IV International BioSignal Interpretation Workshop - BSI2002

Como, Italy
June 24-26, 2002

The IV International BioSignal Interpretation Workshop (BSI2002) was held in Villa Olmo, Como, Italy, on June 24-26, 2002. The Workshop was a joint initiative of the International Medical Informatics Association (IMIA) and the International Federation for Medical and Biological Engineering (IFMBE), in cooperation with the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (IEEE-EMBS), the Japan Society of Medical Electronics and Biomedical Engineering (JSMEBE). Co-sponsors for the event were the Associazione Elettrotecnica ed Elettronica Italiana (AEI), the Associazione Italiana di Ingegneria Medica e Biologica (AIIMB) and the Polytechnic University in Milan.

Prof. Arneodo, Key note speaker at the Workshop

The conference attracted 132 participants from 26 Countries, who actively contributed to conference works and animated the social events. The conference activities were hosted by Villa Olmo, a magnificent neoclassic villa built at the end of the Eighteenth Century with a unique location on the shore of Lake Como. The beautiful three floor hall (Salone delle Feste), enriched with stuccoes and wonderful balconies, acted as the main conference room. The scientific programme of BSI2002 was organised into 12 scientific sessions (including two poster sessions) which covered the main topics in the research area of biosignal interpretation. These included: model-based biosignal analysis, design and implementation of algorithms of data and signal processing applied to medical and biological investigations, integration of information and signal/image data fusion, as well as the phases of interpretation and clinical decision-making on the basis of the obtained information. 136 papers were presented during the workshop, in oral (54 papers) or poster (82 papers) sessions. All the presentations focused on the advanced methods and techniques in the field, and a selection of the presented papers will be included in a Special Issue of the journal Methods of Information in Medicine which is due to be published at the end of the year. Particular attention was paid to emerging application fields, such as Data Processing in Genomics and Proteomics and Processing of Electrical Signals in the Brain. Two distinguished keynote speakers delivered lectures on these topics on Monday and Wednesday morning sessions: Prof Alain Arneodo from the Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal, Pessac, France, dealt with Fractal Analysis of DNA Sequences Using Wavelet Techniques and Prof Josè Principe from the University of Florida, Gainesville, USA dealt with Signal Processing Techniques in Neuroscience and Brain-Machine Interface.

The Scientific Committee also focussed on young researcher activities and it awarded prizes for the top three poster presentations (500, 300 and 200 respectively). The awards were given in a special ceremony at the end of the Workshop. The winning posters were: "A Nonlinear Circuit Architecture for Magnetoencephalographic Signals Analysis", by M. Bucolo, L. Fortuna, M. Frasca, M. La Rosa, D. Shannahoff-Khalsa, M.C. Virzì; "Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation: Automatic Diagnosis Algorithm Based on Not Fibrillating ECG", by E. Ros, S. Mota, F.J. Toro, A.F. Diaz, F.J. Férnandez; and "Prediction of Cardiovascular Risk in Hemodialysis Patients by Data Mining" by M. Pfaff, K. Weller, D. Woetzel, R. Guthke, K. Schroeder, G. Stein, R. Pohlmeier, J. Vienken.

Venue of the Workshop, Villa Olmo, Como

As the participants could not be fed by science alone, the Social Events were particularly appreciated. On Monday evening there was a duo camera (harp and violin) concert followed by a meal in a wonderful open-air atmosphere in the yard just in front of the Villa and the lake.

The main Social Event however, took place on Tuesday evening. After a tour of Lake Como by boat, the participants landed on the Isola Comacina (Comacina Island). The mysterious Isola Comacina is the only island on the lake, a strongbox that still remains virtually unexplored. The island has a history which is extraordinarily eventful dating back to ancient times: you can hear tales of barbarian raids, Longobard Kings and Dukes who hid fabulous treasures here, the schismatic Bishop Agrippino who ruled the island and the ten-year war between Como and Milan. It is actually considered as one of the most important archaeological sites of Lombardy. Whilst on the Island, the conference participants sampled traditional Como cuisine accompanied by ancient tales about the Island's history and inhabitants.

You can see pictures taken during the Conference activities and the social events by visiting the site (www.centrovolta.it/Foto/Web%20Foto%20congresso/BSI2002.htm).

Several external sponsors such as the Common of the City of Como (Italy), Fresenius Medical Care, Bad Homburg (Germany), Cardioline-Remco Italia, Milan (Italy), as well as the Institute of Biomedical Engineering of Italian CNR (Research National Council), Milan, have also been good enough to support some of the activities connected to the Workshop.

For further information, please refer to Prof Sergio Cerutti, Department of Bioengineering, Polytechnic University, Milano, Italy (cerutti@biomed.polimi.it) or to Dr Luca Mainardi (mainardi@biomed.polimi.it).