Biomedical Texture Analysis: Fundamentals, Applications, Tools and Challenges describes the fundamentals and applications of biomedical texture analysis (BTA) for precision medicine. It defines what biomedical textures (BTs) are and why they require specific image analysis design approaches when compared to more classical computer vision applications. The fundamental properties of BTs are given to highlight key aspects of texture operator design, providing a foundation for biomedical engineers to build the next generation of biomedical texture operators. Examples of novel texture operators are described and their ability to characterize BTs are demonstrated in a variety of applications in radiology and digital histopathology. Recent open-source software frameworks which enable the extraction, exploration and analysis of 2D and 3D texture-based imaging biomarkers are also presented. This book provides a thorough background on texture analysis for graduate students and biomedical engineers from both industry and academia who have basic image processing knowledge. Medical doctors and biologists with no background in image processing will also find available methods and software tools for analyzing textures in medical images.

This issue of Dental Clinics of North America focuses on Dental Materials, and is edited by Drs. Jack Ferracane, Luiz E. Bertassoni, and Carmem S. Pfeifer. Articles will include: Tooth: Its structure and properties; Dental light curing; Bioactive dental materials having remineralizing or antimicrobial characteristics; Materials for regenerating dental pulp and soft tissues; Dental adhesives; Polymer-based direct filling materials; Dental impression materials and techniques; Dental ceramics for restoration and metal-veneering; Dental cements for luting and bonding restorations; Bone augmentation materials; Dental implants, and more!

This book discusses the latest developments of the synthesis, preparation, characterization, and applications of nano/microstructure-based materials in biomedical and energetic fields. It introduces several popular approaches to fabricating these materials, including template-assisted fabrication, electrospinning of organic/inorganic hybrid materials, biomineralization-mediated self-assembly, etc. The latest results in material evaluation for targeted applications are also presented. In particular, the book highlights the latest advances and future challenges in polymer nanodielectrics for energy storage applications. As such, it offers a valuable reference guide for scholars interested in the synthesis and evaluation of nano/microstructure-based materials, as well as their biomedical and energetic applications. It also provides essential insights for graduate students and scientists pursuing research in the broad fields of composite materials, polymers, organic/inorganic hybrid materials, nano-assembly, etc.

This book discusses the emerging field of industrial neuroscience, and reports on the authors' cutting-edge findings in the evaluation of mental states, including mental workload, cognitive control and training of personnel involved either in the piloting of aircraft and helicopters, or in managing air traffic. It encompasses neuroimaging and cognitive psychology techniques and shows how they have been successfully applied in the evaluation of human performance and human-machine interactions, and to guarantee a proper level of safety in such operational contexts. With an introduction to the most relevant concepts of neuroscience, neurophysiological techniques, simulators and case studies in aviation environments, it is a must-have for both students and scientists in the field of aeronautic and biomedical engineering, as well as for various professionals in the aviation world. This is the first book to intensively apply neurosciences to the evaluation of human factors and mental states in aviation.

This volume will outline how to recreate the tumor microenvironment, to culture primary tumors without the need for developmental priming factors, and to deliver targeted therapeutics in a manner that recapitulates pharmacokinetics in vivo. Much of what may be learned from this volume will aid in understanding many aspects of the enhanced study of tumor cell biology in a physiologic context, open new avenues for drug screening and biomarker development, and accelerate the preclinical evaluation of novel personalized medicine strategies for patients in real time.

The book reports on advanced topics in interactive robotics research and practice; in particular, it addresses non-technical obstacles to the broadest uptake of these technologies. It focuses on new technologies that can physically and cognitively interact with humans, including neural interfaces, soft wearable robots, and sensor and actuator technologies; further, it discusses important regulatory challenges, including but not limited to business models, standardization, education and ethical-legal-socioeconomic issues. Gathering the outcomes of the 1st INBOTS Conference (INBOTS2018), held on October 16-20, 2018 in Pisa, Italy, the book addresses the needs of a broad audience of academics and professionals working in government and industry, as well as end users. In addition to providing readers with detailed information and a source of inspiration for new projects and collaborations, it discusses representative case studies highlighting practical challenges in the implementation of interactive robots in a number of fields, as well as solutions to improve communication between different stakeholders. By merging engineering, medical, ethical and political perspectives, the book offers a multidisciplinary, timely snapshot of interactive robotics.

The Internet and other technological developments are now playing increasing roles in the management of knowledge within consumer health behavior and the delivery of health services. Biomedical Knowledge Management: Infrastructures and Processes for E-Health Systems provides multidisciplinary best practices and experiences in knowledge management relevant to the healthcare industry. A useful reference for field researchers, academicians, and healthcare practitioners, this Handbook of Research presents an in-depth examination of common approaches to shared problems in the management of knowledge within e-health services.

This book showcases new and innovative approaches to biometric data capture and analysis, focusing especially on those that are characterized by non-intrusiveness, reliable prediction algorithms, and high user acceptance. It comprises the peer-reviewed papers from the international workshop on the subject that was held in Ancona, Italy, in October 2014 and featured sessions on ICT for health care, biometric data in automotive and home applications, embedded systems for biometric data analysis, biometric data analysis: EMG and ECG, and ICT for gait analysis. The background to the book is the challenge posed by the prevention and treatment of common, widespread chronic diseases in modern, aging societies. Capture of biometric data is a cornerstone for any analysis and treatment strategy. The latest advances in sensor technology allow accurate data measurement in a non-intrusive way, and in many cases it is necessary to provide online monitoring and real-time data capturing to support a patient's prevention plans or to allow medical professionals to access the patient's current status. This book will be of value to all with an interest in this expanding field.

Trauma Plating Systems is the first reference and systematic book in the topic of trauma plating system in view of biomechanical, material, biological, and clinical aspects. The effects of these aspects on effectiveness of trauma plating fixation are deeply reviewed, discussed, and challenged from which promising evaluation and development concepts are explored. This book is divided into five sections: Section I covers general concepts of biomechanical, material, biological, and clinical aspects. Then it provides fundamentals of trauma plating systems, principles of biomechanical evaluation methods, and biomechanics of plating fixation in Section II. Section III reviews current metallic materials with their advantages and disadvantages in plating fixation of bone fractures and new promising materials with their potential benefits to enhance the effectiveness of plating fixation. Section IV represents currently concerned biomechanical-clinical challenges of plating fixation for various bone fractures, and Section V presents current and new development concepts of this type of trauma implants. This book as an accessible and easy usable textbook for various disciplines of audiences who are dealing with trauma plating system and fixation such as orthopedic surgeons, trauma implant manufacturers, biomechanical researchers, biomaterial researchers, and all biomedical or medical students and residents in different levels of education. Author has been diligent in both engineering and research environments in terms of research, testing, analysis, validation, verification, clinical studies, and technical writing. His main interest and effort is to integrate biomechanical, material, biological, and clinical requirements of orthopedic implants for creation of novel design conception in this industry. He has developed the website http://orthoimplant-development.com/ for further communication in development of orthopedic implants.

Biomedical Engineering in Gastrointestinal Surgery is a combination of engineering and surgical experience on the role of engineering in gastrointestinal surgery. There is currently no other book that combines engineering and clinical issues in this field, while engineering is becoming more and more important in surgery. This book is written to a high technical level, but also contains clear explanations of clinical conditions and clinical needs for engineers and students. Chapters covering anatomy and physiology are comprehensive and easy to understand for non-surgeons, while technologies are put into the context of surgical disease and anatomy for engineers. The authors are the two most senior members of the Institute for Minimally Invasive Interdisciplinary Therapeutic Interventions (MITI), which is pioneering this kind of collaboration between engineers and clinicians in minimally invasive surgery. MITI is an interdisciplinary platform for collaborative work of surgeons, gastroenterologists, biomedical engineers and industrial companies with mechanical and electronic workshops, dry laboratories and comprehensive facilities for animal studies as well as a fully integrated clinical "OR of the future".

This book introduces readers to the latest exciting advances in human motion sensing and recognition, from the theoretical development of fuzzy approaches to their applications. The topics covered include human motion recognition in 2D and 3D, hand motion analysis with contact sensors, and vision-based view-invariant motion recognition, especially from the perspective of Fuzzy Qualitative techniques. With the rapid development of technologies in microelectronics, computers, networks, and robotics over the last decade, increasing attention has been focused on human motion sensing and recognition in many emerging and active disciplines where human motions need to be automatically tracked, analyzed or understood, such as smart surveillance, intelligent human-computer interaction, robot motion learning, and interactive gaming. Current challenges mainly stem from the dynamic environment, data multi-modality, uncertain sensory information, and real-time issues. These techniques are shown to effectively address the above challenges by bridging the gap between symbolic cognitive functions and numerical sensing & control tasks in intelligent systems. The book not only serves as a valuable reference source for researchers and professionals in the fields of computer vision and robotics, but will also benefit practitioners and graduates/postgraduates seeking advanced information on fuzzy techniques and their applications in motion analysis.

This book describes the development of three dimensional electroactive fibres using a novel coaxial wet-spinning approach from organic conductors in combination with non-conducting hydrogel polymers. This book also presents the characterization and evaluation of multiaxial biofibres in terms of mechanical, physical, electrochemical and biological properties, and explores their use in a diverse range of applications including implantable electrodes, drug delivery systems and energy-storage systems. In the first chapter, the author highlights the significance of engineering three dimensional fibres, introduces the involved hydrogels and organic conductors with emphasis on their biomedical application, and collects some of the previously established methods for fabrication of biofibres. In the second chapter, particular attention is given to the overall experimental fabrication methods and characterization analyses conducted in the work. Chapters three to five present the main findings of this work, in which readers will discover how novel hybrid hydrogel fibres with an inner core of chitosan and alginate were prepared and characterized, how graphene was incorporated into coaxial wet-spun biofibres, and how one-dimensional triaxial fibres were developed using a novel coaxial wet-spinning fibre production method and applied as potential battery devices. In the final chapter of this work, the author summarizes the main achievements of the work and outlines some recommendations for future research.

Peptide Applications in Biomedicine, Biotechnology and Bioengineering summarizes the current knowledge on peptide applications in biomedicine, biotechnology and bioengineering. After a general introduction to peptides, the book addresses the many applications of peptides in biomedicine and medical technology. Next, the text focuses on peptide applications in biotechnology and bioengineering and reviews of peptide applications in nanotechnology. This book is a valuable resource for biomaterial scientists, polymer scientists, bioengineers, mechanical engineers, synthetic chemists, medical doctors and biologists.

This book marries stem cell biology, tissue engineering, and regenerative biology into a single, interdisciplinary volume. The chapters also explore embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, cardiovascular regeneration, skeletal development, inflammation, polymeric biomaterials, neural injury, cartilage regeneration, regeneration in ambystoma, models for regeneration using salamander and zebrafish, and more. The volume also discusses recent advances and their potential in developing future therapies. Innovations in Molecular Mechanisms and Tissue Engineering combines perspectives from the biomedical, bioengineering, and medical fields to present a cutting-edge, multifaceted picture of the tissue engineering and regenerative medicine fields. This installment of Springer's Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine series is ideal for scientists, clinicians, and researchers in the fields of stem cell biology, regenerative medicine, biomedical engineering, and tissue engineering.

Atherosclerotic Plaque Characterization Methods Based on Coronary Imaging provides a complete review of computer methods for atherosclerotic plaque reconstruction and characterization. The authors, with their expertise from biomedical engineering, computer science, and cardiology, offer a holistic view. The focus of the book is on the presentation of major imaging techniques, including their limitations. It includes details on the mechanical characterization and properties of plaques and appropriate constitutive models to describe the mechanical behavior of plaques. The authors explore the challenges of using multiple coronary imaging technologies, and provide the pros and cons of invasive vs. non-invasive techniques. Methods for plaque characterization and 3D reconstruction of coronary arteries using IVUS, OCT, and CT images are described. This book will help readers study new trends in image processing analysis and plaque characterization, implement automated plaque characterization methodologies, understand coronary imaging drawbacks, and comprehend 3 dimensional coronary artery and plaque reconstruction methods.

This volume is about ultra high-speed cameras, which enable us to see what we normally do not see. These are objects that are moving very fast, or that we just ignore. Ultra high-speed cameras invite us to a wonderland of microseconds. There Alice (the reader) meets a ultra high-speed rabbit (this volume) and travels together through this wonderland from the year 1887 to 2017. They go to the horse riding ground and see how a horse gallops. The rabbit takes her to a showroom where various cameras and illumination devices are presented. Then, he sends Alice into semiconductor labyrinths, wind tunnels, mechanical processing factories, and dangerous explosive fields. Sometimes Alice is large, and at other times she is very small. She sits even inside a car engine. She falls down together with a droplet. She enters a microbubble, is thrown out with a jet stream, and finds herself in a human body. Waking up from her dream, she sees children playing a game: "I see what you do not see, and this is....". Alice thinks: "The ultra high-speed rabbit showed me many things which I had never seen. Now I will go again to this wonderland, and try to find something new.

Nanostructures for Novel Therapy: Synthesis, Characterization and Applications focuses on the fabrication and characterization of therapeutic nanostructures, in particular, synthesis, design, and in vitro and in vivo therapeutic evaluation. The chapters provide a cogent overview of recent therapeutic applications of nanostructured materials that includes applications of nanostructured materials for wound healing in plastic surgery and stem cell therapy. The book explores the promise for more effective therapy through the use of nanostructured materials, while also assessing the challenges their use might pose from both an economic and medicinal point of view. This innovative look at how nanostructured materials are used in therapeutics will be of great benefit to researchers, providing a greater understanding of the different ways nanomaterials could improve medical treatment, along with a discussion of the obstacles that need to be overcome in order to guarantee widespread availability.

In order to grow replacement tissues, 3D scaffolds are widely used as a template for tissue engineering and regeneration. These scaffolds, which are typically 'seeded' with cells, support the growth of new tissues. However, in order to achieve successful tissue growth, the scaffold must meet specific requirements and are often 'functionalized' to accentuate particular properties. Functional 3D tissue engineering scaffolds: materials, technologies, and applications, is a comprehensive review of functional 3D scaffolds, providing information on the fundamentals, technologies, and applications. Part 1 focuses on the fundamentals of 3D tissue scaffolds, examining information on materials, properties, and trends. Part 2 discusses a wide range of conventional technologies for engineering functional 3D scaffolds, leading the way to a discussion on CAD and advanced technologies for functional 3D scaffold engineering. Chapters in part 3 study methods for functionalizing scaffolds to support a variety of in vivo functions whilst the final set of chapters provides an important review of the most significant applications of functional 3D scaffolds within tissue engineering. This book is a valuable resource for biomaterial scientists and biomedical engineers in academia and industry, with interests in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

This book provides an introduction to the biological background of heart functioning and analyzes the various materials and technologies used for the development of microfluidic systems dedicated to cell culture, with an emphasis on cardiac cells. The authors describe the characterization of microfluidic systems for cardiac cell culture and center their discussion of the use of stem cell stimulation based on four different types: electrical, biochemical, physical, and mechanical. This book is appropriate for researchers focused on on-chip technologies and heart studies, students in bioengineering and microengineering courses, and a variety of professionals, such as biotechnologists, biomedical engineers, and clinicians working in the cardiac diseases field.

Peptides and Proteins as Biomaterials for Tissue Regeneration and Repair highlights the various important considerations that go into biomaterial development, both in terms of fundamentals and applications. After covering a general introduction to protein and cell interactions with biomaterials, the book discusses proteins in biomaterials that mimic the extracellular matrix (ECM). The properties, fabrication and application of peptide biomaterials and protein-based biomaterials are discussed in addition to in vivo and in vitro studies. This book is a valuable resource for researchers, scientists and advanced students interested in biomaterials science, chemistry, molecular biology and nanotechnology.

This book describes efforts to improve subject-independent automated classification techniques using a better feature extraction method and a more efficient model of classification. It evaluates three popular saliency criteria for feature selection, showing that they share common limitations, including time-consuming and subjective manual de-facto standard practice, and that existing automated efforts have been predominantly used for subject dependent setting. It then proposes a novel approach for anomaly detection, demonstrating its effectiveness and accuracy for automated classification of biomedical data, and arguing its applicability to a wider range of unsupervised machine learning applications in subject-independent settings.

Offers an Extensive Discussion on High Frequency Ultrasound Based on a course taught and developed by a foremost expert in diagnostic ultrasound technology, Diagnostic Ultrasound: Imaging and Blood Flow Measurements, Second Edition covers cutting-edge developments, along with the fundamental physics, instrumentation, system architecture, clinical applications, and biological effects of ultrasound. This text addresses the technical side of diagnostic ultrasound and begins with an overview of the field of ultrasonic imaging and its role in diagnostic medicine relative to other imaging modalities. The author describes the fundamental physics involved in ultrasonic transducers, as well as in conventional imaging approaches and Doppler measurements, including contrast imaging and 4D imaging. He reviews the current status and standards on ultrasound bioeffect and discusses methods that have been used to measure ultrasonic properties of tissues. He also provides a list of relevant references and further reading materials at the end of each chapter. New in the Second Edition: Details the latest advances in ultrasound technology related to biomedical applications, including elastrography, portable scanners, ultrasound molecular imaging, preclinical high frequency imaging, 2D array, and 4D imaging techniques Updates and expands each chapter Adds a new chapter on new developments such as elastography and miniature scanners Includes new case studies and examples throughout the book Diagnostic Ultrasound: Imaging and Blood Flow Measurements, Second Edition covers recent advances in ultrasound technology related to biomedical applications. Intended for senior- to graduate-level coursework in ultrasonic imaging, this text also serves practicing physicists, engineers, clinicians, and sonographers.

Biomedical Composites, Second Edition, provides revised, expanded, and updated content suitable for those active in the biomaterials and bioengineering field. Three new chapters cover modeling of biocomposites, 3D printing of customized scaffolds, and constructs and regulatory issues. Chapters from the first edition have been revised in order to provide up-to-date, comprehensive coverage of developments in the field. Part One discusses the fundamentals of biocomposites, with Part Two detailing a wide range of applications of biocomposites. Chapters in Part Three discuss the biocompatibility, mechanical behavior, and failure of biocomposites, while the final section looks at the future for biocomposites. Professor Luigi Ambrosio is the Director of the Institute for Composite and Biomedical Materials, Italy. He is a renowned scientist with expertise in biomedical composites and has published over 150 papers in international scientific journals and books, 16 patents, and over 250 presentations at international and national conferences.

Mechanical Testing of Orthopaedic Implants provides readers with a thorough overview of the fundamentals of orthopedic implants and various methods of mechanical testing. Historical aspects are presented, along with case studies that are particularly useful for readers.

This book provides a pioneering approach to modeling the human diabetic patient using a software agent. It is based on two MASc (Master of Applied Science) theses: one looking at the evolution of the patient agent in time, and another looking the interaction of the patient agent with the healthcare system. It shows that the software agent evolves in a manner analogous to the human patient and exhibits typical attributes of the illness such as reacting to food consumption, medications, and activity. This agent model can be used in a number of different ways, including as a prototype for a specific human patient with the purpose of helping to identify when that patient's condition deviates from normal variations. The software agent can also be used to study the interaction between the human patient and the health care system. This book is of interest to anyone involved in the management of diabetic patients or in societal research into the management of diabetes. The diabetic patient agent was developed using the Ackerman model for diabetes, but this model can be easily adapted for any other model subject with the necessary physiological data to support that model.