At present the Institute is a scientific institution whose activities
encompass two basic domains of fundamental and applied research:
the development of measurement theory and mathematical-statistical methods for
processing experimental results, and the design of experimental systems for
measuring selected physical quantities,
the mathematical and computer modelling of bionic structures and processes,
processing of biosignals and medical images, and the development of measuring
systems for biomedicine.
In the first area the research is focused on the development of
linear and nonlinear statistical procedures for estimating and testing
hypotheses on various parameters of statistical models. Of particular interest
are linear models with a complicated variance-covariance structure and models
characterized by possibly non-normal distribution.
Further, research in this area is characterized by the following research
activities:
development of interference methods for automated measurement of deviations of
optical surface shape,
position deviation measurement for large-scale objects using pendametry and
hydrostatic levelling,
development of measuring methods for selected geometrical quantities in precision
machinery,
development of transducers for measurement of non-electrical quantities.
A significant part of the research is dedicated to issues of high-temperature
superconductivity. Methods, sensors and systems for weak magnetic field measurement
based on macroscopic quantum effects are being explored. Particular attention is
focused on research into methods and devices of infrared radiometry. The theoretical
results obtained in this research domain are followed by the design of functional
prototypes of measuring devices and automated measuring systems (e.g. instruments
for measuring the spatial stability of buildings for nuclear power plant reactors,
planinterferometer for flatness measurement of integrated circuit substrata,
sensitive SQUID magnetometers for measurement of magnetic fields).
The second activity area covers several branches of interdisciplinary
research in biomedicine and bionics. They are as follows:
study of dynamic phenomena in selected biological subsystems (e.g. the heart or
brain) which manifest themselves through electric and magnetic fields,
development of methods for weak magnetic field measurement in biological objects
using the Josephson effect,
design of measuring transducers and imaging methods based on Nuclear Magnetic
Resonance (NMR),
exploration of mathematical and computer methods of nonlinear image processing
and development of fast algorithms for 3D visualization of medical data,
study of invariant signal recognition using the methods of artificial neural
networks,
theoretical investigation and computer simulations of the nonlinear dynamics
of complex systems,
development of methods for dynamic parameter measurement in pneumometry.
Theory and computer experiments, which serve as basic methodological means in
this research area, are followed by unique instrumentation and integrated
software design (e.g. the resistive whole-body NMR-tomograph, a computerized
device for the measurement of cardiac electric field).
The research activities of the Institute in these two domains are organized
within 10 scientific departments on a research project basis. At present the
fellows of the individual departments are involved in 17 research projects
supported by grant of the S.G.A. (Scientific Grant Agency). Two of these projects
are supported also from abroad - by the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research,
Dubna, Russian Federation.
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