Technology and its clinical application in the field of computer-assisted radiology and surgery

The field of computer-assisted radiology and surgery involves a wide spectrum of topics based on medicine, physics, computer science and even sociology. The progress of development and recent trends in this field is described in this paper. Firstly, the chronological change in presented papers in past international conferences of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery (CARS) from 1985 to 2007 is illustrated in terms of topics, which are grouped into six main categories. Secondly, new directions and related topics are described by means of an example of a digital operating room. Problems in the operation room (OR) and solution concepts are pointed out while a therapy imaging and model management system (TIMMS) is presented as a possible solution. Finally, patient modelling related topics for CARS are listed.