ENGB Course Descriptions

Course concerns the science underlying the behavior of engineering biomaterials, including the relation between atomic structure and mechanical, electrical, and magnetic properties in metals, ceramics, polymers, composite materials, and semiconductors. Materials to be covered include both short-exposure, such as surgical tools and catheters, and long-exposure, such as implants / shunts. Topics to be included are: the manufacturing process, performance characteristics, biocompatibility testing, and long-term biological response (tissue formation / fibrosis). Relevant design considerations will be discussed, including common medical device standards relating to biomaterials testing and performance. Two lectures and one laboratory per week. Additional course fee is required. Prerequisites: CHEM 211 General Chemistry I and ENGR 152 Engineering Principles II.

Occasional special courses chosen to fit the interests and needs of engineering students and faculty. Additional course fee is required.

Individualized study or supervised research in an area of special interest to the student which is outside the regular offerings of the major. Additional course fee (per credit) is required.

Characterization of materials in a biomedical context, including the behavior of deformable body systems under combinations of external loading. Analysis of stress, deformation, strain, failure fatigue and creep are included. One two-hour laboratory per week. Additional course fee is required. Prerequisites: ENGB 250 Biomaterials. Corequisite: ENGM 320 Mechanics of Materials.

Fluid mechanics principles applied to biological systems and medical devices. Properties of biological fluids, energy and momentum balances, computational modeling. Additional course fee is required. Prerequisite: MATH 311 Differential Equations with Linear Algebra.

Mechanical behavior and material selection process required in engineering for medical applications. Materials to be covered include both short-exposure, such as surgical tools and catheters, and long-exposure, such as implants / shunts. Topics to be included are: stress, strain, torsion and deflection of biomaterials, the manufacturing process, performance characteristics, biocompatibility testing, and long-term biological response (tissue formation / fibrosis). Relevant design considerations will be discussed, including common medical device standards relating to biomaterials testing and performance. Behavior of deformable body systems for biomaterials under combinations of external loading is presented. Two lectures and one laboratory per week. Additional course fee is required. Prerequisites: ENGM 211 Statics, ENGM 250 Principles of Materials Science and MATH 311 Differential Equations with Linear Algebra.

Making measurements on the human body is an essential tool for diagnosing and monitoring diseases. This medical instrumentation course focuses on how to acquire biomedical signals and process them so that medical personnel can use them for diagnosis. Students will work with signals from five critical-care vital signs and blood glucose in order to learn measurement, amplification (actively or passively), filtering (using both analog and digital techniques), conversion (analog to digital), and application of digital post-processing techniques. Students will develop several sensor prototypes. Three one-hour lectures and one two-hour lab per week. Additional course fee is required. Prerequisite: ENGE 260 Circuits and Instrumentation.

Measurements of biomedical signals and systems in time and frequency domain, filter design and feedback control as applied to common biomedical imaging systems. One two-hour laboratory per week.

Introduction to solving clinical issues including biomaterials, scaffolds, artificial organs, stem cell engineering, and regenerative medicine. Students will understand the fundamental principles of tissue engineering and apply these principles toward the fabrication of 3-D artificial tissue, organ regeneration, and regenerative medicine therapy. Provides various strategic approaches of cell/tissue-based engineering to restore, maintain, and improve damaged and/or diseased tissue. Additional course fee is required. Prerequisites: BIOL 211 Cellular Biology & Genetics and ENGM 250 Principles of Material Science.

A special topics course for students in the biomedical engineering concentration that focuses on developing problem solving and critical thinking skills in the area of biomedical engineering research. In collaboration with a faculty mentor(s), students will conduct a research project. Additional course fee is required. Prerequisite: Upper-division engineering majors (biomedical concentration) and by permission.

The fundamental objective of this course is to explore medical device design and manufacturing. Students will thus learn about the working principles, design, manufacture, reliability and some regulatory hurdles involved in the development of biomedical devices and sensors. These include both external and implanted devices. Students will apply what they have learned to a design project culminating in a prototype presentation. Additional course fee is required. Prerequisite: ENGB 350 Biosignal Analysis.

From a biomechanical perspective, the healthy human skeleton is an optimal structure that has adapted its form in response to its function. Studying the mechanics of the skeleton provides information that can be used not only to design artificial prostheses and materials — and thus address specific health care issues — but also to aid in the design of more traditional engineering structures by understanding the behavior and underlying design features of this complex dynamic structure. The purpose of this course is twofold: to learn the fundamental concepts of orthopedic biomechanics and to enhance skills in mechanical engineering and bioengineering by analyzing the mechanical behavior of various complex biomedical problems. Additional course fee is required. Prerequisites: ENGM 212 Dynamics and ENGM 360 Computer-Aided Engineering.

The course provides a basic understanding of assistive technology research and application in: wheelchair technology, augmentative communication, computer access, transportation safety, home and work site modifications, environmental access, and prosthetics. Issues related to terminology, interdisciplinary communication, consumer empowerment, information resources and service delivery development are also stressed. Course includes a weekly laboratory session that incorporates in vivo non-invasive kinematics measurements. Additional course fee is required. Prerequisites: ENGB 340 Mechanics of Biomaterials.

Introduction to solving clinical issues including biomaterials, scaffolds, artificial organs, stem cell engineering, and regenerative medicine. Students will understand the fundamental principles of tissue engineering and apply these principles toward the fabrication of 3-D artificial tissue, organ regeneration, and regenerative medicine therapy. Provides various strategic approaches of cell/tissue-based engineering to restore, maintain, and improve damaged and/or diseased tissue. Additional course fee is required. Prerequisite: ENGB 250 Biomaterials.

Occasional special courses chosen to fit the interests and needs of engineering students and faculty. Additional course fee is required.

Individualized study or supervised research in an area of special interest to the student which is outside the regular offerings of the major. Additional course fee (per credit) is required.