BME 1 Winter Quarter 2024

“Apply knowledge of engineering, biology, and biomechanical principles to the design, development, and evaluation of biological and health systems and products, such as artificial organs, prostheses, instrumentation, medical information systems, and health management and care delivery systems” (U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2003 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates (see http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes172031.htm) is the same as the 2010 statement, "

In 2021, engineers held over 3 million jobs – 17,900+ of them were biomedical engineers. (Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2021-22 Edition.) and the job outlook for biomedical engineers is "expected to have employment growth of 10% percent over the projection's decade, much faster than the average for all occupations. The aging of the population and a growing focus on health issues will drive demand for better medical devices and equipment designed by biomedical engineers. Along with the demand for more sophisticated medical equipment and procedures, an increased concern for cost-effectiveness will boost demand for biomedical engineers, particularly in pharmaceutical manufacturing and related industries. Because of the growing interest in this field, the number of degrees granted in biomedical engineering has increased greatly. Many biomedical engineers, particularly those employed in research laboratories, need a graduate degree." (http://stats.bls.gov/oco/ocos027.htm#outlook)  Employment of biomedical engineers is expected to grow "faster than the average (10+%) for all occupations through 2032." (http://stats.bls.gov/oco/ocos027.htm#outlook , http://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/biomedical-engineers.htm and http://stats.bls.gov/oco/ocos027.htm#emply and the Biomedical Engineering Society )

The current (May 2012) geographic profile for professional strength in the US for biomedical engineers is noted at http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes172031.htm#st and information about national expectations in hiring trends and employment distribution and wage earners for biomedical engineers is noted by geography and salaries.
 

Additional Resources:

Occupational Information Network. O’NET OnLine.

Gives wages and trends for variety of occupations, including forecasts for 2010 and average annual job openings. (O’Net SOC for biomedical engineer is 17-2031.00)

Occupational Outlook Handbook (latest edition)

The Biomedical Engineering Society is a good resource for programmatic and academic developments in the field and holds an annual conference.

As defined by the Whitaker Foundation, Biomedical engineering is a “discipline that advances knowledge in engineering, biology and medicine, and improves human health through cross-disciplinary activities that integrate the engineering sciences with the biomedical sciences and clinical practice. It includes:

1. The acquisition of new knowledge and understanding of living systems through the innovative and substantive application of experimental and analytical techniques based on the engineering sciences.

2. The development of new devices, algorithms, processes and systems that advance biology and medicine and improve medical practice and health care delivery.” (http://www.whitaker.org/glance/definition.html)

Areas of specialization currently supported at UC Irvine:

The following information sources should be consulted and cited in your report:

Reference or bibliographic resources:

• Statistics databases
• Journal review articles from last 5 years
• new research articles from last 1-2 years

Patent - older or more recent or new - be able to describe improvements you propose to make; add 2 new claims per group consensus

Annotated bibliography - briefly describe ideas that are developing in project report

The final report, with a strict limit of 6pp is due Tuesday, Feb 28, 2023  and should include:

1. Title page: title, course, TA, group number, names/jobs/signature of group members - 2 points
2. Abstract - 500 words max - summary of entire project - 4 points
3. Background - 1-2 pp - Relevant biological & anatomical features of normal & diseased cases; incidence & impact statistics of the disease or condition. - 10 points
4. Competitive landscape - 1-2 pp - 10 points - existing products similar to the one chosen.  Pros/Cons of current products
5. Description of specific device patent 1-2 pp - 10 points
6. Proposed improvements (with 2 claims) - re-engineering - provide 2 new claims indicating new capability or technology to be implemented - 1-2 pp - 10 points
7. Description of product FDA regulatory pathway - 1-2 pp - 10 points
8. Conclusion - .5 page - 5 points
9. References - 1 page - 4 points
10. Figures including schematic of proposed device - reasonable limit - 15 points - to be embedded in text (not as a separate page/section) and numbered with a caption at the bottom
11. Formatting, appearance, and smoothly connecting each section - editing - 10 points
12. Total - 6pp minus title page, abstract, references

Your annotated bibliography of 6-10 references/citations should include the following elements and content and be submitted in APA format:

1. References should be included that demonstrate the following content:  Statistics/data of procedures, specific heart disease or condition in recent past & expected in near future; risks associated with procedures; journal reviews from the medical and engineering literature (materials, technology, design, electrical, mechanical) from last five years; and some very recent literature indicating or referencing latest approaches from last 1-2 years
2. A patent that you will select describing your product must be cited with the following information: Patent Number, Inventor's Names, and Date in your USPTO citation, plus describe in 3-5 sentences the patent and your idea(s) for improvement suggesting how you will re-engineer it to make specific improvements and add 2 claims.
3. Include 6 -10 citations with annotations in which you will want to suggest how you are proposing to redesign the device to make improvements in 3-5 sentences.