Description
An annual survey of the physics.med-ph arXiv category, covering research published from September 2025 – August 2026. Built on a close-reading set of 120 papers and organised into 44 chapters, it maps the year by the field's research sub-directions.
Book framework (share of the year's output):
- Computational Fluid Dynamics and Point-of-Care Diagnostics (18.8%) — Focuses on modeling blood flow dynamics and developing microfluidic or sensor-based systems for rapid point-of-care clinical measurements.
- Ultrasound and Photoacoustic Imaging Modalities (17.2%) — Advances in ultrasound beamforming, photoacoustic simulation, and optical imaging techniques for high-resolution tissue characterization.
- Proton Therapy Planning and Dosimetry (11.1%) — Optimizes proton radiotherapy treatment planning, dose calculation, and LETd optimization using computational models and machine learning.
- Dynamic MRI Reconstruction and Motion Correction (9.8%) — Develops methods for reconstructing dynamic 3D/4D MRI data, addressing respiratory and cardiac motion artifacts in clinical imaging.
- Deep Learning for Medical Image Segmentation and Analysis (9.5%) — Applies deep learning models for automated segmentation, classification, and workflow optimization in various medical imaging contexts.
- Low-Field MRI and Magnetic Particle Imaging (7.4%) — Explores hardware and reconstruction techniques for low-field MRI, magnetic particle imaging, and related magnetic resonance applications.
- Diffusion MRI and Microstructure Modeling (7.1%) — Investigates diffusion-weighted MRI protocols and models to quantify tissue microstructure and improve image reconstruction.
- CT Reconstruction and Artifact Reduction (6.6%) — Focuses on computed tomography image reconstruction, metal artifact reduction, and deep learning-based enhancements for CT and CBCT.
- PET Reconstruction and Quantification (6.6%) — Improves positron emission tomography image reconstruction, scatter correction, and quantification methods, including novel biomarker exploration.
- FLASH Radiotherapy and High-Dose-Rate Effects (6.0%) — Examines the mechanisms and dosimetry of ultra-high dose-rate FLASH radiotherapy and its biological effects compared to conventional methods.
Each sub-direction is covered across three chapters — how it framed its questions, the strength of its key findings, and its open debates and frontiers — so the reader gets a traceable picture of what this part of the field actually produced over the year.