Computational Models in Biomedical Engineering: Finite Element Models Based on Smeared Physical Fields: Theory, Solutions, and Software discusses novel computational methodologies developed by the authors that address a variety of topics in biomedicine, with concepts that rely on the so-called smeared physical field built into the finite element method. A new and straightforward methodology is represented by their Kojic Transport Model (KTM), where a composite smeared finite element (CSFE) as a FE formulation contains different fields (e.g., drug concentration, electrical potential) in a composite medium, such as tissue, which includes the capillary and lymphatic system, different cell groups and organelles. The continuum domains participate in the overall model according to their volumetric fractions. The governing laws and material parameters are assigned to each of the domains. Furthermore, the continuum fields are coupled at each FE node by connectivity elements which take into account biological barriers such as vessel walls and cells.

Design of Artificial Human Joints & Organs is intended to present the basics of the normal systems and how, due to aging, diseases or trauma, body parts may need to be replaced with manmade materials. The movement of the body generates forces in various work situations and also internally at various joints, muscles and ligaments. It is essential to figure out the forces, moments, pressure etc to design replacements that manage these stresses without breaking down. The mechanical characterization of the hard and the soft tissues are presented systematically using the principles of solid mechanics. The viscoelastic properties of the tissue will also discussed. This text covers the design science and methodology from concept to blueprint to the final component being replaced. Each chapter will be a brief overview of various joint/organ replacement systems. Engineers working on artificial joints and organs, as well as students of Mechanical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering are the main intended audience, however, the pedagogy is simple enough for those who are learning the subject for the first time.

This book highlights the responsibility of medical device designers and engineers to eliminate sites of failure and to test devices to demonstrate their ultimate safety and efficacy. It also evaluates biomaterials and their properties as related to the design and reliability of medical devices. The principles that are described are readily applicable to the biomaterial scaffolds used for generating tissue-engineered constructs.

Artificial organs may be considered as small-scale process plants, in which heat, mass and momentum transfer operations and, possibly, chemical transformations are carried out. This book proposes a novel analysis of artificial organs based on the typical bottom-up approach used in process engineering. Starting from a description of the fundamental physico-chemical phenomena involved in the process, the whole system is rebuilt as an interconnected ensemble of elemental unit operations. Each artificial organ is presented with a short introduction provided by expert clinicians. Devices commonly used in clinical practice are reviewed and their performance is assessed and compared by using a mathematical model based approach. Whilst mathematical modelling is a fundamental tool for quantitative descriptions of clinical devices, models are kept simple to remain focused on the essential features of each process. Postgraduate students and researchers in the field of chemical and biomedical engineering will find that this book provides a novel and useful tool for the analysis of existing devices and, possibly, the design of new ones. This approach will also be useful for medical researchers who want to get a deeper insight into the basic working principles of artificial organs.

Electroporation is the forefront in tumor ablation. This book presents the basic principles and clinical applications of electroporation, including the latest research results and patient data. A comprehensive approach to the basic science behind the development of this ground-breaking technique and its introduction into clinical practice, the book discusses the entire spectrum of currently available reversible treatments, the emerging irreversible applications, and their impact on patient care. Clinical Aspects of Electroporation is the first book intended for clinicians on this extremely important and rapidly developing field.

This book presents latest results and selected applications of Computational Intelligence in Biomedical Technologies. Most of contributions deal with problems of Biomedical and Medical Informatics, ranging from theoretical considerations to practical applications. Various aspects of development methods and algorithms in Biomedical and Medical Informatics as well as Algorithms for medical image processing, modeling methods are discussed. Individual contributions also cover medical decision making support, estimation of risks of treatments, reliability of medical systems, problems of practical clinical applications and many other topics. This book is intended for scientists interested in problems of Biomedical Technologies, for researchers and academic staff, for all dealing with Biomedical and Medical Informatics, as well as PhD students. Useful information is offered also to IT companies, developers of equipment and/or software for medicine and medical professionals.

The potential of stem cells for healing and disease prevention in all fields of medicine is tremendous and has revolutionized the high-tech biomedical research. In this book, many of the most prominent researchers discuss the challenging topics of stem cell engineering, for example: Ethical issues of stem cell research; technological challenges, stem cell growth and differentiation, therapeutic applications, bioreactors and bioprocesses, high throughput and microfluidic screening platforms, stem cell identification and sorting, intercellular signaling and engineered niches, novel approaches for embryonic and adult stem cell growth and differentiation, stem cells and drug discovery, screening platforms. Stem Cell Engineering offers valuable background and reference for both the public and professionals including industrial staffers, faculty, researchers, engineers, students and scientific journalists.

Antimicrobial Activity of Nanoparticles: Applications in Wound Healing and Infection Treatment presents the state of the art among nanotechnological approaches used in the treatment of infections. This field has gained a large amount of interest over the past few years, in response to the increasing resistance of pathogens to antibiotics. Leading researchers from around the world discuss the synthesis routes of nanobiomaterials, characterization, and their applications as antimicrobial agents. The book covers various aspects: from antiviral and antibacterial nanoparticles, to the functionalization of nanoparticles and their toxicity to human cells. This book offers an advanced reference text for biomedical engineers, materials scientists, clinicians, and biochemists, with an interest in nanomedicine and infection control.

Advances in technological devices unveil new architectures for instrumentation and improvements in measurement techniques. Sensing technology, related to biomedical aspects, plays a key role in nowadays applications; it promotes different advantages for: healthcare, solving difficulties for elderly persons, clinical analysis, microbiological characterizations, etc.. This book intends to illustrate and to collect recent advances in biomedical measurements and sensing instrumentation, not as an encyclopedia but as clever support for scientists, students and researchers in other to stimulate exchange and discussions for further developments.

The book provides readers with a comprehensive overview of the state of the art in the field of gait and balance rehabilitation. It describes technologies and devices together with the requirements and factors to be considered during their application in clinical settings. The book covers physiological and pathophysiological basis of locomotion and posture control, describes integrated approaches for the treatment of neurological diseases and spinal cord injury, as well as important principles for designing appropriate clinical studies. It presents computer and robotic technologies currently used in rehabilitation, such as exoskeleton devices, functional electrical stimulation, virtual reality and many more, highlighting the main advantages and challenges both from the clinical and engineering perspective. Written in an easy-to-understand style, the book is intended for people with different background and expertise, including medical and engineering students, clinicians and physiotherapists, as well as technical developers of rehabilitation systems and their corresponding human-compute interfaces. It aims at fostering an increased awareness of available technologies for balance and gait rehabilitation, as well as a better communication and collaboration between their users and developers.

Recent years have seen an upsurge of significant interest in cell-based technologies. A range of productive and lively debate have taken place relating to tissue engineering, namely the construction of tissues and whole organs using molecularly-designed resorbable biomaterials to create tissue de novo, the potential use of human embryonic stem cells for transplantation and regenerative medicine, with similar potential for adult-derived stem cells, and gene therapy, in relation to cell transplantation. New findings in biomimetic materials, cell signalling pathways, extracellular matrix receptors and ligands, growth factors, and the human genome project, all present particularly motivating sources for the development of research in the evergrowing biomedical field. The purpose of this book is to stimulate further the work in biomedicine and to make the issues of related scientific disciplines accessible to a wider readership by characterising the current state of research in the biomedical field. The lectures and a selection of the presentations from BlOMED 200- th The 9 International Symposium on Biomedical Science and Technology, held in September 2002 in Turkey- constitute the basis for the volume. Tissue engineering, stem cells, cell and gene therapies were the major topics presented and discussed in the symposium. This book is intended to serve as an up-to-date synopsis of the major developments of our area through the work reflected in BlOMED 2002, though not covering all aspects of the topics, due to the natural restrictions within a volume of this kind.

The aim of volume 7 of Human Cell Culture is to provide clear and precise methods for growing primary cultures of adult stem cells from various human tissues and describe culture conditions in which these adult stem cells differentiate along their respective lineages. The book will be of value to biomedical scientists and of special interest to stem cell biologists and tissue engineers. Each chapter is written by experts actively involved in growing human adult stem cells.

This book shows the various sandwich assays that are constructed from recognition molecules, such as antibodies, oligonucleotide sequences and aptamers, developed as a result of nano- and biotechnology advances. It consists of ten chapters presenting interesting examples of these assays, organized according to the type of analytic methods (colorimetric, fluorescence, electrochemical, etc.) and detected objects (protein, nucleic acid, small-molecule, ion, etc.). It also includes a chapter discussing the introduction of sandwich assays as biosensors for the detection of a range of targets. It is an interesting and useful resource for a wide readership in various fields of chemical science and nanotechnology.

In this book, leading authors in the field discuss developments of Ambient Assisted Living. The contributions have been chosen and invited at the 8th AAL Congress, Frankfurt/M. The meeting presents new technological developments which support the autonomy and independence of individuals with special needs. The 8th AAL Congress focusses its attention on technical assistance systems and their applications in homecare, health and care.

In the past decades, interdisciplinary investigations overlapping biology, medicine, information science, and engineering have formed a very exciting and active field that attracts scientists, medical doctors, and engineers with knowledge in different domains. A few examples of such investigations include neural prosthetic implants that aim to improve the quality of life for patients suffering from neurologic disease and injury; brain machine interfaces that sense, analyze, and translate electrical signals from the brain to build closed-loop, biofeedback systems; and fundamental studies of intelligence, cognitive functions, and psychological behaviors correlated to their neurological basis. Although this interdisciplinary area is still in its infancy, it can potentially create some of the most significant impact: treating diseases that are considered untreatable, interpretation and communication of neuron ensembles, or even a revolutionary perception and understanding of life different from philosophical or immaterial approaches. Fortunately, several academic societies recognize the value and impact of this growing field, firmly supporting related research. Such support will drive a booming future in the next twenty or thirty years.

Research in this areais frequently project-driven, and the generated knowledge has been scattered in different fields of neuroscience, computation, material and technology, circuits and system, clinical reports, and psychology the scope considerably across the boundary of traditionally defined disciplines. "Neural Computation, Neural Devices, and Neural Prosthesis" is intended to assemble such knowledge, from there suggesting a systematic approach guiding future educational and research activities. The targeted audience includes both students and researchers.
"

This book introduces the reader to drug delivery with specific emphasis on the use of nanoparticles. It covers properties, characterization, and preparation of different types of nanoparticles and discusses recent advances in their structural design and biomedical application, as well as the issues and challenges associated with their design and use. Some of the topics covered include the potential application of nanoparticles in biomedical fields, hazards associated with use of nanoparticles for drug delivery, size-dependent factors in drug delivery applications, different organic, inorganic and their hybrid systems used in drug delivery, etc. It also highlights use of nanoparticles in controlled and targeted drug delivery, and their application in stimuli-responsive, especially pH-responsive, drug release. Additionally, it also focuses on biomimetic nanoparticles, challenges faced in the designing of nanoparticles for drug delivery in cancer, viral and bacterial diseases. The contents of this volume will be useful to researchers and professionals working on advances in targeted drug delivery systems.

Designing Inclusive Interactions contains the proceedings of the fifth Cambridge Workshop on Universal Access and Assistive Technology (CWUAAT), incorporating the 8th Cambridge Workshop on Rehabilitation Robotics, held in Cambridge, England, in March 2010. It contains contributions from an international group of leading researchers in the fields of Universal Access and Assistive Technology. This conference will mainly focus on the following principal topics: 1. Designing assistive and rehabilitation technology for working and daily living environments 2. Measuring inclusion for the design of products for work and daily living 3. Inclusive interaction design and new technologies for inclusive design 4. Assembling new user data for inclusive design 5. The design of accessible and inclusive contexts: work and daily living environments 6. Business advantages and applications of inclusive design 7. Legislation, standards and government awareness of inclusive design

This second edition volume provides an overview of some of the types of nanostructures commonly used in nanobiomedicine. The chapters in this book discuss practical information on the synthesis and characterization of a variety of solution-phase and surface-bound nanomaterials, with examples of how they can be used in sensing, imaging, and therapeutics. Specific topics include the synthesis and characterization of molecule and biomolecule-functionalized nanoconjugates with gold, iron oxide, or polymeric cores; the development of biosensing, imaging, and therapeutic applications of multicomponent/multifunctional nanostructures; and the application of flow cytometry in nanobiomedicine. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.< Thorough and comprehensive, Biomedical Nanotechnology: Methods and Protocols, Second Edition is a useful resource for scientists and researchers at all levels who are interested in working in a new area of nanoscience and technology, or in expanding their knowledge base in their current field.

This book presents the timeline of immunodiagnostics evolution, including advancements in immunological/nucleic acid probes, assay design, labelling techniques, and devices for signal transduction and acquisition. In the past few years, enzyme and nanocatalyst-based immune assays have undergone numerous modifications to enhance their sensitivity and potential for automation. Further, to reduce production costs and the use of laboratory animals, engineering small antibodies and nucleic acid probes (aptamers) has become increasingly popular in the development of novel and powerful bioassays. In light of the notable advancements in immunodiagnostics, this book highlights the combined efforts of clinicians, biotechnologists, material scientists, nanotechnologists and basic scientists in a coherent and highly structured way. The book takes readers on the journey of immunodiagnostic technologies, from their introduction to the present.

Computational Intelligence is comparatively a new field but it has made a tremendous progress in virtually every discipline right from engineering, science, business, m- agement, aviation to healthcare. Computational intelligence already has a solid track-record of applications to healthcare, of which this book is a continuation. We would like to refer the reader to the excellent previous volumes in this series on computational intelligence in heal- care [1-3]. This book is aimed at providing the most recent advances and state of the art in the practical applications of computational intelligence paradigms in healthcare. It - cludes nineteen chapters on using various computational intelligence methods in healthcare such as intelligent agents and case-based reasoning. A number of fielded applications and case studies are presented. Highlighted are in particular novel c- putational approaches to the semantic management of health information such as in the Web 2.0, mobile agents such as in portable devices, learning agents capable of adapting to diverse clinical settings through case-based reasoning, and statistical - proaches in computational intelligence. This book is targeted towards scientists, application engineers, professors, health professionals, professors, and students. Background information on computational intelligence has been provided whenever necessary to facilitate the comprehension of a broad audience including healthcare practitioners.

This book discusses feature engineering and computational intelligence solutions for ECG monitoring, with a particular focus on how these methods can be efficiently used to address the emerging challenges of dynamic, continuous & long-term individual ECG monitoring and real-time feedback. By doing so, it provides a "snapshot" of the current research at the interface between physiological signal analysis and machine learning. It also helps clarify a number of dilemmas and encourages further investigations in this field, to explore rational applications of feature engineering and computational intelligence in ECG monitoring. The book is intended for researchers and graduate students in the field of biomedical engineering, ECG signal processing, and intelligent healthcare.

The generation of tridimensional tissues, assembled from scaffolding materials populated with biologically functional cells, is the great challenge and hope of tissue bioengineering and regenerative medicine. The generation of biomaterials capable of harnessing the immune system has been particularly successful. This book provides a comprehensive view of how immune cells can be manipulated to suppresses inflammation, deliver vaccines, fight cancer cells, promote tissue regeneration or inhibit blood clotting and bacterial infections by functionally engineered biomaterials. However, long-lived polymers, such as those employed in orthopedic surgery or vascular stents, can often induce an immune reaction to their basic components. As a result, this book is also an important step towards coming to understand how to manipulate biomaterials to optimize their beneficial effects and downplay detrimental immune responses.

This book highlights electromagnetic actuation (EMA) and sensing systems for a broad range of applications including targeted drug delivery, drug-release-rate control, catheterization, intravitreal needleless injections, wireless magnetic capsule endoscopy, and micromanipulations. It also reviews the state-of-the-art magnetic actuation and sensing technologies with remotely controlled targets used in biomedicine.

Nanomedicine is the field of science that deals with organic applications of medicine at the nano-scale level. It primarily addresses finding, anticipating, and treating sickness, as well as using nanotechnology to assist in controlling human frameworks at the cellular level. The nature of nanotechnology allows it to address numerous medical issues in humans. This book offers comprehensive information to better comprehend and apply multifunctional nanoparticles in nanomedicine, and thus open avenues in the field. Medicating at the nanolevel is an exceptional therapeutic avenue, as it avoids symptoms associated with conventional medicines. This book investigates recent insights into structuring novel drug delivery frameworks. It concentrates on the physical characteristics of drug delivery transporters, and the preliminary procedures involved in their use. The book offers in-depth detail that benefits academics and researchers alike, containing broad research from experts in the field, and serves as a guide for students and researchers in the field of nanomedicine, drug delivery, and nanotechnology.