Martin Urschler
Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Clinical Forensic Imaging

The inter-disciplinary world of clinical forensic imaging
The Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Clinical Forensic Imaging (LBI-CFI) dedicates its research efforts to Forensic Radiology. The scientific goal of its interdisciplinary research team is developing basic parameters for a clinical-forensic use of MR and CT imaging. The vision is to improve the results of forensic examinations and extend expert’s reports to a broader basis of objectively collected data including internal injuries. Furthermore, its goal is to achieve a higher level of legal security and establish radiological methods as standard procedures in forensic examinations.

In this lecture, I will give an overview of some ongoing works at LBI-CFI, including investigations of hematomas and subcutaneous blunt force injuries regarding their age, assessments of children‘s bone fractures as well as studies on the applicability of post-mortem MR angiography for legal medicine. I will also highlight the use of MR and CT imaging together with 3D visualization and reconstruction techniques to achieve a self explanatory, intuitive presentation of the course of events of forensic cases as required in court. Finally, I will present our works in radiological as well as fully automated, software-based forensic age estimation from MRI data, a problem currently showing high relevance in the context of asylum seekers lacking valid identification documents.