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Progress in computer-assisted function analysis
Int J Biomed Comput, 23 (1988) 291-292 Elsevia !3ckntific Publishcrs Ireland Ltd.
291
BOOKREVIEWS
Progress in Computer-assìsted Function Analysis edited by J.L. Willems, J.H. van Bemmel and J. Michel. North-Holland, 442 + xii pp. (USS110.50/Dfl. 210.00).
Amsterdam,
1988, ISBN 0-444-70384-5.
This volume constitutes the proceedings of a conference held in Berlin in May 1987 under the auspices of the International Federation for Information Processing and the International Medical Informaties Association. It comprises 73 papers covering a wide range of topics in medical informaties, biomedical engineering and biomathematics, with the application of computer methods to signal analysis and pattern recognition as the common denominator. The book gives a fair reflection of the state of the art in this field and the achievements of the past few years. There are sections on the ECG, including detection of late potentials, analysis of the EEG and evoked potentials, patient monitoring, imaging, and expert systems. The expanding microcomputer brings function analysis from the research laboratory nearer to the beside, but most of what is described is still far from practical utility, and may be seen as groundwork for the edifice that is yet to be built. Although the book is patchy and replete with jargon, and even the written English has a central European accent, there is such a wide range of subject matter that it makes an enjoyable and rewarding browse.
John Rawles (Senior Lecturer in Medicine, Aberdeen University, UK)
Medical Expert Systems using Personal Computers. Eds: M.K. Chytil and R. Engelbrecht. Sigma Press, Wilmslow, Cheshire, U.K. 204 pp. In this book expert systems are described which are used in medicine and can be implemented on personal computers. The book is divided into three parts: a general introduction, applications and methods, and theory. In the general introduction the anatomy of an expert system is discussed. This introduction is rather shallow, however: only the terminology is explained without giving examples. In the last part of the introduction some well-known expert systems are described (Internist/Caduceus, MEDl, Oncocin and HELP). These descriptions are too short to convey a good impression of what these systems can do. Not discussed is the real use of these systems. Answers to questions as: where are these systems applied, how was the system evaluated, etc. are not given. The reader is referred to the literature for further information. The first application, described in the second part of the book is concerned with facial reconstruction. Facial reconstruction is a method of restoring the original face given the skull of an unidentified person. The system consists of a digital camera coupled to an Apple micro-computer to allow measurements of the skull. On the basis of these measurements the sex is determined using some discriminant function. The determination of the age is left to a specialist. The face is restored by ‘adding’ skin, eyes, etc. It is not totally clear why this system is called an expert system.
291
BOOKREVIEWS
Progress in Computer-assìsted Function Analysis edited by J.L. Willems, J.H. van Bemmel and J. Michel. North-Holland, 442 + xii pp. (USS110.50/Dfl. 210.00).
Amsterdam,
1988, ISBN 0-444-70384-5.
This volume constitutes the proceedings of a conference held in Berlin in May 1987 under the auspices of the International Federation for Information Processing and the International Medical Informaties Association. It comprises 73 papers covering a wide range of topics in medical informaties, biomedical engineering and biomathematics, with the application of computer methods to signal analysis and pattern recognition as the common denominator. The book gives a fair reflection of the state of the art in this field and the achievements of the past few years. There are sections on the ECG, including detection of late potentials, analysis of the EEG and evoked potentials, patient monitoring, imaging, and expert systems. The expanding microcomputer brings function analysis from the research laboratory nearer to the beside, but most of what is described is still far from practical utility, and may be seen as groundwork for the edifice that is yet to be built. Although the book is patchy and replete with jargon, and even the written English has a central European accent, there is such a wide range of subject matter that it makes an enjoyable and rewarding browse.
John Rawles (Senior Lecturer in Medicine, Aberdeen University, UK)
Medical Expert Systems using Personal Computers. Eds: M.K. Chytil and R. Engelbrecht. Sigma Press, Wilmslow, Cheshire, U.K. 204 pp. In this book expert systems are described which are used in medicine and can be implemented on personal computers. The book is divided into three parts: a general introduction, applications and methods, and theory. In the general introduction the anatomy of an expert system is discussed. This introduction is rather shallow, however: only the terminology is explained without giving examples. In the last part of the introduction some well-known expert systems are described (Internist/Caduceus, MEDl, Oncocin and HELP). These descriptions are too short to convey a good impression of what these systems can do. Not discussed is the real use of these systems. Answers to questions as: where are these systems applied, how was the system evaluated, etc. are not given. The reader is referred to the literature for further information. The first application, described in the second part of the book is concerned with facial reconstruction. Facial reconstruction is a method of restoring the original face given the skull of an unidentified person. The system consists of a digital camera coupled to an Apple micro-computer to allow measurements of the skull. On the basis of these measurements the sex is determined using some discriminant function. The determination of the age is left to a specialist. The face is restored by ‘adding’ skin, eyes, etc. It is not totally clear why this system is called an expert system.