Pictures of the Future Fall 2006
Inventors & Innovators – Dr. Dorin Comaniciu
Siemens Corporate Research, Princeton, New Jersey (USA)
Robust Information Fusion
Dorin Comaniciu (42) has loads of ideas. In fact, with 11 patents granted and more than 70 patent applications to his name, he is a prolific inventor. The head of the Integrated Data Systems Department at Siemens Corporate Research in Princeton, New Jersey and coordinator of Siemens’ activities in biomedical informatics, Comaniciu is a native of Romania who moved to the United States in 1996 to pursue a second PhD. Over the years he has developed inventions that span the gamut of applications, from new ways of interpreting the contours of a beating heart to technologies for automatically keeping cars safely on the road.
Comaniciu’s most far-reaching patent is a mathematical invention called Robust Information Fusion—a novel way of detecting and weeding out questionable information from any given sensor source. What’s more, he has already used this invention to pave the way to the next logical step toward machine-based interpretation. "Once you have reliable data that can be fused, you can develop expert systems to evaluate it and draw conclusions from it," he says. The idea is called "database guidance,"—a way of translating expert knowledge into algorithms that can support human decision-making. (see Trends Machine Vision)
The first commercial example of database guidance is "Auto EF"—a unique program based on a Comaniciu patent that can be used in the context of an ultrasound exam to automatically measure the heart’s ejection fraction (EF)—the difference in the amount of blood pumped between diastole and systole. "Today," says Comaniciu, "this crucial measurement is ether eyeballed or traced manually. It takes an expert a couple of minutes to do it. It takes the software two seconds to do the same thing."
Auto EF is just the beginning. Following up on another one of his patents, Comaniciu’s team is working on programs that will accelerate key ultrasound tests in obstetrics. They are also involved in longer-range projects to develop databases that will support automated identification of colon cancer, prostate cancer, and autism based on magnetic resonance scans.
But achieving top results isn’t just a question of top science. "You have to push the limits," says Comaniciu. "People often come to me and tell me that something’s not possible. And my response to them is always, ‘Then try it again!’ As a manager, you have to walk a tightrope. You have to have a plan and know how to stick to it. But you also have to brainstorm, leave room for creativity, have fun, and know how to convince your team that they are doing something that will make a real difference for society."
Arthur F. Pease
Innovators
How and Why Innovations Originate. Many management books focus on the theory of innovation processes, strategies and methods—but to what extent can such theories explain the origins of innovations? We’ve put together 14 brief portraits that present Siemens inventors and innovators and their experiences. We explored their personalities and examined the efforts they made to overcome obstacles. In the end, we found that there’s no standard recipe for innovation success. Some innovations result from the pure persistence of visionary pioneers who think out of the box, while others are born of a consistent approach that involves analysis and continual process improvement. Still others bear fruit because inventors incorporated customers into the process at an early stage, especially in their own regions, or worked together with external partners. What all our innovators have in common, however, is a propensity to think independently and the need for a culture that permits errors and promotes employee creativity. Above all, such a culture must always consider the utility of new ideas for customers.