Patient men win the day

摘要

Medical studies are largely classified into basic studies and clinical studies. It is often said that questions that arose from the clinical studies would be solved by means of playing catch with the basic studies, and the clinical studies would be fostered and improved as a result. In addition, new phenomena that were generated as ideas in the basic studies would be established as useful matters only after they would be jostled in the clinical scenes. It is important to carry out mutual assistance and collaboration between the two types of studies, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that modern medical advances have been achieved only because there has been such mutual assistance and collaboration. The same things can be said surely for the world of ultrasonic waves. I believe that the current wonderful ultrasonic techniques have been fostered only because people in the medical (clinical) and engineering (basic) fields have worked hard and have learned from each other. However, I have recently felt a sense of discomfort somehow as I have listened to academic societies and others for many years. There have been a large number of presentations of excellent results that have been obtained by applying, in the clinical studies, some new technical ideas that have been generated in the basic studies. However, from the contents that have been presented, I have not been able to feel the reverse phenomena, that is, new requests and feedback coming from the clinical sides.