| elationship between the sample and the real world, is | | | | third, but studies show that 70 to 80 percent of |
| the representation of multidimensional information of | | | | patients receiving this treatment would have survived |
| the stored numerical value in a discrete coordinate | | | | without it. |
| system. | | | | Researchers and developers were asked to develop |
| A biomedical image should diagnose a disease, | | | | a tool that would enable cancer researchers to |
| describe a biochemical pathway, monitor the impact | | | | determine which genes in breast cancer patients |
| of a treatment, or guide a procedure. To predict the | | | | were strong predictors of future metastases. Some |
| future, imaging must surpass simple observation. | | | | developers used The MathWorks' MATLAB Tools |
| Scientists demonstrated second harmonic imaging | | | | products. The software coupled statistics capabilities |
| microscopy (SHIM) more than 25 years ago, but it is | | | | with the ability to handle large data sets rapidly. |
| just now being demonstrated as a practical technique | | | | Finally the product was made, image processing and |
| for high-resolution imaging of cell and tissue structure | | | | data analysis tools that included are good for matrix |
| and physiology. In essence, this technique relies on | | | | calculations, there is no need to spend time writing |
| intense laser illumination that interacts with a highly | | | | the low-level image processing and the basic data |
| ordered material, such as biomolecular arrays. The | | | | analysis routines like vector and matrix calculations. |
| light comes out with half the wavelength of the laser | | | | They developed a classifier based on the genes that |
| light, but with twice the energy. | | | | carry the prognosis information. They discovered that |
| Despite revolutionary advances in optical imaging, | | | | 70 genes correlated tightly with the patients' |
| some scientists still see the traditional microscope as | | | | outcome, indicating that a prognosis could be |
| nothing more than a complicated magnifying glass. | | | | determined based on the gene expression profile of |
| In many cases, biomedical scientists want the closest | | | | the primary tumor. |
| possible look at living cells. In the past, the closest | | | | Programmers used TIFF image format in thier work, |
| look came from electron microscopy, but that | | | | high resolution image, high quality, lo noise, and |
| required using dead samples. Today, though, live cells | | | | extremly huge size. Because the TIFF images are too |
| can be imaged with some forms of scanning electron | | | | large and complex to be processed by hand, |
| microscopy. | | | | programmers would need to pre-process the images |
| Technology allows scientists to look inside a problem, | | | | and design a batch process to extract the relevant |
| literally. For instance, at Silicon Graphics (SGI, Mountain | | | | data. |
| View, CA), a visualization theater allows researchers | | | | Innovation in science and technoloy has no limits, the |
| to image a molecule and take a tour through its | | | | advanced software tools they used helped the |
| nooks and crevices. | | | | researchers eliminate some of those steps and allows |
| Another example, developing a tool that enables | | | | them to spend more of their time on analyzing the |
| clinicians to determine a breast cancer patient's | | | | data and working on finding the gene that can be a |
| prognosis is not that easy to do it. | | | | predictor of cancer. |
| It is difficult to determine the best course of | | | | The importance of imaging to medicine has never |
| treatment for a patient with breast cancer. Patients | | | | been greater, but it will be. Continuous technological |
| at the same stage of the disease and receiving the | | | | and product innovations have made imaging |
| same treatment can have markedly different | | | | procedures better suited for multiple uses. |
| outcomes. Chemotherapy and hormone therapy | | | | Prof. Mohamed S. |
| reduce the risk of distant metastases by about one | | | | |