Through a biophysical approach, Electromagnetic Fields in Biology and Medicine provides state-of-the-art knowledge on both the biological and therapeutic effects of Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs). The reader is guided through explanations of general problems related to the benefits and hazards of EMFs, step-by-step engineering processes, and basic results obtained from laboratory and clinical trials. Basic biological mechanisms reviewed by several authors lead to an understanding of the effects of EMFs on microcirculation as well as on immune and anti-inflammatory responses. Based upon investigational mechanisms for achieving potential health benefits, various EMF medical applications used around the world are presented. These include the frequent use of EMFs in wound healing and cartilage/bone repair as well as use of EMFs in pain control and inhibition of cancer growth. Final chapters cover the potential of using the novel biophysical methods of electroporation and nanoelectroporation in electrochemotherapy, gene therapy, and nonthermal ablation. Also covered is the treatment of tendon injuries in animals and humans. This book is an invaluable tool for scientists, clinicians, and medical and engineering students.

The Physics of Conformal Radiotherapy: Advances in Technology provides a thorough overview of conformal radiotherapy and biological modeling, focusing on the underlying physics and methodology of three-dimensional techniques in radiation therapy. This carefully written, authoritative account evaluates three-dimensional treatment planning, optimization, photon multileaf collimation, proton therapy, transit dosimetry, intensity-modulation techniques, and biological modeling. It is an invaluable teaching guide and reference for all medical physicists and radiation oncologists/therapists that use conformal radiotherapy.

The Physics of Three Dimensional Radiation Therapy presents a broad study of the use of three-dimensional techniques in radiation therapy. These techniques are used to specify the target volume precisely and deliver radiation with precision to minimize damage to surrounding healthy tissue. The book discusses multimodality computed tomography, complex treatment planning software, advanced collimation techniques, proton radiotherapy, megavoltage imaging, and stereotactic radiosurgery. A review of the literature, numerous questions, and many illustrations make this book suitable for teaching a course. The themes covered in this book are developed and expanded in Webb's The Physics of Conformal Radiotherapy and the two may be used together or in successive semesters for teaching purposes.

Experimental microdosimetry deals with the measurement of charged particle energy deposition in tissue equivalent volumes, ranging in size from nanometres to micrometres. Microdosimetry is employed to improve our understanding of the relationship between radiation energy deposition, the resulting biological effects, and the appropriate quantities to be used in characterizing and quantifying radiation quality. Although many reviews and contributions to the field have been published over the past fifty years, this new book is the first to provide a single, up to date, and easily accessible account of experimental microdosimetry. This book is designed to be used in medical, radiation, and health physics courses and by Master's and PhD students. In addition to serving as an introductory text to the field for graduate students, this book will also be of interest as a teaching and reference resource for graduate supervisors and established researchers. Drs. Lennart Lindborg and Anthony Waker have spent a life-time career in experimental microdosimetry research in academic, industrial and regulatory environments and have observed the development of the field from its early days as a recognized discipline; they bring to this book particular knowledge and experience in the design, construction, operation and use of tissue equivalent gas ionization counters and chambers.

Linear Accelerators for Radiation Therapy, Second Edition focuses on the fundamentals of accelerator systems, explaining the underlying physics and the different features of these systems. This edition includes expanded sections on the treatment head, on x-ray production via multileaf and dynamic collimation for the production of wedged and other intensity modulated beams, on electron scattering systems, and on dosimetry. With high-quality illustrations and practical examples throughout, it contains a detailed description of electron beam optics and linear accelerator components. The final chapter explains how to use other equipment, such as scanners and simulators, in conjunction with linear accelerators for optimum treatment of cancers.

The proposed book aims to explain the basic principles, concepts and regulations behind radiation protection and their application in the field of radiation oncology practice. This book will be useful to all those students, teachers and practicing professionals involved in the field of radiation oncology.

CMOS: Front-End Electronics for Radiation Sensors offers a comprehensive introduction to integrated front-end electronics for radiation detectors, focusing on devices that capture individual particles or photons and are used in nuclear and high energy physics, space instrumentation, medical physics, homeland security, and related fields. Emphasizing practical design and implementation, this book: Covers the fundamental principles of signal processing for radiation detectors Discusses the relevant analog building blocks used in the front-end electronics Employs systematically weak and moderate inversion regimes in circuit analysis Makes complex topics such as noise and circuit-weighting functions more accessible Includes numerical examples where appropriate CMOS: Front-End Electronics for Radiation Sensors provides specialized knowledge previously obtained only through the study of multiple technical and scientific papers. It is an ideal text for students of physics and electronics engineering, as well as a useful reference for experienced practitioners.

Based on hospital clinical trials examining the use of signal and image processing techniques, Surface Imaging for Biomedical Applications bridges the gap between engineers and clinicians. This text offers a thorough analysis of biomedical surface imaging to medical practitioners as it relates to the diagnosis, detection, and monitoring of skin conditions and disease. Written from an engineer's perspective, the book discusses image acquisition methods, image processing, and pattern recognition techniques. It focuses on a variety of techniques used in recent years for image processing and pattern recognition (principal component analysis, independent component analysis, singular value decomposition, texture modeling, inverse model analysis, polynomial surface fitting, and classification techniques), and considers interventional and non-invasive procedures used to diagnose skin-related disease. It examines the biological causation of four skin disorders (psoriasis, vitiligo, ulcer, and acne), provides basic terminologies in surface imaging, and details the outcome of various clinical observations and other research. It also details numerous measurement parameters related to surface imaging (body surface, skin color, tissue characteristic, thickness, roughness, volume of skin, and retinal changes). Discusses the development of a psoriasis severity measurement tool Provides material on assessing segmented repigmentation areas in vitiligo patients via VT-Scan Introduces a volume ulcer assessment using non-invasive 3D imaging Presents an automated system for acne grading that is based on capturing the images of various body parts using the DSLR camera Includes the MATLAB (R) codes for various pattern recognition techniques applied during the assessment/measurement at the end of each chapter This interdisciplinary reference highlights the importance of disease diagnosis and monitoring, and is suitable for medical practitioners, biomedical engineers, and core image processing researchers.

The discipline of rehabilitation engineering draws on a wide range of specialist knowledge, from the biomedical sciences to materials technology. Rehabilitation Engineering Applied to Mobility and Manipulation provides broad background and motivational material to ease readers' introduction to the subject. The book begins with a wide-ranging yet concise introduction to the legislative, technological, testing, and design basis of rehabilitation engineering, followed by the fundamentals of design and materials and a full account of the biomechanics of rehabilitation. Major sections of the book are devoted to various aspects of mobility, including detailed discussion of wheelchair design. Valuable additional material deals with seating, prosthetic devices, robotics, and the often-neglected subject of recreational devices and vehicles. More than a thousand references to the research and review literature put readers in touch with the leading edge of a rapidly growing field.

Written by internationally known experts in the field, Stereotactic Radiosurgery and Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy examines one of the fastest-developing subspecialties within radiation oncology. These procedures deliver large doses of radiation in one to five sessions to a precisely determined target. Often these techniques have proven to be as or more effective than traditional radiation therapy techniques, while at the same time being cost-efficient and convenient for the patient. These techniques, however, require careful planning, specialized equipment, and well-trained staff. This volume provides a cutting-edge look at the biological and technical underpinnings of SRS and SBRT techniques. It includes a history of the development of SRS and SBRT; clinical applications of the techniques; dedicated devices for delivering precisely shaped, high doses of radiation; use of in-room imaging for treatment planning and treatment guidance; immobilization techniques for accurate targeting; and future developments that will continue to evolve and refine existing techniques. A valuable introduction to those just learning about these specialized techniques, and an ideal reference for those who are already implementing them, this book covers a wide variety of topics, with clear discussions of each aspect of the technology employed.

Nanocomposites for Musculoskeletal Tissue Regeneration discusses the advanced biomaterials scientists are exploring for use as tools to mimic the structure of musculoskeletal tissues. Bone and other musculoskeletal tissues naturally have a nanocomposite structure, therefore nanocomposites are ideally suited as a material for replacing and regenerating these natural tissues. In addition, biological properties such as biointegration and the ability to tailor and dope the materials make them highly desirable for musculoskeletal tissue regeneration.

Modern brachytherapy is one of the most important oncological treatment modalities requiring an integrated approach that utilizes new technologies, advanced clinical imaging facilities, and a thorough understanding of the radiobiological effects on different tissues, the principles of physics, dosimetry techniques and protocols, and clinical expertise. A complete overview of the field, Comprehensive Brachytherapy: Physical and Clinical Aspects is a landmark publication, presenting a detailed account of the underlying physics, design, and implementation of the techniques, along with practical guidance for practitioners. Bridging the gap between research and application, this single source brings together the technological basis, radiation dosimetry, quality assurance, and fundamentals of brachytherapy. In addition, it presents discussion of the most recent clinical practice in brachytherapy including prostate, gynecology, breast, and other clinical treatment sites. Along with exploring new clinical protocols, it discusses major advances in imaging, robotics, dosimetry, Monte Carlo-based dose calculation, and optimization.

The Topics Every Medical Physicist Should Know Tutorials in Radiotherapy Physics: Advanced Topics with Problems and Solutions covers selected advanced topics that are not thoroughly discussed in any of the standard medical physics texts. The book brings together material from a large variety of sources, avoiding the need for you to search through and digest the vast research literature. The topics are mathematically developed from first principles using consistent notation. Clear Derivations and In-Depth Explanations The book offers insight into the physics of electron acceleration in linear accelerators and presents an introduction to the study of proton therapy. It then describes the predominant method of clinical photon dose computation: convolution and superposition dose calculation algorithms. It also discusses the Boltzmann transport equation, a potentially fast and accurate method of dose calculation that is an alternative to the Monte Carlo method. This discussion considers Fermi-Eyges theory, which is widely used for electron dose calculations. The book concludes with a step-by-step mathematical development of tumor control and normal tissue complication probability models. Each chapter includes problems with solutions given in the back of the book. Prepares You to Explore Cutting-Edge Research This guide provides you with the foundation to read review articles on the topics. It can be used for self-study, in graduate medical physics and physics residency programs, or in vendor training for linacs and treatment planning systems.

Discover the Most Advanced Technologies in Biomagnetics Co-edited by Professor Ueno, a leader in the biomagnetics field for over 40 years, Biomagnetics: Principles and Applications of Biomagnetic Stimulation and Imaging explains the physical principles of biomagnetic stimulation and imaging and explores applications of the latest techniques in neuroscience, clinical medicine, and healthcare. The book shows you how the techniques are used in hospitals and why they are so promising. A brief overview of recent research trends in biomagnetics provides you with an up-to-date, informative guide to explore further in this field. The book focuses on three important areas: Magnetic nerve stimulation and transcranial magnetic stimulation Biomagnetic measurements and imaging of the human brain by advanced technologies of magnetoencephalography and MRI Biomagnetic approaches to potential treatments of cancers, pains, and other neurological and psychiatric diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease and depression These core areas of the book were developed from the editors' prestigious graduate-level courses in biomedical engineering. The text also discusses biomagnetic approaches to advanced medicine, including regenerative and rehabilitation medicine.

The product of 20 years of research, this book covers topics in soft tissue elasticity in vivo, from measurement techniques to clinical applications. It provides, for the first time, a single source that systematically introduces the various techniques for in vivo measurement of soft tissue elasticity in an effort to ease the difficulty between learning technical details and clinical applications of techniques. Measurement of Soft Tissue Elasticity in Vivo: Techniques and Applications presents an overview of the existing measurement methods, their physical principles, assumptions, advantages, and disadvantages. Clinical applications discussed include assessment of tissue fibrosis after radiotherapy, articular cartilage degeneration, muscle contraction, cancer staging, liver fibrosis progression, diabetic foot ulceration, cornea stiffening, and wound healing. Techniques covered include shear wave propagation methods, vibro-ultrasound methods, dynamic holography, ultrasound and other indentation methods, and OCT-based and other suction measurement methods. The book also proposes two critical directions for future research in the field. One is to standardize the terms, parameters, and test protocols used in different fields. The second proposal is to standardize one technique to dominate the field, while devices can be adapted to fit the measuring requirements of different tissues. In doing so, the results obtained for the same tissue by different clinicians can be comparable and a standardized protocol can be established. This book bridges the gap between the complexity of measuring techniques and simplicity and accuracy of their clinical use. Its comprehensiveness and clarity help new engineers in the field develop analytical methods and allow clinicians to use these techniques in their practice with greater confidence.

Cardiovascular and Neurovascular Imaging: Physics and Technology explains the underlying physical and technical principles behind a range of cardiovascular and neurovascular imaging modalities, including radiography, nuclear medicine, ultrasound, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Examining this interdisciplinary branch of medical imaging from academic, clinical, and industrial perspectives, this comprehensive book: Covers each major imaging modality as well as special applications, time-resolved techniques, and image-guided therapies Discusses image quality and accuracy, radiation safety and dosimetry, and image formation and analysis Explores current and future trends in vascular imaging procedures and technologies Featuring chapters authored by field experts, Cardiovascular and Neurovascular Imaging: Physics and Technology combines the latest information on the physics and technology of cardiovascular and neurovascular imaging under one cover, providing students, professionals, and researchers with a single, state-of-the-art reference.

The Physiological Measurement Handbook presents an extensive range of topics that encompass the subject of measurement in all departments of medicine. The handbook describes the use of instruments and techniques for practical measurements required in medicine. It covers sensors, techniques, hardware, and software as well as information on processing systems, automatic data acquisition, reduction and analysis, and their incorporation for diagnosis. Suitable for both instrumentation designers and users, the handbook enables biomedical engineers, scientists, researchers, students, health care personnel, and those in the medical device industry to explore the different methods available for measuring a particular physiological variable. It helps readers select the most suitable method by comparing alternative methods and their advantages and disadvantages. In addition, the book provides equations for readers focused on discovering applications and solving diagnostic problems arising in medical fields not necessarily in their specialty. It also includes specialized information needed by readers who want to learn advanced applications of the subject, evaluative opinions, and possible areas for future study.

A rapidly growing field, vibrational spectroscopy has found applications in industries including pharmaceutical manufacture, food and drug safety, and process monitoring on production lines. In particular, interest in clinical spectroscopy is rising rapidly as researchers recognize the potential of the vibrational spectroscopic techniques-Infrared (IR) and Raman Spectroscopy-as noninvasive tissue diagnosis tools. However, the details of the characteristic peak frequencies and their relationship to specific functional groups present in the biological tissues have not been fully understood. Vibrational Spectroscopy for Tissue Analysis introduces IR and Raman Spectroscopy to those scientists who are either using these spectroscopic techniques to address clinical problems or planning to use spectroscopy to analyze clinical tissues and understand their chemical composition. By compiling the interpretations and understandings of the spectral peaks of the biological molecules in one place, this book aids in the understanding of IR and Raman Spectroscopy, and what these techniques can offer both in early diagnosis of the disease and monitoring of the progression of the disease. Despite the tremendous advances in the field of spectroscopy, where new applications are emerging at the pace of development, there are still areas of research that are crying for further exploration. This book bridges the gap between the spectroscopic research and medical applications.

From the essential background physics and radiobiology to the latest imaging and treatment modalities, the updated second edition of Handbook of Radiotherapy Physics: Theory & Practice covers all aspects of the subject. In Volume 1, Part A includes the Interaction of Radiation with Matter (charged particles and photons) and the Fundamentals of Dosimetry with an extensive section on small-field physics. Part B covers Radiobiology with increased emphasis on hypofractionation. Part C describes Equipment for Imaging and Therapy including MR-guided linear accelerators. Part D on Dose Measurement includes chapters on ionisation chambers, solid-state detectors, film and gels, as well as a detailed description and explanation of Codes of Practice for Reference Dose Determination including detector correction factors in small fields. Part E describes the properties of Clinical (external) Beams. The various methods (or 'algorithms') for Computing Doses in Patients irradiated by photon, electron and proton beams are described in Part F with increased emphasis on Monte-Carlo-based and grid-based deterministic algorithms. In Volume 2, Part G covers all aspects of Treatment Planning including CT-, MR- and Radionuclide-based patient imaging, Intensity-Modulated Photon Beams, Electron and Proton Beams, Stereotactic and Total Body Irradiation and the use of the dosimetric and radiobiological metrics TCP and NTCP for plan evaluation and optimisation. Quality Assurance fundamentals with application to equipment and processes are covered in Part H. Radionuclides, equipment and methods for Brachytherapy and Targeted Molecular Therapy are covered in Parts I and J, respectively. Finally, Part K is devoted to Radiation Protection of the public, staff and patients. Extensive tables of Physical Constants, Photon, Electron and Proton Interaction data, and typical Photon Beam and Radionuclide data are given in Part L. Edited by recognised authorities in the field, with individual chapters written by renowned specialists, this second edition of Handbook of Radiotherapy Physics provides the essential up-to-date theoretical and practical knowledge to deliver safe and effective radiotherapy. It will be of interest to clinical and research medical physicists, radiation oncologists, radiation technologists, PhD and Master's students.

This textbook summarizes the basic knowledge of atomic, nuclear, and radiation physics that professionals working in medical physics and biomedical engineering need for efficient and safe use of ionizing radiation in medicine. Concentrating on the underlying principles of radiation physics, the textbook covers the prerequisite knowledge for medical physics courses on the graduate and post-graduate levels in radiotherapy physics, radiation dosimetry, imaging physics, and health physics, thus providing the link between elementary undergraduate physics and the intricacies of four medical physics specialties: diagnostic radiology physics, nuclear medicine physics, radiation oncology physics, and health physics. To recognize the importance of radiation dosimetry to medical physics three new chapters have been added to the 14 chapters of the previous edition. Chapter 15 provides a general introduction to radiation dosimetry. Chapter 16 deals with absolute radiation dosimetry systems that establish absorbed dose or some other dose related quantity directly from the signal measured by the dosimeter. Three absolute dosimetry techniques are known and described in detail: (i) calorimetric; (ii) chemical (Fricke), and (iii) ionometric. Chapter 17 deals with relative radiation dosimetry systems that rely on a previous dosimeter calibration in a known radiation field. Many relative radiation dosimetry systems have been developed to date and four most important categories used routinely in medicine and radiation protection are described in this chapter: (i) Ionometric dosimetry; (ii) Luminescence dosimetry; (iii) Semiconductor dosimetry; and (iv) Film dosimetry. The book is intended as a textbook for a radiation physics course in academic medical physics graduate programs as well as a reference book for candidates preparing for certification examinations in medical physics sub-specialties. It may also be of interest to many professionals, not only physicists, who in their daily occupations deal with various aspects of medical physics or radiation physics and have a need or desire to improve their understanding of radiation physics.

This book discusses fundamentally new biomedical imaging methods, such as holography, holographic and resonant interferometry, and speckle optics. It focuses on the development of holographic interference microscopy and its use in the study of phase objects such as nerve and muscle fibers subjected to the influence of laser radiation, magnetic fields, and hyperbaric conditions. The book shows how the myelin sheath and even the axon itself exhibit waveguide properties, enabling a fresh new look at the mechanisms of information transmission in the human body. The book presents theoretically and experimentally tested holographic and speckle-optical methods and devices used for investigating complex, diffusely scattering surfaces such as skin and muscle tissue. Additionally, it gives broad discussion of the authors' own original fundamental and applied research dedicated to helping physicians introduce new contact-less methods of diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the cardiovascular and neuromuscular systems into medical practice. The book is aimed at a broad spectrum of scientific specialists in the fields of speckle optics, holography, laser physics, morphology and cytochemistry, as well as medical professionals such as physiologists, neuropathologists, neurosurgeons, cardiologists and dentists.

The 19th century pioneers of motor physiology - Helmholtz, Hering, Fick and others - used the mathematics of motion, known as kinematics, to describe the laws of human movement and to deduce the neural control principles underlying these laws. After long neglect - partly due to limitations in stimulation and recording techniques - the kinematic approach is now resurging, fortified with modern computers and electrophysiology. New developments in recording techniques, as well as an improved understanding of the complex control properties of three-dimensional movements, have led to a flood of new research in this area. The classical laws of Donders and Listing have been confirmed and generalized, and computer simulations of the neural control of three-dimensional movement have been developed and tested.
In this book, some of the world's leading scientists of motor control discuss how the brain represents and tranforms the kinematic variables of movement. Background chapters explain the basic concepts - non-commutativity, redundancy and the classical laws - and their application to normal function and motor disorders, and shorter articles describe current research. The contributions are based on presentations at a symposium held in Tubingen in August 1995. The wide scope of the book should enable researchers to gain an overview of current research, but should also help newcomers tot he field to get a good understanding of the questions and problems involved in three-dimensional movement control.

Computational Biomechanics for Medicine: Solid and fluid mechanics for the benefit of patients contributions and papers from the MICCAI Computational Biomechanics for Medicine Workshop help in conjunction with Medical Image Computing and Computer Assisted Intervention conference (MICCAI 2019) in Shenzhen, China. The content is dedicated to research in the field of methods and applications of computational biomechanics to medical image analysis, image-guided surgery, surgical simulation, surgical intervention planning, disease prognosis and diagnostics, analysis of injury mechanisms, implant and prostheses design, as well as artificial organ design and medical robotics. These proceedings appeal to researchers, students and professionals in the field.

This book presents an overview of the current state of research on ultrashort electric field pulses of high intensity and their use in biology and medicine. It examines in detail the most recent and exciting advances in how nanosecond and picosecond electric pulse research has grown and expanded into new areas of biology and medicine. Further, the book specifically focuses on electric pulses in the time domain, on intracellular effects as opposed to plasma membrane electroporation, and highlights the biological and medical applications of these unique pulse effects. Since the authors were initial innovators exploring nanosecond and picosecond pulses, their unique perspectives foreshadowed directions the research took, expanding into new areas that they continue to investigate today.

In this book, the major paradigm-shifting discoveries made in the past century on key cellular nanomachines are described in great detail: their complex yet precise and elegant design and function, as well as the diseases linked to their dysfunction and the therapeutic approaches to overcome them. The major focus of this book is the "porosome" nanomachine, the universal secretory portal in cells. This is an ideal book for students, researchers, and professionals in the fields of nanoscience and nanotechnology.