What is Biomedical

Engineering

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 Definition of Biomedical Engineering

A loose definition of Biomedical Engineering:

the application of engineering techniques and

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 Biomedical Engineering (BME)
• a growing and expanding interdisciplinary
profession
• concerned with the application of
– engineering,
– mathematics,
– computing, and
– science methodologies
to the analysis of biological andphysiological
problems
• produce technological advances in health
care 3
 Biomedical Engineering (BME)
• Definition 1:
• “Biomedical engineering is a discipline that
– advances knowledge in engineering, biology and
medicine, and improves human health through cross-
disciplinary activities that integrate the engineering
sciences with the biomedical sciences and clinical
practice.”
• It includes:
– The acquisition of new knowledge and understanding of
living systems through the innovative and substantive
application of experimental and analytical techniques
based on the engineering sciences.
– The development of new devices, algorithms, processes
and systems that advance biology and medicine and
improve medical practice and health care deliver 4
 Biomedical Engineering (BME)
• Definition2:
The use of engineering technology,
instrumentation and methods to solve
medical problems, such as improving our
understanding of physiology and the
manufacture of artificial limbs and organs.

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What is Biomedical
Engineering

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• 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,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 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
– non toxic,
– 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. 14
 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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 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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• Biomedical engineers are employed in the industry, in
hospitals, in research facilities of educational and
medical institutions, in teaching, and in government
regulatory agencies.
• They often serve a coordinating or interfacing
function,using their background in both engineering and
medical fields.
• In industry, they may create designs where an in-depth
understanding of living systems and of technology is
essential.
• They may be involved in performance testing of new or
proposed products. Government positions often involve
product testing and safety, as well as establishing safety
standards for devices.
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• In the hospital, the biomedical engineer may provide
advice on the selection and use of medical equipment,
as well as supervising its performance testing and
maintenance.
• They may also build customized devices for special
health care or research needs.
• In research institutions, biomedical engineers supervise
laboratories and equipment, and participate in or direct
research activities in collaboration with other researchers
with such backgrounds as medicine, physiology, and
nursing.
• Some biomedical engineers are technical advisors for
marketing departments of companies and some are in
management positions.
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