Biomedical Engineering Course

Lesson 1 • Engineering Fundamentals Review

Reviews mechanics, thermodynamics, and electrical circuit basics as applied to biological contexts. Ensures all students share a common quantitative foundation.

Lesson 2 • Regulatory and Ethical Framework

Introduces device classification, safety standards, and ethical obligations in biomedical product development. Establishes compliance thinking from the outset.

Lesson 3 • History and Scope of the Field

Traces the evolution from early prosthetics to modern biosystems engineering. Provides context for understanding how clinical needs drive engineering innovation.

Lesson 1 • Biomaterial Classes and Properties

Surveys metals, ceramics, polymers, and composites used in medical devices. Evaluates mechanical, chemical, and biological property trade-offs for each class.

Lesson 2 • Biocompatibility and Host Response

Examines inflammatory response, protein adsorption, and long-term tissue integration. Guides material selection to minimize adverse biological reactions.

Lesson 3 • Mechanics of Biological Tissues

Analyzes stress, strain, and viscoelastic behavior in bone, cartilage, and soft tissue. Connects tissue mechanics to failure modes and device loading requirements.

Lesson 4 • Implant Design and Failure Analysis

Applies fatigue, fracture mechanics, and wear analysis to orthopedic and cardiovascular implants. Students perform failure mode identification and design iteration.

Lesson 1 • Transducer and Sensor Technologies

Surveys resistive, capacitive, piezoelectric, optical, and electrochemical transducers. Matches transducer physics to specific physiological measurement needs.

Lesson 2 • Data Acquisition and Digitization

Covers sampling theory, analog-to-digital conversion, and real-time data streaming. Ensures students can configure acquisition systems without aliasing or quantization error.

Lesson 3 • Wearable and Implantable Sensor Systems

Addresses miniaturization, power management, and wireless telemetry for body-worn and implanted sensors. Connects design constraints to clinical deployment scenarios.

Lesson 4 • Analog Front-End Circuit Design

Designs instrumentation amplifiers, filters, and isolation circuits for biopotential acquisition. Addresses common-mode rejection and patient safety isolation.

Lesson 1 • Wavelet and Multiresolution Analysis

Applies wavelet transforms to non-stationary biomedical signals for time-frequency localization. Extends frequency-domain skills to transient and multi-scale phenomena.

Lesson 2 • Time-Domain Signal Analysis

Applies statistical descriptors, correlation, and event detection to raw physiological waveforms. Provides foundational tools used in all subsequent processing methods.

Lesson 3 • Frequency-Domain Analysis

Uses Fourier transforms and power spectral density to characterize signal frequency content. Enables filter design and rhythm analysis in cardiac and neural signals.

Lesson 4 • ECG, EEG, and EMG Processing Pipelines

Integrates time, frequency, and wavelet methods into complete clinical signal processing workflows. Students implement and validate end-to-end pipelines for three major modalities.

Lesson 1 • Ultrasound Imaging

Analyzes acoustic wave propagation, transducer arrays, and beamforming for diagnostic ultrasound. Addresses Doppler methods for blood flow quantification.

Lesson 2 • Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Covers nuclear spin physics, pulse sequences, and k-space data acquisition. Enables students to match MRI sequences to tissue contrast requirements.

Lesson 3 • X-Ray and Computed Tomography

Explains X-ray generation, attenuation, and CT reconstruction algorithms. Connects radiation dose management to image quality optimization.

Lesson 4 • Nuclear and Optical Imaging

Introduces PET, SPECT, and optical coherence tomography as functional and molecular imaging tools. Compares sensitivity, resolution, and clinical application domains.

Lesson 1 • Respiratory and Musculoskeletal Modeling

Applies compartmental and mechanical models to lung mechanics and joint biomechanics. Extends modeling skills to ventilator design and orthopedic device evaluation.

Lesson 2 • Computational Fluid Dynamics in Biomedical Systems

Simulates blood flow in vessels and medical devices using CFD methods. Connects hemodynamic stress predictions to thrombosis risk and device optimization.

Lesson 3 • Compartmental Modeling Fundamentals

Formulates ordinary differential equation models for drug distribution and physiological transport. Provides the mathematical toolkit for all subsequent system-level models.

Lesson 4 • Cardiovascular System Modeling

Models cardiac mechanics, vascular compliance, and hemodynamics using lumped-parameter circuits. Supports design and virtual testing of cardiac assist devices.

Lesson 1 • Design Verification and Validation

Distinguishes verification from validation and applies statistical sampling plans to design testing. Prepares students to compile design history files for regulatory submission.

Lesson 2 • Risk Management Throughout Design

Implements hazard identification, risk estimation, and risk control using FMEA and fault tree analysis. Integrates risk management as a continuous design activity.

Lesson 3 • Concept Generation and Selection

Applies ideation, morphological analysis, and Pugh matrix methods to generate and select device concepts. Builds systematic decision-making skills for early-stage design.

Lesson 4 • Prototyping and Bench Testing

Covers rapid prototyping, 3D printing, and bench-top test method development for device verification. Students design test protocols linked to design input specifications.

Lesson 1 • Regulatory Pathways for Medical Devices

Compares premarket notification, premarket approval, and conformity assessment routes across major markets. Students map device classification to the appropriate submission pathway.

Lesson 2 • Healthcare System Integration

Examines hospital procurement, interoperability standards, and clinical workflow integration for new devices. Prepares engineers to collaborate with clinical and administrative stakeholders.

Lesson 3 • Clinical Trial Design for Devices

Applies randomized controlled trial and single-arm study designs to medical device evaluation. Addresses endpoint selection, sample size, and adaptive trial methods.

Lesson 4 • Health Technology Assessment

Evaluates clinical effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and budget impact of new medical technologies. Connects engineering outcomes to payer and health system decision-making.