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SELF-STUDY REPORT FOR BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING (BSBMED)
A. Background Information
1. Degree Titles
Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering (BSBMED)Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering (Cooperative Plan) (BSBMED-Cooperative)Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering (International Plan) (BSBMED-International)
2. Program Modes
A conventional day program, Cooperative Plan, and International Plan are available. Students on the Cooperative Plan must complete the same curriculum as students in the conventional program. Students who participate in the cooperative program and graduate receive the designation “Cooperative Plan” on their transcript and diploma.
The purpose of the International Plan is to develop international competence within the context of the major. Degree requirements are not modified, but are satisfied with appropriate choices of humanities & social science elective courses as well as an international component to their senior design project. Participating students must spend a minimum of 26 weeks abroad interning, attending classes, and/or performing research. Students who complete the requirements for the undergraduate degree in their major and who complete the International Plan requirements will be recognized by the designation "International Plan" on the transcript and diploma.
3. Actions to Correct Previous Shortcomings
The Final Statement pertaining to the 2004 EAC/ABET accreditation visit described a concern relating to the Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering Program.
Program Concern. “Criterion 3: Program Outcomes. Program outcomes for biomedical engineering courses are well defined and some rubrics for assessing one of them are detailed. “Findings” and “actions” are well defined, but measurements of the effectiveness of these actions are sparse. This new program has not yet benefited from successive feedback loops. A number of required courses are not “mapped” into the program outcomes. The level of assessment in these courses varies, and a formal process that communicates these assessments to inform curricular improvements needs to be strengthened.”
The program outcome assessment process has matured considerably since the 2004 EAC/ABET accreditation visit. The original process relied primarily on indirect assessment methods without the benefit of performance criteria defined for each program outcome. The
current process utilizes performance criteria to enable at least two, and in most cases three, direct measures of attainment for every program outcome. A description of the current program outcome assessment process and the most recent assessment data can be found in Section B.3.e. A mapping of all required courses to program outcomes appears in Table 3-5. Documentation of continuous improvement, including curricular improvements that resulted from “successive feedback loops” is included in Section B.4.
4. Contact Information
Larry McIntire, Ph.D., Professor and ChairWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical EngineeringGeorgia Institute of Technology313 Ferst Drive
Atlanta, GA 30332-0535404-894-5057 VOICE404-385-4243 [email protected]
Paul Benkeser, Ph.D., Professor and Associate Chair for Undergraduate StudiesWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical EngineeringGeorgia Institute of Technology313 Ferst Drive
Atlanta, GA 30332-0535404-894-2912 VOICE404-385-4243 [email protected]
B. Accreditation Summary
1. Students
a. Admissions
Georgia Tech generally admits students to the College of Engineering with specific, declared majors and as “undeclared engineering majors.” However, from its inception in August 2001 through May 2004 admission into the Biomedical Engineering (BME) program was restricted due to the high student demand and the time required for hiring new faculty and completing the construction of the UA Whitaker Biomedical Engineering Building. During that period students had to have completed at least one semester at Georgia Tech before they could apply to change their major to BME. These restrictions were removed for students who applied for freshman admission in the 2004/2005 academic year.
The freshman admissions data in Table 1-1 illustrates that for the past four years roughly 200 - 250 entering first-year students have declared BME as their major. The Department of Biomedical Engineering also accepts approximately 20 - 40 new transfer students each year, as is shown in Table 1-2. Both groups of newly enrolled students come from an applicant pool that is large and of high quality. Of the transfer student applications, priority is given to students who participate in either the Regents’ Engineering Transfer Program (RETP) or one of the “dual-degree” programs Georgia Tech has with a number of partner institutions, mostly liberal arts colleges.
Students in the BME program are a relatively diverse group. Approximately 45% are women, 35% Asian, 5% African American and 4% Hispanic. Only 50% of the BME students are Georgia residents and 5% are international students.
Table 1-1. History of admissions standards for freshmen admissions for past five years
Academic Year
Composite SATAVG. High School
GPA
Number of Freshman EnrolledMIN. AVG.
2003/2004 NA NA NA NA2004/2005 1130 1355 3.78 2042005/2006 1030 1369 3.80 2002006/2007 1100 1355 3.76 2532007/2008 1130 1359 3.79 253
Table 1-2. Transfer students for past five academic years
Academic Year Number of Transfer Students Enrolled
2003/2004 NA2004/2005 202005/2006 302006/2007 392007/2008 18
b. Evaluation and Advisement of Students
The Academic Office within the Coulter Department has the primary responsibility for coordinating the evaluation, advisement and monitoring of the students in the program. Its mission is to empower students to develop and implement sound educational plans that are consistent with their personal goals and career plans. Figure 1.1 illustrates the organization of this Office.
Figure 1-1. Organization of Coulter Department’s Academic Office
The Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies is responsible for the oversight of the program’s multi-level advisement process. He is a resource for students on departmental/curriculum policies, handles all issues dealing with departmental policy and serves as the pre-med advisor for the program.
The primary advisement of the students is the responsibility of the Undergraduate Academic Advisor and the Director of Student, Alumni and Industrial Relations, who advise the students on all matters related to the curriculum, careers, graduate school and other post graduation plans. Students seeking advisement about curriculum and program questions make appointments with the Academic Advisor using the University-wide advisement scheduling system (www.advising.gatech.edu). This system, initiated by Georgia Tech in 2005, has increased the number of advising appointments and reduced the number of no-shows throughout the campus. The Advisor also keeps walk in appointments available everyday and monitors the students’ progress by reviewing their academic transcripts each semester.
Departmental faculty hold group advisement sessions for students throughout the academic year on topics such as a graduate school readiness, benefits of undergraduate research and how to apply, what is an MD/PhD, etc. Students are encouraged to consult with faculty outside these group meetings to continue discussions on research, career options, networking, etc. They are encouraged to use faculty as a resource, not just an instructor.
The Director of Student, Alumni and Industrial Relations sees students by appointment and walk in basis. Students are advised on career issues including graduate school, medical school, professional school, internships and co-ops and general career related questions. A
Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies (Prof. Paul Benkeser)
Associate Chair for Graduate Studies
(Prof. Steve DeWeerth)
Director - Student, Alumni and Industrial
Relations(Ms. Sally Gerrish)
Graduate Academic Advisor
(Shannon Sullivan)
Undergraduate Academic Advisor
(Mr. Paul Fincannon)
Academic Assistant
(Ms. Kim Paige)
data base has been set up to track what occupations or continued education students move into after graduating from the department.
Each fall the Department plays host to the Georgia Tech Biotechnology Career Fair. This event is organized by a committee of graduate and undergraduate BME students, with the assistance of the Academic Office. Representatives from 25 biotechnology companies set up booths at the 2007 event. Over 250 students attended, interacting with company representatives at company information sessions, panel discussions, the career fair, and on-campus interviews.
The Academic Office also holds a series of career development seminars and workshops for the students. The Department’s Academic Assistant organizes this series, which includes:
(1) Resumes: Students gain valuable information on resume format, structure, and content allowing them to strengthen their marketing power through a personal resume. The workshop focuses on how to write strong statements that focus on skills gained from academic, work, and personal experiences, common mistakes, and feedback from industry professionals.
(2) Business Etiquette: Students learn to build better business relationships through a positive image; get valuable insight into corporate culture - appearance, behavior, communications, and networking with peers and professional.
(3) Letters of Recommendation: Students get informed on how to prepare for medical school and graduate school; understanding the importance of good recommendation letters; timely submission; and building the right relationships prior to medical school.
(4) Alumni Panels: Recent BME graduates discuss and share their post-graduation experiences in industry and how their education has affected their careers.
(5) Interviewing Skills: Students gain valuable insight on interviewing skills needed in preparing before, during and after the interview, and what makes a good (and a bad) answer. Students also gain an understanding of the proper attire for professional interviews.
(6) Searching for Opportunity: Students learn how to define career objectives which will further develop their job search strategies and focus on the types of jobs, industry sector, company, and location that best fit their career goals.
The Department has invested significant resources into the advisement of its students, and considers the activities of the Academic Office to be excellent examples of its commitment to continuous program improvement. More information on this can be found in Section B.4.b.1.
c. Policies for Transfer Student Admission and Validation of Transfer Credit
The process used to admit transfer students is handled outside the Department and is described in Appendix II, Institutional Profile. The Institute-wide guidelines can be found at http://www.admiss.gatech.edu/transfer/#requirements).
Transfer credit for most courses is handled by the Registrar’s Office with the aid of a Transfer Equivalency Catalog, which is a database of all courses previously approved for transfer credit to Georgia Tech (see (https://oscar.gatech.edu/pls/bprod/wwtraneq.P_TranEq_Ltr). Students who wish to obtain transfer credit for a course unknown to the Registrar’s Office may have the course evaluated by the Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies, Professor Paul Benkeser. If, after reviewing course documentation (syllabus, text, class notes, exams, etc.), the course is determined to be substantially equivalent to the Georgia Tech course, he completes a Non-Resident Credit Report form and sends it to the Registrar’s Office for awarding of the transfer credit.
d. Procedures to Assure All Students Meet Program Requirements
The Academic Office provides one-on-one and group advisement as well as web-based resources to inform the students of the program requirements. Procedures are in place to assure all students meet the program requirements by the time of graduation.
Course pre-requisites are electronically enforced through the web-based registration system. A student who attempts to register for a course and fails to meet the pre-requisites will have an error message appear on the add/drop registration page, and the course will not be added to the student's schedule.
In order to graduate, early in the semester prior to the anticipated graduation semester, the student must complete a degree petition form. The student uses this petition to demonstrate that by the end of the following semester they will meet all Institute requirements for the degree. After a careful audit by the Coulter Department’s Academic Office for both Institute and program requirements, the degree petition is submitted to the Department of Degree Certification within the Office of the Registrar for the institutional audit. Any discrepancies are resolved prior to acceptance of the petition. The Department of Degree Certification is responsible for evaluating degree candidates and certifying that all graduation requirements have been met prior to the awarding of degrees.
e. Enrollment and Graduation Trends
Table 1-3 contains the information on enrollment trends for the past five academic years. As discussed in Section B.1.a., enrollment restrictions were in place from 2001 – 2004. Since the removal of the restrictions in Fall 2004, the enrollment in the program has steadily increased. The total enrollment numbers are somewhat deceiving, as a significant number of first- and second-year students will change to another major before taking any courses in their major. Georgia Tech’s regulations permit students one unrestricted change of major within their first 60 credit hours of study. Historically BME has experienced a net loss of students
through the change of major process, as is illustrated in Fig. 1-2 for the cohort that matriculated in the 2004/2005 academic year. The results of an informal survey of students suggest that many incoming freshman choose BME as a major with very little understanding of the field. More information on the survey and improvements the program has made to address the advisement needs of incoming freshman can be found in Section B.4.b.1.
Table 1-3. Enrollment trends for past five academic years
Year2003/2004
Year2004/2005
Year2005/2006
Year2006/2007
Year2007/2008
Full-time Students 186 494 643 775 845Part-time Students 3 7 9 12 26Student FTE1 188.6 498.1 649.7 783.3 861.7B.S. Graduates 19 45 77 91 1252
1 FTE = Full-Time Equivalent2 estimate
0
50
100
150
200
250
Fall 04 Fall 05 Fall 06
Enrollment Term
Stu
dent
s
Freshman Change of Major Transfers
Figure 1-2. Number of freshman and transfer students who matriculated in the 2004-2005 academic year majoring in BME. Note that “Change of Major” represents those students that changed from another major to BME after matriculating.
Historically, within six months post graduation 45% of the program’s graduates will continue their education (15% in medical school, 30% in graduate school) and roughly 30% will obtain a job in industry. Another 10% are employed in other fields (e.g. high-school teaching). The post-graduation activities of 15% of the program’s graduates are unknown. Table 1-4 details the post-graduation endeavors of 25 of the December 2007 graduates.
Table 1-4. Placement of the last 25 program graduates
ID Term/YearMatriculated
Term/YearGraduated
Initial Employer /Other Placement
Job Title
1 Fall 2003 Fall 2007 Unknown2 Fall 2003 Fall 2007 Medtronic Clinical Specialist3 Fall 2003 Fall 2007 Unknown4 Fall 2002 Fall 2007 Unknown5 Fall 2004 Fall 2007 Unknown6 Spring 2003 Fall 2007 Medical School decision pending7 Fall 2003 Fall 2007 Unknown8 Fall 2003 Fall 2007 Unknown9 Fall 2003 Fall 2007 Graduate school in application phase10 Fall 2004 Fall 2007 Bain & Company Associate Consultant11 Fall 2003 Fall 2007 US Patent Office Patent Examiner12 Fall 2005 Fall 2007 Unknown13 Fall 2004 Fall 2007 Unknown14 Fall 2004 Fall 2007 Unknown Currently job hunting, or
doing internship15 Fall 2003 Fall 2007 Unknown16 Fall 2003 Fall 2007 Unknown17 Fall 2003 Fall 2007 CDC Guest Researcher18 Fall 2003 Fall 2007 Unknown19 Fall 2003 Fall 2007 Unknown20 Fall 2003 Fall 2007 Unknown International grad school
or BioPharma21 Fall 2003 Fall 2007 Georgia Tech research tech with Dr. Y-
& job hunting22 Fall 2003 Fall 2007 Unknown23 Fall 2003 Fall 2007 Graduate school in application phase24 Fall 2003 Fall 2007 Accenture Analyst25 Summer 2005 Fall 2007 Unknown Currently job hunting, if
no, grad school
2. Program Educational Objectives
a. Program Educational ObjectivesThe program’s educational objectives (PEOs) are to produce graduates who are expected to demonstrate the following during the first few years after graduation:
1. mathematics, science, and engineering fundamentals expertise at the interface of engineering and the life sciences which enables them to take leadership roles in the field of biomedical engineering
2. an ability to use their multidisciplinary background to foster communication across professional and disciplinary boundaries with the highest professional and ethical standards
3. the ability to recognize the limits of their knowledge and initiate self-directed learning opportunities to be able to continue to identify and create professional opportunities for themselves in the field of biomedical engineering
These objectives are published on the department’s website (http://www.bme.gatech.edu/programs/bs_ed_obj.shtml). {check this and other links}
b. Consistency of the Program Educational Objectives with the Mission of the Institution
The PEOs are consistent with the emphasis on interdisciplinarity, lifelong learning and leadership expressed in Georgia Tech’s mission statement (http://www.gatech.edu/president/strategicplan.html), which states in part
“Georgia Tech’s mission in education and research will provide a setting for students to engage in multiple intellectual pursuits in an interdisciplinary fashion. Because of our distinction for providing a broad but rigorous education in the multiple aspects of technology, Georgia Tech seeks students with extraordinary motivation and ability and prepares them for lifelong learning, leadership, and service. As an institution with an exceptional faculty, an outstanding student body, a rigorous curriculum, and facilities that enable achievement, we are an intellectual community for all those seeking to become leaders in society.”
The theme of integration is also prominent in the mission statement of the College of Engineering (http://www.coe.gatech.edu/about/vision.php)
“The College of Engineering (COE) must define engineering education in a changing world. The term engineering education is used to include undergraduate and graduate education; the creation and application of new knowledge that is rapidly infused into our curricula; and a liberal education that integrates engineering, the life sciences, and the humanities in an increasingly technological world. The responsibility of COE is to provide a national and international undergraduate education that prepares graduates for a career in engineering or other professions such as medicine, law, business, and public policy.”
The Coulter Department’s mission statement (http://www.bme.gatech.edu/welcome/vision.shtml) also echoes the integration theme
“The mission of the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University is to shape and advance the discipline of biomedical engineering through innovative research and inspiring education, with the goal of comprehensive integration of engineering methods into the mainstream of health care.”
c. Program Constituencies
The primary constituents of the program are the following:
the program’s students the faculty of the Coulter Department biomedical industry the program’s graduates
The program’s students are represented in the processes of the evaluation of objectives and assessment of program outcomes through the Coulter Department’s Student Advisory Board (SAB). The alumni and biomedical industry are represented in those processes through their members on the Coulter Department’s External Advisory Board (EAB). The Coulter Department’s faculty has delegated the primary responsibility for oversight of the program to its Undergraduate Committee (UC). A member of the SAB serves on the UC to help facilitate communication between the faculty and students.
d. Process for Establishing Program Educational Objectives
The process for establishing/reviewing the PEOs to demonstrate that they are based on the needs of the program’s constituencies directly involves three groups, the UC, EAB and SAB. The Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies initiates the process by requesting that these three groups review the current PEOs and provide him with feedback on their appropriateness. The feedback is collected and disseminated to all three groups for comments. Any proposed changes to the PEOs that arise from this process must be reviewed by all three groups before being presented to the Coulter Department’s faculty for approval. This process was first completed in 2004, and was documented in the program’s previous self-study report. The process was most recently completed in 2007, with the results documented in the following section of this report. In the future, this process will be repeated at least every three years in conjunction with the process for the evaluation of achievement of the PEOs. Earlier initiation of this process would occur at the request of the EAB, SAB, or the UC.
e. Achievement of Program Educational Objectives
The process for evaluating the degree to which the PEOs are attained, directly involves three groups representing the program’s constituents, the UC, EAB and SAB. This process, along with the processes for establishing/reviewing the PEOs and program outcomes is illustrated in Fig. 2-1.
The Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies initiates the evaluation process by performing an initial analysis of the data collected from Georgia Tech’s triennial alumni and employer surveys using the performance indicators listed in Table 2-1. The Associate Chair convenes focus groups of alumni to better inform the process should the data from these surveys prove to be insufficient for the purposes of this evaluation. The results of the analyses are then reviewed by the UC, EAB and SAB. The recommendations from each group are collected and shared with all three groups and then are presented to the Coulter Department’s faculty for action. This evaluation process is repeated every three years. The process was implemented for the first time in 2003-2004 and was documented in the program’s previous
self-study report. However, little data was available then to inform the process as the program did not produce its first graduates until May 2004. The process was most recently completed in January 2008, with the results described below.
Georgia Tech’s 2007 alumni and employer survey included its engineering alumni who graduated between August 2001 and May 2004. This included the first graduating class of 19 BME alumni. The on-line survey was completed by 7 of the 19. A follow-up phone survey conducted by members of the SAB captured data from 4 more of the alumni, bringing the response rate to 58%. The survey results for the questions related to the importance of the PEOs and the preparation the alumni received to achieve the PEOs are presented in Figs 2-2 through 2-4. The UC analyzed these results and made the following observations [UC Minutes - 11/8/2007 & 12/6/2007]:
(1) The response rate was reasonable for this type of survey, but the evaluation must consider the relatively small number of respondents.
(2) The relatively low importance placed on the attribute “ability to obtain new professional opportunities in the field of biomedical engineering” in PEO 3 may be a reflection of the significant number of respondents who are pursuing a career in medicine.
(3) The relatively high importance and preparation scores for the attribute “ability to recognize the limits of your knowledge and initiate self-directed learning opportunities” in PEO 3 were viewed as an encouraging indicator that the problem-based learning emphasis in the curriculum was having its desired effect.
The EAB and SAB generally agreed with the UC’s evaluation and added that it was possible there was confusion on how to answer the questions related to “new professional opportunities,” in part due to wording, and in part due to the fact that many of the respondents were in the process of continuing their education (Master’s, MD, PhD, etc) [EAB Minutes - 11/30/2007; SAB Minutes - 1/8/2008]. The general consensus was that the results do not require any action at this point in time. However, the wording of the questions should be revised for the next survey to reduce the possibility that they may be misinterpreted.
Given the small sample size for the alumni survey, the Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies convened alumni focus groups in fall 2007 and the spring 2008 to permit more detailed probing of alumni opinions of the program. The fall 2007 group consisted of four alumni in the medical device industry, and one alumnus in an MD/PhD program. The spring 2008 group consisted of four alumni in the biotech/pharma industry. In general, these alumni believed that the current educational objectives were appropriate and that the program prepared them well to achieve these objectives. However, they did have several recommendations for program improvement [UC Minutes - 11/8/2007 & 3/??/08] that are discussed in detail in Section 4.b of this report.
In summary, the evaluation of alumni surveys and focus groups indicate that the current PEO’s are appropriate and that the alumni were prepared well to achieve them. Quantitative analysis of the performance indicators in Table 2.1 was not included in this evaluation due to the small size of the pool of alumni who were at least three years post-graduation. However,
the number of graduates has been steadily increasing so that by the time of the next scheduled evaluation (2010) the pool will be large enough to permit such an analysis.
Figure 2-1. Process for assessment/evaluation of Program Outcomes/Objectives
Formulation & Examination of Objectives
& Outcomes
Assessment of Program Outcomes
Evaluation of Program Objectives
Constituent Representatives
Student Advisory Board (students)
External Advisory Board (industry and alumni)
BME Undergraduate Committee (faculty)
BME Faculty
Program Educational Objectives
Desired Professional
Achievements
Desired Program
Outcomes
Course Objectives &
Outcomes
Assessment Tools
Performance Criteria
Actual Program
Outcomes
Evaluation Tools
Actual Professional Achievement
Compare Compare
Table 2-1. Performance indicators and evaluation tools for the Program Educational Objectives
Program Educational Objective Performance Indicators Evaluation Tools
1. mathematics, science, and engineering fundamentals expertise at the interface of engineering and the life sciences which enables them to take leadership roles in the field of biomedical engineering
progressive movement towards leadership roles
continuation to graduate study
job function employer
satisfaction promotions salary data
alumni survey focus group
2. an ability to use their multidisciplinary background to foster communication across professional and disciplinary boundaries with the highest professional and ethical standards
job function and performance
employer satisfaction
alumni survey focus group
3. the ability to recognize the limits of their knowledge and initiate self-directed learning opportunities to be able to continue to identify and create professional opportunities for themselves in the field of biomedical engineering
aspiration to, and participation in, graduate study
activity in professional societies
changes in career paths
alumni survey focus group
Importance: Ability to integrate fundamental mathematics, life science an engineering skills to provide leadership within your
place of employment
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
ExtremelyImportant
Very Important Important SomewhatImportant
Not Important No Response
Per
cent
of R
espo
nden
ts
Preparation: Ability to Integrate fundamental mathematics, life science and engineering skills to provide leadership within
your place of employment
0
10
20
30
40
Very WellPrepared
Well Prepared Prepared SomewhatPrepared
Not Prepared No Response
Per
cent
age
of
Res
pond
ents
Figure 2-2. Alumni survey results for the importance of (top) and the preparation to achieve (bottom) PEO 1.
Importance: Ablility to use your multidisciplinary education to foster communication across professional and disciplinary
boundaries
0102030405060
ExtremelyImportant
Very Important Important SomewhatImportant
Not Important No ResponsePer
cent
of R
espo
nden
ts
Preparation: Ability to use your multidisciplinary education to foster communication across professional and disciplinary
boundaries
0
10
20
30
40
50
Very WellPrepared
Well Prepared Prepared SomewhatPrepared
Not Prepared No Response
Per
cent
age
of
Res
pond
ents
Figure 2-3. Alumni survey results for the importance of (top) and the preparation to achieve (bottom) PEO 2.
Importance: Ability to recognize the limits of your knowledge and initiate self-directed learning opportunities
0
10
20
30
4050
60
ExtremelyImportant
Very Important Important SomewhatImportant
Not Important No ResponsePer
cent
age
of R
espo
nden
ts
Preparation: Ability to recognize the limits of your knowledge and initiate self-directed learning opportunities
0
10
20
30
40
50
Very WellPrepared
Well Prepared Prepared SomewhatPrepared
Not Prepared No ResponsePer
cent
age
of R
espo
nden
ts
Figure 2-4a. Alumni survey results for the importance of (top) and the preparation to achieve (bottom) PEO 3.
Importance: Ability to obtain new professional opportunities in the field of biomedical engineering
0
10
20
30
40
50
ExtremelyImportant
Very Important Important SomewhatImportant
Not Important No ResponsePer
cent
of R
espo
nden
ts
Preparation: Ability to obtain new professional opportunities in the field of biomedical engineering
0
10
20
30
40
Very WellPrepared
Well Prepared Prepared SomewhatPrepared
Not Prepared No ResponsePer
cent
age
of R
espo
nden
ts
Figure 2-4b. Alumni survey results for the importance of (top) and the preparation to achieve (bottom) PEO 3.
3. Program Outcomes
a. Process for Establishing and Revising Program Outcomes
The process for establishing/revising the program outcomes (POs) to is illustrated in Fig. 2-1, and is virtually identical to the process used to establish/review the PEOs. The program’s constituencies, as represented by the UC, EAB and SAB, are integrally involved in this process. The Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies initiates the process by requesting that these three groups review the current POs and provide him with feedback on their appropriateness to enabling the graduates achieve the PEOs. The feedback is collected and disseminated to all three groups for comments. Any proposed changes to the POs that arise from this process must be reviewed by all three groups before being presented to the Coulter Department’s faculty for approval.
The original POs were created and revised using this process in 2001 and 2003, respectively. Those actions were documented in the program’s previous self-study report. The process was most recently completed in 2006 [EAB Minutes - 4/21/2006 & 11/3/2006; UC Minutes - 10/19/2006; SAB Minutes - 10/3/2006]. In the future, this process will be repeated at every three years in conjunction with the process for the evaluation of achievement of the PEOs. Earlier initiation of this process may occur at the request of the EAB, SAB, or the UC.
b. Program Outcomes
The POs reflect the skills that the students will have obtained by the time of graduation from the program. The current outcomes for this program are:
1. an ability to identify, formulate and solve authentic biomedical engineering problems by integrating and applying basic principles of mathematics, life sciences, and engineering
2. an ability to use modern science and engineering techniques, skills, and computational tools to support biomedical engineering analysis and design
3. an ability to meet the desired needs of a client by designing a biomedical engineering system, component, or process
4. an ability to design and conduct experiments as well as to measure, analyze, and interpret experimental data from living systems
5. an ability to communicate effectively in both written reports and oral presentations6. an ability to function effectively within multi-disciplinary teams7. a broad education that enables an understanding of how ethical, social, and
professional responsibilities impact the practice of biomedical engineering8. an ability to recognize the limits of their knowledge and engage in self-directed
learning9. a knowledge of contemporary issues and challenges facing biomedical engineers
The POs are documented on the Coulter Department’s web site (http://www.bme.gatech.edu/programs/bs_ed_obj.shtml) and in the Institute’s on-line General Catalog (http://www.catalog.gatech.edu/colleges/coe/bmed/ugrad/bsbmed/geninfo.php).
Performance criteria have been established for each PO to aid in their assessment, and are listed in Table 3-1. The use of these performance criteria in assessment is discussed in detail in Section B.3.e. However, they will be used in this section to help demonstrate that the POs encompass Engineering Criterion 3. In Section B.9 these performance criteria will be used to demonstrate that the POs also encompass the curricular topics stipulated in the program criteria for biomedical engineering programs.
Table 3-2 shows the relationship between the POs and the required (a) – (k) outcomes. The relationship between the required (a) – (k) outcomes and the Coulter Department’s Performance Criteria is detailed in Table 3-3.
c. Relationship of Program Outcomes to Program Educational Objectives
The Coulter Department’s POs are designed to prepare its graduates to achieve its PEOs. The relationship between these POs and PEOs is shown in Table 3-4.
In order to achieve PEO 1, the graduates of the program must have a firm grasp of engineering and life science fundamentals that are relevant to the field of biomedical engineering. We believe that the attainment of POs 1 through 4 is indicative of a strong foundation in those fundamentals. The professional skills articulated in POs 5 through 7 are vital to the graduate’s ability to achieve the communication skills detailed in PEO 2. Finally, the learning skills and awareness of contemporary issues detailed in POs 8 and 9 are directly correlated to the ability of our graduates to attain the professional advancement in their careers that is articulated in PEO 3.
d. Relationship of Courses in the Curriculum to the Program Outcomes
Table 3-5 shows the relationship between the curriculum’s course outcomes and Coulter Department POs. The display materials that will be available to the evaluation team will be organized both by course number and by program outcome to make it easier to access the desired information. The materials will include course syllabi, examples of student work, as well as program outcome assessment data.
Table 3-1. Coulter Department Program Outcomes and Performance Criteria
Program Outcome Performance Criteria1. Ability to identify, formulate and solve
authentic biomedical engineering problems by integrating and applying basic principles of mathematics, life sciences, and engineering
a. Identifies biomedical engineering problems with integration
b. Formulates biomedical engineering problems with integration
c. Solves biomedical engineering problems with integration
2. Ability to use modern science and engineering techniques, skills, and computational tools to support biomedical engineering analysis and design
a. Identifies appropriate modern science and engineering techniques and computational tools
b. Applies the identified modern science and engineering techniques and computational tools
c. Interprets the results obtained by applied modern science and engineering techniques and computational tools
3. Ability to meet the desired needs of a client by designing a biomedical engineering system, component, or process
a. Identifies appropriate design criteria and constraints
b. Generates and thoroughly analyzes alternative solutions
c. Determines and documents specifications of the best design alternative
4. Ability to design and conduct experiments as well as to measure, analyze, and interpret experimental data from living systems
a. Determines appropriate experimental variables and controls and designs experiments accordingly
b. Applies appropriate statistical methods the analysis of experimental data
c. Demonstrates the ability to contextualize data, integrating data analysis with experimental limitations
5. Ability to communicate effectively in both written reports and oral presentations
a. Expresses oneself constructively and clearly to make things happen in a team of peers (to teach, learn, coach, and assess).
b. Generates and delivers oral presentations that clearly communicate data, analysis, and engineering concepts in a way that captures people’s attention.
c. Develops thoughts and interpretations of data, analysis, and engineering concepts, and expresses them clearly and convincingly in writing.
6. Ability to function effectively within multi-disciplinary teams
a. Demonstrates awareness of different problem solving approaches across disciplines
b. Communicates technical information across disciplinary boundaries
c. Integrates multi-disciplinary perspectives in effective design solutions
7. Broad education that enables an understanding of how ethical, social, and professional responsibilities impact the practice of biomedical engineering
a. Demonstrates understanding of ethical issues in conducting biomedical research involving human subjects
b. Recognizes moral/societal issues in BMEc. Demonstrates understanding of NSPE Code of Ethics
8. Ability to recognize the limits of their knowledge and engage in self-directed learning
a. Recognizes areas of intellectual deficiencyb. Engages in self directed learning
9. Knowledge of contemporary issues and challenges facing biomedical engineers
a. Can identify contemporary issues associated with biomedical engineering design
b. Is able to recognize current
technological challenges in the field
Table 3-2. Relationship Between ABET Criterion 3 Outcomes and Coulter Department Performance Criteria
ABET Criterion 3 Coulter Department Performance Criteria(a) an ability to apply knowledge
of mathematics, science, and engineering
1.a. Identifies biomedical engineering problems with integration1.b. Formulates biomedical engineering problems with integration1.c. Solves biomedical engineering problems with integration
(b) an ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data
4.a. Determines appropriate experimental variables and controls and designs experiments accordingly
4.b. Applies appropriate statistical methods the analysis of experimental data
4.c. Demonstrates the ability to contextualize data, integrating data analysis with experimental limitations
(c) an ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints ….
3.a. Identifies appropriate design criteria and constraints3.b. Generates and thoroughly analyzes alternative solutions3.c. Determines and documents specifications of the best design
alternative(d) an ability to function on multi-
disciplinary teams6.a. Demonstrates awareness of different problem solving
approaches across disciplines 6.b. Communicates technical information across disciplinary
boundaries6.c. Integrates multi-disciplinary perspectives in effective design
solutions(e) an ability to identify, formulate,
and solve engineering problems1.a. Identifies biomedical engineering problems with integration1.b. Formulates biomedical engineering problems with integration1.c. Solves biomedical engineering problems with integration
(f) an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility
7.a. Demonstrates understanding of ethical issues in conducting biomedical research involving human subjects
7.c. Demonstrates understanding of NSPE Code of Ethics(g) an ability to communicate
effectively5.a. Expresses oneself constructively and clearly to make things
happen in a team of peers (to teach, learn, coach, and assess). 5.b. Generates and delivers oral presentations that clearly
communicate data, analysis, and engineering concepts in a way that captures people’s attention.
5.c. Develops thoughts and interpretations of data, analysis, and engineering concepts, and expresses them clearly and convincingly in writing.
(h) the broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions …….
7.a. Demonstrates understanding of ethical issues in conducting biomedical research involving human subjects
7.b. Recognizes moral/societal issues in BME(i) a recognition of the need for,
and an ability to engage in life-long learning
8.a. Recognizes areas of intellectual deficiency8.b. Engages in self directed learning
(j) a knowledge of contemporary issues
9.a. Can identify contemporary issues associated with biomedical engineering design
9.b. Is able to recognize current technological challenges in the field
(k) an ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice
2.a. Identifies appropriate modern science and engineering techniques and computational tools
2.b. Applies the identified modern science and engineering techniques and computational tools
2.c. Interprets the results obtained by applied modern science and
engineering techniques and computational tools
Table 3-3. Relationships between Coulter Department POs and ABET Criterion 3
ABET Criterion 3 Outcomesa b c d e f g h i j k
Cou
lter
Dep
artm
ent P
rogr
am O
utco
mes
& P
erfo
rman
ce C
rite
ria
1a X Xb X Xc X X
2a Xb Xc X
3a Xb Xc X
4a Xb Xc X
5a Xb Xc X
6a Xb Xc X
7a X Xb Xc X
8 a Xb X
9 a Xb X
Table 3-4. Mapping Coulter Department’s Program Outcomes to Program Educational Objectives
Program Educational
ObjectiveProgram Outcome
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 91 X X X X 2 X X X3 X X
Table 3-5. Mapping course outcomes to Coulter Department Program Outcomes
Program Outcome1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Cou
rse
Out
com
es
BIOL 1510 XCHEM 1310/1315/3511 XMATH 1501/1502/2401/2403 XPHYS 2211/2212 XCS 1371 XLCC 3401 X COE 2001 X XECE 2025/3710/3741 X XMSE 2001 X XHumanities/Social Science XBMED 1300 1,4 1 5 3 1,2 1BMED 2210 1-3 1-3BMED 2300 6 1-8 6 9 3BMED 2400/ISYE 3770BMED 3160 1-9,12 2,8 14 10,13BMED 3161 1,2 3,5,6 3-6 6 6BMED 3300 1-5 1-5BMED 3400 1-6 1,2,5,6 BMED 3500 1-3,7 1-7 3-7 7 7BMED 4600/4601 1,2 2,3 1-3,6 1,6 4,5BMED 4400 1,5,6 3,5 2,3 4 2 1BMED 4500 1,2 1,3,4 1,4 1 2,3BMED 4750 1,2 2 3BMED 4751 1,2 1-3 3 4BMED 4752 1-4 4 4BMED 4757 1-5 3-5BMED 4758 1-5 1-5BMED 4765 1-3 7 4-6BMED 4783 1-2 2,3BMED 4784 1-4 4
e. Achievement of Program Outcomes
The process for assessment and evaluation of Coulter Department POs is illustrated in the right half of Fig. 2-1. Like the processes used to establish/review the PEOs and POs, the program’s constituencies, as represented by the UC, EAB and SAB, are integrally involved in this process. The process begins with the UC selecting for each performance criterion PC listed in Table 3-1: the assessment method to be used, the venue for assessment, the term the data will be collected, and the UC member responsible for the data collection.
Rubric-based assessment methods are used to differentiate student performance into one of four categories: exceptional, proficient, apprentice, and novice. A PO is deemed to be fully achieved if every associated performance criterion (PC) has at least 75% of the students assessed rated at least at the level of proficient. Should one or more of the criteria fall short of
the 75% target, the UC examines both the assessment method and the data to determine the appropriate course of action. Both the data and the recommendations are reviewed by the EAB and the SAB, and their feedback is shared with the UC. The UC may revise its recommendations based on this feedback before making its final recommendations to the Coulter Department faculty. The Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies is responsible for initiating any actions necessary to implement the final recommendations. Examples of such actions are detailed in Section B.4.b of this report.
This process was first completed in 2004, with the results documented in the previous self-study report. The most recent completion of this process occurred in spring 2008. This process will be repeated every three years in conjunction with the process for the evaluation of achievement of the PEOs. The assessment tools used and the data acquired will be part of the display materials available to the program evaluator. Detailed analyses of the assessment results can be found in the minutes of the UC meetings [UC Minutes - 5/14/2007, 1/3/2008, 3/26/2008, and 5/2/2008], which will also be part of the display materials. A summary of those analyses follows.
Program Outcome 1. Exam questions from BMED 3400 Introduction to Biomechanics were used to assess this outcome. As is illustrated in Fig. 3-1, nearly 95% of the students performed at least at the proficient level for PC 1.a and 1.c, and XX% for PC 1.b. Thus PO 1, and ABET Outcomes 3(a) and 3(e) were met.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
a b c
Performance Criterion
Perc
ent M
eetin
g C
riter
ion
exceptionalproficientapprenticenovice
Figure 3-1. Assessment results for Program Outcome 1 (Identify, formulate and solve problems) {update w/ new data for b}
Program Outcome 2. Exam questions and a design project report from BMED 3500 Biomedical Sensors and Instrumentation were used to assess this outcome. As illustrated in Fig. 3-2, 78%, 73%, and 95% of the students performed at least at the proficient level for PC 2.a, 2.b, and 2.c, respectively. In its evaluation of the data from PC 2.b, the UC concluded that in light of ambiguities in the wording of the question that were revealed in a post-exam
survey of the students, the performance was acceptable (see UC Minutes 3/26/08). Thus PO 2 and ABET Outcome 3(k) were met.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
a b c
Performance Criterion
Per
cent
Mee
ting
Cri
teri
on
exceptional
proficient
apprentice
novice
Figure 3-2. Assessment results for Program Outcome 2 (Techniques, skills and tools)
Program Outcome 3. Engineering design specification and design review reports from BMED 4600/4601 Senior Design Projects I/II reports were assessed to evaluate achievement of PC 3.a. and 3.b. The results for both exceeded the 75% goal, with 91% and 80% rated at least at the proficient level for PC 3.a and 3.b, respectively. PC 3.c was assessed using evaluations from the fall 2006 cohort’s clients, with the results well exceeding the 75% goal. This data is shown in Fig. 3.3. Thus PO 3 and ABET Outcome 3(c) were achieved.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
a b c
Performance Criterion
Per
cent
Mee
ting
Cri
teri
on
exceptional
proficient
apprentice
novice
Figure 3-3. Assessment results for Program Outcome 3 (Design needs of client)
Program Outcome 4. An experimental design project in BMED 3161 Systems Physiology I was used to assess this outcome. Approximately 78% of the students performed at least at the proficient level for PC 4.a, 73% for PC 4.b, and almost 74% for PC 4.c. Thus the students fell just short of the 75% target for PC 4.b and 4.c. These projects were assessed in both spring and fall 2007. The fall results were fairly consistent with spring performance, with the exception that the target was achieved in the spring for PC 4.c. The UC believes that the performance was adversely affected by the relatively high amount of effort required for this project given the low weighting assigned to the poster presentation (less than 5% of the course grade) where the projects were assessed. In light of this, the UC judged the results to be acceptable for this round of assessment with the expectation that in the revised curriculum (see Section B.4.b.4) that this project will contribute more to the students’ grades. Thus PO 4 and ABET Outcome 3(b) were met.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
a b c
Performance Crite rion
Perc
ent M
eetin
g C
riter
ion
exceptionalproficientapprenticenovice
Figure 3-4. Assessment results for Program Outcome 4 (Experimental skills)
Program Outcome 5. The communication skills of the students were assessed in three venues: small team interactions in BMED 1300, poster presentations in BMED 3161, and lab reports in BMED 3500. The results, shown in Fig. 3-5, revealed that the goals for each of the three performance criteria were met, where approximately 85% of the students performed at least at the proficient level for PC 5.a and 5.b, and 98 % for PC 5.c. Thus PO 5 and ABET Outcome 3(g) were met.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
a b c
Performance Criterion
Per
cent
Mee
ting
Cri
teri
on
exceptionalproficientapprentice
novice
Figure 3-5. Assessment results for Program Outcome 5 (Communication)
Program Outcome 6. An essay question from the BMED 1300 Problems in BME I final exam was used to assess PC 6.a. An end-of-project client evaluation in BMED 4601 Senior Design Project II was used to assess PC 6.b and 6.c. The results are shown in Fig. 3-6. Approximately 68% of the students were able to demonstrate an awareness of multiple approaches to problem solving across disciplines (PC 6.a) without any prompting from the problem statement. The Committee was confident that if the question had specifically asked for an answer which included multiple approaches that the 75% goal would have been exceeded. Thus the consensus of the Committee was that the students’ performance demonstrated achievement of this performance criterion. Approximately 93% of the students performed at least at the proficient level for PC 6.b and 6.c. Thus PO 6 and ABET Outcome 3(d) were met.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
a b c
Performance Criterion
Per
cent
Mee
ting
Cri
teri
on
exceptional
proficient
apprentice
novice
Figure 3-6. Assessment results for Program Outcome 6 (Multi-disciplinary teams)
Program Outcome 7. The students’ achievement of this outcome was assessed in three courses. PC 7.a was assessed using the CITI Online Training Course. Passing this course is a requirement to become certified to perform human subject research at Georgia Tech. It is also a requirement for all students in BMED 1300, as one of the experiments the students in that course conduct involves human subjects. A “proficient” rating for this criterion is equated to a passing score on the short quiz at the end of the CITI course. If the students fail to pass the quiz, they must take it over again until they receive a passing score. The Societal Impact Report in BMED 4601 was used to assess PC 7.b. An exam question involving the application of the NSPE Code of Ethics was used to assess PC 7.c. As illustrated in Fig. 3-7, 100%, 100%, and 81% of the students performed at least at the proficient level for PC 7.a, 7.b, and 7.c, respectively. Thus PO 7 and ABET Outcomes 3(f) and 3(h) were met.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
a b c
Performance Criterion
Per
cent
Mee
ting
Cri
teri
on
exceptionalproficientapprenticenovice
Figure 3-7. Assessment results for Program Outcome 7 (Ethical/professional/social responsibilities)
Program Outcome 8. This outcome was assessed using rubrics-based assessment of the Progress and Prior Art reports in BMED 4600. The results, shown in Fig. 3-8, revealed that the goals for both performance criteria for this outcome were achieved, with 86% and 100% scoring at least at the level of proficient for PC 8.a and 8.b, respectively. Thus PO 8 and ABET Outcome 3(i) were met.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
a b
Performance Criterion
Perc
ent M
eetin
g C
riter
ion
exceptionalproficientapprenticenovice
Figure 3-8. Assessment results for Program Outcome 8 (Self-directed learning)
Program Outcome 9. This outcome was assessed in using rubrics-based assessment of Progress and Societal Impact Reports in BMED 4600 & 4601. The results, shown in Fig. 3-9, show that the goals for both performance criteria for this outcome were achieved, with 100% of the students scoring at least at the level of proficient for both PC 9.a and 9.b. Thus PO 9 and ABET Outcome 3(j) were met.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
a b
Performance Criterion
Perc
ent M
eetin
g C
riter
ion
exceptional
proficient
apprentice
novice
Figure 3-9. Assessment results for Program Outcome 9 (Knowledge of contemporary issues)
To summarize, the evaluation of the assessment results revealed that the students demonstrated satisfactory degrees of achievement of all nine program outcomes as well as ABET outcomes 3(a) through 3(k).
4. Continuous Improvement
a. Information Used for Program Improvement
Multiple sources of information are used to inform decisions regarding program improvements. The results from the Criteria 2 and 3 processes discussed in Sections B.2 and B.3, respectively, are the primary sources. Secondary sources include exit surveys completed by graduating students, advisement surveys administered both by the Institute and the Coulter Department’s academic office, feedback from “town hall” meetings coordinated by the SAB, and feedback from faculty retreats. Examples of the information from each of these secondary sources will be included in the display materials for the evaluation team.
b. Actions to Improve the Program
1. Advisement
The previous self study report included data from the May 2004 exit survey completed by graduating students. This data suggested that improvements to student advising, particularly in the area of career advising, were needed. In response, the position of Director of Student Services within the Academic Office (see Section B.1.b) was created in fall 2004. The creation of this position, and the subsequent creation of the Academic Assistant position in fall 2006, provided the staffing necessary to address the career advisement needs of the students. This action has led to significant improvements in student satisfaction with the advisement they are receiving, as evidenced by the results from the 2007 exit surveys shown in Table 4-1.
These improvements were also reflected in comparisons between the results of the 2005 and 2007 advising surveys of all undergraduate students conducted by the Georgia Tech Office of Assessment. Those results indicated that overall quality of academic advisement in the Coulter Department improved from 2.47 in 2005, to 3.53 in 2007 (4=Excellent, 3=Good, 2=Fair and 1=Poor).
Table 4-1. BMED Graduation Exit Survey: Comparison of results from 2004 & 2007 advisement questions
4=Excellent 3=Good 2=Fair 1=Poor 2004 2007N Mean N Mean
Career advising 23 1.83 49 2.88Access to advisors 25 3.12 53 3.58Sufficient time with advisors 23 2.96 52 3.56Accuracy of information about degree requirements & course sequencing 25 2.44 54 2.91Assistance with major concentration and elective selection 25 2.68 52 2.88Quality of advising overall 25 2.60 53 3.26
Another example of an action taken to improve student advisement began with the UC receiving feedback from the SAB requesting that the program provide more resources to aid in selecting elective courses [SAB Minutes - 10/3/2006; UC Minutes - 10/19/2006]. In response, the Associate Chair for Undergraduate Students and the Undergraduate Academic Advisor created a web page (http://www.bme.gatech.edu/programs/bs_deg_telect.shtml) with descriptions of the elective courses and suggested groupings of those courses to provide students with greater depth within specific sub-disciplines of BME.
Concerns over the impact of the large number of freshman who matriculate into the major, but do not persist in the major (see Section B.1.e.) led to a suggestion by the EAB to develop a survey course to help advise freshman [EAB Minutes - 6/1/2007]. An informal survey was conducted in summer 2007 of the students who left the BME major. It revealed that the majority left because they believed that either (1) there were fewer job opportunities than other engineering majors, (2) the major was too competitive, (3) it was too difficult to satisfy medical school admission requirements within the major, or (3) the curriculum was not a good fit for their interests. In the fall 2007 the Academic Office required students who wanted to register for BMED 1300, the first course in the curriculum, to attend a seminar designed to provide them with information the survey suggested was important in their choice of majors. Preliminary analysis of the results suggests that this very limited advisement is helping the students make earlier and more informed decisions as to whether BME is the right major for them. Enrollment in BMED 1300 for the 2007/2008 academic year dropped by about 25% from the previous year, in spite of similar numbers of freshman entering the program both years. This decrease is close to the ~33% of students who prior to 2007 had the BME major after taking BMED 1300. These results have led to the decision to offer a 1-credit hour BMED 1000 Introduction to BME course for freshman in fall 2008 [see Appendix E].
2. Faculty
The number of undergraduate students majoring in biomedical engineering within the Coulter Department has increased from 494 in 2004/2005 to 845 in 2007/2008 (see Table 1-3). To meet the needs of this growing student population an additional 13.1 FTE faculty (11.1 FTE tenure/tenure-track and 2 FTE academic professionals) have been hired. This represents a 56% increase in the size of the faculty.
3. Instructional Support
One of the recommendations that was adopted by the program as an analysis of the results of the spring 2007 outcomes assessment data was to provided graders for the faculty in required courses to allow them to offer graded homework assignments to the students [UC Minutes - 5/14/2007]. The graders were used for the first time in fall 2007. The faculty reported that the students’ response to having feedback on graded homework was uniformly positive. At the time of the writing of this report, student surveys were being administered to better assess the impact on student learning. 4. Curriculum
The initial results of the assessment of PO 3 revealed that the students’ skills in creating and analyzing multiple design alternatives needed improvement. Additional lectures were added to BMED 4600 on developing appropriate engineering characteristics and creating and analyzing multiple design alternatives. Significant improvements in these skills were noted on subsequent assessments of PO 3 [see UC Minutes 1/3/2008].
The assessment of PO 4 in the 2004/2005 review raised concerns on the students’ abilities to apply the statistics to the analysis of experimental results. While a statistics course was required in the curriculum, many students took the course at the same time as they took BMED 3161 Systems Physiology II, the venue for the assessment of PO 4. In addition, the faculty received feedback from the students that they desired a statistics course that dealt with applications that were more relevant to biomedical engineering. To address these findings, three steps were taken. First, a new applications-oriented statistics course, BMED 2400 Introduction to Bioengineering Statistics, was created and offered as an alternative to the previous statistics course requirement. Second, the students were required to complete one of these statistics courses prior to taking BMED 3161. Lastly, statistics review lectures were added to BMED 3161. Subsequent assessment of PO 4 revealed that the students’ statistical analysis skills improved. Evaluations are ongoing to determine to what extent BMED 2400 has contributed to this improvement [see UC Minutes 1/3/2008].
Several Coulter Department faculty worked with the UC from April through December 2007 to develop a plan to modify the curriculum [UC Minutes – 4/26/2007, 11/8/2007 & 12/6/2007]. The changes are described in Appendix E. The rationale for curriculum changes included the desire to: 1) improve student learning through greater integration of engineering and life science concepts in the laboratory portion of the curriculum, 2) offer laboratory coursework in the summer term both to meet student demand for summer courses and to reduce the number of sections required during the fall and spring terms, 3) increase the emphasis of systems and modeling theory, and 4) provide proactive advisement of first-semester freshman. The proposed modifications were approved by the Institute’s Undergraduate Curriculum Committee and Academic Senate in January and February 2008, respectively. The changes will become effective beginning with the fall 2008 term. Complete descriptions of the new courses that will be created as a result of these modifications will be included in the display materials for the program evaluator.
5. Curriculum
a. Introduction
The processes for achieving the program outcomes involve successfully completing a required curriculum of study. The curriculum includes a solid foundation in fundamental engineering, mathematics, and the sciences – biology, chemistry, and physics – as well as grounding in the humanities, social sciences, and communication skills. A unique aspect of the curriculum is the incorporation of problem-based learning (PBL) methodologies to foster the development of problem-solving skills in a team-based environment and self-directed learning skills. Students receive their introduction to biomedical engineering through a PBL course, BMED 1300 Problems in Biomedical Engineering I they take in their freshman year of study. In their sophomore year, they take their first biomedical engineering fundamentals course, BMED 2210 Conservation Principles in BME, and their first design course, BMED 2300 Problems in BME II. The junior year contains the bulk of the required BME core curriculum: BMED 3300 Biotransport, BMED 3400 Introduction to Biomechanics, BMED 3500 Sensors & Instrumentation, and BMED 3160/3161 Systems Physiology I/II.
In their junior and senior years, students take three BME technical electives to build depth in their studies. The curriculum is capped with a two-semester design project where students work in teams to complete real-world design projects for a client. These clients are typically associated with one of the Emory Health Care System hospitals, Emory University or Georgia Tech research laboratories, or local biomedical industry. This experience provides students with a broad understanding of the impact of technological solutions in a global, societal, environmental and health care context.
In the Georgia Tech system, one credit hour equates to either one hour (actually 50 minutes) of lecture per week, two recitation hours per week, or three laboratory hours per week. The BME curriculum requires a total of 132 credit hours. Complete course descriptions are included in Appendix A. Information on course section size and frequency of offerings is contained in Table 5-2. The relationship between these courses and the program outcomes is shown in Table 3-5.
b. Major Design Experience
Design is formally introduced in the second year and integrated into several third-year BME courses. The curriculum culminates in a two-course capstone design experience during the senior year. Teamwork and team building are emphasized in every one of these courses. Teams are encouraged to clearly define the responsibilities of each team member early in the design process. Examples of the incorporation of design in the curriculum follow, including a detailed description of the capstone design experience.
In the second year of the curriculum, the students work in teams of four to complete four design projects in BMED 2300. Examples of recent projects include the designs of devices to measure thumb flexion forces, ergonomic surgical scalpels and hydraulic micromanipulators. Through these projects students begin the process of learning project planning, building and testing prototypes, FDA regulatory issues, intellectual property concerns, and maintaining lab notebooks.
In the third year of the curriculum, the students in BMED 3161 complete an experimental design project that requires them to pose a physiologically-oriented hypothesis and design an experimental protocol to test that hypothesis. This is followed in BMED 3500 with a project in which the students design and test a biomedical diagnostic device that incorporates all of the major components of the course (i.e. biomedical sensor, analog signal conditioning, data acquisition, and digital signal processing). Both these projects culminate in poster presentations.
The fourth year of the curriculum is capped with a two-semester design project in BMED 4600/4601 where students have access to the Emory Health Care System hospitals, Emory and Georgia Tech faculty research laboratories, and local biomedical industrial contacts for conducting real-world design projects. This experience prepares students for engineering practice through a major design experience incorporating engineering standards and realistic constraints that include most of the following considerations: economic; environmental; sustainability; manufacturability; ethical; health and safety; social; and political.
c. Mathematics and Basic Sciences
Forty-two hours of mathematics and basic science topics are required by the curriculum, as shown in Table 5-1. These include four courses in mathematics, including ordinary differential equations; three chemistry courses including one laboratory; two courses in calculus-based physics, including two laboratories; and three courses in biology and physiology, including three laboratories.
d. Engineering Topics
Students develop the ability to apply engineering knowledge; design and conduct experiments; statistically analyze and interpret data; identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems; and use the techniques, skills, and tools in engineering practice by taking a significant number of engineering courses. These make use of the mathematics and basic science learned in the courses described above. Acquaintance and experience with modern engineering tools is acquired through hands-on laboratories and demonstrations. Many of these skills are honed in the capstone design sequence of courses (see above). Fifty-six hours of engineering topics are included in the required curriculum, as shown in Table 5-1.
e. General Education Component
The general education component of the curriculum comprises the broad education necessary for students to develop an understanding of the impact of engineering solutions in a global and societal context. As can be seen in Table 5-1, it consists of 28 credit hours that includes two courses in English composition (6 credit hours); 6 credit hours of humanities/modern language electives; a 3 credit hour social science course selected from a list of five courses in history, public policy, political science, and international affairs; a 3 credit hour course in economics, also a social science; 6 additional credit hours of social science electives; and a 2 credit hour course technical communications. One of the social science or humanities courses must be selected from a list of approved ethics courses.
Additional materials will be available for review during the visit to demonstrate achievement related to this criterion. These include:
examples of students work from the BME required and elective courses text books used in the BME curriculum posters from design projects in BMED 3161 reports, posters and lab notebooks from BMED 4600/4601
Table 5-1. Curriculum
Year; Semester
Course(Department, Number, Title)
Category (Credit Hours)
Mat
h &
B
asic
Sc
ienc
esEn
gr
Topi
cs
Gen
eral
Ed
ucat
ion
Engr
D
esig
n
Oth
er
1;1
MATH 1501 Calculus I 4CHEM 1310 General Chemistry 4ENGL 1101 English Composition I 3BIOL 1510 Biological Principles 4 HPS 1040 Wellness 2
1;2
MATH 1502 Calculus II 4BMED 1300 Problems in BME I 3CHEM 1315 Survey of Organic Chemistry2 3ENGL 1102 English Composition II 3PHYSICS 2211 Physics I 4
2;1
MATH 2401 Calculus III 4PHYS 2212 Intro. Physics II 4CHEM 3511 Survey of Biochemistry 3CS 1371 Computing for Engineers3 2 1Social Science (GA Constitution Req) 3
2;2
MATH 2403 Differential Equations 4BMED 2210 Conservation Principles BME 4ECE 3710 Circuits and Electronics 2COE 2001 Statics 2BMED 2300 Problems in BME II 3 √
Table 5-1. Curriculum (continued)
Year; Semester
Course(Department, Number, Title)
Category (Credit Hours)
Mat
h &
B
asic
Sc
ienc
es
Engr
Top
ics
Gen
eral
Ed
ucat
ion
Engr
Des
ign
Oth
er
3;1
CEE/ISYE 3770 Statistics & Applications ORBMED 2400 Intro Bioengineering Statistics 3
BMED 3400 Intro to Biomechanics 4ECE 2025 Intro to Signal Processing 4ECE 3741 Instrumentation and Electronics 1BMED 3160 Systems Physiology I 2 2
3;2
BMED 3500 Biomedical Sensors and Instr 3 √BMED 3161 Systems Physiology II 2 2 √BMED 3300 Biotransport 4 Humanities/Social Science Elective (Ethics Req) 3 LCC 3401 Tech Communications Practices 2
4;1
MSE 2001 Prin & Appl Engineering Materials 3BMED 4600 Senior Design Project I 2 √BME Technical Electives (2) 6Humanities Elective 3Free elective 3
4;2
BMED 4600 Senior Design Projects II 3 √BMED Technical Elective 3ECON 2100 or 2105 or 2106 3Humanities/Social Science Electives (2) 6Free Elective 2
Totals – ABET Basic-Level Requirements 42 56 28 6Overall Total for Degree 132
Percent of Total 32% 42% 21% 5%Totals must
satisfy one setMinimum semester credit hours 32 48
Minimum percentage 25% 37.5%
Table 5-2. Course and section size summary
Course(Department, Number, Title)
Responsible Faculty Member
# of Sections Offered
Su 07 – Sp 08
Avg. Enrollment per Section
Type of Class
Lec %
Lab %
Rec %
Other %
BMED 1300 Probs in BME I Newstetter 2/29(Lec/Rec)
113/8(Lec/Rec) 25 75
BMED 2210 Conserv Prin BMEFa 07 – LeeSp 08 – LeDoux & McDevitt
3/10(Lec/Rec)
75/23?(Lec/Rec)
75 25
BMED 2300 Probs in BME II Bost 3/9(Lec/Lab)
52/17(Lec/Lab)
25 75
BMED 3160 Systems Phys I Boyan and Barker 2/10(Lec/Lab)
80/16(Lecture/Lab)
75 25
BMED 3161 Systems Phys II LaPlaca 2/7(Lec/Lab)
70/20(Lec/Lab)
75 25
BMED 3300 BiotransportFa 07 – M. KempSp 08 – M. Kemp & Murthy
3/7(Lec/Rec)
49/21(Lec/Rec)
75 25
BMED 3400 Intro BiomechanicsFa 07 – ZhuSp 08 – Ting & C. Kemp
3/8(Lec/Rec)
53/20(Lec/Rec)
75 25
BMED 3500 Biom Sens & InstrSu 07 & Sp08 – BenkeserFa 07 – M. Wang
3/6(Lec/Lab)
42/21(Lec/Lab)
67 33
BMED 4400 Neuroengineering Potter 1 8 25 75BMED 4500 Cell/Tissue Engr Lab Babensee 1 12 33 67BMED 4600 Senior Design Proj I Bost 3 47 25 75
BMED 4601 Senior Design Proj II Su 07 – BenkeserFa 07 & Sp 08 – Bost
3 44 25 75
BMED 4750 Diag Imag Physics Oshinski 1 66 100
BMED 4751 Intro BiomaterialsFa 07 – Milam (MSE)Sp 08 – Temenoff
2 33 100
BMED 4752 Intro Neuroscience Potter 1 58 100BMED 4757 Biofluid Mechanics Yoganathan 1 31 100BMED 4758 Biosolid Mechanics Gleason 1 75 100BMED 4765 Drug Des Dev & Del Prausnitz (CHBE) 1 33 100BMED 4783 Intro Med Imag Proc Skrinjar 2 54 100BMED 4784 Engr Electrophys Frasier (ECE) 1 40 100
Figure 5-1a. Prerequisite flow chart for required courses
MATH 1502
CHEM 3511
MATH 2401
CEE / ISYE 3770
MATH 2403
PHYS 2211
PHYS 2212
MATH 1501
CS 1371
ECE 3710
ECE 3741
ECE 2025
BMED 3160
BMED 1300
BMED 2210
COE 2001
BMED2300
BMED 3161
BMED 3300
BMED 3400
BMED 3500
BMED 4600
BMED 4601
prerequisite
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4
MSE 2001
BIOL 1510
CHEM 1310
CHEM 1315
prerequisite w/concurrency
Figure 5-1b. Prerequisite flow chart for elective courses
CEE / ISYE 3770
or BMED 2400
BMED 3160
BMED 3300
BMED 3400
BMED 3500
prerequisite
prerequisitew/concurrency
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4
MSE 2001
BMED 4751
BMED 4752
BMED 4400
BMED 4500
BMED 4750
BMED 4758
BMED 4757
ECE 2025
BMED 4783
BMED 4784
BMED 4765
CHEM 3511
required
elective
6. Faculty
a. Leadership Responsibilities
Professor Paul Benkeser, Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies, has the leadership responsibilities for the program. He reports to the Coulter Department Chair, Professor Larry McIntire. The Directors of the Academic Office (Ms. Sally Gerrish), Instructional Laboratories (Dr. Essy Behravesh) and Design Instruction (Mr. L. Franklin Bost) report to him. Through his position as chair of the Undergraduate Committee, he leads the continuous improvement activities of the program. He is responsible for coordinating faculty teaching and teaching assistant assignments for undergraduate courses, and serves as the faculty advisor for several of the program’s student organizations.
b. Authority and Responsibility of Faculty
The development of a new course begins with a proposal submitted to the Undergraduate Committee by a member of the faculty. If approved by the Committee, it is then submitted to the Coulter Department faculty for approval. Then, with approval from the Office of the Dean of Engineering, the proposal moves on to the Institute Undergraduate Curriculum Committee and ultimately the Academic Senate for final approval to be listed in the Institute’s Course Catalog.
Once created, all BME courses are reviewed by the Undergraduate Committee every three years to ensure that the content of the courses is consistent with the course outcomes, and that the course outcomes are still correlated to the program outcomes. Each course has a faculty member assigned to it who is responsible for its oversight, as well as serving as a resource for faculty who join in teaching the course. This review process occurred in 2004 and again in 2007.
The content of courses is periodically modified as a result of faculty observations, student feedback, or evaluation of data from the program outcomes assessment process. Examples of this are described in Section B.4. The most current course descriptions are posted on the department’s web site (see xxxxxx) to enable both the faculty and the students to have access to detailed information on the content of the courses that comprise the program’s curriculum.
c. Faculty
The Coulter Department is a unique partnership between Georgia Tech and Emory University. It is a department within the School of Medicine at Emory University, and a school within the College of Engineering at Georgia Tech. The BS degree program in biomedical engineering is administered solely by Georgia Tech, while the MS and PhD programs are jointly administered by the two institutions. The faculty can have their appointment either through Georgia Tech or Emory University. All Coulter Department Faculty, regardless of their institutional appointment, are responsible for the BS degree program in biomedical engineering.
The Coulter Department has a head count of 43 faculty (19 full professors, 5 associate, 16 assistant, and 3 academic professionals), 9 of whom have primary appointments through Emory University. Of the 43 faculty, 34 are full-time and 9 are part-time (i.e. have joint appointments with other departments). In total, the Coulter Department has 36.7 full-time
equivalent faculty members. The faculty workload consists of a mix of teaching, research and service to the department and institution. Each member of the faculty normally teaches two courses per year. All faculty members have Ph.D. degrees in fields related to biomedical engineering, with the exception of the two of the academic professional, one of whom has a Ph.D. in Linguistics and the other with a B.S. degree in industrial design and an MBA. With the exception of two of the academic professionals, all of the faculty members perform or are actively pursuing sponsored research in the field of biomedical engineering. There are multiple faculty members who have taught, or are capable of teaching, each course within the curriculum.
While virtually all the faculty are research-active, most have frequent one-on-one interactions with undergraduate students through PBL facilitation in BMED 1300 and supervising students in undergraduate research experiences. Students will often turn to these faculty members to supplement the career advisement they receive from the Academic Office.
The Coulter Department faculty members are assigned to serve on typically only one departmental committee. Many serve on Institute-level committees as well. In addition, most members are active participants in one or more of several professional societies, as can be seen in the resumes contained in Appendix B.
{{Attach as Appendix B an abbreviated resume for each program faculty member with the rank of instructor or above. The format should be consistent for each resume, must not exceed two pages per person, and, at a minimum, must contain the following information:Name and academic rankDegrees with fields, institution, and dateNumber of years of service on this faculty, including date of original appointment and dates
of advancement in rankOther related experience, i.e., teaching, industrial, etc.Consulting, patents, etc.States in which professionally licensed or certified, if applicablePrincipal publications of the last five yearsScientific and professional societies of which a memberHonors and awardsInstitutional and professional service in the last five yearsPercentage of time available for research or scholarly activitiesPercentage of time committed to the program}}
Table 6-1. Faculty Workload Summary
Faculty Member
FT or
PT1
Classes Taught (Course # (Credit Hrs.)) Total Activity Distribution
Fall 2007 Spring 2008 TeachingResearch/Scholarly
Activity OtherBabensee, Julia FT BMED 4500 (3) ½ BMED 1300 (3); ½ BMED 6777 (3) 50 50Bao, Gang FT BMED 6041 (3) ½ BMED 6012 (4) 25 75Barabino, Gilda FT BMED 1300 (3) 50 50Barker, Thomas FT ½ BMED 3160 (4) ½ BMED 3160 (4) 50 50Bellamkonda, Ravi FT BMED 1300 (3) BMED 1300 (3) 50 50Behravesh, Essy FT BMED 3160 (4); BMED 3161 (4) BMED 3160 (4); BMED 3161 (4) 100Benkeser, Paul FT BMED 3500 (3) 50 25 25Borodovsky, Mark PT 50 50Bost, Franklin FT BMED 2300 (3); BMED 4600/4601 (5) BMED 2300 (3); BMED 4600/4601 (5) 100Boyan, Barbara FT ½ BMED 3160 (4) ½ BMED 3160 (4) 25 50 25Davis, Michael FT BMED 1300 (3) 50 50DeWeerth, Stephen PT ½ BMED 6012 (4) 25 50 25Gleason, Rudy PT ½ BMED 4758 (3) 50 50Hu, Xiaoping FT BMED 6210 (3) ½ BMED 4750 (3) 50 50Jo, Hanjoong FT BMED 6042 (4) 25 75Keilholz, Shella FT BMED 1300 (3); BMED 6786 (3) 50 50Kemp, Charlie FT BMED 3400 (4) 50 50Kemp, Melissa FT BMED 3300 (4) BMED 3300 (4) 50 50LaPlaca, Michelle FT BMED 3161 (4) BMED 3161 (4) 50 50LeDoux, Joseph FT BMED 6011 BMED 2210 (4) 50 50Lee, Robert FT BMED 2210 (4); BMED 6021 (4) 50 50McDevitt, Todd FT ½ BMED 8813 BMED 2210 (4) 50 50McIntire, Larry FT 50 50
1 FT = Full Time Faculty PT = Part Time Faculty
Table 6-1. Faculty Workload Summary (continued)
Faculty Member (name)
FT or
PT1
Classes Taught (Course #(Credit Hrs.)) Total Activity Distribution
Fall 2007 Spring 2008 TeachingResearch/Scholarly
Activity OtherMurthy, Niren FT BMED 1300 (3) BMED 3300 (4) 50 50Newstetter, Wendy FT BMED 1300 (3) BMED 1300 (3) 50 50Nie, Shuming FT BMED 1300 (3) 25 75Oshinski, John PT ½ BMED 4750 25 75Potter, Steven FT ½ BMED 4752 (3) BMED 4400 (4) 50 50Santangelo, Philip FT BMED 1300 (3) 50 50Skrinjar, Oskar FT BMED 4783 (3) BMED 4783 (3) 50 50Stanley, Garrett FT NA 50 50Tannenbaum, Allen PT BMED 1300 (3) 50 50Temenoff, Johnna FT ½ BMED 8813 (3) BMED 4751 (3) 50 50Ting, Lena FT BMED 3400 (4); BMED 6022 (4) 50 50Vidakovic, Brani FT BMED 2400 (3) BMED 2400 (3) 50 50Voit, Eberhard FT BMED 8813 (3) 25 50 25Wang, Yadong FT BMED 6774 (3) BMED 1300 (3) 50 50Wang, May FT BMED 6780 (3) BMED 6780 (3) 50 50Yoganathan, Ajit FT BMED 4758 (3) BMED 1300 (3) 25 50 25Zhu, Cheng FT BMED 3400 (4) 25 50 25
1 FT = Full Time Faculty PT = Part Time Faculty
Table 6-2. Faculty Analysis
Name Ran
k Aca
dem
icA
ppoi
ntm
ent
TT, T
, NTT
FT or PT H
ighe
st D
egre
e an
d Fi
eld Institution from
which Highest Degree Earned &
Year
Years of Experience
Prof
essi
onal
R
egis
tratio
n/C
ertif
icat
ion
Level of Activity (high, med, low, none) in:
Gov
t./
Indu
stry
Pr
actic
e
Tota
l Fa
culty
This
In
stitu
tion
Prof
essi
onal
Soci
ety
Res
earc
h
Con
sulti
ng/S
umm
erW
ork
in
Indu
stry
Babensee, Julia AP T FT PhD/ChE U Toronto, 1996Bao, Gang P T FT PhD/Math Lehigh U, 1987Barabino, Gilda P T FT PhD/ChE Rice U, 1986Barker, Thomas aP TT FT PhD/BE U Ala-Birm, 2003Bellamkonda, Ravi P T FT PhD/BME Brown U, 1994Behravesh, Essy NTT FT PhD/BE Rice U, 2002Benkeser, Paul P T FT PhD/EE U Illinois, 1985Borodovsky, Mark P T PT PhD/PhysBost, Franklin NTT FT MBABoyan, Barbara P T FT PhD/
PhysioDavis, Michael aP TT PT PhD/PharmaDeWeerth, Stephen P T PT PhD/EE
Gleason, Rudy aP TT PT PhD/MEHu, Xiaoping P T FT PhD/Med
PhysJo, Hanjoong P T FT PhD/PhysioKeilholz, Shella aP TT FT PhD/Engr PhysKemp, Charlie aP TT FT PhD/EE
Kemp, Melissa aP TT FT PhD/BELaPlaca, Michelle AP T FT PhD/BELeDoux, Joseph AP T FT PhD/ChE
Table 6-2. Faculty Analysis (continued)
Name Ran
k
Aca
dem
icA
ppoi
ntm
ent
TT, T
, NTT
FT or PT H
ighe
st D
egre
e an
d Fi
eld
Institution from which Highest
Degree Earned & Year
Years of Experience
Prof
essi
onal
R
egis
tratio
n/C
ertif
icat
ion
Level of Activity (high, med, low, none) in:
Gov
t./In
dust
ry
Prac
tice
Tota
l Fac
ulty
This
Inst
itutio
n
Prof
essi
onal
Soci
ety
Res
earc
h
Con
sulti
ng/S
umm
erW
ork
in
Indu
stry
Lee, Robert AP T FT PhD/BMEMcDevitt, Todd aP TT FT PhD/BEMcIntire, Larry P T FT PhD/ChEMurthy, Niren aP TT FT PhD/BENewstetter, Wendy NTT FT PhD/LingNie, Shuming P T FT PhD/ChemOshinski, John aP TT PT PhD/MEPotter, Steven aP TT FT PhD/BiolSantangelo, Philip aP TT FT PhD/EngrSkrinjar, Oskar aP TT FT PhD/EEStanley, Garrett AP T FT PhD/METannenbaum, Allen P T PT PhD/MathTemenoff, Johnna aP TT FT PhD/BETing, Lena aP TT FT PhD/MEVidakovic, Brani P T FT PhD/StatVoit, Eberhard P T FT PhD/BiolWang, Yadong aP TT FT PhD/ChemWang, May aP TT FT PhD/EEYoganathan, Ajit P T FT PhD/ChEZhu, Cheng P T FT PhD/ME
d. Faculty Development
Georgia Tech encourages professional development. Faculty members are expected to take their teaching and advising obligations seriously, but they are otherwise free to take on extramural professional activities as time and resources permit. The Coulter Department has underwritten the costs of participation of its junior faculty members at national conferences, to present technical papers, participate in technical committee activities, or otherwise make contacts that will enhance their career development. Senior faculty members with established research programs are expected to support their own participation, leaving the limited travel funds for untenured faculty. The vast majority of faculty members in the Coulter Department are actively involved in extramural technical, professional and leadership activities, with the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) and similar technical and professional organizations. A review of the faculty resumes in Appendix B reveals the level of faculty service to the biomedical engineering profession as committee chairs, organizers of major conferences, society officers, and membership on editorial boards.
7. Facilities
a. Space
On the Georgia Tech campus, the Coulter Department is located in the U.A. Whitaker Biomedical Engineering Building. Construction on the 90,000 square foot facility of administrative offices, clerical offices, research offices, instructional and research labs was completed in July 2003. The Coulter Department also has faculty that have offices and/or lab space in the Pettit Biotechnology Building, which connects to the Whitaker Building, and in the adjacent Molecular Science and Engineering Building.
There is over 6000 sq/ft of dedicated space in the lower level of the Whitaker Building to for instructional laboratories. This space includes the following instructional laboratories: Cell/Tissue Engineering (BMED 4400 and 4500), Design Studio (BMED 2300, 4600 and 4601), Biomedical Systems and Signals (BMED 3161 and 3500), and Cellular and Biomolecular Measurements (BMED 3160). In addition, a machine shop for student project work is also located in the lower level.
There are three classrooms in the BME Building, each fully equipped with modern audio visual equipment. The largest classroom is also equipped with state-of-the-art video conferencing equipment. These classrooms are centrally scheduled. In addition, there are five small conference-size rooms specially configured for PBL groups. Substantial atrium space is available in the building for studying and lounging. These areas are equipped with wired and wireless internet connections for use with portable computers.
In addition to the Institute’s computer facilities, the Coulter Department maintains a computer cluster of 30 Dell personal computers for use by BME students in the Computer Lab, and an additional 20 Dell personal computers in two instructional laboratories. Site-licensed software available on all these computers includes AutoCAD, ANSYS, MATLAB, Microsoft Office, Minitab, LabVIEW, Pro Engineer, PSpice, and Solid Edge. These machines are connected to high capacity printers. All machines are connected to the Internet and World
Wide Web through the Georgia Tech network. All faculty members and staff have individual personal computers that are connected to the Georgia Tech network. All of the laboratories and graduate student offices are similarly equipped.
Students are required to own a computer and many bring laptops to campus as freshmen. They have access to the Georgia Tech network through high-speed connections in dormitory rooms and in fraternity and sorority houses. In addition, wireless network access is available to the students throughout the campus.
b. Resources and Support
The Director of Instructional Laboratories, Dr. Essy Behravesh, is responsible for equipment planning, acquisition, and maintenance processes. His staff consists of a Laboratory Coordinator along with several student assistants. He serves as the instructor for the required laboratory courses in the curriculum and works closely with faculty who teach the elective laboratory courses in the curriculum.
The Coulter Department’s computer hardware, software and networks are managed and maintained by the Coulter Department’s Computer Systems support staff. This staff consists of an Operating Systems Analyst, a Computer Services Specialist, and a student assistant.
Over $1 million has been spent since 2003 to provide these laboratories with state-of-the-art equipment. These funds are primarily obtained through the technology fees that students pay each semester. The combination of technology fee and departmental endowment funds enables the Coulter Department to acquire and maintain the necessary equipment in its instructional and computer laboratories to support the needs of the undergraduate program. A complete listing of this equipment can be found in Appendix C.
8. Support
a. Program Budget Process and Sources of Financial Support
The annual operating budget is determined by the Office of the Dean of Engineering and reflects the allocation to higher education in the Budget for the State of Georgia. The budgeting process is managed by Dr. John Leonard, Associate Dean for Finance and Administration, and is driven by educational and other workload levels within the College of Engineering. The department has been in a rapid growth mode since its creation in 1998. Over the past 5 years expenditures have increased by an average of roughly 25% per year. More detailed information on the budget can be found in Appendix D.
b. Sources of Financial Support
The budget is supported by an allocation from the College of Engineering Dean’s Office (“hard” money). Additional funding for capital expenditures comes from the Office of the Provost (e.g., educational equipment support by student Technology Fee funds) and the Board of Regents (“hard” money). An endowment supports miscellaneous expenses that are not recoverable by other means (“soft” money). Extramurally funded research activities add approximately $22 million to the Coulter Department’s budget (“soft” money).
c. Adequacy of Budget
Table D-3 in Appendix D summarizes expenditures for support functions of the program. This level of support has been sufficient to meet the needs of the undergraduate program. The Coulter Department periodically benchmarks itself with programs at other nationally ranked public universities to ensure that its administrative support is consistent with its competitors. Startup packages for new faculty are shared between the Provost, Dean and School, and are competitive with those at other comparable institutions.
d. Support of Faculty Professional Development
Georgia Tech encourages professional development. Faculty members are expected to take their teaching and advising obligations seriously, but they are otherwise free to take on extramural professional activities as time and resources permit. The Coulter Department has underwritten the costs of participation of its junior faculty members at national conferences, to present technical papers, participate in technical committee activities, or otherwise make contacts that will enhance their career development. Senior faculty members with established research programs are expected to support their own participation, leaving the limited travel funds for untenured faculty. The vast majority of faculty members in the Coulter Department are actively involved in extramural technical, professional and leadership activities, with the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) and similar technical and professional organizations. A review of the faculty resumes in Appendix B reveals the level of faculty service to the biomedical engineering profession as committee chairs, organizers of major conferences, society officers, and membership on editorial boards.
e. Support of Facilities and Equipment
During the period from FY 2003 to FY 2007, the average yearly institutional expenditures from the Coulter Department budget for laboratory equipment and services was approximately $243,000. Note that this does not include the funds from the Technology Fee that is discussed in Section B.7.b.
f. Adequacy of Support Personnel and Institutional Services
The Coulter Department’s staff at Georgia Tech includes:
Assistant Director – Administration and HR Administrative Coordinators (3) Administrative Assistants (3) Administrative Clerk Development Director Project Coordinators (2) Writer/PR Strategist Operating Systems Analyst Computer Services Specialist Web Developer Financial Manager Accountants (2)
Director of Student, Alumni and Industrial Relations Academic Advisors (2) Academic Assistant
All these staff positions are supported by the Coulter Department’s operating budget. In addition, the School hires work-study students to help with occasional peak demands (e.g., bulk mailings, graduate applications) during the year. This level of support personnel is adequate for the academic programs of the department.
9. Program Criteria
a. Curriculum Structure
The curriculum was designed to provide both the breadth and depth of study within the field of biomedical engineering. See Section B.5 for a detailed description of the curriculum.
b. Curricular Outcomes
The program criteria for biomedical engineering require that the program must demonstrate that graduates have:
(a) an understanding of biology(b) an understanding of physiology(c) capability to apply advanced mathematics including differential equations to solve the
problems at the interface of engineering and biology(d) capability to apply advanced mathematics including statistics to solve the problems at
the interface of engineering and biology(e) ability to make measurements on living systems(f) ability to interpret data from living systems(g) ability address the problems associated with the interaction between living and non-
living materials and systems
These outcomes have been incorporated into the Coulter Department Outcomes. Table 9-1 shows the courses in the required curriculum where the students develop the skills to achieve these outcomes. Table 9-2 illustrates the relationship between the above outcomes and the Coulter Department POs 1 and 4 and their associated performance criteria. It was established in Section B.3.e that the graduates had satisfactorily achieved POs 1 and 4. Thus, the Criterion 9 outcomes were also achieved.
Table 9-1. Courses Where Students Develop Skills Associated with Criterion 9 Outcomes
Criterion 9 Outcome Courses(a) an understanding of biology BIOL 1510(b) an understanding of physiology BMED 3160/3161(c) capability to apply advanced mathematics including
differential equations to solve the problems at the interface of engineering and biology
MATH 1501/1502/2401/2403
(d) capability to apply advanced mathematics including statistics to solve the problems at the interface of engineering and biology
BMED 2400 or ISYE 3770
(e) ability to make measurements on living systems BMED 3160/3161/3500(f) ability to interpret data from living systems BMED 3160/3161/3500(g) ability address the problems associated with the interaction
between living and non-living materials and systemsBMED 3160/3161/3500
Table 9-2 Relationship Between Coulter Department Outcomes and Criterion 9 Outcomes
Coulter Department Outcomes and Performance Criteria
Criterion 9 Outcomesa b c d e f g
1a X X X Xb X X X Xc X X X X
4a X Xb Xc X
APPENDIX A – COURSE SYLLABI
BMED 1300 Problems in Biomedical Engineering I {Required}
Credit: 1-6-3
Prerequisite(s)MATH 1501 (w/ minimum grade of “C”) and BIOL 1510 (w/concurrency)
Catalog DescriptionBiomedical engineering problems from industrial and clinical applications are addressed and solved in small groups using problem-based learning methodologies.
TextbooksNone
ObjectivesThe overall objective for this course is to prepare students to tackle complex real-world problems in biomedical engineering. This requires them to become self-directed learners who possess excellent inquiry skills. They must also become serious knowledge builders. And finally they must increase their understanding of effective communication strategies while improving group skills. What they learn in this course is foundational to the curriculum they will follow for the next three years.
OutcomesSpecifically at the end of the courses, students should be able to do the following things:
1. Tackle a complex real-world problem (Program Outcomes 1, 4, 8 and 9)a. Define the problem and identify the problem goalsb. Explore the problem statement to identify critical problem featuresc. Develop provisional models and hypotheses that frame problem-solvingd. Plan an attack strategy e. Carry out strategy and evaluate it
2. Conduct self-directed inquiry (Program Outcome 8)a. Recognize inadequacies of existing knowledgeb. Identify learning needsc. Set specific learning objectivesd. Make a plan to address these objectivese. Evaluate inquiryf. Assess reliability of sourcesg. Digest findings and communicate effectively to self and othersh. Apply knowledge to problem
3. Demonstrate effective group skills (Program Outcome 6)a. Help group develop team skillsb. Willingly forego personal goals for group goals
c. Avoid contributing excessive or irrelevant informationd. Express disappointment or disagreement directlye. Give emotional support to othersf. Demonstrate enthusiasm and involvementg. Complete tasks on time h. Monitor group progressi. Facilitate interaction with other membersj. Assess group skills of self and others
4. Build knowledge in disciplines relevant to BME (Program Outcome 1)a. Digest findings and communicate them effectively to othersb. Identify deep principles for organizing knowledge c. Construct an extensive knowledge base in all problem aspectsd. Ask probing questions to propel further analysis of problem
5. Communicate solutions of problems (Program Outcome 5)a. Written reportsb. Oral presentations
Students will build these skills and knowledge in the area of biomedical engineering by participating on a team that will tackle three problems. At the end of each problem cycle, the team will come to a problem resolution which two team members will present to the other teams and to BME experts. The team will write a final problem report that responds to expert suggestions and critiques. Students will also attend weekly lectures on topics relevant to the current problem and/or presentations on potential career paths for students in this major.
Prepared by Wendy NewstetterLast modified March 16, 2007
BMED 2210 Conservation Principles in Biomedical Engineering {Required}
Credit: 4-0-4
Prerequisite(s): BMED 1300 (w/minimum grade of “C”), MATH 2403 (w/concurrency) and PHYS 2211 (w/minimum grade of “C”)
Catalog DescriptionStudy of material and energy balances applied to problems in biomedical engineering
TextBasic Principles and Calculations in Chemical Engineering, D.M. Himmelblau, Prentice-Hall (1996), on reserve at campus library
Objectives
This course introduces you to the engineering approach to problem solving. By applying principles of mass and energy conservation, this course prepares you to analyze and solve problems involving complex biological systems. Problem solving includes breaking a system down into its components, establishing the relationships between known and unknown system variables, assembling the information needed to solve for the unknowns, then obtaining the solution.
Outcomes
By the end of the course you should be able to:
1. Know the basics of conducting engineering calculations (Program Outcomes 1 and 2)a. Convert quantities from one set of units to another quickly and accuratelyb. Define, calculate, and estimate system and material properties such as fluid density, flow rate,
chemical composition variables (mass and mole fractions, concentrations), fluid pressure, temperature, enthalpy, entropy, work, and heat capacity
c. Draw and label process flowcharts from verbal process descriptions2. Comprehend concepts and principles of mass and energy conservation (Program Outcomes 1 and
2)a. Identify principles in restated formb. Describe examples of the principlesc. State hypotheses that are in harmony with the principlesd. Distinguish between correct and incorrect interpretations of the principles
3. Apply these concepts and principles to the analysis of biological systems (Program Outcomes 1 and 2)a. Write and solve material and energy balance equations for ‘single-unit’ and ‘multi-unit’
systems, systems with multi-component streams, systems with reactive processes, and dynamic systems
b. Calculate internal energy and enthalpy changes for fluids that undergo specified changes in temperature, pressure, phase, and chemical composition and incorporate the results of these calculations into system material and energy calculations
Topical Outline
1. Introduction to Engineering Calculations a. Units and dimensionsb. Force and weightc. Pressure and temperatured. Mass, moles and molecular weighte. Concentrationf. Kinetic, potential and internal energyg. The chemical equation and stoichiometryh. Basis of calculations
2. Introduction to Conservations Principlesa. Accounting versus conservation equationsb. Algebraic balancesc. Differential balancesd. Integral balances
3. Introduction to Mass Balancesa. The mass balanceb. Program of analysis of mass balance problemsc. Solving problems that do not involve reactionsd. Solving problems that do involve reactionse. Solving problems that involve multiple subsystemsf. Solving transient mass balance
4. Degree-of-Freedom Analysisa. Counting the number of variables, equations and specificationsb. Determine if a problem is under, over, or correctly specifiedc. Determine the order in which calculations must be performed in order to obtain a solution
5. Gasses, Vapors, Liquids and Solidsa. Ideal gas law calculationsb. Vapor pressure and liquidsc. Vapor-liquid equilibriad. Saturation, partial saturation and humiditye. Mass balances that involve condensation and vaporization
6. Introduction to Energy Balancesa. Concepts and unitsb. The general energy balancec. Application of the general energy balance to systems without reactions occurringd. Application of the general energy balance to systems with reactions occurring
7. Solving Simultaneous Mass and Energy Balancesa. Analyzing degrees of freedom in a steady-state processb. Solving mass and energy balances at steady-statec. Unsteady-state mass and energy balances
Prepared by Joe LeDouxLast modified March 16, 2007
BMED 2300 Problems in Biomedical Engineering II {Required}
Credit: 1-6-3
Prerequisite(s)BMED 1300 (w/minimum grade of “C”) and 2210 (w/concurrency) and COE 2001 (w/concurrency)
Catalog DescriptionBiomedical engineering problems from industrial and clinical applications are addressed and solved in small groups using problem-based learning methodologies.
TextbookEggert, R.J. 2005. Engineering Design. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
ObjectivesThe overall objective for thise courses is to introduce students to real-world design problems in biomedical engineering. Engineering design concepts, tools and methodologies are discussed in weekly lectures. Students are challenged through in several design problems to put these concepts and methodologies into practice. What they learn in this course is foundational to the design experiences in the curriculum they will encounter over the last half of their program of study.
OutcomesSpecifically at the end of the courses, students should be able to do the following things:
6. Explain the “big picture” of engineering design (Program Outcome 3)a. Differentiate engineering analysis and designb. Characterize design problems and the process used to solve themc. Explain the relationship between the form and function of a product
7. Define and solve design problems (Program Outcome 3)a. Characterize the different types of design problemsb. Decompose and diagram a product’s componentsc. Select and apply design problem solution strategies
8. Formulate a design problem (Program Outcomes 3 and 6)a. Describe the overall process of formulating a design problemb. Determine customer and company requirementsc. Prepare and engineering design specificationd. Establish a consensus among members of a design team
9. Create concept designs (Program Outcome 3)a. Distinguish alternative design concepts as different abstract embodiments of physical
principles, material and geometryb. Clarify the functional requirements of a designc. Describe and apply function decomposition diagramsd. Generate alternative design concepts using various methodse. Evaluate concepts using weighted-rating method
10. Select appropriate materials (Program Outcome 3)a. Explain the interdependency of product function, material, process and geometry
b. Describe fundamental material classes and propertiesc. Establish criteria for screening materials
11. Build and test prototypes (Program Outcomes 2, 3 and 4)a. Describe why companies build and test parts/productsb. Describe tests to validate form, fit and functionc. Characterize traditional and rapid prototyping processes
12. Design for failure, safety, tolerances, and environment (Program Outcome 3)a. Identify product failure modesb. Establish failure mode causes, likelihood and detectabilityc. Describe and apply safety hierarchy fundamentalsd. Explain the differences between dimensions and tolerances
13. Consider human factors/ergonomics (Program Outcome 3)a. Describe the human-machine system modelb. Specify human limitations for applying forces and torquesc. Specify size and range of motion limitationsd. Describe and apply three strategies for design for fit
14. Communicate solutions of problems (Program Outcome 5)a. Written reportsb. Oral presentations
Prepared by Paul BenkeserLast modified March 20, 2007
BMED 3160 Systems Physiology I {Required}
Credit: 2-5-4
Prerequisite(s): BIOL 1510 (w/minimum grade of “C”) and (CHEM 3511 (w/concurrency) or CHEM 4511 (w/concurrency))
Catalog DescriptionA study of physiologic properties of human cells, with specific attention focused on organization, membrane-level transport and kinetics, cell signaling and energy requirements.
Textbooks:Essential Cell Biology, Albert et al. (Required); Human Physiology, Silverthorn (Suggested)Directed reading of original literature
ObjectivesTo introduce BME students to the physiology of mammalian cells with an emphasis on structure, organization and function of organelles, cellular communication and transport, cell growth and death, and gene expression. In addition, concepts of homeostasis, the role of the extracellular matrix, stem cells, cell and tissue engineering, and excitable cell physiology will be introduced. Laboratory experiments will be used to both help reinforce the lecture topics and to develop experimental skills in the students. Lectures and laboratory assignments will stress the development of quantitative analytical techniques and their use in the study of cells and tissues as well as to produce products for cell and gene therapy and tissue engineering.
OutcomesAt the end of the course, the students will:
1. understand the structure and functional organization of cell organelles, especially membrane, cystoskelton, extracellular matrix and nucleus (Program Outcome 1)
2. know the fundamental engineering design problems that were overcome to allow physical separation, isolation, and analysis of organelles and macromolecular assemblies (Program Outcomes 1 and 2)
3. understand the quantitative aspects of membrane transport and cell signaling pathways (Program Outcome 1)
4. understand the mechanisms regulating cell growth and death (Program Outcome 1)5. understand basic regulatory mechanisms of gene expression and protein synthesis and apply
them to problems in biomedical engineering (Program Outcome 1)6. understand homeostasis and how it is achieved in cell systems and be able to apply this
information to product design problems (Program Outcome 1)7. understand the role of membranes in excitable cell physiology (Program Outcome 1)8. understand how cells interact with their substrate and apply this knowledge to the design of
cell-scaffold constructs for tissue engineering (Program Outcomes 1 and 2)9. know basic constituents of the extracellular matrix produced by cells and how they
contribute to the mechanical properties of cells and tissues (Program Outcome 1)10. develop the ability to read scientific literature (Program Outcome 9)11. know historic milestones in cell and tissue engineering
12. acquire first hand knowledge of biologic variability and its impact on engineering systems design (Program Outcome 1)
13. develop the ability to apply course outcomes 1-12 to the study of applications in biomedical engineering and tissue-engineered medical products (Program Outcome 9)
14. develop the ability to address the challenges associated with the interaction between cells and non-living materials and systems to conduct experiments as well as to measure, analyze and interpret experimental data from cells and cellular structures (Program Outcome 4).
Topical Outline1. Introduction to cells 2. Membranes3. Caveolae/lipid rafts4. DNA5. RNA6. Gene expression 7. DNA technology8. Cytoskeleton 9. Cell signaling, cycle, division & death10. Cell/cell interactions11. Cell adhesion12. Integrins13. Extracellular matrix14. Biomineralization15. Mitochondria 16. Membrane transport and excitable cell physiology 17. Homeostasis18. Use of stem cells in tissue engineering19. Vesicle transport20. Other organelles21. Applications of cellular and molecular technology
Laboratory Modules1. Microscopes and Histochemistry2. Cell Fractionation3. Enzyme Kinetics: Catalase4. Protein Assay, Gel Electrophoresis, and Western Blotting5. Cell Culture/ Cell Cycle6. Recombinant DNA and Genetic Cloning
a. PCR and gel electrophoresisb. Plasmid Prep and Restriction Digestc. Transformation and Transfection
Prepared by Barbara BoyanLast modified March 16, 2007
BMED 3161 Systems Physiology II {Required}
Credit: 2-5-4
Prerequisite(s): BMED 2300 and 3160 and CEE/ISYE/MATH 3770 (w/concurrency)
Catalog DescriptionQuantitative model-oriented approaches to the study of human physiologic functions and integrative analysis of the control of homeostatic processes.
TextHuman Physiology, Silverthorn, D.U., Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ, 3rd edition, 2003.
ObjectivesThe goals of this course are to introduce students to the major organ systems and the corresponding function(s). The concepts of homeostasis and the means by which several organ systems combine to maintain homeostasis will be discussed. In addition, the students will apply engineering skills learned in other biomedical engineering courses to solving physiological problems. Laboratory experiments will be used to both help reinforce the lecture topics and to develop experimental skills in the students.
OutcomesBy the end of this course the students will:
1. become familiar with anatomical structures and physiologic functions of major organ systems (Program Outcome 1)
2. understand homeostatic processes and integration of human organ systems (Program Outcome 1)
3. develop quantitative skills for analyzing physiologic processes (Program Outcomes 2 and 4) 4. develop the ability to address the challenges associated with the interaction between living
systems and non-living materials and systems when designing and conducting experiments (Program Outcomes 4)
5. develop the ability to measure, statistically analyze, and interpret experimental data from living systems (Program Outcomes 2 and 4)
6. complete an open-ended team-based experimental design project that will culminate in a poster presentation (Program Outcomes 2, 4, 5 and 6).
Topical Outline1. Introduction to Physiology and Pathophysiology2. Review of Cell Physiology3. Membranes and Transport4. Action Potentials and Excitable Cells5. Cell-Cell Communication6. Homeostasis7. Anatomical Compartments and Body Fluids8. Sensory Physiology and Spinal Cord9. Brain and Higher Order Function10. Autonomic Nervous System
11. Neural Injury/Disease12. Muscle Physiology13. Neuro-muscular Integration14. Endocrine System – Hormones/Pituitary15. Endocrine System – Thyroid/Adrenal16. Endocrine System – Disease17. Cardiovascular Physiology – Heart18. Cardiovascular Physiology – Peripheral Vasculature and Blood19. Cardiovascular Physiology – Blood Pressure and Disease20. Respiratory Physiology – Lungs21. Respiratory Physiology – Gas Transport22. Renal Physiology and Fluid Balance23. Cardio-Respiratory-Renal Integration24. Inflammation/Immune Function25. Immune Diseases
Laboratory Modules1. Neural Anatomy/Physiology
a. EEG measurements2. Skeletal Muscle Anatomy/Physiology
a. EMG measurements (human)b. EMG measurements (frog)
3. Cardiovascular Anatomy/Physiologya. ECG measurements (human)b. ECG measurements (frog)
4. Blood Pressurea. Pulse and pressure measurements
5. Respiratory Anatomy/Physiologya. Pulmonary function measurements
6. Research Project
Prepared by Michelle LaPlacaLast modified March 16, 2007
BMED 3300 Biotransport {Required}
Credit: 4-0-4
Prerequisite(s): BMED 2210 (w/minimum grade of “C”)
Catalog DescriptionFundamental principles of fluid, heat, and mass transfer with particular emphasis on physiological and biomedical systems.
TextFundamentals of Momentum, Heat, and Mass Transfer, J.R. Welty, C.E. Wicks, R.E. Wilson, G. Rorrer, 4th ed, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, NY, 2001.
ObjectivesThe overall objective of this course is to introduce students to the fundamentals of momentum, heat and mass transfer for their application to biotransport problems.
OutcomesSpecifically at the end of the course students will be able to:
1. formulate differential equations that represent the physical situation of biomedical problems involving mass, momentum and/or heat transfer and determine appropriate boundary conditions. (Program Outcomes 1 and 2)
2. apply conservation laws of fluid flow to describe the system for various geometries, particularly for flow through conduits. (Program Outcomes 1 and 2)
3. distinguish between modes of heat transfer or mass transfer, explain analogies between hear and mass transfer and apply the correct equations to describe each mode. (Program Outcomes 1 and 2)
4. apply differential mass or heat balances to determine concentrations or temperatures at a particular point or concentration/temperature profiles with and without (biochemical) reactions, and to determine mass/heat fluxes, respectively. (Program Outcomes 1 & 2)
5. determine convective mass/heat transfer coefficients using appropriate analogies for the geometric situation. (Program Outcomes 1 and 2)
Topical Outline1. Fundamental Molecular Mass Transfer
Concentrations, mass and molar velocities, fluxesFick’s law, diffusivity Rate equations for mass transfer in a binary mixtureMembrane permeability, molecular/pore diameter, partition coefficient, solute molecular weight Convection mass transfer definition, mass transfer coefficient
2. Differential Equations of Mass TransferDifferential species mass balances – control volume, equation of continuitySpecial forms of the continuity equation – Fick’s second law, Laplace equationCommon boundary conditionsShell Mass balances
Steps for modeling processes involving molecular diffusion Diffusion with chemical reaction and diffusional resistances in series
3. Convective Mass TransferDimensionless parameters Concentration boundary layer analysis Mass, energy, and momentum analogiesTransport of solute between a capillary and the surrounding tissue Overall mass transfer coefficient; Solute transport in a vascularized bedMembrane processes, fluid side mass transfer coefficient with a permeable membrane
4. Fundamental Fluid MechanicsFluid properties – point, system, elementVelocity and acceleration of fluid elementsShear stress vs. shear rate, viscosity, wall shear stress, wall shear rateNewtonian and Non-Newtonian fluids; Steady flow in a circular pipe
5. Principles of Fluid FlowMacroscopic mechanical energy balance Bernoulli Equation and applications Friction losses – friction factor, friction loss and pump workHydraulic networks – pipes in series and pipes in parallelFlow past immersed bodies – wall drag and form drag and drag coefficients
6. Fundamental Heat TransferConductive heat transfer, thermal conductivity, resistances Connvection and radiative heat transferCombined mechanisms of heat transfer, resistances in series, overall heat transfer coefficient
7. Differential Equations of Heat TransferDifferential equation for heat transferBioheat equationSpecial forms of the differential energy equationCommon boundary conditionsConduction in systems with heat sources Heat transfer with phase change
8. Convective Heat TransferDimensionless parameters Convective heat transfer coefficient correlations – Natural and forced convection, laminar flow, turbulent flow, different geometries
9. Transient Heat Transfer Lumped parameter analysisTransient conduction charts, 2D an 3D transport Heat transfer into a semi-infinite medium
10. Heat ExchangersSingle-pass heat-exchanger analysisCrossflow and shell-and-tube heat exchangers Overall heat transfer coefficient
Prepared by Julia BabenseeLast modified March 16, 2007
BMED 3400 Introduction to Biomechanics {Required}
Credit: 4-0-4
Prerequisite(s): (MATH 2403 (w/concurrency) or MATH 2413 (w/concurrency)) and COE 2001 (w/minimum grade of “C”)
Catalog DescriptionAn introduction to the basic concepts and methods in mechanics, as applied to biological systems, including mechanics of materials and rigid-body dynamics. The biomedical applications of mechanics will be illustrated.
TextNone
Objectives
The overall objective of this course is to provide students the basic concepts, approaches, and biomedical applications of mechanics. Emphasis is placed on teaching students problem-posing and problem-solving skills and illustrating how the fundamentals of mechanics are applied to biological problems.
Outcomes
At the end of the course the students should be able to:1. Draw free-body diagrams and solve for forces and moments in a musculoskeletal system (Program
Outcomes 1 and 2)
2. Obtain stress and strain distributions in bone and other simple structures under tension, compression, torsion and bending (Program Outcomes 1 and 2)
3. Describe the mechanical properties of biological tissues (Program Outcome 1)
4. Apply Newton’s laws to predict the motion of rigid particles (Program Outcome 1)
5. Analyze the dynamics of rigid bodies and solve for velocities, acceleration or forces (Program Outcomes 1 and 2)
6. Apply basic mechanics to other biological problems (Program Outcomes 1 and 2)
Topical Outline
1. Statics ReviewApplication of statics to biomechanics
2. Mechanics of MaterialsAxial loading and deformation
- Normal Stress-Strain relations
- Hooke’s Law, Poisson’s ratio- Axial deflection with distributed loads- Axial deflection with variable geometry- Axial loading and failure criteria- Principle of superposition- Solving statically indeterminate problems
Torsional loading and deformation- Shear Stress-Strain relations- Torsion in circular shafts- Torsional deflection, failure criteria- Distributed loads, superposition, static indeterminacy
Bending loading and deformation- Shear force and bending moment- Shear and moment diagrams review- Bending stress in beams- Shear stress in beams- The elastic curve and deflection in beams- Combined loadings- Principal stresses
3. Dynamics of Rigid BodiesLinear particle kinematics and kineticsFree vibration; spring-mass-damper systemForced vibrationViscoelastic modeling of biological tissuesCurvilinear particle motionKinematics of rigid bodiesRelative velocityRelative accelerationKinetics of rigid bodiesEquations of motionEnergy methods, Impulse and Momentum
Prepared by Lena TingLast modified March 16, 2007
BMED 3500 Biomedical Sensors and Instrumentation {Required}
Credit: 2-3-3
Prerequisite(s): ECE 2025 and ECE 3741(w/concurrency) and BMED 2300 and CEE/ISYE/MATH 3770 (w/concurrency)
Catalog DescriptionA study of basic concepts, analysis, and design of electronic sensors and instrumentation used in biomedical measurements. Standard clinical measurement techniques will also be examined.
TextBioinstrumentation, J. Webster, ed., John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, NJ, 2004
ObjectivesThe overall objective of this course is to introduce students to the basic principles and design issues of biomedical sensors and instrumentation, including: the physical principles of biomedical sensors, analysis of biomedical instrumentation systems, and the application-specific biomedical sensor and instrumentation design
OutcomesBy the end of the course the students will be able to:1. classify systems modeling biomedical sensors and instrumentation (Program Outcomes 1 & 2)2. use LaPlace Transforms to analyze and solve mathematical models of sensors and instrumentation
(Program Outcomes 1 & 2)3. measure the static and dynamic characteristics of bioinstrumentation systems (Program Outcomes
1, 2 & 4)4. design simple analog circuits (e.g. instrumentation amplifiers and active filters) used in
bioinstrumentation (Program Outcomes 2 & 4)5. apply sampling theorem fundamentals to design and implement A/D conversion processes for
biomedical signal acquisition (Program Outcomes 2 & 4)6. design and conduct experiments involving biomedical sensors (e.g. biopotential, pressure, force,
displacement, and/or blood and gas flow sensors) as well as to measure and interpret experimental data from living systems (Program Outcomes 2 & 4)
7. complete an open-ended team-based design project that will culminate in a poster presentation (Program Outcomes 1, 2, 4, 5, & 6)
Topical Outline1. Representation of Systems
a) Forms of mathematical modelsb) System classification
2. LaPlace Transformsa) Definition and propertiesb) Convolution integralc) Important transform pairsd) Inverse transforms
3. Biopotential Sensors a) Electrodes b) Applications
4. Bioinstrumentation Systemsa) Basic Concepts & Characteristicsb) Single-Time Constant Circuitsc) Review of Op Amp Fundamentalsd) Signal Conditioninge) Digital Signal Processing
5. Pressure, Force and Displacement Sensorsa) Transduction methodb) Applications
6. Blood and Gas Flow Sensorsa) Electromagnetic flowmeterb) Ultrasonic flowmeterc) Thermodilution catheter
Laboratory Modulesa. Review of concepts and instrumentationb. Introduction to LabVIEWc. Frequency analysis of biopotentialsd. Dynamic modeling of analog filterse. Dynamic modeling of the kenetic response of a thermistorf. Modeling and analysis of biopotential electrodesg. Bandpass filters for ECG applicationsh. Pressure Sensors for phonocardiogram (PCG) measurementi. Design project
Prepared by Paul BenkeserLast modified March 16, 2007
BMED 4400 Neuroengineering Fundamentals {Elective}
Credit: 2-6-4
Prerequisite(s): BMED 3500 and BMED 4752
Catalog DescriptionLab and Lecture on current topics in NeuroEngineering, including electrophysiology, clinical and diagnostic neuroengineering, neural prosthetics, sensory-motor integration, neuromorphic VLSI, neurodynamics, neurorobotics.
TextNeuroscience, 3rd ed. by Purves et al.
ObjectivesIn this course students will gain the knowledge and laboratory skills necessary for the study of feedback and dynamics of neural systems. Each laboratory module will incorporate literature searching, experimental design, modeling of some aspect of the system under study, data visualization and analysis, scientific writing. The teaching approach will build on problem-based learning (PBL) skills in small groups.
Outcomes1. To become conversant in all of the fields where technology and neural tissue meet, in both
clinical and basic research settings (Program Outcomes 1 and 9).2. To hone self-directed inquiry skills through the design and execution of laboratory experiments
(Program Outcomes 4 and 8).3. To learn and apply modeling and data analysis tools to real data obtained during lab (Program
Outcomes 2 & 4).4. To hone group skills, working as small teams in and out of the lab (Program Outcome 6).5. To learn both single-unit and multi-unit neurophysiology (Program Outcomes 1 and 2).6. To develop an appreciation of neural dynamics, including sensory-motor integration and
feedback (Program Outcome 1).
Topical OutlineLecture
1. Review of basic neurobiologya. The nervous system, its inputs and outputsb. Basic cellular neurobiologyc. Neuron activity, neurodynamics, oscillations and bursts
2. Neuromorphic engineering: VLSI silicon (electronics) models of neural systems3. Hybrid neural microsystems4. Neural interfacing for sensory and motor prosthetics
5. Neural interfacing for treatment of disease (functional electrical stimulation)6. Neural interfacing for in vitro brain models7. Real-time neural data analysis and feedback;8. Neurally-controlled robots9. Diagnostic neural interfacing10. Optical recording in research and the clinic11. Models of neural trauma and neuropathology12. Neural tissue engineering, repair and regeneration13. Motor control14. Neuromuscular and neuromechanical systems
Laboratory ModulesThe Laboratory component will include three modules that will emphasize feedback and the dynamics of neural systems. We will begin at the single-neuron level of analysis in the first module, get into networks in the 2nd module, and look at the Big Picture in the 3rd module:
1. Single-unit recording and stimulation with sharp microelectrodes. This will utilize ganglia from Helisoma (pond snail) and/or Aplysia (sea hare), and will be advised by Prof. Butera, who applies these ideas and methods in his research. Emphasis will be on cellular dynamics.
2. Multi-unit recording and stimulation with multi-electrode arrays. This will use cultured mammalian neurons . Emphasis will be on network dynamics. It will be advised by Prof. Potter, who uses these techniques in his research.
3. Sensory-motor integration. Here the students will conduct psychophysical experiments on each other. It will be advised by Prof. Ting, who studies such issues in her research. Emphasis will be on whole-organism dynamics.
Each module will incorporate literature searching, experimental design, modeling of some aspect of the system under study, data visualization and analysis, scientific writing and oral presentation. The teaching approach will build on problem-based learning (PBL) skills in small groups.
Prepared by Steve PotterLast modified March 16, 2007
BMED 4500 Cell and Tissue Engineering Laboratory {Elective}
Credit: 1-6-3
Prerequisite(s): (BMED 3160 or BIOL 3331) and BMED 3300 and BMED 3400
Catalog DescriptionThe principles of cell and tissue engineering will be presented in a hands-on laboratory experience. Cell engineering topics include receptor/ligand interactions, cell cycle/metabolism, cell adhesion, cellular mechanics, cell signal transduction, and cell transfection. Tissue engineering topics include applications, biomaterials/scaffolds and cells for reparative medicine, bioreactors and bioprocessing, functional assessment, and in vivo issues.
TextTissue Engineering, Bernhard O. Palsson, Sangeeta N. Bhatia, Pearson Prentice Hall, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ, (2004).
ObjectivesThe overall objective of this course is to present the engineering, biological and basic science aspects of cell and tissue engineering through an active learning laboratory approach to stress the research nature of this field. Furtherance of this objective includes familiarity with a set of techniques and experimental skills, translation of theoretical concepts to the development of practical materials and devices and evaluation of the critical issues and choices needed in developing a tissue engineered construct.
OutcomesSpecifically at the end of the course students will be able to:
1. apply their acquired laboratory skills and experimental design skills to cell and tissue engineering experiments through the use of experimental variables and controls and gain experience in data generation, analysis (including statistical analysis) and presentation (Program Outcomes 1, 2, 4 & 5)
2. identify the engineering and biological issues relevant to cell and tissue engineering (Program Outcomes 1 & 9)
3. evaluate the critical issues and choices needed in developing a tissue engineered construct (Program Outcomes 2 & 9)
4. evaluate the governing principles of cell and tissue engineering through comparison of what is physically performed in the laboratory with what is presented in the corresponding lecture component (Program Outcomes 2 & 4)
Topical Outline
The cell engineering topics (and experiments) are: • Cell culture (Tissue culture fundamentals)• Cell cycle/Metabolism (Cell viability assays - MTT assay, LIVE/DEAD™ assay, trypan blue), • Receptor/ligand interactions (EGF binding to A431 cells – Scatchard plot),
• Cell adhesion (Centrifugation assay for cell adhesion to fibronectin gradients), • Cellular migration (fibroblast scratch assay).
The tissue engineering topics (and experiments) are:• Applications – cardiovascular, orthopeadic, nervous system, metabolic organs,• Biomaterials/scaffolds for reparative medicine (Preparation of PLGA scaffolds),• Cells for repair (Seeding scaffolds with a bone cell line),• Bioreactors and bioprocessing (Culture under static versus dynamic conditions, assessment of
cell growth and function),• Functional assessments (Cell growth using a DNA assay, alkaline phosphatase activity and
calcium deposition using alizarin red staining),• In vivo issues (Host response and bone formation in tissue engineered bone constructs using
light microscopy).
Prepared by Julia BabenseeLast modified March 16, 2007
BMED 4600/4601 Senior Design Project I/II {Required}
Credit: 1-3-2 (4600); 1-6-3 (4601)
Prerequisite(s)BMED 4600 – BMED 3161 (w/concurrency) and BMED 3500 (w/concurrency)BMED 4601 – BMED 4600
Catalog DescriptionTeam-oriented major design project in biomedical engineering, incorporating engineering standards and realistic design constraints.
TextbooksNone
ObjectivesTo prepare students for engineering practice through a major design experience incorporating engineering standards and realistic constraints that include most of the following considerations: economic; environmental; sustainability; manufacturability; ethical; health and safety; social; and political.
OutcomesSpecifically, at the end of the two-course sequence the students will be able to:
1. develop a problem statement and design requirements/constraints for a design problem of interest to a client (Program Outcomes 1, 3 and 5)
2. use design requirements/constraints to develop a design solution by evaluating a number of alternative designs (Program Outcomes 1, 2 and 3)
3. build a prototype, model or related proof of concept of your design (Program Outcomes 2 and 3)
4. identify and describe the potential social impact and ethical concerns within the USA associated with the product of their design efforts (Program Outcome 7)
5. identify and describe the potential social impact and ethical concerns within the country of their International Plan (IP) experience associated with the product of their design efforts [IP students only]
6. explain the pre- and post-market impact of FDA regulations (Program Outcome 7)7. explain the pre- and post-market impact of the regulatory body in the country of their IP
experience [IP students only]8. complete a final report and poster presentation which includes, where applicable, analysis of
critical processes, components or assemblies, CAD drawings (including tolerances and assembly drawings), costs of production (time and materials), material selection and rationale, manufacturing considerations (process selection and rationale), etc. (Program Outcomes 3 and 5)
Prepared by Paul BenkeserLast modified January 16, 2008
BMED/MP/NRE 4750 Diagnostic Imaging Physics {Elective}
Credit: 3-0-3
Prerequisite: NRE/MP 3112 or BMED 3500
Catalog Description Physics and image formation methods for conventional X-ray, digital X-ray CT, nuclear medicine, and magnetic resonance and ultrasound imaging.
TextbookCho ZH, Jones JP, Singh M: Foundations of Medical Imaging, (John Wiley & Sons, N.Y.), 1993.
Objective 1. To train students in the fundamentals of image acquisition, deconvolution, radiation production
back projection
2. To teach students about various imaging devices and applications.
OutcomesBy the end of the course the students will be able to demonstrate:
1. an understanding of x-ray ultrasound and magnetic resonance interactions with tissue and the various components of imaging systems. (Program Outcome 1)
2. the ability to use fundamentals of mathematics and physics to analyze image data. (Program Outcomes 1 and 2)
3. a knowledge of modern imaging devices and their application in medicine and in industry. (Program Outcome 9)
Topical Outline
1. Conventional Planar Imaging (a) X-ray production (b) X-ray image formation and contrast (c) Photographic process and film characteristics (d) Fluoroscopic imaging systems (e) Image Noise
2. Digital X-ray Imaging and Computed Tomography (a) Digital imaging systems and image processing (b) Computed tomography (CT) image formation (c) CT image quality (d) Specialized digital techniques (e) Bioeffects and safety
3. Nuclear Medicine Imaging (a) The gamma camera
(b) Detection and process of gamma-ray signals (c) Tomographic image formation (d) Image quality (e) Bioeffects and safety
4. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) (a) Intrinsic and extrinsic parameters affecting MRI contrast (b) The magnetic field B0 and the equilibrium distribution (c) The Larmor Frequency and the radiofrequency field B1 (d) Relaxation mechanisms (T1, T2, T2*) and effects of common contrast agents (e) The spin-echo sequences (f) Spatial coding using linear magnetic field gradients (g) Imaging quality (h) Bioeffects and safety
5. Ultrasound Imaging (a) Ultrasound plane waves (b) Propagation of sound waves through tissue (c) Single element transducers (d) Transducer arrays (e) Pulse echo equipment signal processing (f) B-mode Imaging (g) Continuous wave and pulse Doppler (h) Flow imaging with ultrasound (i) Imaging quality (j) Bioeffects and safety
Prepared by John OshinskiLast modified March 16, 2007
BMED/MSE 4751 Introduction to Biomaterials {Elective}
Credit: 3-0-3
Prerequisite(s): MSE 2001
Catalog Description Introduction to different classes of biomaterials (polymers, metals, ceramics) and physiological responses to biomaterial implantation. Topics include material properties, host response, and biomaterial characterization techniques.
TextJ.S. Temenoff and A.G. Mikos. Biomaterials: The Intersection of Biology and Materials Science. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, expected c 2008. (Currently available as class-notes)
ObjectivesTo provide a broad-based introduction for undergraduates to different types of biomaterials (metals, ceramics, polymers) and the body’s natural responses to biomaterial implantation. Emphasis will be placed on how basic principles in chemistry and physics result in structural and functional differences in biomaterial types. The second half of the course will center on how biomaterial properties affect biological responses. Characterization techniques for both material properties and biological responses will be included in each section where appropriate.
Outcomes By the end of the course the students will understand the:
1. structure-properties relationships in ceramic, metal, and polymer biomaterials (Program Outcomes 1, 2)
2. biological environment and mechanisms within the ‘host’ that interacts with implanted biomaterials and ultimately determine their function in vivo (Program Outcomes 1, 2)
3. basic principles and applications of characterization techniques for surface and bulk properties of materials, as well as biological response to materials (Program Outcomes 2, 4)
4. basic biomedical applications of ceramic, metal, and polymer biomaterials (Program Outcome 9)
Topical OutlineMaterials science of biomaterials 1. Materials for biomedical applications
Types of biomaterials - metals, ceramics, synthetic & naturally-derived polymersImportant properties & characterization of biomaterials Principles of chemistry - atomic structure; ionic, covalent and metallic bonds
2. Chemical structure of biomaterialsCrystal types (metals, ceramics); polymerization methodsPrinciples of bulk analysis techniques
3. Physical properties of biomaterialsCrystallinity and thermal transitionsPrinciples of DSC
4. Mechanical properties of biomaterials
Comparison of properties between material typesIntroduction to mechanical testing procedures
5. Biomaterial degradationCorrosion; polymer hydrolysisBiodegradable materials
6. Biomaterial processingStrengthening techniques (cold working, drawing, etc.)Shape-forming techniques (casting, extrusion, etc.)Sterilization methods
7. Surface properties of biomaterialsIntroduction to physical chemistry of surfaces; Surface modification techniquesPrinciples of surface analysis techniques & relationship to bulk analysis techniques
The biology of biomaterials 1. Protein interactions with biomaterials
Thermodynamic principles governing protein adsorptionGeneral protein structure (primary to tertiary); protein adsorption – Vroman effectProtein rearrangement on surfaces; Principles of assays for protein type and amount
2. Cell interactions with biomaterials Cellular structure and function of organelles; Components of extracellular matrixCell cycle and cell differentiation, discussion of cell phenotypeModels of cell adhesion, spreading and migration Overview of cytotoxicity assays, DNA and RNA assays and immunostaining
3. Biomaterials and thrombosis Overview of extrinsic and intrinsic coagulation cascadeRole of platelets, endotheliumAssays for thrombogenicity of biomaterials (in vitro, in vivo, ex vivo)
4. Biomaterial implantation and acute inflammation Innate vs. acquired immunity; Types of leukocytesOverview of inflammation up to 1 day (macrophage maturation)
5. Wound healing and the presence of biomaterials Resolution after biomaterial implantationIntroduction to in-vivo assessment of biocompatibility (ISO standards, choice of model, means of assessment)
6. Immune response and biomaterials Humoral vs. cellular immunityOverview of antigen presentation and leukocyte maturationB cells - types, characteristics of antibodies; T cells - typesOverview of the complement cascade; Hypersensitivity and biomaterials
7. Infection, tumorigenesis and calcification of biomaterials Overview of steps to infection and role of biomaterial surfaceTypes of bacteria; Definitions of tumorigenesis, carcinogenesis, etc.Chemical vs. foreign-body carcinogenesisMechanisms of pathologic calcification
Prepared by Johnna TemenoffLast modified March 16, 2007
BMED/BIOL 4752: Introductory Neuroscience {Elective}
Credit: 3-0-3
Prerequisite(s): Senior standing or consent of instructor
Catalog descriptionGoals are to understand the components of the nervous system and their functional interactions, and appreciate the complexity of higher order brain functions and pathways.
TextPurves, et al.. Neuroscience, 3rd Edition, Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, MA. with Sylvius CDAdditional reading as assigned.
ObjectivesTo learn the components of the nervous system and their functional interactions, and appreciate the complexity of higher order brain functions and pathways.
OutcomesSpecifically at the end of the course students will be able to:
1. Understand the building blocks of the nervous system and how they functionally interact2. Appreciate the complexity of higher order brain functions and begin to understand the
pathways involved3. Synthesize new connections, ideas and approaches about neuroscience research drawing from
examples given in lecture, handouts and the textbook4. Independently obtain and report, in written and oral form, topical neuroscience information.
Topical Outline1. Neuroanatomy2. Development and wiring3. Membranes4. Synaptic transmission, neurotransmitters and signaling5. Somatic sensory system6. Vision7. Chemical senses8. Pain9. Sensorimotor integration10. Motor neurons and circuits and motor system control11. Synaptic and activity-mediated plasticity12. Association cortices13. Learning and memory14. Language and speech15. Drug abuse16. Functional brain imaging17. Consciousness18. Auditory & vestibular systems
19. Emotions20. Neuroethcs21. Sleep and dreams
Prepared by Steve PotterLast modified April 18, 2007
BMED/ME 4757 Biofluid Mechanics {Elective}
Credit: 3-0-3
Prerequisite(s): AE 2020 or BMED 3300 or ME 3340
Catalog DescriptionIntroduction to the study of blood flow in the cardiovascular system. Emphasis on modeling and the potential of flow studies for clinical research application.
TextChandran, KB, Yoganathan AP, and Rittgers S. “Biofluid Mechanics: The Human Circulation”, CRC 1st Edition (November 15, 2006), ISBN: 084937328X
ObjectivesTo introduce undergraduate students to basic biofluid mechanic studies and current clinical research problems with emphasis on the cardiovascular system.
OutcomesSpecifically at the end of the course students will develop a foundation in:
1. Fluid and solid mechanics that are pertinent to blood flow in heart and vessels. (Program Outcome 1)
2. Cardiovascular physiology. (Program Outcome 1)3. Fluid mechanical analysis of the human circulation, primarily applied to blood flow at the
arterial level. (Program Outcome 1 and 2)4. Fluid mechanical analysis of vascular implants (e.g. prosthetic valves) and measurements in the
cardiovascular system. (Program Outcome 1 and 2)5. Velocity measurement techniques relevant to blood flow (e.g. MRI, Ultrasound Doppler, etc).
(Program Outcome 1 and 2)
Topical Outline1. Introduction/Review of Fluid Dynamics 2. Introduction to Solid Mechanics3. Review of Cardiovascular Physiology4. Blood Rheology and Blood Vessel Mechanics 5. Hydrostatics and Steady Flow Models6. Unsteady Flow and Non-Uniform Geometric Models7. Native Heart Valve Dynamics8. Prosthetic Heart Valve Fluid Dynamics9. Vascular Therapeutic Techniques10. Fluid Dynamic Measurement Techniques relevant to Blood Flow
Prepared by Ajit YoganathanLast modified April 17, 2007
BMED/ME 4758 Biosolid Mechanics {Elective}
Credit: 3-0-3
Prerequisite(s): BMED 3400 or COE 3001
Catalog DescriptionThe mechanics of living tissue, e.g., arteries, skin, heart muscle, ligament, tendon, cartilage, and bone. Constitutive equations and some simple mechanical models. Mechanics of cells. Applications.
TextCardiovascular Solid Mechanics, JD Humphrey, Springer New York, 2004. (required)
Biomechanics. Mechanical Properties of Living Tissues, 2nd Edition, YC Fung, Springer New York, 1993. (recommended)
Objectives
The overall objective of this course is to provide students with the mathematical preliminaries and theoretical framework to analyze the mechanics of biological materials. Much of the course will consider modeling biological tissues as non-linear, elastic, homogeneous, anisotropic, incompressible materials. Additional consideration will be given to viscoelasticity, heterogeneities, and linearized elasticity and quasi-linear viscoelasticity.
Outcomes
At the end of the course the students should be able to:1. Perform basic tensor algebra operations and employ index notation to manipulate expressions
containing scalar, vector and second-order tensors. (Program Outcomes 1 and 2)
2. Understand the concepts and various definitions of stress and strain and identify the 3D state of stress and strain under different loading scenarios, including uniaxial and biaxial extension and compression, simple and pure shear, and inflation and extension of a residually stressed tube. (Program Outcomes 1 and 2)
3. Delineate the general mechanical characteristics of different biological materials and identify an appropriate theoretical framework to perform stress analysis on these materials. (Program Outcomes 1 and 2)
4. Apply the basic postulates of classical physics (conservation of mass, linear and angular momentum, and energy and the entropy inequality) to determine the 3D distribution of stress and strain in biological tissues under various loading scenarios with a given constitutive equation. (Program Outcomes 1 and 2)
5. Apply the basic postulates of classical physics to formulate constitutive equations and determine material parameters for biological tissues modeled as non-linear, elastic, heterogeneous, anisotropic, incompressible materials. (Program Outcomes 1 and 2)
Topical Outline
1. Introduction2. Mathematical Preliminaries
Properties and Manipulation of Scalars, Vectors, and TensorsMatrix Methods
3. Continuum MechanicsKinematics: Deformation and Concept of StrainStress, TractionBalance RelationsConstitutive Formulation
4. Finite Elasticity for Soft Tissue BiomechanicsUniaxial ExtensionPlanar Biaxial ExtensionInflation, Extension, and Torsion of a Thick Walled, Residually Stressed Tube
5. Soft Tissue ViscoelasticityFinite ViscoelasticityLinear and Quasi-Linear Viscoelasticity
Prepared by Rudy GleasonLast modified April 24, 2007
BMED/CHEM/CHBE 4765 Drug Design, Development and Delivery {Elective}
Credit: 3-0-3
Prerequisite(s): CHEM 3511 or 4511
Catalog DescriptionIntroduction to the pharmaceutical development process, including design of new drugs, synthesis and manufacturing issues, and methods for delivery into the body. Includes student presentations.
TextNone
ObjectivesThe course introduces the student to drug design, development, and delivery in the context of the process of generating pharmaceutical therapies. The curriculum is designed to include an interdisciplinary mix of ideas that emphasize the intersection of engineering and chemistry/biochemistry applied to pharmaceuticals.
After an introduction to the critical issues in drug design, development, and delivery, the course focuses on a series of case studies of actual drug products involving written and oral student reports. Students are expected to participate heavily in class discussions and project preparation/presentation. Class attendance and familiarity with the assigned readings are required.
OutcomesAfter completing this course, students should be able to:
1. appreciate critical issues, perform analysis, and make quantitative calculations related to drug design (Program Outcome 1)
2. appreciate critical issues, perform analysis, and make quantitative calculations related to drug development (Program Outcome 1)
3. appreciate critical issues, perform analysis, and make quantitative calculations related to drug delivery (Program Outcome 1)
4. integrate concepts from drug design, development and delivery and appreciate their interdependence (Program Outcome 9)
5. understand the different phases of the pharmaceutical process (Program Outcome 9)6. appreciate the role of alternative methods and broader implications of the pharmaceutical
process (Program Outcome 9)7. communicate with professionals in the pharmaceutical community (Program Outcome 5).
Topical OutlineIntroduction
Challenges of drug design, development and deliveryCurrent practice of developing new drugsSuccessful examples of drug design and developmentTutorial on transport phenomenaTutorial on transport phenomena
Tutorial on bioorganic chemistryDrug Design
Drug characteristics; Sources of drugsStructure-based drug design; High throughput screeningThe story of four enzymes
Drug DevelopmentChirality; Chemo- and biocatalysis; Pharma process development (Tamiflu)Hydrolyses & condensation reactions; Thermodynamic & kinetic control; PeptidesRedox reactions; Oxidoreductases; Phenylalkanol drugs; SteroidsAdditions; Development of a protein therapeuticDevelopment of vaccines (influenza vaccine)
Drug DeliveryConventional delivery methods; Pharmacokinetic modelsPolymeric controlled release systemsTransdermal delivery; Ocular and other routes of delivery; Future directions in drug deliveryPharmaceutical marketingIntroduction to testosterone patch
Case Study I: Testosterone PatchChemical synthesis of testosterone; Microbial synthesis of testosterone synthesisTransdermal patch delivery of testosterone; Other methods of testosterone deliveryBroader implications: steroid abuseIntroduction to ocular dorzolamide
Case Study II: Ocular DorzolamideDorzolamide synthesis by conventional chemoenzymatic synthesisDorzolamide synthesis by novel chemoenzymatic routesTopical dorzolamide delivery to the eyeStructure-permeability relationships for ocular deliveryBroader implications: race-based health disparitiesIntroduction to leuprolide implant
Case Study III: Leuprolide ImplantSolid-state synthesis of leuprolideEnzymatic synthesis of leuprolidePolymeric controlled release of leuprolideProtein stability in controlled release systemsChemical vs. enzymatic synthesis of nifedipineBroader implications: FDA approval process
Prepared by Mark PrausnitzLast modified March 22, 2007
BMED/ECE 4783 Introduction to Medical Image Processing {Elective}
Credit: 3-0-3
Prerequisite(s): ECE 2025 and (MATH 3770 or ISYE 3770 or CEE 3770)
Catalog DescriptionA study of mathematical methods used in medical image acquisition and processing. Concepts, algorithms, and methods associated with acquisition, processing, and display of two- and three-dimensional medical images are studied.
TextDigital Image Processing, R. C. Gonzalez, R. E. Woods, Second Edition, Prentice Hall.
ObjectivesTo overall objective of this course is to provide an overview of mathematical tools used in medical imaging and an introduction to medical image processing.
OutcomesBy the end of the course the students should be able to:
1. know the basics of methods common to medical image acquisition and medical image processing (Program Outcome 1)a. distinguish continuous from discrete imagesb. distinguish linear from nonlinear image operatorsc. understand and apply discrete and continuous two- and higher-dimensional Fourier
transformd. understand image formation and representation
2. understand and apply basic image processing techniques - enhancement and restoration (Program Outcomes 1, 2)a. understand the mathematics behind these techniquesb. implement these techniques in Matlab
3. understand and apply advanced image processing techniques - segmentation, registration, and motion analysis - to medical problems (Program Outcomes 1, 2)a. understand the mathematics behind these techniquesb. use basic image processing techniques to improve the performance of advanced onesc. implement these techniques in Matlab and apply them to real-life medical problems
Topical Outline1. Linear 2-D Transforms
a. Linear systems and convolutionb. Continuous Fourier transformc. Discrete Fourier transformd. Generalization to N-D transforms
2. Image Formation and Representationa. Sampling and sampling theoremb. Quantizationc. Color images
3. Image Enhancement and Restoration a. Image noiseb. Histogram equalization and matchingc. Low and high pass filteringd. Median filteringe. Inverse filteringf. Wiener filtering
4. Image Analysisa. Edge detectionb. Segmentationc. Registrationd. Motion analysise. Mathematical morphology
5. Image Compressiona. Error-free compression
6. Reconstruction from Projectionsa. Radon transformb. Filtered backprojectionc. Iterative Reconstruction
Prepared by Oskar SkrinjarLast modified November 6, 2006
BMED/ECE 4784 Engineering Electrophysiology {Elective}
Credit: 3-0-3
Prerequisite(s): ECE 3040 or BMED 3500
Catalog DescriptionBasic concepts of electrophysiology from an engineering perspective. Students learn the function of relevant organs and systems and the instrumentation tools which monitor electrophysiological function.
TextBioelectricity: A Quantitative Approach, R. Plonsey and R. Bar, 2nd edition, 2000
ObjectivesThe overall objective of this course is to introduce students to the basic principles and design issues of biomedical sensors and instrumentation, including: the physical principles of biomedical sensors, analysis of biomedical instrumentation systems, and the application-specific biomedical sensor and instrumentation design
OutcomesBy the end of the course the students will understand the:
1. basic concepts of electrophysiology (Program Outcome 1)2. analogies between active/passive electrical circuits and electrophysiology (Program Outcome
1)3. function of organs and systems in the body relevant to electrophysiology (Program Outcome 1)4. tools used to monitor and quantify the electrophysiological properties of biological systems
(Program Outcomes 1 and 2)
Topical Outline1. Membrane biophysics
a. Diffusion across a cell membraneb. Nernst potentialsc. Diffusion potentialsd. Goldman equation
2. Action potentialsa. Membrane behaviorb. Origin of action potentialsc. Hodgkin-Huxley equationsd. Modelinge. Propagation of action potentialsf. Subthreshold stimuli
3. Extracellular fieldsa. Monopole and dipole models
4. Cellular analysis technologiesa. Coulter counter
b. Impedance spectroscopyc. Fluorescence spectroscopyd. Molecular tagginge. Electrodes
5. Electrophysiology of the hearta. Anatomy/physiology of the heartb. Heart vectorc. Electrode configurationsd. Recordinge. Body surface potentialsf. Interface electronics
6. Neuromuscular junctiona. Transmittersb. Poisson statisticsc. Post-junctional responses
7. Skeletal musclea. Anatomy/physiology of muscleb. Myofibrils and filamentsc. Excitation contraction
8. Functional neuromuscular stimulationa. Electrodesb. Nerve excitation
9. Interface circuitry/systemsa. Neurophysiological analysis systemsb. Skeletal muscle interfacesc. Blood analysis
10. Advanced electrophysiological analysis systemsa. Micro systemsb. Metabolite monitoringc. Prosthetic devices / bionics
Prepared by Bill HuntLast modified March 22, 2007
APPENDIX B – FACULTY RESUMES(Limit 2 pages each)
APPENDIX C – LABORATORY EQUIPMENT
