Abstract

The conference motto is "Challenging Issues for Health and Biomedical Technologies" and the sub-domains and topics of medical bioengineering and biomedical engineering represent fundamental pillars for the reinforcement of medical research and of health care. The conference is mainly dedicated to the e-health systems, medical bioengineering and biomedical engineering, but also addresses related fields. Its specific aim and objectives are to promote concepts and advanced hardware and software technologies in the emerging domains of e-health, medical devices and instrumentation, biosignal and image processing, medical informatics, biomechanics, biomaterials, biotechnologies, medical physics, healthcare management, teaching and (e)learning, rehabilitative and assistive technologies, as well as in some younger disciplines such as bioinformatics, systems biology and the virtual physiological human. In this respect, some of the prominent future challenges of modern medicine, for which e-health and bioengineering in general are called to approach them, are (non-exhaustively): prosthetic arms, new medical devices and bioinstrumentation for non-invasive diagnosis and treatment, image-guided robotic instruments for surgical interventions, computer and telecom extensively aided of the medical intervention, new and multimodal imaging techniques to see inside the human body from organ to sub-cells structures, diagnostic methods and therapies will become noninvasive or minimally-invasive procedures, intelligent systems and technologies in rehabilitation engineering, a new kind of ambulance to the door, equipped with all necessary for complete diagnosis and communications facilities, new possibilities of providing telemedicine and e-health services, and new ways of home self-care. Another permanent objective of our biennial conference is to strengthen the interdisciplinary character between medical and technical researchers and practitioners, within the generous setting of medical bioengineering. Moreover, a special attention has to be granted in the future to targeting research to the real needs of the patients of the 3-rd millennium, through different national and international projects, partnerships and collaborations, including the biggest European research program Horizon 2020, as well as other cooperation programs within European Research Area (ERA) are of special interest.