Traditional EURASIP's Conference
BIOSIGNAL 2002

Already the 16^th conference in a regular series of biennial BIOSIGNAL conferences was again organised by the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Brno University of Technology, and held in Brno (Czech Republic) on June 25 to 27, 2002, in the Masaryk University Congress Centre. The conference scope was determined by the following scientific sessions:

1. Measurement and interpretation of physiological signals (76 papers, of which 39 were posters)
2. Medical imaging and image analysis (43 papers, of which 30 were posters)
3. Signal-based modelling and simulation in biomedicine (18 papers, of which 10 were posters)
4. Multimedia data in clinical decision-making (11 papers, of which 6 were posters)
5. Education of biomedical engineering including ecological technology (round table discussion)

Prof. Jiri Jan, the chairman of the conference and Prof. Ivo Provaznik, chair of the Organizing Committee

The 148 papers presented were selected from over 170 submitted on the basis of peer review conducted by the members of the international programme committee for the conference and additional reviewers suggested by the committee. Every paper has been evaluated by at least two reviewers from different countries. All accepted papers were published in the conference proceedings printed as a book of 485 pages - J. Jan, J. Kozumplik, I. Provaznik (Eds.): "Analysis of Biomedical Signals and Images", VUTIUM Press Brno 2002, ISBN 80-214-2120-7. The book has been distributed to all conference participants and several libraries and private applicants have also requested copies. Remaining compilations can be ordered from the organising institution.

The purpose of the conference was to give a forum for information exchange among theoreticians, engineers, and medical scientists. Original theoretical papers, research results, contributions concerning novel technical solutions, clinical experiences and invited survey lectures were presented in A, B, C, and D sessions. The development in curricula for graduate and postgraduate students of biomedical and clinical engineering (including applications in ecology), has been discussed in session E .

The conference was sponsored by EURASIP (BIOSIGNAL has been one of EURASIP's regular conferences since 1996) and by IEEE - Engineering in Biology and Medicine Society as a co-operating institution. Further collaborating institutions include the Czech Society for Biomedical Engineering and Medical Informatics (a part of the Czech Medical Society of J. E. Purkynje and an IFMBE affiliated organisation) and the Institute of Signal and Image Processing. The organisation of the conference was (as in previous years) a result of the huge effort from the Department of Biomedical Engineering from the Brno University of Technology - Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Communication. The conference was opened by the EURASIP president Prof. Peter Grant together with the BUT representatives. Among the conference participants, a large number of internationally recognised scientists were present; as well as a relatively high influx of more junior scientists. A best-paper contest for junior participants had been organised, and was won by Fabrizio Lamberti from Italy who, besides a monetary award, obtained a free one-year EURASIP membership.

Student Paper Competition winner Fabrizio Lamberti (Italy)

Besides the scientific sessions, two social meetings formed an inadmissible component of the conference. The first evening was devoted to a welcome party consisting of a traditional organ concert in the renovated new-baroque centre of the University of Technology followed by a get-together party. A boat trip on the Brno lake, accompanied by Moravian folk music sung and played by a traditional cymbal band, formed the programme for the second evening.

The level of scientific success should be evaluated by independent participants; although it would appear from the spontaneous e-mail reactions sent to the organisers, that the conference fulfilled all expectations. The idea of continuing with the 17^th BIOSIGNAL 2004 conference therefore, seems to be generally supported.

The conference was supervised and submissions evaluated by the international programme committee, who are:

The organisational load has been taken over by the local OrgCom, formed from members of the Department of Biomedical Eng., Brno UT, I. Provaznik (chairman), J. Jan, J. Kozumplik, Z. Szabo and P. Fedra.

This is to express our sincere thanks to EURASIP for regularly including the BIOSIGNAL conference among a small number of its own conferences. This contributes greatly to the growing awareness and recognition of the conference.

Please note that BIOSIGNAL 2004 has already been announced and its web site www.feec.vutbr.cz/UBMI/bs2004.html has been launched. The 17th BIOSIGNAL will be held in June 23-25, 2004 in Brno, Czech Republic.

Jiri Jan, Conference Chair, Ivo Provaznik, OrgCom Chairman