Biomedical Engineering
Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering
Kate Gleason College of Engineering
Rochester Institute of Technology
http://www.rit.edu/kgcoe/biomedical
Daniel Phillips, Ph.D., Program Director [email protected]
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Biomedical Engineering
Outline
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What is biomedical engineering?
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Applications and challenges
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Employment prospects and data
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Questions?
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Demonstrations
Biomedical Engineering
What is Engineering?
Scientists explore to gain understanding -
Engineers develop creative solutions to problems based on that
understanding.
Engineering focuses on the development of new products
and processes to enhance the world around us,
•leveraging in creative and innovative ways the vast
knowledge base embraced by the physical and life
sciences (biology, chemistry, and physics),
•enhanced by the quantitative power of mathematics.
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Biomedical Engineering
What is Biomedical Engineering?
The branch of engineering that uniquely leverages the vast knowledge base
embraced by biology to solve problems focused on healthcare & the human body.
Biomedical Engineers
understand
the inner workings of the human body, including its organs,
circulatory system, nerves, muscles, and bones, as well as the unique constraints
placed on design.
are
experts at assessing the human body as a complex, interactive system.
provide
work
teams a link between human biology & engineering analysis.
in teams of experts across multiple disciplines
to create medical and health-related products
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Biomedical Engineering
What is Biomedical Engineering?
Biomedical Engineers work in teams to

develop devices that solve medical and healthrelated problems
 Artificial organs and tissues
 Prostheses
 Implants
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develop probes and sensing equipment specific to
the human physiology

develop procedures to implement devices and new
technologies in and on the human body
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interpret and run clinical trials on new devices and
procedures
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Biomedical Engineering
What is Biomedical Engineering?
Core Competencies:
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
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Human anatomy, biology, physiology
Statistics
Problem solving capability
Systems engineering
All core sciences, integrated with mathematics and infused with engineering
training, are used to address a wide variety of challenges
related to the healthcare and the human body!
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Biomedical Engineering
Systems Engineering Approach
Example: The Kidney
Function of kidney is to remove soluble waste from body.
Blood & Waste
Kidney
Blood
Waste
Engineers analyze the kidney’s functions subject to given inputs,
and develop models that can predict outputs.
Engineers develop devices that replicate kidney functions.
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Biomedical Engineering
Systems Engineering Approach
The kidney does not operate in isolation;
it interacts with other systems in the body!
Blood & Waste
Waste from
cellular
processes
Blood & Waste
Heart
Need to analyze kidney
and interactions!
Blood & Waste
Kidney
Waste from
cellular
processes
Blood
Waste
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Biomedical Engineering
US Dept of Labor
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Biomedical Engineering
Occupational Employment Statistics
Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2010
http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes172031.htm
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Biomedical Engineering
Biomedical engineers
Employment by:
industry, occupation, and percent distribution,
(2008 and projected 2018)
* (Employment in thousands)
**Industries with fewer than 50 jobs, confidential data, or poor quality data
are not displayed
Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition
ftp://ftp.bls.gov/pub/special.requests/ep/ind-occ.matrix/occ_pdf/occ_17-2031.pdf
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Biomedical Engineering
Questions?
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Biomedical Engineering
A “simple” challenge –
Measure oxygen actually delivered to tissue
•Take tissue sample and measure oxygen
content (pretty invasive, messy)
•Take blood perfusing tissue and measure
oxygen content (somewhat removed, still
sort of messy)
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Biomedical Engineering
A “simple” challenge –
Measure oxygen actually delivered to tissue
NONINVASIVELY (no bloodshed)
•Pulse oximetry provides an indirect
method to assess two parameters
simultaneously
•Percentage of oxygenated hemoglobin
•Mechanical pumping action of heart
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Biomedical Engineering
The science:
Oxygen carried mainly via oxygenated hemoglobin
Deoxygenated hemoglobin absorbs light differently
than oxygenated hemoglobin
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Biomedical Engineering
Engineering solution – amount of oxygen delivered
Measure absorbance at two different wavelengths
to determine percentage of oxygenated
hemoglobin
If you know amount of hemoglobin per unit volume
of blood, you can assess amount of oxygen
available to be delivered to tissue (basic goal)
SpO2 – percentage saturation of hemoglobin with
oxygen
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Biomedical Engineering
Engineering solution – measuring pumping action of heart
•Heart pumping produce pulsatile pressure in arterial
vasculature
•Pressure pulses produces local volume changes
•Volume changes change overall absorbance of light
•Measuring absorbance changes provides indication of
pressure changes which can be traced back to heart pumping
•Photo-plethysmography
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Biomedical Engineering
Pulse oximeter – a multidisciplinary effort
Biomedical – basic design of the instrumentation based
on understanding of cardiovascular physiology, cell and
molecular biology
Electrical – light drive and sensing circuitry
Mechanical – finger clip mechanism
Computer – signal processing
Chemical – Organic Light Emitting Diode display
Optical – light source and detection
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Biomedical Engineering
Demonstration
•Finger pulse oximeter
Meaures pulse rate and SpO2
•Which would you expect to change more
rapidly?
•Which would you expect to vary the most –
person to person?
Simple breath hold and release
- What happens to Pulse Rate?
- What happens to SpO2?
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Biomedical Engineering