Computer programs in biomedicine最新文献

The problems and pitfalls encountered in the computerized data bank for the Netherlands Coronary Surgery (NCS) study are reviewed. This study involved 848 patients seen before coronary artery surgery and at 1 and 3 yr after surgery. Nineteen data forms were used resulting in maximally 1142 variables per patient. The importance of quality control is emphasized as well as the efficient transfer of information from data bank to statistical processing.

A FORTRAN computer program written to perform a distribution-free analysis of growth and response curves is described. The underlying statistical methodology is particularly applicable with incomplete observations and in situations where parametric models for growth may not be appropriate.

This paper investigates the requirements for image processing of digital chest X-ray images. These images are conventionally recorded on film and are characterised by large size, wide dynamic range and high resolution. X-ray detection systems are now becoming available for capturing these images directly in photoelectronic-digital form. In this report, the hardware and software facilities required for handling these images are described. These facilities include high resolution digital image displays, programmable video look up tables, image stores for image capture and processing and a full range of software tools for image manipulation. Examples are given of the application of digital image processing techniques to this class of image.

This paper presents the details and logic of two Fortran computer programs. The program, BRACKET, is designed to evaluate the constant relationship among teeth and orthodontic brackets to which an arch wire is adapted. The program, WIRE, is used to initially fit brackets to teeth using the constants derived in BRACKETS, based upon a series of orthogonal transformations. Subsequently, an orthodontic arch wire is fitted through the brackets, and the results are displayed using computer graphics.

It is anticipated that the system would be useful in the orthodontic clinical setting as an aid in arch wire formation. The graphics produce a template which incorporates essential points to consider in arch wire formation, namely, perimeter length, lateral widths, symmetry, and appropriate arch form for the patient.

A system developed for computer-aided analysis of cephalometric radiographs is described. Capabilities of the system include a method to digitize the radiographs using a personal computer and to upload the data to mainframe computer. Extensive cephalometric analysis measurements are performed, and superimposition of plots a series of radiographs is also possible. In addition, the system is capable of generating normal measurement values for various patient groupings and of producing plots of normal radiographs for these groupings.

It has been generally considered that FORTRAN is inferior to MUMPS and other computer languages in its facility to manipulate files and that it is not satisfactorily competent to handle databases. However, it is our finding that FORTRAN is the most widely used language in patient data management systems discussed in recently published papers. Therefore, it now seems appropriate to review and evaluate the validity of this general belief. The objective of this study is to establish a file management system in FORTRAN 77 for use in the construction of a clinical database. Comparative study is conducted on several problems associated with file manipulation, that is, time requirement for file access and access methods for data retrieval.

A method for detection and estimation of periodic signals in the presence of noise is described. The algorithm is an iterative improvement of the autoregressive-moving average estimation of a stochastic process and gives an exact frequency resolution of sinusoidal signals additively mixed with noise in a low signal-to-noise ratio only from a small number of measurements. The iterative improvement of the spectral estimation compared with other methods is demonstrated by examples.