacts in computed tomography using Monte Carlo simulations. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms 342, 2015, 314-320 more… BibTeX Full text ( DOI )
  • Vogel, Jakob; Schaff, Florian; Fehringer, Andreas; Jud, Christoph; Wieczorek, Matthias; Pfeiffer, Franz; Lasser, Tobias: Constrained X-ray tensor tomography reconstruction. Optics Express 23 (12), 2015, 15134 more… BibTeX Full text ( DOI )
  • Wenz, J.; Schleede, S.; Khrennikov, K.; Bech, M.; Thibault, P.; Heigoldt, M.; Pfeiffer, F.; Karsch, S.: Quantitative X-ray phase-contrast microtomography from a compact laser-driven betatron source. Nature Communications 6 (1), 2015 more… BibTeX Full text ( DOI )
  • Wolf, Johannes; Sperl, Jonathan I.; Schaff, Florian; Schüttler, Markus; Yaroshenko, Andre; Zanette, Irene; Herzen, Julia; Pfeiffer, Franz: Lens-term- and edge-effect in X-ray grating interferometry. Biomedical Optics Express 6 (12), 2015, 4812 more… BibTeX Full text ( DOI )
  • Zanette, I.; Enders, B.; Dierolf, M.; Thibault, P.; Gradl, R.; Diaz, A.; Guizar-Sicairos, M.; Menzel, A.; Pfeiffer, F.; Zaslansky, P.: Ptychographic X-ray nanotomography quantifies mineral distributions in human dentine. Scientific Reports 5 (1), 2015 more… BibTeX Full text ( DOI )

2014

  • Burger, Karin; Koehler, Thomas; Chabior, Michael; Allner, Sebastian; Marschner, Mathias; Fehringer, Andreas; Willner, Marian; Pfeiffer, Franz; Noël, Peter: Regularized iterative integration combined with non-linear diffusion filtering for phase-contrast x-ray computed tomography. Optics Express 22 (26), 2014, 32107 more… BibTeX Full text ( DOI )
  • Herzen, Julia; Willner, Marian S.; Fingerle, Alexander A.; Noël, Peter B.; Köhler, Thomas; Drecoll, Enken; Rummeny, Ernst J.; Pfeiffer, Franz: Imaging Liver Lesions Using Grating-Based Phase-Contrast Computed Tomography with Bi-Lateral Filter Post-Processing. PLoS ONE 9 (1), 2014, e83369 more… BibTeX Full text ( DOI )

2012

  • Raupach, Rainer; Flohr, Thomas: Performance evaluation of x-ray differential phase contrast computed tomography (PCT) with respect to medical imaging. Medical Physics 39 (8), 2012, 4761-4774 more… BibTeX Full text ( DOI )
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