PENG9580 Advanced Topics in Biomedical Engineering Course description

Biomedical engineering includes medical electronics, medical imaging systems, modeling of biological systems, analytical measurements methods, working mechanisms and applications of medical devices and equipment. This course aims to familiarize and expand the expertise of the students with the theoretical and practical considerations relevant to the design and development of most advanced and available methods, tools, and systems in medical diagnostics. It will also provide an overview of important applications for diagnostic procedures that will include modelling of organs and tissues, developing diagnostic applications, and the advanced medical equipment.

The course will be offered once a year, provided 3 or more students sign up for the course. If less than 3 students sign up for a course, the course will be cancelled for that year.

Admission requirements.

Students who complete the course are expected to have the following learning outcomes, defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

On successful completion of the course, the student in depth knowledge:

• Identify contemporary issues and challenges in healthcare delivery in particular diagnostics.
• Identify unmet biomedical and/or healthcare needs and apply engineering and life science principles for designing appropriate solutions.
• Apply appropriate engineering and analytical principles to decipher, understand, and describe situations and problems in living systems.
• Describe the key design considerations relevant to the development of diagnostics.
• Describe the experimental tools and techniques used in diagnostic applications.

Skills

On successful completion of the course, the student can:

• Solve quantitative problems in living systems using appropriate engineering and analytical concepts and calculations.
• Collect, analyze, and critically evaluate experimental data.
• Define the technical and practical factors that influence the performance of diagnosis.
• Design solutions to current unmet biomedical and healthcare needs, taking into account key technical and practical considerations.

General competence

On successful completion of the course, the student can:

• Communicate technical information clearly and concisely in oral and written form.
• Demonstrate effective technical and scientific communication skills through the execution of various laboratory modules and projects.
• Read scientific journal papers with a cross-disciplinary approach.

The course covers knowledge of pre-analytical issues, analysis instruments, technology, methods and analysis processes. In medical biochemistry laboratories, it is the medical laboratory technician's responsibility to analyse biological material using advanced analysis instruments and to assess the analytical quality of the test results. The course places emphasis on introducing procedures and quality assurance processes, and understanding how analysis results contribute to treatment of the patient. During practical training, students will take blood tests and develop the ability to cooperate and ethically reflect when dealing with patients and colleagues.

The course consists of the following topics, specified below as the number of credits:

• External practical training at a laboratory 12
• Ethics, communication and cooperation 3
• Total 15

Individual assignment (report) counts for 70% of the final grade, and oral presentation of selected material (30 minutes per candidate) that counts 30 % of the final grade. Review assignment of report on a chosen subject, maximum 10 pages. To be submitted no more than two weeks after the end of the course.

Both individual assignment (report) and oral presentation must be passed in order to pass the course. The oral presentation cannot be appealed.

None.

Pass or fail.

A panel of all presenters in the course, and at least one external representative will evaluate the report and the presentation.