Implementation of Grid-Enabled Medical Simulation Applications Using Workflow Techniques

GEMSS is a European project that aims at providing high performance medical simulation services in a distributed and grid computing environment. The GEMSS grid middleware is designed using web services technologies and standards and provides support for authorization, workflow, security, Quality of Service aspects. In this work, one of the GEMSS applications, maxillo-facial surgery simulation, is described, which includes a complete chain of tools necessary for the entire process from geometric model generation from scan data to computer simulation and visualization. The Triana workflow environment is utilized to implement the application for uniform access of local processes (e.g. image pre-processing and meshing), interactive tools (e.g. mesh manipulation) and grid-enabled remote services (e.g. HPC finite element simulation). It is concluded that workflow provides benefits to flexibility, reusability and scalability and is potential to become a mainstream grid application enabling technology.