[SBIR/STTR Rosters]

The Small Business Biomedical Imaging [SBMI] Scientific Review Group reviews SBIR and STTR grant applications involving basic, applied and pre-clinical aspects of the design and development of medical imaging systems, their components, software and mathematical methods, and related technologies.  Also reviewed are proposals involving the application and validation of in vivo human and animal imaging, including early phase clinical aspects of medical imaging systems, agents, software and mathematical methods, or related technologies.  During testing, the underlying technologies may be refined or optimized in response to research questions and clinical needs.

Specific areas covered by SBMI:

• Prediction, selection, and monitoring of therapeutic response by administration of agents accompanied by imaging to detect the location, amount, and fate of normal and pathologic structures. This implies multi-temporal image-based evaluation of tracers and metabolites in a detailed anatomic framework that could require multiple modalities and post-processing of data sets.
  
  
• Diagnosis of functional disorders and classification of tissue as normal or pathologic based on exogenous agents that may be tailored to specific cellular processes or genetic expressions.
  
  
• Studies of component technologies used in the design, development, implementation, testing, and application of imaging systems (such as: image detectors and related energy conversion devices, ionizing and non-ionizing detectors, magnets and coils).
  
  
• Physical and mathematical approaches to the development of medical imaging devices and systems (hardware and software): for example, the analysis of complex dynamical systems and the application of methods of applied mathematics to solving inverse problems using iterative, non-iterative, deterministic, and probabilistic approaches.
  
  
• Medical image processing methods: display, and computational resources for reconstruction, registration, segmentation, visualization, and analysis of 2-, 3- and 4- or higher dimensional data sets.
  
  
• Analysis of medical images in conjunction with other sources of non-image data including: multi-media data, data transmitted and archived in databases for data mining, artificial intelligence, computer vision, and computer-aided diagnosis.
  
  
• Presentation for human observers, images derived from voluminous multi-dimensional data sets by visualization, including: man-machine interfaces; real-time interactive systems; multi-modality fusion; multi-temporal data sets; and workstation software and hardware design, implementation, and psychophysical testing.
  
  
• Development of image-based methods for characterizing tissues using estimates of their local and global biophysical, biomechanical, bioelectrical, biochemical, metabolic, and biological properties.
  
  
• Correlative and comparative studies of normal and pathologic states using multi-modal, multi-temporal, and multi-dimensional imaging systems and techniques.
  
  
• Image-guided interventions in integrated diagnostic and therapeutic systems.  These often require high performance computing and display for interactive man-machine environments.
  
  
• Integration of unique imaging systems to accomplish specific tasks.
  
  
• Evaluation of prototype and widely available medical imaging systems and accessories, when there are improvements in underlying technologies.
  
  
• Methodology for validating medical imaging systems, including: reference objects, databases, quality control criteria, software metrics, and related components.
• Use of imaging to predict, select, and monitor therapeutic responses.
  
  
• Applications of imaging systems and modification of diagnostic methods for use in: screening, characterizing physiological effects (such as normal tissue tolerance or low-level radiation effects), and assessing risk.
  
  
• Use of principles of psychophysical experimentation and modeling to develop medical-image-observer performance metrics, calibration standards, and simulations of an ideal observer.
  
  
• Development of surrogate endpoints based on quantitative imaging for use in clinical trials of medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and other therapeutic interventions.
  
  
• Development and application of standards for control of image quality and imaging software using reusable, portable, and extensible open source approaches.
  
  
• Synthesis of new diagnostic agents or therapeutic pharmaceuticals used in medical imaging studies.

SBMI has the following shared interest within the SBIB IRG:

• With Biomedical Computing and Health Informatics [BCHI]: In general, grant applications that develop or use informatics in the context of developing medical imaging devices and instrumentation would be referred to SBMI; those that focus on informatics would be referred to BCHI.

SBMI has the following shared interests outside the SBIB IRG:

• With the Bioengineering Sciences and Technologies [BST] IRG: The development of instrumentation, techniques, or procedures for imaging molecules or organelles is an area of shared interest.  If the purpose of imaging is to address questions of pathology, diagnosis, or treatment assignment would be to SBMI.  If the objective of the imaging is to investigate mechanisms or fundamental biological questions, assignment would be to BST.
  
  
• With organ-system and disease IRGs: In general, applications for which the emphasis is on the design or development of medical imaging systems, their components, or software would be referred to SBMI; where the emphasis is on obtaining structural, functional, or behavioral information, the application would be referred to an organ-system or disease IRG.