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Technical advances in Biomedical Physics
The nature of the work reported is similarly variable. There are reports of preliminary results and work-in-progress, statements of theoretical and practical design methodology, and mathematical and conceptual models. Some are highly esoteric, while others are aimed at a more general engineering audience. However, the collection is not to be totally disregarded; it includes papers of value both to newcomers to the field and to those already with research interests in the areas covered, sometimes despite severe linguistic shortcomings. A few in particular are worth mentioning. vossius: ‘Control procedures of functional stimulation is a well thought out and structured paper, setting out an analytical framework for the design of FES systems. The ideas come across despite the English. Tomovic et al.: ‘Bioengineering actuator with non-numerical control’ again presents some useful ideas.
The paper by Goodenough-Trepagnier and Rosen sets out useful criteria by which to judge and optimize communication aids. Although it is long and detailed it is still readable. Grange et al. coherently report interesting preliminary results on FES control by EMG signature discrimination. In the paper by Koozekanani et al.a model is presented and its conclusions tested by fitting of experimental results to the model. It cannot be recommended for purchase by a large cross-section of those involved in Prosthetic and Orthotic activities, but is a useful source for those with a specialized interest and critical ability.
S. A. Barton S. Hughes University of Surrey
TECHNICAL ADVANCES IN BIOMEDICAL PHYSICS Eds: P.P. Dendy, D. W Ernst and S. Sengun Martinus
NijhoJ
1983,
f38.00
pp 41 R
This book is a compilation of papers presented at the NATO Advanced Study Institute Meeting held in Istanbul in 1982. It contains 26 contributions: four are general lectures, ten deal with techniques for in vitro studies and twelve with methods for non-invasive, in viuo, investigations. In that last section there is an impressive series of contributions from the University of Aberdeen; those papers, and indeed the majority of the papers, are informative, well presented and accompanied by generous reference lists. My only real criticism of the book is its title; it led me to expect a greater breadth of subject matter than that which I actually encountered, and conversely it failed to suggest the presence of good papers which were neither biomedical physics nor technical advances. The contents deal predominantly with either optical methods and investigations at the cellular level, or imaging and clinical diagnosis. The meeting that begat this book attracted a rather specific range of papers; consequently ‘Physicists who wish to become involved in biomedical applications’, the professed primary target for the book, are presented with a less than comprehensive introduction to the subject. Even lasers merit but one brief idiosyncratic mention. There are several chapters which deserve a wider audience than that indicated by the summary on the back cover. For example, the review paper presented by Constantinides deals with medical technology in the context of considerations such as
80
J. Biorned.
Eng.
1986,
Vol.
8, January
expected benefit, cost and national economies; it is highly thought provoking and could with benefit be read by anyone responsible for spending healthcare money. The chapter by Bremer (one of those not suggested by the title) on the planning and running of a hospital radiopharmacy, must surely be of interest to any administrator or architect faced with the provision of such a facility. Imaging techniques are generously treated; ten of the twelve papers in the section entitled ‘Technical advances applicable mainly in vivo’ examine several facets of these modern diagnostic aids. There is a comprehensive explanation of the mechanism and use of nuclear magnetic resonance, and also elsewhere some suggestions for the improvement of nuclear imaging by the extended use of convolution and deconvolution methods. Ultrasonics is represented by a single short review paper. A welcome contribution would have introduced acoustic scanning microscopy, but there was none. Although I camrot imagine that manv individuals would be prepared to pay E38 for private ownership, I can recommend the book for the departmental/university library. Its contents are rather confined but within that limitation there is much that constitutes an excellent introduction to many of the main preoccupations of present-day Biomedical Physics. R W Hartley Glaxo Laboratories, Ware
The paper by Goodenough-Trepagnier and Rosen sets out useful criteria by which to judge and optimize communication aids. Although it is long and detailed it is still readable. Grange et al. coherently report interesting preliminary results on FES control by EMG signature discrimination. In the paper by Koozekanani et al.a model is presented and its conclusions tested by fitting of experimental results to the model. It cannot be recommended for purchase by a large cross-section of those involved in Prosthetic and Orthotic activities, but is a useful source for those with a specialized interest and critical ability.
S. A. Barton S. Hughes University of Surrey
TECHNICAL ADVANCES IN BIOMEDICAL PHYSICS Eds: P.P. Dendy, D. W Ernst and S. Sengun Martinus
NijhoJ
1983,
f38.00
pp 41 R
This book is a compilation of papers presented at the NATO Advanced Study Institute Meeting held in Istanbul in 1982. It contains 26 contributions: four are general lectures, ten deal with techniques for in vitro studies and twelve with methods for non-invasive, in viuo, investigations. In that last section there is an impressive series of contributions from the University of Aberdeen; those papers, and indeed the majority of the papers, are informative, well presented and accompanied by generous reference lists. My only real criticism of the book is its title; it led me to expect a greater breadth of subject matter than that which I actually encountered, and conversely it failed to suggest the presence of good papers which were neither biomedical physics nor technical advances. The contents deal predominantly with either optical methods and investigations at the cellular level, or imaging and clinical diagnosis. The meeting that begat this book attracted a rather specific range of papers; consequently ‘Physicists who wish to become involved in biomedical applications’, the professed primary target for the book, are presented with a less than comprehensive introduction to the subject. Even lasers merit but one brief idiosyncratic mention. There are several chapters which deserve a wider audience than that indicated by the summary on the back cover. For example, the review paper presented by Constantinides deals with medical technology in the context of considerations such as
80
J. Biorned.
Eng.
1986,
Vol.
8, January
expected benefit, cost and national economies; it is highly thought provoking and could with benefit be read by anyone responsible for spending healthcare money. The chapter by Bremer (one of those not suggested by the title) on the planning and running of a hospital radiopharmacy, must surely be of interest to any administrator or architect faced with the provision of such a facility. Imaging techniques are generously treated; ten of the twelve papers in the section entitled ‘Technical advances applicable mainly in vivo’ examine several facets of these modern diagnostic aids. There is a comprehensive explanation of the mechanism and use of nuclear magnetic resonance, and also elsewhere some suggestions for the improvement of nuclear imaging by the extended use of convolution and deconvolution methods. Ultrasonics is represented by a single short review paper. A welcome contribution would have introduced acoustic scanning microscopy, but there was none. Although I camrot imagine that manv individuals would be prepared to pay E38 for private ownership, I can recommend the book for the departmental/university library. Its contents are rather confined but within that limitation there is much that constitutes an excellent introduction to many of the main preoccupations of present-day Biomedical Physics. R W Hartley Glaxo Laboratories, Ware