A best-selling resource now in its fifth edition, Paul Davidovits' Physics in Biology and Medicine provides a high-quality and highly relevant physics grounding for students working toward careers in the medical and related professions. The text does not assume a prior background in physics, but provides it as required. It discusses biological systems that can be analyzed quantitatively and demonstrates how advances in the life sciences have been aided by the knowledge of physical or engineering analysis techniques, with applications, practice, and illustrations throughout. Physics in Biology and Medicine, Fifth Edition, includes new material and corresponding exercises on many exciting developments in the field since the prior edition, including biomechanics of joint replacement; biotribology and frictional properties of biological materials such as saliva, hair, and skin; 3-D printing and its use in medicine; new materials in dentistry; microfluidics and its applications to medicine; health, fractals, and the second law of thermodynamics; bioelectronic medicine; microsensors in medicine; role of myelin in learning, cryoelectron microscopy; clinical uses of sound; health impact of nanoparticle in polluted air. This revised edition delivers a concise and engaging introduction to the role and importance of physics in biology and medicine. It is ideal for courses in biophysics, medical physics, and related subjects.

This volume comprises the latest developments in both fundamental science and patient-specific applications, discussing topics such as: cellular mechanics, injury biomechanics, biomechanics of the heart and vascular system, algorithms of computational biomechanics for medical image analysis, and both patient-specific fluid dynamics and solid mechanics simulations. With contributions from researchers world-wide, Computational Biomechanics for Medicine: Measurments, Models, and Predictions provides an opportunity for specialists in the field to present their latest methodologies and advancements.

Up-to-Date Details on Using Ultrasound Imaging to Help Diagnose Various Diseases Due to improvements in image quality and the reduced cost of advanced features, ultrasound imaging is playing a greater role in the diagnosis and image-guided intervention of a wide range of diseases. Ultrasound Imaging and Therapy highlights the latest advances in using ultrasound imaging in image-guided interventions and ultrasound-based therapy. The book presents current and emerging techniques, identifies trends in the use of ultrasound imaging, and addresses technical and computational problems that need to be solved. The book is organized into three sections. The first section covers advances in technology, including transducers (2-D, 3-D, and 4-D), beamformers, 3-D imaging systems, and blood velocity estimation systems. The second section focuses on diagnostic applications, such as elastography, quantitative techniques for therapy monitoring and diagnostic imaging, and ultrasound tomography. The final section explains the use of ultrasound in image-guided interventions for image-guided biopsy and brain imaging.

The World of Nano-Biomechanics, Second Edition, focuses on the remarkable progress in the application of force spectroscopy to molecular and cellular biology that has occurred since the book's first edition in 2008. The initial excitement of seeing and touching a single molecule of protein/DNA is now culminating in the development of various ways to manipulate molecules and cells almost at our fingertips, enabling live cell operations. Topics include the development of molecular biosensors, mechanical diagnosis, cellular-level wound healing, and a look into the advances that have been made in our understanding of the significance of mechanical rigidity/flexibility of protein/DNA structure for the manifestation of biological activities. The book begins with a summary of the results of basic mechanics to help readers who are unfamiliar with engineering mechanics. Then, representative results obtained on biological macromolecules and structures, such as proteins, DNA, RNA, polysaccharides, lipid membranes, subcellular organelles, and live cells are discussed. New to this second edition are recent developments in three important applications, i.e., advanced AFM-data analysis, high-resolution mechanical biosensing, and the use of cell mechanics for medical diagnosis.

This book was developed for the AAPM 2013 Summer School Proceedings in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Radiotherapy physics has had a very long history of performing quality assurance. Physicists working with the very earliest radiotherapy units developed before the beginning of the last century realized the need to verify the calibration and proper operation of their equipment. The International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements and the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurement initiated standardization of quality assurance protocols through a series of recommendations. This was followed by a large collection of professional guidance documents, particularly from the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM). Through these efforts, radiotherapy became one of the first medical disciplines to establish standardized quality assurance. In light of the increasing complexity of radiotherapy treatments and technology and the diversity of methods used by facilities for various clinical procedures, it is no longer practical to rely solely on generic, prescriptive lists of comprehensive quality assurance (QA) steps to ensure quality and safety for patients. This was the conclusion that guided the AAPM's Task Group 100 away from writing such guidelines for intensity-modulated radiotherapy and toward the examination of quality and safety techniques that have proven so effective first in industry and, more recently, in many medical disciplines. These techniques consider not only QA for equipment, but also for procedures as a whole in the context of the facility. These approaches and methodologies may be new and somewhat daunting to many practicing medical physicists. The goal of this book is to make these new techniques accessible to the broader medical physics community. The CD included in this book contains large tables, figures, and many of the text's images in color.

This proceedings volume results from the NATO Advanced Research Workshop on 'Biomarkers of Radiation in the Environment: Robust Tools for Risk Assessment (BRITE)'. The BRITE workshop discussed insights from cancer research, epigenetics, non-human and human risk assessment, since many of the state-of-the-art biomarkers being developed for humans deserve consideration for environmental applications and vice versa. Sessions were very wide-ranging covering methods, mechanisms, cross disciplinary application and regulation. The chapters in this book have been grouped into five major themes that were covered by the BRITE workshop: * Techniques for biomarker development * Low-dose effect mechanisms * Biomarkers for risk evaluation * Biomarkers in wildlife * Biomarker use and responses Each chapter has been written independently and reflects the views of the chapter author(s). Therefore, the readers can form their own balanced view of the different perspectives on biomarkers of radiation in the environment. Given the breadth of topics covered and the state-of-the-art perspectives shared by leading experts in their respective fields, this book should form a valuable resource for anyone with an interest in how biomarkers can be used to improve our understanding of radiation in the environment and its potential impacts.

This book is indexed and includes a DVD with color images and tables. The number of light ion beam (including proton beam) treatment programs is rapidly increasing worldwide; however, there are currently no practical guides to support the acceptance testing, commissioning, planning, and continuing quality assurance of these programs. This book is aimed at those individuals who participate in the delivery and planning aspects of light ion beam treatments. Typically these individuals are medical physicists with responsibilities for calibration and verification of beam delivery, quality assurance, and computerized treatment planning; however other individuals may also find the book useful. This book provides practical recommendations and guides the reader through the steps of the treatment process, focusing on practical details.

The book covers the latest updates in the application of infrared to biomedical sciences, a non-invasive, contactless, safe and easy approach imaging of skin and tissue temperatures. Its diagnostic procedure allows practitioners to identify the locations of abnormal chemical and blood vessel activity such as angiogenesis in body tissue. Its non-invasive approach works by applying the technology of the infrared camera and state-of-the-art software, where high-resolution digital infrared imaging technology benefits highly from enhanced image production, standardized image interpretation protocols, computerized comparison and storage, and sophisticated image enhancement and analysis. The book contains contributions from global prominent scientists in the area of infrared applications in biomedical studies. The target audience includes academics, practitioners, clinicians and students working in the area of infrared imaging in biomedicine.

The series Topics in Current Chemistry Collections presents critical reviews from the journal Topics in Current Chemistry organized in topical volumes. The scope of coverage is all areas of chemical science including the interfaces with related disciplines such as biology, medicine and materials science. The goal of each thematic volume is to give the non-specialist reader, whether in academia or industry, a comprehensive insight into an area where new research is emerging which is of interest to a larger scientific audience. Each review within the volume critically surveys one aspect of that topic and places it within the context of the volume as a whole. The most significant developments of the last 5 to 10 years are presented using selected examples to illustrate the principles discussed. The coverage is not intended to be an exhaustive summary of the field or include large quantities of data, but should rather be conceptual, concentrating on the methodological thinking that will allow the non-specialist reader to understand the information presented. Contributions also offer an outlook on potential future developments in the field.

This book provides a balanced presentation of the fundamental principles of cardiovascular biomechanics research, as well as its valuable clinical applications. Pursuing an integrated approach at the interface of the life sciences, physics and engineering, it also includes extensive images to explain the concepts discussed. With a focus on explaining the underlying principles, this book examines the physiology and mechanics of circulation, mechanobiology and the biomechanics of different components of the cardiovascular system, in-vivo techniques, in-vitro techniques, and the medical applications of this research. Written for undergraduate and postgraduate students and including sample problems at the end of each chapter, this interdisciplinary text provides an essential introduction to the topic. It is also an ideal reference text for researchers and clinical practitioners, and will benefit a wide range of students and researchers including engineers, physicists, biologists and clinicians who are interested in the area of cardiovascular biomechanics.

This book describes the multiple aspects of (i) preparation of the magnetic core, (ii) the stabilization with different coatings, (iii) the physico-chemical characterization and (iv) the vectorization to obtain specific nanosystems. Several bio-applications are also presented in this book. In the early days of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), paramagnetic ions were proposed as contrast agents to enhance the diagnostic quality of MR images. Since then, academic and industrial efforts have been devoted to the development of new and more efficient molecular, supramolecular and nanoparticular systems. Old concepts and theories, like paramagnetic relaxation, were revisited and exploited, leading to new scientific tracks. With their high relaxivity payload, the superparamagnetic nanoparticles are very appealing in the context of molecular imaging but challenges are still numerous: absence of toxicity, specificity, ability to cross the biological barriers, etc.

With more than 80 full-colour images, this second volume of The Modern Technology of Radiation Oncology deals with the most significant incremental advances in radiation oncology that have occurred since the publication of Volume 1 in 1999. As with the first volume, Volume 2 focuses on the design of the new technologies and how to put them into clinical practice. Medical physicists, radiation oncologists, and everyone who has a close association with the technology of radiation oncology will find this book useful - especially those who are planning implementation of new technologies and those who are preparing for certification.

Nearly 200 additional pages of information 220 exercises - most with solutions 650 illustrations 10 appendices and 220 references 24-page index This new, updated and expanded edition of a popular textbook on medical imaging is intended primarily for use by radiology residents and other interested physicians. In a relaxed, straightforward writing style, Dr. Wolbarst pulls together seemingly unrelated pieces of basic science and technology and illustrates how they fit together to form the foundation of medical imaging. He provides a great deal of detailed, practical information on how the various imaging technologies actually work and on the factors that affect their performance. Nearly all of the equations are simple proportionalities, and the meanings of many of them are illustrated in the Exercises. The properties of the linear, exponential and sine functions, and the rudimentary ideas about probability and statistics that are needed, are reviewed in appendices to the chapters where they are introduced. New chapters in this edition include ""Nuclear Cardiology, SPECT, and PET"": ""Spiral and Multi-Slice CT"": ""PACS, IMACS, and the Integrated Digital Department"": and a chapter on emergency response to radiological disasters and the roles that radiologists could assume.

This volume presents the Proceedings of the 15th Nordic-Baltic Conference on Biomedical Engineering and Medical Physics. NBC 2011 brought together science, education and business under the motto "Cooperation for health."
The topics covered by the Conference Proceedings include: Imaging, Biomechanics, Neural engineering, Sport Science, Cardio-pulmonary engineering, Medical Informatics, Ultrasound, Assistive Technology, Telemedicine, and General Biomedical Engineering.

This is an excellent introduction for graduate students and nonspecialists to the field of mathematical and computational neurosciences. The book approaches the subject via pulsed-coupled neural networks, which have at their core the lighthouse and integrate-and-fire models. These allow for highly flexible modeling of realistic synaptic activity, synchronization and spatio-temporal pattern formation. The more advanced pulse-averaged equations are discussed.

From x-rays to lasers to magnetic resonance imaging, developments in basic physics research have been transformed into medical technologies for imaging, surgery and therapy at an ever-accelerating pace. Physics has joined with genetics and molecular biology to define much of what is modern in modern medicine and allied health. Covering a wide range of applications, Introduction to Physics in Modern Medicine, Third Edition builds further on the bestselling second edition. Based on the courses taught by the authors, the book provides medical personnel and students with an exploration of the physics-related applications found in state-of-the-art medical centers. Requiring no previous acquaintance with physics, biology, or chemistry and keeping mathematics to a minimum, the application-dedicated chapters adhere to simple and self-contained qualitative explanations that make use of examples, illustrations, clinical applications, sample calculations, and exercises. With an enhanced emphasis on digital imaging and computers in medicine, the text gives readers a fundamental understanding of the practical application of each concept and the basic science behind it. This book provides medical students with an excellent introduction to how physics is applied in medicine, while also providing students in physics with an introduction to medical physics. Each chapter includes worked examples and a complete list of problems and questions. That so much of the technology discussed in this book was the stuff of dreams just a few years ago, makes this book as fascinating as it is practical, both for those in medicine as well as those in physics who might one day discover that the project they are working on is the basis for the next great medical application. Features: * Introduces state-of-the-art and emerging medical technologies such as optical coherence tomography, x-ray phase contrast imaging, and ultrasound-mediated drug delivery * Covers hybrid scanners for cancer imaging and the interplay of molecular medicine with MRI, CT and PET in addition to intensity-modulated radiation therapy and new forms of cancer treatments such as proton and heavy-ion therapies * Offers an enhanced emphasis on digital imaging and dosimetry including recent innovations in the pixel-array x-ray detectors, ultrasound matrix transducers and direct-ion storage dosimeters

Good and effective treatment in radiotherapy requires careful consideration of the complex variables involved as well as critical assessment of the techniques. This new edition of an established classic takes into account advances in imaging and treatment delivery and reflects the current state of the art in the practice of radiotherapy, emphasizing the underlying principles of treatment that can be applied for conventional, conformal, and novel treatments.

Nonlinear dynamics has become an important field of research in recent years in many areas of the natural sciences. In particular, it has potential applications in biology and medicine; nonlinear data analysis has helped to detect the progress of cardiac disease, physiological disorders, for example episodes of epilepsy, and others. This book focuses on the current trends of research concerning the prediction of sudden cardiac death and the onset of epileptic seizures, using the nonlinear analysis based on ECG and EEG data. Topics covered include the analysis of cardiac models and neural models. The book is a collection of recent research papers by leading physicists, mathematicians, cardiologists and neurobiologists who are actively involved in using the concepts of nonlinear dynamics to explore the functional behaviours of heart and brain under normal and pathological conditions. This collection is intended for students in physics, mathematics and medical sciences, and researchers in interdisciplinary areas of physics and biology.

Nowadays we are facing numerous and important imaging problems: nondestructive testing of materials, monitoring of industrial processes, enhancement of oil production by efficient reservoir characterization, emerging developments in noninvasive imaging techniques for medical purposes - computerized tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), X-ray and ultrasound tomography, etc. In the CIME Summer School on Imaging (Martina Franca, Italy 2002), leading experts in mathematical techniques and applications presented broad and useful introductions for non-experts and practitioners alike to many aspects of this exciting field. The volume contains part of the above lectures completed and updated by additional contributions on other related topics.

The second in a three-volume set exploring Problems and Solutions in Medical Physics, this volume explores common questions and their solutions in Nuclear Medicine. This invaluable study guide should be used in conjunction with other key textbooks in the field to provide additional learning opportunities. Topics include radioactivity and nuclear transformation, radionuclide production and radiopharmaceuticals, non-imaging detectors and counters, instrumentation for gamma imaging, SPECT and PET/CT, imaging techniques, radionuclide therapy, internal radiation dosimetry, and quality control and radiation protection in nuclear medicine. Each chapter provides examples, notes, and references for further reading to enhance understanding. Features: Consolidates concepts and assists in the understanding and applications of theoretical concepts in medical physics Assists lecturers and instructors in setting assignments and tests Suitable as a revision tool for postgraduate students sitting medical physics, oncology, and radiology sciences examinations

MRI Physics for Radiologsits: A Visual Approach, Third Edition delineates the principles of magnetic resonance imaging in a format that can be understood by readers who do not have a sophisticated physics or mathematics background. It is organized in three sections: sections one and two present the contrast and spatial characteristics of the image; section three deals with topics such as Half Fourier imaging, motion, aliasing, artifacts, and coils. The third edition has sections on new techniques now in common use, such as rectangular field of view and fast spin-echo (or echo-planar) sequences, a chapter on the effect of MR equipment parameters on image resolution, a chapter with a simplified mathematical discussion of the Fourier transform and an enhanced section on magnetic resonance angiography.

Das vorliegende Werk bietet eine im deutschsprachigen Raum einzigartige, umfassende und aktuelle Darstellung der Medizinischen Physik. Es liefert damit das Fundament fur die Anwendung physikalischer Methoden in der Medizin, der Entwicklung neuer oder verbesserter Verfahren zur Untersuchung und Behandlung von Patienten sowie fur die Bereitstellung und den Einsatz physikalischer Methoden in der klinischen Anwendung. Es unterstutzt als Lehrbuch den Bedarf nach einer systematischen medizinphysikalischen Aus- und Weiterbildung von Physikern, die an medizinischen Einrichtungen tatig sind. Das Buch orientiert sich am Stoffkatalog der Deutschen Gesellschaft fur Medizinische Physik (DGMP) und legt den Schwerpunkt auf die Medizinische Physik in der Radiologie und Radioonkologie. Das Werk ist in funf Teile unterteilt: * In Teil I werden die Grundlagen der Strahlenphysik, der biostatistischen Methoden, der Medizinischen Informatik, der organisatorischen und rechtlichen Aspekte sowie des Strahlenschutzes abgehandelt. * Teil II behandelt die radiologische Diagnostik und umfasst die bildgebenden Verfahren der Roentgendiagnostik, der Roentgen-Computertomographie, der Magnetresonanztomographie sowie des Ultraschalls. * Teil III beschreibt die Methoden der nuklearmedizinischen Diagnostik und Therapie. * In Teil IV wird die Medizinische Physik der Strahlentherapie in vertiefter Form dargestellt. * Teil V beschreibt ausgewahlte Themen aus dem Gebiet der Medizintechnik. Zu allen Teilen werden UEbungsaufgaben und Kontrollfragen angeboten, mit denen der Leser das Gelernte uberprufen kann. Erganzend werden auf einer Website Musterloesungen, zusatzliches vertiefendes Text- und Bildmaterial sowie Animationen und Videos zur Verfugung gestellt. Das Buch versteht sich als Lehrbuch und Nachschlagewerk, das begleitend zu Weiterbildungsveranstaltungen und Studiengangen oder auch zum Selbststudium auf dem Gebiet der Medizinischen Physik eingesetzt werden kann. Es basiert auf dem Heidelberger Weiterbildungskurs "Medizinische Physik fur Physiker" und richtet sich vornehmlich an Physik-Absolventen und Naturwissenschaftler mit grundlegenden physikalischen Kenntnissen. Die Herausgeber sind als Wissenschaftler am Deutschen Krebsforschungszentrum (dkfz) tatig und lehren als Professoren fur Medizinische Physik an der Universitat Heidelberg.

This book examines the health effects of exposure to static electric and magnetic fields found in selected industries, such as medical facilities with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), high-energy physics research facilities and some transportation systems. To date, research on their health effects lags far behind the rapid advances in technology. Electric and magnetic fields are generated by natural phenomena such as the Earth s magnetic field, thunderstorms, and by man-made sources that use electricity. When such fields do not vary with time they are referred to as static. For static electric fields, studies carried out to date suggest that the main effect is discomfort from electric discharges to the body. For static magnetic fields, acute effects are only likely to occur when there is movement of a person in the field. For example, a person moving within a relatively high field can experience sensations of vertigo and nausea, and sometimes a metallic taste in the mouth and perceptions of light flashes. Although only temporary, such effects may have a safety impact for workers executing delicate procedures, e.g. surgeons performing operations within MRI units. Even when at rest, a person will experience internal body movement, such as blood flow or heart beat. When placed within a high magnetic field, electrical fields and currents are generated around the heart and major blood vessels that can impede the flow of blood. Possible effects range from minor changes in heartbeat to an increase in the risk of abnormal heart rhythms that might be life threatening."

Bone is a complex biological material that consists of both an inorganic and organic phase, which undergoes continuous dynamic biological processes within the body. This complex structure and the need to acquire accurate data have resulted in a wide variety of methods applied in the physical analysis of bone in vivo and in vitro. Each method has its own strengths and applications depending on the information sought by the clinician or researcher.
The Physical Measurement of Bone provides a detailed description of all the major methods of bone analysis, including brief comments on clinical evaluation. The physics of each method are introduced as well as a summary of practical procedures. The book is essential reading for practicing medical physicists and technicians who need to know about the many methods of bone analysis open to them, and, more importantly, the wide coverage provides a good introductory framework for students of medical physics and biomedical engineering.