The opacification of the left ventricle by echo cardiographic contrast agents (echoventriculography) represents an alternative to cineventriculography, as determinations of left ventricular volume and ejection fraction are accurate and highly reproducible, when methods like color superposition and statist- ical imaging techniques are used in order to improve the outlining of the cavity and endocardial border. Detection of perfusion defects is possible [40]. The enhancement of myocardial contrast during the perfusion phase after injection into the left ventricle or the aorta further improves the endo- cardial border delineation. For practical purposes, the direct injection of echocardiographic contrast is inferior to the indirect opacification after per- ipheral venous injection which can be achieved with sonicated albumin, Albunex(R), SH U 508 A, HOE 155. These drugs are presently under clinical investigation. In up to 90% of the patients, left heart opacification is possible, yielding 30% intensity of the right ventricle. When these drugs are available, sophisticated computed methodologies have to be included in the echocardio- graphic machines in order to improve the determination of the left ventricular volume and ejection fraction [44]. In the future, cineventriculography will be rarely performed as echoventriculograms already show left ventricular contraction. This will possibly result in reduced side effects and costs. REFERENCES 1. Gramiak R, Shah PM, Kramer DH. Ultrasound cardiography: Contrast studies in anatomy and function. Radiology 1969; 939. 2. Kronik G, Hutterer B, Mosslacher H. Diagnose atrialer Links-rechts-Shunts mit Hilfe der zweidimensionalen Kontrastechokardiographie. Z Kardiol 1981;70:138-45.

This volume presents pedagogical content to understand theoretical and practical aspects of diagnostic imaging techniques. It provides insights to current practices, and also discusses specific practical features like radiation exposure, radiation sensitivity, signal penetration, tissue interaction, and signal confinement with reference to individual imaging techniques. It also covers relatively less common imaging methods in addition to the established ones. It serves as a reference for researchers and students working in the field of medical, biomedical science, physics, and instrumentation. Key Features * Focusses on the clinical applications while ensuring a steady understanding of the underlying science * Follows a bottom-up approach to cover the theory, calculations, and modalities to aid students and researchers in biomedical imaging, radiology and instrumentation * Covers unique concepts of nanoparticle applications along with ethical issues in medical imaging

** New revised second edition now available, with errors corrected and content fully updated **

The second edition of the classic text has been revised and extended to meet the needs of today's practising and training MRI technologists who intend to sit for the American Registry of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists (ARMRIT) examination. It provides Q&As on topics listed in the content specifications offered by the American Registry for Radiologic Technologists (AART) and offers the user with a comprehensive review of the principles and applications of MRI to prepare them for the examination.

The three-volume set LNCS 8149, 8150, and 8151 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 16th International Conference on Medical Image Computing and Computer-Assisted Intervention, MICCAI 2013, held in Nagoya, Japan, in September 2013. Based on rigorous peer reviews, the program committee carefully selected 262 revised papers from 789 submissions for presentation in three volumes. The 81 papers included in the third volume have been organized in the following topical sections: image reconstruction and motion modeling; machine learning in medical image computing; imaging, reconstruction, and enhancement; segmentation; physiological modeling, simulation, and planning; intraoperative guidance and robotics; microscope, optical imaging, and histology; diffusion MRI; brain segmentation and atlases; and functional MRI and neuroscience applications.

The three-volume set LNCS 8149, 8150, and 8151 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 16th International Conference on Medical Image Computing and Computer-Assisted Intervention, MICCAI 2013, held in Nagoya, Japan, in September 2013. Based on rigorous peer reviews, the program committee carefully selected 262 revised papers from 789 submissions for presentation in three volumes. The 86 papers included in the second volume have been organized in the following topical sections: registration and atlas construction; microscopy, histology, and computer-aided diagnosis; motion modeling and compensation; segmentation; machine learning, statistical modeling, and atlases; computer-aided diagnosis and imaging biomarkers; physiological modeling, simulation, and planning; microscope, optical imaging, and histology; cardiology; vasculatures and tubular structures; brain segmentation and atlases; and functional MRI and neuroscience applications.

This brief provides an in-depth overview of the physics of hadron therapy, ranging from the history to the latest contributions to the subject. It covers the mechanisms of protons and carbon ions at the molecular level (DNA breaks and proteins 53BP1 and RPA), the physics and mathematics of accelerators (Cyclotron and Synchrotron), microdosimetry measurements (with new results so far achieved), and Monte Carlo simulations in hadron therapy using FLUKA (CERN) and MCHIT (FIAS) software. The text also includes information about proton therapy centers and carbon ion centers (PTCOG), as well as a comparison and discussion of both techniques in treatment planning and radiation monitoring. This brief is suitable for newcomers to medical physics as well as seasoned specialists in radiation oncology.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the Third International Workshop on Multimodal Brain Image Analysis, MBIA 2013, held in Nagoya, Japan, on September 22, 2013 in conjunction with the 16th International Conference on Medical Image Computing and Computer Assisted Intervention, MICCAI. The 24 revised full papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 35 submissions. The papers are organized in topical sections on analysis, methodologies, algorithms, software systems, validation approaches, benchmark datasets, neuroscience and clinical applications.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of two workshops MAIR/AE-CAI 2013, held in conjunction with MICCAI 2013, held in Nagoya, Japan, in September 2013. The 29 revised full papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 44 submissions. The papers cover a wide range of topics addressing the main research efforts in the fields of medical image formation, analysis and interpretation, augmented reality and visualization, computer assisted intervention, interventional imaging, image-guided robotics, image-guided intervention, surgical planning and simulation, systematic extra- and intra-corporeal imaging modalities, and general biological and neuroscience image computing.

The objective of this Brief is to provide a solution to the unsolved technical problem in segmentation for the automated bone age assessment system. The task is accomplished by first applying the modified histogram equalized module, then applying the proposed automated anisotropic diffusion technique. It is followed by a novel fuzzy quadruple division scheme to optimize the central segmentation algorithm, and then an additional quality assurance scheme. The designed segmentation framework works without demanding scarce resources such as training sets and skillful operators. The results have shown that the designed framework is capable of separating the soft-tissue and background from the hand bone with high accuracy. This Brief should be especially useful for students and professional researchers in the Biomedical and image processing fields.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Functional Imaging and Modeling of the Heart, held in London, UK, in June 2013. The 58 revised full papers were carefully reviewed and selected from numerous initial submissions. The focus of the papers is on following topics: image driven modeling, biophysical modeling, image analysis, biophysical modeling, cardiac imaging, parameter estimation, modeling methods, and biomedical engineering.

Volume 16 marks the beginning of a special topic series devoted to modern techniques in protein NMR, under the Biological Magnetic Resonance series. This volume is being followed by Volume 17 with the subtitle Structure Computation and Dynamics in Protein NMR. Volumes 16 and 17 present some of the recent, significant advances in biomolecular NMR field with emphasis on developments during the last five years. We are honored to have brought together in these volumes some of the world's foremost experts who have provided broad leadership in advancing this field. Volume 16 contains advances in two broad categories: the first, Large Proteins, Complexes, and Membrane Proteins, and second, Pulse Methods. Volume 17, which will follow covers major advances in Computational Methods, and Structure and Dynamics. In the opening chapter of Volume 16, Marius Clore and Angela Gronenborn give a brief review of NMR strategies including the use of long range restraints in the structure determination of large proteins and protein complexes. In the next two chapters, Lewis Kay and Ron Venters and their collaborators describe state-of-t- art advances in the study of perdeuterated large proteins. They are followed by Stanley Opella and co-workers who present recent developments in the study of membrane proteins. (A related topic dealing with magnetic field induced residual dipolar couplings in proteins will appear in the section on Structure and Dynamics in Volume 17).

Since questions about wireless phones andbrain cancer were first raised in early 1993, numerous scientificstudies and reviews have been conducted and published throughout the world with support from industry and government. The most comprehensive colloquium to date covering this science was co sponsored byt he International Committee on WirelessCommunication Health Research and Wireless Technology Research, LLC,a t the University "La Sapienza" ofR omein November 1995. Papers fromt hat colloquium with appropriate updates formt he foundation for the current volume. A follow up tothat colloquium isbeing planned fort he spring of 1999 byt he same group and thereport of that colloquium will bet he basis for Volume II ofthis series. As thescientific story about wireless phones and health effects continues to unfold over the next several years, it is important to evaluate thework ina context t hat isb eneficialt ot he enhancement ofpublic health. Two themesa re critical to an appropriate contextual understanding ofthis science.

PDE & Level Sets: Algorithmic Approaches to Static & Motion Imagery is specially dedicated to the segmentation of complex shapes from the field of imaging sciences using level sets and PDEs. It covers the fundamentals of level sets, different kinds of concepts of both geodesic curvature flows and planar flows, as well as the power of incorporation of regional-statistics in level set framework. In covering this material, this book presents segmentation of object-in-motion imagery based on level sets in eigen analysis framework, while also presenting classical problems of boundary completion in cognitive images, like the pop-up of subjective contours in the famous triangle of Kanizsa using surface evolution framework, or the mean curvature evolution of a graph with respect to the Riemannian metric induced by the image. All results are presented for modal completion of cognitive objects with missing boundaries.
PDE & Level Sets: Algorithmic Approaches to Static & Motion Imagery is aimed at researchers and educators in imaging sciences, biomedical engineering, applied mathematics, algorithmic development, computer vision, signal processing, computer graphics and multimedia in general, both in academia and industry.
Key Features: -Presents detailed review of PDEs and level sets,
-Covers concepts of geodesic curvature flows and planar flows,
-Offers advance applications of level sets for crack propagation and planar cracks,
-Describes multi-resolution level sets for segmentation of video images,
-Identifies fusion of fuzzy techniques in level set framework,
-Discusses the role of subjective surfaces and Riemannian metric.

Volume 15 follows the format of earlier volumes in the series. The contents give the next installment in the varied aspects of acoustical imaging research. On this occasion, some emphasis was placed on the rela tionship of l1nderwater acoustics to acoustical imaging and a volume of papers under the title "Underwater Acoustics Proceedings from the 12th ICA Symposium held in Halifax," will appear at roughly the same time as this volume. There is no duplication in these volumes but they are in terlinked, at least to the extent that papers from common conference sessions appear in one or another volume. An innovation is the review paper presented at the beginning of the volume "A History of Acoustical Imaging," by G Wade. This fairly detailed review comes at a point in time when so much has been achieved and in some cases passed by, that a record of some of the earlier work might help to keep a balance with the large collections of research papers which have appeared in the many volumes."

This book discusses contemporary features of ject, creating, therefore, a lacuna the could be diagnosis of endocrine diseases using the filled by this project. radiologic technique of percutaneous venous This book is intended to be a practical guide blood sampling for hormone assay. A compre- for vascular and interventional radiologists, in- hensive survey of the field is provided by the ternists, surgeons, endocrinologists, and other contributing authors, who have considerable physicians who care for patients with endocrine expertise in the subject. Some have published diseases. The intention is to provide a practical several articles in the literature; others have text covering anatomical data, clinical prob- extensive clinical experience. lems related to the diagnosis of the endocrine The approach to many of the endocrine dis- diseases, patient preparation for the sampling, eases has been markedly improved ~uring the blood sampling techniques, sample manipula- last two decades because of selective venous tion and storage, laboratory data, and clinical blood sampling, not only in the diagnosis of the significance of the hormone sampling and condition but especially in the precise localiza- assay. tion of the hormone-producing lesion and its clinical significance. Scattered informationbn venous blood sam- pling is available in the literature, but there is Renan Uftacker no comprehensive text dealing with the sub- Reingard Sorensen Contents Preface v Contributors xi 1 Selective Venous Sampling for the Differential Diagnosis of Female Hyperandrogenemia 1 Lathar Moltz and Reingard Sorensen Introduction ...1 Diagnostic Procedures ...2 Indications ...4 Anatomy and Anatomical Variations...

Magnetic resonance imaging of the heart allows a quick and exact evaluation of global and regional pump function, regional myocardial wall motion, myocardial perfusion and coronary blood flow. Some of these parameters must also be analyzed under stress conditions to identify myocardial ischemia.

By combining these functional parameters with high-resolution anatomical images, which are even sufficient to depict the coronary arteries, magnetic resonance imaging has become one of the most important noninvasive procedures to study the condition of the heart and is being increasingly used in the clinical setting. Therefore, it is important not only to optimize and evaluate the technique in specialized centers, but also for a broad variety of users to become familiar with the wide range of applications for this method.

In this book, which is aimed at cardiologists, radiologists, and technical assistants, the physical fundamentals and scanning techniques are clearly described. In addition, practical guidelines for the anatomical planning of the examination and for patient care are offered. The accompanying CD-ROM contains additional figures and numerous videos.

This unique text/reference discusses in depth the two integral components of reconstructive surgery; fracture detection, and reconstruction from broken bone fragments. In addition to supporting its application-oriented viewpoint with detailed coverage of theoretical issues, the work incorporates useful algorithms and relevant concepts from both graph theory and statistics. Topics and features: presents practical solutions for virtual craniofacial reconstruction and computer-aided fracture detection; discusses issues of image registration, object reconstruction, combinatorial pattern matching, and detection of salient points and regions in an image; investigates the concepts of maximum-weight graph matching, maximum-cardinality minimum-weight matching for a bipartite graph, determination of minimum cut in a flow network, and construction of automorphs of a cycle graph; examines the techniques of Markov random fields, hierarchical Bayesian restoration, Gibbs sampling, and Bayesian inference.

Biological Nanostructures and Applications of Nanostructures in Biology: Electrical, Mechanical, and Optical Properties contains reviews and discussions of contemporary and relevant topics dealing with the interface between the science and technology of nanostructures and the science of biology. Moreover, this book supplements these past groundbreaking discoveries with discussions of promising new avenues of research that reveal the enormous potential of emerging approaches in nanobiotechnology. The topics include: - Biomedical applications of semiconductor quantum dots, - Integrating and tagging biological structures with nanoscale quantum dots, - Applications of carbon nanotubes in bioengineering, - Nanophysical properties of living cells, - Bridging natural nanotubes with fabricated nanotubes, - Bioinspired approaches to building nanoscale devices and systems, - Hairpin formation in polynucleotides. This state-of-the-art survey of key developments in nanotechnology - as they apply to bioengineering and biology - is essential reading for all academics, biomedical engineers, medical physicists, and industry professionals wishing to take advantage of the latest developments and highly-promising discoveries in nanoscience underlying applications in bioengineering and biology.

Protein NMR for the Millennium is the third volume in a special thematic series devoted to the latest developments in protein NMR under the Biological Magnetic Resonance umbrella. This book is divided into three major sections dealing with significant recent advances in the study of large proteins in solution and solid state, structure refinement, and screening of bioactive ligands. Key Features: * TROSY, * Segmental isotope labeling of proteins, * Hydrogen bond scalar couplings, * Structure refinement based on residual dipolar couplings, * Written by the world's foremost experts who have provided broad leadership in advancing the protein NMR field.

This volume constitutes a compilation of the latest experiments and theories on a rapidly evolving and maturing field in MRI/MRS, which is the use of the stable isotope 13-C. The 13-C is used to probe the chemistry, mechanism, and function in living systems. All the chapters are written by experts in the field who discuss topics such as 'Tracer Theory and the Suitability of 13-C NMR', 'Applications of 13-C to Studies of Human Brain Metabolism', etc.

This book deals with the latest achievements in the field of optical coherent microscopy. While many other books exist on microscopy and imaging, this book provides a unique resource dedicated solely to this subject. Similarly, many books describe applications of holography, interferometry and speckle to metrology but do not focus on their use for microscopy. The coherent light microscopy reference provided here does not focus on the experimental mechanics of such techniques but instead is meant to provide a users manual to illustrate the strengths and capabilities of developing techniques. The areas of application of this technique are in biomedicine, medicine, life sciences, nanotechnology and materials sciences.

An innovative, three-dimensional x-ray imaging technique that enhances projection radiography by adding depth resolution, Tomosynthesis Imaging explores tomosynthesis, an emerging limited-angle tomographic imaging technology that is being considered for use in a range of clinical applications, and is currently being used for breast cancer screening and diagnosis. While conventional mammography has been very successful in reducing breast cancer mortality, it is not perfect. A major limitation of mammography is that the recorded image represents the superposition of complex three-dimensional structures in the breast onto a two-dimensional plane, making detection and diagnosis of breast cancer challenging. Tomosynthesis produces quasi-three-dimensional images that can significantly enhance the visualization of important diagnostic features. This book highlights the flexibility of tomosynthesis systems for new clinical applications, and provides a detailed discussion of the tomosynthesis acquisition process and the impact of physical factors. It explores such topics as acquisition parameters, system components, modeling, image reconstruction algorithms, and system evaluation. Provides in-depth coverage of system design considerations, as well as image reconstruction strategies Describes the current state of clinical applications of tomosynthesis, including imaging of the breast and chest, as well as its use in radiotherapy Illustrates the merits of tomosynthesis imaging and its potential clinical applications in imaging of the breast and chest, as well as for radiation therapy Divided into five sections, this text delves into the history and development of tomosynthesis. It introduces tomosynthesis imaging, discusses imaging system design considerations, and reviews image reconstruction algorithms that have been developed for tomosynthesis. It also describes system evaluation methodologies, emphasizes current clinical applications, and examines the future direction for tomosynthesis.

Healthcare and Biotechnology in the 21st Century: Concepts and Case Studies introduces students not pursuing degrees in science or engineering to the remarkable new applications of technology now available to physicians and their patients and discusses how these technologies are evolving to permit new treatments and procedures. The book also elucidates the societal and ethical impacts of advances in medical technology, such as extending life and end of life decisions, the role of genetic testing, confidentiality, costs of health care delivery, scrutiny of scientific claims, and provides background on the engineering approach in healthcare and the scientific method as a guiding principle. This concise, highly relevant text enables faculty to offer a substantive course for students from non-scientific backgrounds that will empower them to make more informed decisions about their healthcare by significantly enhancing their understanding of these technological advancements.

This book has its origin in my experience as a teacher of pharmacokinetics in many universities in four different continents. It was not my intention to write a popular book; what distinguishes this one from many others on the same subject is its large use of algebra and calculus. For this I make no apologies; in fact a serious study of pharmacokinetics without the help of mathematics is, in my opinion, impossible. The exact definition of many pharmacokinetic quantities, even the most common, and the correct use of many equations, even the most simple, requires the constant use of mathematical language. On the other hand I have made a considerable effort to use only elementary algebra and elementary calculus, as commonly taught in most introductory university courses. For the few exceptions, when less common mathematical concepts were needed, I have supplied the necessary explanations in four appendices. The first three chapters are a general introduction to the scientific method. Chapters 4 to 12 show different specific methods to deal with pharmacokinetic pr- lems. There is considerable overlap among those chapters; this is intentional and its p- pose is to convince the reader that every problem can be solved in more than one way, including ways that were not mentioned in this book and that intelligent readers can find for their own pleasure. Chapters 13 to 17 show how different parameters of importance in pharmacokinetics can be exactly defined and measured.

The book is designed for end users in the field of digital imaging, who wish to update their skills and understanding with the latest techniques in image analysis. The book emphasizes the conceptual framework of image analysis and the effective use of image processing tools. It uses applications in a variety of fields to demonstrate and consolidate both specific and general concepts, and to build intuition, insight and understanding. Although the chapters are essentially self-contained they reference other chapters to form an integrated whole. Each chapter employs a pedagogical approach to ensure conceptual learning before introducing specific techniques and "tricks of the trade". The book concentrates on a number of current research applications, and will present a detailed approach to each while emphasizing the applicability of techniques to other problems. The field of topics is wide, ranging from compressive (non-uniform) sampling in MRI, through automated retinal vessel analysis to 3-D ultrasound imaging and more. The book is amply illustrated with figures and applicable medical images. The reader will learn the techniques which experts in the field are currently employing and testing to solve particular research problems, and how they may be applied to other problems.