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Specialty Areas
By combining
biology and medicine with engineering, biomedical engineers develop devices
and procedures that solve medical and health-related problems. Many do
research, along with life scientists, chemists, and medical scientists, to
develop and evaluate systems and products for use in the fields of biology
and health, such as artificial organs, prostheses (artificial devices that
replace missing body parts), instrumentation, medical information systems,
and health management and care delivery systems.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
bioengineer, or biomedical engineer, who works in an applied field will use
knowledge gathered by bioengineers 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.
Note: Some resources in this section are provided by the US
Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor
Statistics and the Whitaker
Foundation.
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