Biomedical systems research—New perspectives opened by quantitative medical imaging

Recent advances in quantitative imaging allow unprecedented views into cellular chemistry of whole organisms in vivo. These novel imaging modalities enable the quantitative investigation of spatio-temporal reaction and transport phenomena in the living animal or the human body. This article will highlight the significant role that rigorous systems engineering methods can play for interpreting the wealth of in vivo measurements. A methodology to integrate medical imaging modalities with rigorous computational fluid dynamics entitled image-based computational fluid dynamics (iCFD) will be introduced. The quantitative analysis of biological systems with rigorous mathematical methods is expected to accelerate the introduction of novel drugs by providing a rational foundation for the systematic development of new medical therapies. Rigorous engineering methods not only advance biomedical research, but also aid the translation of laboratory research results into the bedside practice.

► This article highlights the future role of systems engineering in biomedical discoveries.
► A novel procedure for constructing physiologically consistent models from medical imaging data for the investigation of in vivo transport phenomena is introduced.
► Biomedical case studies illustrate the simulation of drug delivery in the human central nervous system with systems engineering principles.