The 43rd Annual Conference of the Japanese Society for Medical and Biological EngineeringPartnership in Medicine and Engineering -Towards a Healthier and Happier SocietyThe Japanese Society for Medical and Biological Engineering (JSMBE) celebrated its 43rd Annual Conference (MBE2004) in the historic city of Kanazawa, Japan, from the 19th to the 21st May, 2004. On behalf of the Organizing Committee, I would like to give you an outline of this meeting. The Kanazawa Conference was a first trial for our national society, in its annual meeting, to cross boundaries in two ways: firstly, between the medical and engineering disciplines and, secondly, between Japan and other nations. We aimed to create a truly international platform upon which to encourage interdisciplinary discussion and exchange of ideas, in order to tackle issues relevant to future needs for improved medical diagnosis and treatment, thereby enhancing health care and human welfare. This aim had been expressed in the Conference Theme: "A Partnership in Medicine and Engineering: Towards a Healthier and Happier Society" The Committee worked hard, both before and during the Conference, to provide every participant with a fruitful and memorable occasion. These efforts seem to have been rewarded by the strong and exciting scientific program which emerged, covering both recent advances and many future needs for biomedical science and technology. This included ideas on how we can address issues surrounding the steadily aging population; or, put another way, 'how will doctors and engineers make old people smile and run fast!' As part of the Conference Aim the Program Committee planned Invited and Special Lectures. To emphasise the international flavour of this year's Conference there were 2 Invited Lectures, one given by Prof. Niilo Saranummi, from VTT Information Technology, Finland, and the other by Dr Haldun Karagoz, Director of the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Guven Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. On the first day, Prof. Saranummi, well known in the world as a former President of the International Federation for Medical and Biological Engineering and currently Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE Trans. on Information Technology in Biomedicine, talked about "Medical and Biological Engineering and Science and the European Union". On the second day, Dr Karagoz, also very well known as one of the pioneers of coronary bypass grafting in awake patients, described his many surgical experiences in his lecture entitled "Awake Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting: A Simple Solution to a Complex Problem". Then, for each of the three days of the Conference, Special Lectures were given by three eminent Japanese Biomedical Engineers. Prof. Akira Kamiya, Nihon University, recounted the research project that has been his life work, in a lecture entitled "Physiological System Dynamics of Oxygen Transport". Prof. Tatsuo Togawa, Waseda University, talked about "Animal Life and Human Life" based on his research philosophical view. Honorary Prof. Kiichi Tsuchiya, Waseda University, gave us his unique and out-of-the-box thought entitled "Eh? Yes!-Thinking to Think", illustrated by many examples. It was clear that the Conference Delegates enjoyed these Invited and Special Lectures very much, as well as spending an enjoyable and exciting time with the lecturers. For the main structure of the Conference the Program Committee had provided the participants with 6 Symposia related to important issues in Biomedical Engineering, 4 Specially Projected Symposia, 20 Organized Sessions, and a large number of Oral and Poster Sessions covering a variety of interesting medical and engineering topics. Altogether, more than 650 papers were presented throughout the Conference, and there were more than 1,000 participants, including about 50 foreign biomedical scientists from the USA, Europe and Asia-Pacific countries who spent a very enjoyable and fruitful time participating in the strong scientific program. Kanazawa is well known for its place in Japan's history and for many examples of traditional Japanese culture. These include crafts such as silk-dying, gold-leaf and lacquer ware, as well as exquisitely prepared and delicious cuisine, the Kaga dishes, and by no means least, nice rice wine. The city offered the delegates remarkable chances for sightseeing, such as the Ninja house, Myoryu-ji, with its secret staircases and hiding places, and the wooden Samurai houses in the Nagamachi quarter. Adjacent to the Conference site the splendid Kenroku-en garden, one of the three most famous and beautiful gardens in Japan provided a pleasant diversion for delegates to relax and chat to friends. We were sure that many participants found Kanazawa an intriguing city to explore, a vibrant city to enjoy, and a perfect setting for our Conference. The Conference banquet also offered a traditional Japanese musical recital as well as a wide variety of delicious food and Japanese rice wines which everyone clearly enjoyed. It was really a great pleasure for the Conference Committee to be able to hold this significant meeting in Kanazawa, and to provide opportunities to share ideas and discussion on a variety of topics by numerous biomedical scientists from Japan as well as from many other countries at this special event. Once again, we would give our sincere thanks to all of the participants.
Ken-ichi Yamakoshi
|