Sensor, signal, and image informatics - state of the art and current topics.

OBJECTIVES The number of articles published annually in the fields of biomedical signal and image acquisition and processing is increasing. Based on selected examples, this survey aims at comprehensively demonstrating the recent trends and developments. METHODS Four articles are selected for biomedical data acquisition covering topics such as dose saving in CT, C-arm X-ray imaging systems for volume imaging, and the replacement of dose-intensive CT-based diagnostic with harmonic ultrasound imaging. Regarding biomedical signal analysis (BSA), the four selected articles discuss the equivalence of different time-frequency approaches for signal analysis, an application to Cochlea implants, where time-frequency analysis is applied for controlling the replacement system, recent trends for fusion of different modalities, and the role of BSA as part of a brain machine interfaces. To cover the broad spectrum of publications in the field of biomedical image processing, six papers are focused. Important topics are content-based image retrieval in medical applications, automatic classification of tongue photographs from traditional Chinese medicine, brain perfusion analysis in single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), model-based visualization of vascular trees, and virtual surgery, where enhanced visualization and haptic feedback techniques are combined with a sphere-filled model of the organ. RESULTS The selected papers emphasize the five fields forming the chain of biomedical data processing: (1) data acquisition, (2) data reconstruction and pre-processing, (3) data handling, (4) data analysis, and (5) data visualization. Fields 1 and 2 form the sensor informatics, while fields 2 to 5 form signal or image informatics with respect to the nature of the data considered. CONCLUSIONS Biomedical data acquisition and pre-processing, as well as data handling, analysis and visualization aims at providing reliable tools for decision support that improve the quality of health care. Comprehensive evaluation of the processing methods and their reliable integration in routine applications are future challenges in the field of sensor, signal and image informatics.