Designed to provide those engaged in modern medical imaging with a coherent perspective of the entire discipline so that one protocol is no longer an isolated or independent mode of imaging from others, to wit: single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), positron emission tomography (PET) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Introduces biomagnetic imaging as a third new modality.

The continuing growth of computed tomography (CT) and other imaging techniques motivated us to bring together a comprehensive review of the state of the art in diagnostic imaging. Twelve years after the first appearance of x-ray CT, computerized diagnostic imaging has grown so rapidly in sophistication that it is difficult to follow current developments in this diversified field. In this book, we have attempted to cover the basic developments in several areas. The first part includes some of the fundamental aspects of computerized diagnostic imaging such as algorithms and detectors. Specific applications in emission tomography, digital radiography, ultrasound and nuclear magnetic resonance imaging are dealt with in the secondpart. The contributed papers are by experts currently in the field, whom we feel would certainly enlighten the subject matter and possibly suggest directions for future development. We would like to express our sincere thanks to those who have contributed to this volume. We are sure that their original papers will be beneficial for readers and will also remain as an important reference for researchers in the years to come. We would also like to thank Betty Trent for her expert and patient typing of the entire book. Finally, special thanks are due to Mrs. Ingeborg Mayer of Springer-Verlag for her encouragements, support and patience throughout the preparation of this book.

There is a large increase in interest in acupuncture by health care consumers. The three main reasons for this are medical effectiveness, cost effectiveness and the credibility that clinical trials and physiological research have provided. Acupuncture is rapidly moving out of the arena of "alternative" medicine, in large part again because it is grounded more firmly than other alternative treatments in research. The book provides the reader with the up-to-date information on the clinical bases of acupuncture.