Wiley - Encyclopedia of Biomedical Engineering - 6 Vol. Set
PREFACE
The integration of engineering, mathematics, and the
computational and information sciences and technologies
with biology, the life and cognitive sciences, medicine, and
health care is defining the new biomedical frontier. This
development is marked by innovations that are affecting, at
an unprecedented pace and in profound ways, the social,
industrial, and economic bases of our global society. This
sense of urgency permeates the health care landscape.
Concurrently, biomedical engineering is reorganizing its
knowledge base while expanding its scope. As the biological
sciences make phenomenal strides, the necessity for systems-integrated
and quantitative approaches, the hallmark
of engineering, becomes more critical in tackling complex
biological problems and health care issues. This trend fuels
the desire to elucidate the relationships between molecular,
functional, and systemic levels, across a multiplicity of
scales and many degrees of complexity.
Recent advances in computing power and nanotechnology
are transforming the processes of discovery, learning,
and communication and hence are reshaping the interaction
between users and knowledge repositories such as
encyclopedias. The compilation, delivery, and dissemination
of the intellectual content are no longer confined by
the constraints of the hard copy. The most important
feature of the hard copy and its electronic embodiment
will be to present the content of the encyclopedia from
different perspectives such as the physiological system
(e.g., cardiovascular, respiratory, etc.), the level of organization
ranging from molecular interactions to the analysis
of the health care system, or the tools and techniques.
The Wiley Encyclopedia of Biomedical Engineering is a
living and evolving repository of the biomedical engineering
knowledge base. To represent the vast diversity of the
field and its multi- and cross-disciplinary nature and serve
the BME community, the scope and content are comprehensive
including the material directed to the needs of
readers ranging from undergraduate and graduate students,
post-docs, research scientists, and experts.
As a primer, educational material, technical reference,
and research and development resource, the Wiley Encyclopedia
of Biomedical Engineering, in terms of its intellectual
substance and rigor, is peer reviewed. For the
online version, mechanisms will be in place to upgrade
and update the content and to capture and assimilate
emerging trends. The contributors have been invited from
diverse disciplinary groups representing academia, industry,
and private and government organizations. The makeup
of participants represents the geographical distribution
of BME activity around the world.
I am confident that the Encyclopedia of Biomedical
Engineering will become the unique biomedical enginering
resource that contributes to the organization of the
BME knowledge domain and facilitates its growth and
development.
I am grateful for Prof. Banu Onaral for her strong
support of this initiative. I would like to thank Mr. George
Telecki for his support and Ms. Cassie Craig for her strong
support, help, and hard work during the entire time of
editing this encyclopedia. Working in concert with the
Editorial Board Members and Area Editors and the contributors
really helped me in developing the content and
in managing the peer-review process. I am grateful to
them.
Finally, many thanks to my wife, Dr. Yasemin M. Akay,
for her unmatched care, love and devotion to her family,
and to our son, Altug R. Akay, for their support, encouragement
and patience. They have been my driving source.
It was indeed a pleasure working with her during the
weekends and holidays to finish this encyclopedia.
The encyclopedia is dedicated to the memory of my late
brother, Cetin Akay, who dedicated his short, but meaningful
life to the well-being and happiness of others. May
God bless his soul.
Metin Akay
February 2006
Scottsdale, Arizona
Download
*
PREFACE
The integration of engineering, mathematics, and the
computational and information sciences and technologies
with biology, the life and cognitive sciences, medicine, and
health care is defining the new biomedical frontier. This
development is marked by innovations that are affecting, at
an unprecedented pace and in profound ways, the social,
industrial, and economic bases of our global society. This
sense of urgency permeates the health care landscape.
Concurrently, biomedical engineering is reorganizing its
knowledge base while expanding its scope. As the biological
sciences make phenomenal strides, the necessity for systems-integrated
and quantitative approaches, the hallmark
of engineering, becomes more critical in tackling complex
biological problems and health care issues. This trend fuels
the desire to elucidate the relationships between molecular,
functional, and systemic levels, across a multiplicity of
scales and many degrees of complexity.
Recent advances in computing power and nanotechnology
are transforming the processes of discovery, learning,
and communication and hence are reshaping the interaction
between users and knowledge repositories such as
encyclopedias. The compilation, delivery, and dissemination
of the intellectual content are no longer confined by
the constraints of the hard copy. The most important
feature of the hard copy and its electronic embodiment
will be to present the content of the encyclopedia from
different perspectives such as the physiological system
(e.g., cardiovascular, respiratory, etc.), the level of organization
ranging from molecular interactions to the analysis
of the health care system, or the tools and techniques.
The Wiley Encyclopedia of Biomedical Engineering is a
living and evolving repository of the biomedical engineering
knowledge base. To represent the vast diversity of the
field and its multi- and cross-disciplinary nature and serve
the BME community, the scope and content are comprehensive
including the material directed to the needs of
readers ranging from undergraduate and graduate students,
post-docs, research scientists, and experts.
As a primer, educational material, technical reference,
and research and development resource, the Wiley Encyclopedia
of Biomedical Engineering, in terms of its intellectual
substance and rigor, is peer reviewed. For the
online version, mechanisms will be in place to upgrade
and update the content and to capture and assimilate
emerging trends. The contributors have been invited from
diverse disciplinary groups representing academia, industry,
and private and government organizations. The makeup
of participants represents the geographical distribution
of BME activity around the world.
I am confident that the Encyclopedia of Biomedical
Engineering will become the unique biomedical enginering
resource that contributes to the organization of the
BME knowledge domain and facilitates its growth and
development.
I am grateful for Prof. Banu Onaral for her strong
support of this initiative. I would like to thank Mr. George
Telecki for his support and Ms. Cassie Craig for her strong
support, help, and hard work during the entire time of
editing this encyclopedia. Working in concert with the
Editorial Board Members and Area Editors and the contributors
really helped me in developing the content and
in managing the peer-review process. I am grateful to
them.
Finally, many thanks to my wife, Dr. Yasemin M. Akay,
for her unmatched care, love and devotion to her family,
and to our son, Altug R. Akay, for their support, encouragement
and patience. They have been my driving source.
It was indeed a pleasure working with her during the
weekends and holidays to finish this encyclopedia.
The encyclopedia is dedicated to the memory of my late
brother, Cetin Akay, who dedicated his short, but meaningful
life to the well-being and happiness of others. May
God bless his soul.
Metin Akay
February 2006
Scottsdale, Arizona
Download
*