A Career
Biomedical engineering combines engineering expertise with medical needs for the enhancement of health care. It is a branch of engineering in which knowledge and skills are developed and applied to define and solve problems in biology and medicine. Students choose the biomedical engineering field to be of service to people; for the excitement of working with living systems; and to apply advanced technology to the complex problems of medical care. The biomedical engineer is a health care professional, a group which includes physicians, nurses, and technicians. Biomedical engineers may be called upon to design instruments and devices, to bring together knowledge from many sources to develop new procedures, or to carry out research to acquire knowledge needed to solve new problems.

Specific Activities
Examples of work done by biomedical engineers include:

--designing and constructing cardiac pacemakers, defibrillators, artificial kidneys, blood oxygenators, hearts, blood vessels, joints, arms, and legs.

--designing computer systems to monitor patients during surgery or in intensive care, or to monitor healthy persons in unusual environments, such as astronauts in space or underwater divers at great depth.

--designing and building sensors to measure blood chemistry, such as potassium, sodium, 02, CO2, and pH.

--designing instruments and devices for therapeutic uses, such as a laser system for eye surgery or a device for automated delivery of insulin.

--developing strategies for clinical decision making based on expert systems and artificial intelligence, such as a computer-based system for selecting seat cushions for paralyzed patients or for, managing the care of patients with severe burns or for diagnosing diseases.

--designing clinical laboratories and other units within the hospital and health care delivery system that utilize advanced technology. Examples would be a computerized analyzer for blood samples, ambulances for use in rural areas, or a cardiac catheterization laboratory.

--designing, building and investigating medical imaging systems based on X-rays (computer assisted tomography), isotopes (position emission tomography), magnetic fields (magnetic resonance imaging), ultrasound, or newer modalities.

--constructing and implementing mathematical/computer models of physiological systems.

--designing and constructing biomaterials and determining the mechanical, transport, and biocompatibility properties of implantable artificial materials.

--implementing new diagnostic procedures, especially those requiring engineering analyses to determine parameters that are not directly accessible to measurements, such as in the lungs or heart.

--investigating the biomechanics of injury and wound healing.

What are the Specialty Areas?
Some of the well established specialty areas within the field of biomedical engineering are bioinstrumentation, biomechanics, biomaterials, systems physiology, clinical engineering, and rehabilitation engineering.

Bioinstrumentation is the application of electronics and measurement principles and techniques to develop devices used in diagnosis and treatment of disease. Computers are becoming increasingly important in bioinstrumentation, from the microprocessor used to do a variety of small tasks in a single purpose instrument to the extensive computing power needed to process the large amount of information in a medical imaging system.

Biomechanics is mechanics applied to biological or medical problems. It includes the study of motion, of material deformation, of flow within the body and in devices, and transport of chemical constituents across biological and synthetic media and membranes. Efforts in biomechanics have developed the artificial heart and replacement heart valves, the artificial kidney, the artificial hip, as well as built a better understanding of the function of organs and musculoskeletal systems.

Biomaterials describes both living tissue and materials used for implantation. Understanding the properties of the living material 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 implantable materials. Biomaterials must be nontoxic, noncarcinogenic, chemically inert, stable, and mechanically strong enough to withstand the repeated forces of a lifetime.

Systems physiology is the term used to describe that aspect of biomedical engineering in which engineering strategies, techniques and tools are used to gain a comprehensive and integrated understanding of the function of living organisms ranging from bacteria to humans. Modeling is used in the analysis of experimental data and in formulating mathematical descriptions of physiological events. In research, models are used in designing new experiments to refine our knowledge. Living systems have highly regulated feedback control systems which can be examined in this way. Examples are the biochemistry of metabolism and the control of limb movements.

Clinical engineering is the application of technology for health care in hospitals. The clinical engineer is a member of the health care team along with physicians, nurses and other hospital staff. Clinical engineers are responsible for developing and maintaining computer databases of medical instrumentation and equipment records and for the purchase and use of sophisticated medical instruments. They may also work with physicians on projects to adapt instrumentation to the specific needs of the physician and the hospital. This often involves the interface of instruments with computer systems and customized software for instrument control and data analysis. Clinical engineers feel the excitement of applying the latest technology to health care.

Rehabilitation engineering is a new and growing specialty area of biomedical engineering. Rehabilitation engineers expand capabilities and improve the quality of life for individuals with physical impairments. Because the products of their labor are so personal, often developed for particular individuals or small groups, the rehabilitation engineer often works directly with the disabled individual.

These specialty areas frequently depend on each other. Often the biomedical engineer who works in an applied field will use knowledge gathered by biomedical engineers working in more basic areas. For example, the design of an artificial hip is greatly aided by a biomechanical study of the hip. The forces which are applied to the hip can be considered in the design and material selection for the prosthesis. Similarly, the design of systems to electrically stimulate paralyzed muscle to move in a controlled way uses knowledge of the behavior of the human musculoskeletal system. The selection of appropriate materials used in these devices falls within the realm of the biomaterials engineer. These are examples of the interactions among the specialty areas of biomedical engineering.

Where do they Work?
Biomedical engineers are employed in 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 the 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. 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. Some biomedical engineers also have advanced training in other fields. For example, many biomedical engineers also have an M.D. degree, thereby combining an understanding of advanced technology with direct patient care or clinical research.

Career Preparation
The biomedical engineer should plan first and foremost to be a good engineer. Beyond this, he or she should have a working understanding of life science systems and terminology. Good communications skills are also important, because the biomedical engineer provides a link among professionals with medical, technical, and other backgrounds.

The high school preparation for biomedical engineering is the same as for any other engineering discipline, except that some life science course work should also be included. At the college level, the student usually selects engineering as a field of study, then chooses a discipline concentration within engineering. Some students will major in biomedical engineering, while others may major in a traditional field such as electrical, mechanical, or chemical engineering, with a specialty in biomedical engineering.

For More Information
Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), 345 East 47th Street, New York, NY 10017-2397

"Engineering College Research and Graduate Study", Engineering Education, published by the American Society for Engineering Education, One Dupont Circle, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20036

"Bioengineering Education", Journal of Clinical Engineering (series) Volume 11, No. 1-6 (1986) and Volume 12, No. 1 (1987)

"Engineering High-tech Student's Handbook" (1985), D.R. Reyes-Guerra and A.M. Fischer, Peterson's Guides, 166 Bunn Drive, P.O. Box 2123, Princeton, NJ 08540 Society of Biomedical Equipment Technicians, 3330 Washington Blvd., 4th Floor, Arlington, VA 22201

From our experience, a top-quality biomedical engineer must have an excellent knowledge of physiology so that he/she can make sound judgments in solving biomedical problems. When working in a specific area of biomedicine, it is also necessary to know how disease alters functions, this is the field of pathophysiology. With such knowledge, the biomedical engineer does not have to rely on others for information about living organisms.

Source: Biomedical Engineering Society and the American Society for Engineering Education.