SimuRad - A Software Simulation Environment for Medical Imaging Education

工程-电气（59）该项目正在开发一个计算机模拟环境，通过一系列计算机模拟帮助学生了解基本的科学和工程原理以及医学成像模式的应用。 软件环境有三层。第一层涉及放射学物理学，允许学生模拟各种电磁（即X射线，伽马射线和NMR）或声学（即超声）能源的测量以及通过各种组织类型的能量衰减。第二层，模拟投影和断层成像，使学生能够学习和实施不同形式的图像重建技术。在第三层，学生将探索用于典型临床程序和生物医学研究的各种图像处理和分析算法。该软件是可重构的，以适应多种模式，使它可以为不同背景的学生提供有效的培训。 评估工作，这是正在规划与大学的工程和科学教育创新中心的指导下，包括学生的态度调查，评价学生工作的质量，学生焦点小组和访谈。 该软件还在新泽西医学和牙科大学、匹兹堡大学和普渡大学进行测试。 这些材料正在通过几个数字图书馆分发，包括国家科学基金会NSDL，并张贴在一个与几个生物医学工程网站链接的网站上。 研究人员正在建立一个用户友好的界面，让其他教职员工贡献材料的网站。 工程教育和生物医学工程期刊和会议正在描述项目材料和结果。 更广泛的影响包括传播一种负担得起的方法，为本科生物医学工程学生提供有效的实验室经验。

Engineering - Electrical (59)The project is developing a computer simulation environment that is helping students understand the underlying science and engineering principles, as well as the applications of medical imaging modalities, through a series of computer simulations. The software environment has three layers. The first layer, which deals with the physics of radiology, allows students to simulate measurements of various electromagnetic (i.e. x-ray, gamma-ray and NMR) or acoustic (i.e. ultrasound) energy sources as well as energy attenuation through various tissue types. The second layer, which simulates projection and tomographic imaging, enables students to study and implement image reconstruction techniques for different modalities. With the third layer students explore various image processing and analysis algorithms used in typical clinical procedures and bio-medical research. This software is reconfigurable to accommodate multiple modes so that it can provide effective training for students with different backgrounds. Evaluation efforts, which are being planned with guidance from the University's center for innovation in engineering and science education, include student attitude surveys, rubrics to access the quality of student work, and student focus groups and interviews. The software is also being tested at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, University of Pittsburgh, and Purdue University. The material is being distributed through several digital libraries, including the NSFs NSDL and it is being posted on a web site that is linked to several biomedical engineering sites. The investigators are establishing a user friendly interface to allow other faculty members to contribute material to the site. Project materials and results are being described in engineering education and biomedical engineering journals and conferences. Broader impacts include the dissemination of an affordable approach for providing undergraduate biomedical engineering students with an effective laboratory experience.