Dr. Abdalhameed Alkhateeb 1

What is Biomedical Engineering

Dr. Abdalhameed Alkhateeb

September 2003

Dr. Abdalhameed Alkhateeb 2

• Biomedical Engineers apply engineering techniques and analyses to problem-solving in medicine and the biomedical sciences

• Biomedical Engineers bridge the gap between clinical medicine and applied medical technology.

• Biomedical Engineers must be capable of defining a medical problem in engineering science terms and of finding a solution that satisfies both engineering and medical requirements

• This includes developing systems to:– maintain and enhance life, – designing replacement parts for people,– creating systems to allow the handicapped to function, work and

communicate– Etc.

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• Biomedical engineering is interdisciplinary, that is, biomedical engineers work with other medical health care professionals as members of a team.

• Exciting advances in medicine, such as the artificial heart, pacemakers, medical imaging techniques, lasers, prosthetic implants, life support systems, and devices that help the paralyzed walk, are the result of a team effort by biomedical engineers and other professionals.

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• Biomedical Engineers have expertise in:– engineering science, – biological science– medical science.

• Biomedical engineering is usually based on one of the traditional engineering disciplines, such as electrical or mechanical engineering.

• New fields of biomedical engineering include areas such as:– medical electronics, – clinical engineering, – biomaterials,– rehabilitation engineering.

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• Applications of biomedical engineering is almost endless and is developing every day, it includes– cardiac monitors to clinical computing, – artificial hearts to contact lenses, – wheel chairs to artificial tendons, – modeling dialysis therapy to modeling the

cardiovascular system.

• Biomedical engineers are also integral in the management of technology in hospitals and health care delivery.

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Main Fields of Biomedical Engineering

                     

   

                     

   

                     

   

                    

    

                    

    

                    

    

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Medical Instrumentation:• Medical instrumentation is the application of electronics and measurement techniques to develop devices used in diagnosis and treatment of disease. • Computers are an important and increasingly essential part of medical instrumentation, from the microprocessor in a single-purpose instrument to the microcomputer needed to process the large amount of information in a medical imaging system. • Examples of medical instrumentation include: heart monitors, microelectrodes, defibrillators and glucose monitoring machines

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Biomaterials

• Biomaterials is the use of materials, both living tissue and artificial materials, for implantation. Understanding the properties of the living materials is vital in the design of implant materials. The selection of an appropriate material to place in the human body may be one of the most difficult tasks faced by the biomedical engineer. Certain metal alloys, ceramics, polymers and composites have been used as implant materials.

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Biomaterials (cont)

• Biomaterials must be– nontoxic, – non-carcinogenic, – chemically inert (not reacting violently with the body's

chemical composition), – Stable– mechanically strong enough to withstand the repeated

forces of a lifetime of use.

• Newer biomaterials even incorporate living cells in order to provide a true biological and mechanical match for the living tissue.

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Biomaterials (cont)

• Examples of biomaterials include– Dental adhesives, – Bone cement, – Replacement bones/joints, – Heart prosthetics, – Heart replacement valves– Artificial lungs – Artificial kidneys.

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System Physiology and Modeling

• The use of scientific and engineering principles to predict the behavior of a system of interests.

• Systems of interest may include the human body, particular organs or organ systems and medical devices.

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System Physiology and Modeling (cont)

• Modeling is used in the analysis of experimental data and in formulating mathematical descriptions of physiological events.

• In research, modeling is used as a predictive tool in designing new experiments to refine our knowledge.

• Examples are the biochemistry of metabolism and the control of limb movements

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Signal processing• Collection and analysis of data from patients or

experiments in an effort to understand and identify individual components of the data set or signal.

• The manipulation and dissection of the data or signal provides the physician and experimenter with vital information on the condition of the patient or the status of the experiment.

• Biomedical Engineers apply signal-processing methods to the design of medical devices that monitor and diagnose certain conditions in the human body.

• Examples include heart arrhythmia detection software and brain activity

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Medical Imaging

• Medical Imaging combines knowledge of a unique physical phenomenon (sound, radiation, magnetism etc.) with high-speed electronic data processing, analysis and display to generate an image.

• Often, these images can be obtained with minimal or completely non-invasive procedures, making them less painful and more readily repeatable than invasive techniques.

• Examples include Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), ultrasound and computed tomography (CT).

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Biomechanics

• Biomechanics applies both fluid mechanics and transport phenomena to biological and medical issues. It includes the study of motion, material deformation, flow within the body, as well as devices, and transport phenomena in the body, such as transport of chemical constituents across biological and synthetic media and membranes.

• Efforts in biomechanics have developed the artificial heart, replacement heart valves and the hip replacement.

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Biomechanics(cont)

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Rehabilitation Engineering• Rehabilitation engineering uses concepts

in biomechanics and other areas to develop devices to enhance the capabilities and improve the quality of life for individuals with physical and cogitative impairments.

• They are involved in:– Prosthetics, – Development of the home and/or workplace, – Transportation modifications.

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Career Opportunities

• Biomedical engineers are exposed to many fields of study in engineering, medicine and biology. Due to this broad experience biomedical engineers find employment in:– hospitals, – government bodies, – industry or – academic areas.

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What do Biomedical Engineers do?

• Design of medical instrumentation

• Design prostheses;

• Contribute in the development, manufacture and testing of medical products

• Manage of technology in the hospital system.

• Sales Engineers

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Is Biomedical EngineeringRight for You?

• Just because you don't know about biomedical engineering does not mean it is not right for you. Determine if your current interests match those of biomedical engineers that are happy with their choice.

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Is Biomedical Eng. For you? (cont)

• Engineering involves the use of mathematics and physics, therefore an interest and/or talent in these areas is a strong clue that engineering would be a good choice.

• Additionally, if you are interested or talented in chemistry, biology, medicine and physiology, biomedical engineering will match your interests.

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Is Biomedical Eng. For you? (cont)

Another fulfilling part of biomedical engineering is the human side. Are you looking for a profession where you can serve society and work with people?

In biomedical engineering you will use your technical background to design products to improve medical care and to provide society with a greater understanding of human health needs.

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Is Biomedical Eng. For you? (cont)

• Other careers in industry for biomedical engineers include positions involving service and technical selling of medical equipment and products to hospitals.

• Many biomedical engineers also start their own businesses developing new services or consulting with industry or research centers.

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Is Biomedical Eng. For you? (cont)

• Other biomedical engineers work for the government developing and ensuring proper regulation of medical equipment to guarantee the well-being of the public.

• Many biomedical engineers also pursue advanced degrees in biomedical engineering enabling them to obtain positions in advanced research laboratories, universities and other positions requiring advanced knowledge in an area.

• Biomedical engineering also can be a springboard to careers in law (such as patent law), dentistry and medicine.

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References

• The university of New South Wales (http://www.gsbme.unsw.edu.au/whatisit.htm)

• Milwaukee School of Engineering (http://www.msoe.edu/eecs/be/whatisbe.shtml)

• Monash University Centre for Biomedical Engineering (http://www.ecse.monash.edu.au/centres/mucbe/AboutBioEng/bioeng1.html)