INTRODUCTION TOBIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING©2014 Wright State UniversityWhat is Biomedical Engineering? Biomedical Engineering is “the application of engineering principles and techniques to the medical field” “Biomedical Engineering blends traditional engineering techniques with biological sciences and medicine to improve the quality of human life and health” – University of Connecticut Biomedical Engineering Home PageWhat Do Biomedical Engineers Do? Biomedical engineers use engineering principles, along with biological and medical knowledge to design new technologies that better people’s lives They study living systems and apply different aspects of other engineering disciplines such as electrical, mechanical, and computer engineering to design interfaces to work with these living systemsDivisions of Biomedical Engineering Biomechanics/ Orthopedic Engineering – Apply principles of mechanical and materials engineering to create such things as implants, prosthetics, and assistive devices Medical Imaging Engineering – Utilizes programming and electrical engineering skills to design new medical imaging technologies, as well as techniques to improve medical image quality Biological Systems Engineering – Incorporates multiple engineering disciples to design modified or artificial systems such as artificial kidneys, pacemakers, etc.  Clinical Engineering – Applied biomedical engineering principles directly to medical settings such as hospitals and rehabilitation facilitiesQuestion? Can you think of anyone you know that has benefitted from something created through biomedical engineering? Have you or someone you know ever had a medical image taken? (X-Ray, MRI, CT Scan) Do you know someone with a prosthetic hip, knee, etc? Has anyone you know every been revived using a defibrillator? Have you ever had dental work done? (Fillings, bridges, dentures, etc.)Medical Imaging Top Left – MRI machines utilize powerful magnetic fields to image soft tissue Top Right – Chest cavity x-ray. X-rays have significantly improved over the past several years as a result of better imaging technologiesArtificial Limbs and Organs While we often think of artificial organs and limbs as science fiction, there are many different artificial organs and limbs currently on the market and in developmentArtificial HeartArtificial Heart The human heart is comprised of four muscular chambers, each beating synchronously in order to pump blood throughout the body One brand of artificial heart, the AbioCorsystem, utilizes hydraulic pumps, valves, and a wireless energy system to pump blood to the lungs and peripheral body The heart attaches to the right and left atria, the aorta, and the pulmonary artery and acts as a new set of ventricles for the heart (ventricle failure is by far the most common and life-threatening)AbioCor Artificial Heart SystemArtificial ArmArtificial Armhttp://www.cnn.com/2013/05/02/tech/innovation/bionic-robotic-arm-limb-amputee/index.htmlArtificial KidneyArtificial Kidney The most common type of dialyser (artificalkidney) is comprised of a cylindrical tube with many tiny hollow tubules  Blood passes through these tiny fibers and the impurities are pulled from the blood by fluid on the outside of it, known as dialysis fluidHemodialysisBiomechanics and Orthopedics As people age, their joints begin to wear out due to injury and repeated use (arthritis)  One job an orthopedic engineer may have is to design and improve artificial joints like those seen above (Left – Total Hip Joint, Right – Total Knee Joint)Highly Experimental Orthopedics Some groups (such as engineers working at the VA) work on highly experimental prosthetics  Examples include highly functional artificial arms and legs, nerve stimulators for paraplegics, and functioning artificial eyesClinical Engineering Clinical Engineers work directly in the hospital alongside doctors and nurses to ensure that all the medical equipment is safe and functioning properly They also design new and better ways for this equipment to function to assist doctors in diagnosis and treatment (Left –ECG machine measuring the heart’s electrical activity, Right – Pneumotachometer measuring a person’s breathingConclusion Biomedical engineers work on the forefront of the medical field We design and improve technology meant to save lives and improve the quality of life of sick and injured people Without biomedical engineers, many of the revolutionary breakthroughs in medicine may not have occurredMy Interest – Artificial Muscles One form of artificial muscle being studied is comprised of a material called electro-active polymer This material deforms in specific ways when a voltage potential is applied across it