Biomedical engineering

 

BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING

Definition:

Biomedical engineering is the study and solution of biological and medical problems using standard engineering ideas and design techniques.

Biomedical engineers are needed for a variety of tasks, including designing instruments, devices, and software, combining knowledge from a variety of technological sources to develop novel processes, and conducting clinical research.

BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING SUBDISCIPLINES

Although there are several subspecialties in biomedical engineering, they rarely "operate in isolation." Biomedical engineers who work in one area frequently draw on the knowledge of biomedical engineers who specialize in other fields. Studies on anatomy, bone biomechanics, gait analysis, and biomaterial compatibility, for example, considerably improve the design of an artificial hip. The forces acting on the hip can be factored into the prosthesis design and material choices. Similarly, knowledge of the behavior of the human musculoskeletal system is used in the design of systems to electrically stimulate the paralyzed muscle to move in a controlled manner. The biomaterials engineer is responsible for selecting the suitable materials for these devices.

Bioinformatics

This entails creating and using computer technologies to collect and evaluate medical and biological data. Bioinformatics work may entail employing advanced tools to organize and search databases of gene sequences with millions of entries.

Bioinstrumentation

This is the use of electronics and measurement techniques to create gadgets that aid in disease detection and therapy. Computers are an important aspect of bioinstrumentation, from the microprocessor in a single-purpose instrument that performs a range of modest jobs to the microcomputer in a medical imaging system that processes vast amounts of data.

Biomaterials

Both biological tissue and artificial materials for implantation are included. To create implant materials, it is necessary to understand the properties and behavior of live materials. One of the most difficult issues a biomedical engineer faces is choosing an acceptable material to install in the human body. Biomaterials must be nontoxic, noncarcinogenic (do not cause cancer), chemically inert, stable, and mechanically robust enough to endure lifetime stresses. Living cells are even included in newer biomaterials to create a true biological and mechanical match for living tissue.

Biomechanics

Classic mechanical engineering is used for biological or medical problems. Motion, material deformation, flow within the body and in devices, and chemical ingredient transport through biological and synthetic media and membranes are all studied. Biomechanics has led to the development of artificial hearts, heart valves, and artificial joint replacements, as well as a greater knowledge of the function of the heart, lungs, blood vessels, capillaries, musculoskeletal systems bone, cartilage, ligaments, and tendons.

BioMEMS

Mechanical parts, sensors, actuators, and electronics are all integrated on a silicon chip in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). The development and application of MEMS in medicine and biology are known as BioMEMS. The creation of microrobots that could one day do surgery within the body and the fabrication of tiny devices that could be implanted inside the body to administer medications on demand are two examples of BioMEMS.

Processing of Biosignals

For diagnostic and therapeutic applications, this entails collecting relevant information from biological signals. This may include analyzing cardiac signals to see if a patient is at risk of sudden cardiac death, developing speech recognition systems that can cope with background noise, or recognizing brain signal patterns that can be used to control a computer.

Biotechnology

This is a collection of strong technologies that use living beings (or parts of organisms) to create or modify things, improve plants or animals, or create microbes for specialized use. Traditional animal and plant breeding techniques, as well as the use of yeast in the production of bread, beer, wine, and cheese, were among the first biotech endeavors. The industrial usage of recombinant DNA and cell fusion, and evolutionary bioprocessing processes that can be used to help fix genetic abnormalities in humans, are examples of modern biotechnology. It also includes bioremediation, which entails the breakdown of harmful substances using living organisms.

Genetic, cellular, and tissue engineering

This includes more recent initiatives to tackle biomedical issues at the molecular level. These fields study the anatomy, biochemistry, and mechanics of cellular and subcellular structures to better understand disease processes and intervene at precise locations. Miniature devices with these properties can administer substances that activate or inhibit biological processes at exact target sites, promoting healing or slowing disease development.

Engineering in Medicine

This is the use of technology in hospitals for health treatment. Along with physicians, nurses, and other hospital employees, the clinical engineer is a member of the health care team. Clinical engineers are in charge of creating and maintaining computer databases of medical instrumentation and equipment information, as well as purchasing and using advanced medical instruments. They may also collaborate with clinicians to modify instrumentation to the physician's and hospital's specific needs, which frequently entails the integration of instruments with computer systems and custom software for instrument control, data collecting, and analysis. Clinical engineers assist in the implementation of cutting-edge technologies in health care.

Imaging in Medicine

To create an image, this combines knowledge of a specific physical phenomenon (such as sound, radiation, or magnetism) with high-speed electronic data processing, analysis, and presentation. These images are frequently obtained by minimum or noninvasive methods, making them less uncomfortable and repeatable than invasive treatments. Furthermore, radiology is the use of radioactive substances like X-rays, magnetic fields, and ultrasound to make images of the body, its organs, and its structures. These images can help doctors diagnose and cure diseases, as well as direct them during image-guided surgery.

Micro- and nanotechnology are two types of technology.

Microtechnology is concerned with the development and application of devices on the micrometer scale (one-thousandth of a millimeter, or about 1/50 of the diameter of a human hair), whereas nanotechnology is concerned with devices on the nanometer scale (about 1/50,000 of a human hair, or 10 times the diameter of a hydrogen atom). These fields include the invention of minuscule force sensors that can detect changing tissue properties, allowing surgeons to remove only diseased tissue, and nanometer-length cantilever beams that bend with cardiac protein levels, allowing doctors to diagnose heart attacks more quickly.

Engineering and Neural Systems

The replacement or restoration of lost sensory and motor abilities (for example, retinal implants to partially restore sight or electrical stimulation of paralyzed muscles to assist a person in standing), the study of the complexities of neural systems in nature, and the development of neurorobotics (robot arms controlled by signals from the motor cortex) are all areas covered by this emerging interdisciplinary field (developing brain-implantable microelectronics with high computing power, for example).

Bioengineering in Orthopedics

This is a field in which engineering and computational mechanics methods have been used to better understand the function of bones, joints, and muscles, as well as to create artificial joint replacements. Orthopedic bioengineers study the friction, lubrication, and wear characteristics of natural and artificial joints, conduct musculoskeletal stress analyses, and develop artificial biomaterials (biologic and synthetic) to replace bones, cartilages, ligaments, tendons, meniscus, and intervertebral discs. Gait and motion assessments are frequently performed for sports performance and patient outcomes following surgical operations.

Engineering for Rehabilitation

This is a rapidly expanding field of biomedical engineering. Rehabilitation engineers help people with physical and cognitive disabilities improve their abilities and quality of life. They work on prostheses, home, workplace, and transportation modifications, and assistive technology design that improves sitting and positioning, movement, and communication. To help people with cognitive impairments, rehabilitation engineers are developing hardware and software computer adaptations as well as cognitive aids.

Surgery Using Robotics

This includes the use of robotic and image processing devices to help a medical team plan and execute a surgery in real-time. These innovative procedures can reduce surgery's negative effects by allowing for smaller incisions, less trauma, and greater precision while also lowering expenses.

Physiology of Systems

This is the term for the area of biomedical engineering where engineering concepts, techniques, and instruments are utilized to achieve a thorough and integrated understanding of the function of live creatures ranging from bacteria to people. To analyze experimental data and formulate mathematical descriptions of physiological phenomena, computer modeling is used. Predictor models are employed in research to develop new experiments and refine our understanding. Living systems have highly controlled feedback control systems that can be investigated using cutting-edge methods. The biochemistry of metabolism and the regulation of limb motions are two examples.

A bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering normally needs four years of university study. After that, the biomedical engineer may pursue an entry-level engineering career in a medical device or pharmaceutical firm, a clinical engineering role in a hospital, or even a sales position in a biomaterials or biotechnology company. Many biomedical engineers will pursue graduate coursework in biomedical engineering or a related engineering subject, a master's degree in business administration, or an application to medical or dentistry school. A small percentage of biomedical engineers go on to law school to work in patent law and intellectual property linked to biomedical inventions.