Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 6.6-23 Targeting visualization applications.
advancement of graphics accelerators, many of those
initial and simpler concepts may be revisited to provide
more powerful and richer solutions. Other complex
programs that required supercomputers in the past will
become more affordable and useful. The synergy of these
developments could produce new ideas for visualization
systems. Yet, the challenges in visualization will not
diminish. For instance, as the capabilities of imaging
systems advance, the spatial, temporal, and channel
resolutions of data will increase. A twofold increase in
spatial resolution means a fourfold increase in image area
and an eightfold increase in volume dimension. New
types of visualization techniques that handle very large
data sizes need to be developed. As the number of im-
aging modalities increases, system architectures for vi-
sualization may change from integrated systems to
distributed visualization systems.
Targeting visualization application can be thought of as
a visualization problem in itself. The rapid progress in
computing and imaging technology makes the planning
and coordination of new applications extremely challeng-
ing. Traditionally planning of such applications is thought
of as shooting a moving target (
Fig. 6.6-23
). The mov-
ing target represents an application whose specification
evolves during the research and development cycle, as is
often the case in visualization applications. Rapid
Figure 6.6-24 Synergy and synchronization form the clockwork in multicentric cross-disciplinary research. Clockwork demands both
cooperative actions and precision timing of those actions. This depends on optimal coupling of the actions and inertia of each discipline
involved. For instance, the illustration demonstrates the role of the In Vivo Cellular and Molecular Imaging Cancer Center as one such
clockwork in cancer research. Imaging here represents the coupling wheel that transforms the actions from discoveries in one area to
research momentum in another area with precision timing that can help generate revolutions in cancer research. Critical to such
clockwork is also the ability to produce independent action within each unit, lack of which could mean degeneration of actions that could
potentially bring the clockwork to a halt.
