Program Director:  Professor John Enderle
Department Office: 217 Bronwell Building

For major requirements, see the School of Engineering section of this Catalog.

120. Honors Core: Computational Molecular Biology

(Also offered as CSE 120 and MCB 120.) Either semester. Three credits. Mandoiu, Nelson

Introduction to research in computational biology through lectures, computer lab exercises, and mentored research projects. Topics include gene and genome structure, gene regulation, mechanisms of inheritance, biological databases, sequence alignment, motif finding, human genetics, forensic genetics, stem cell development, comparative genomics, early evolution, and modeling complex systems.

210. Introduction to Biomedical Engineering.

(Also offered as ECE 272.) First semester. Three credits. Prerequisite: BIOL 107. Corequisite: PHYS 151Q and MATH 210Q. Open to sophomores or higher. Fox

 211. Introduction to Biomedical Engineering.

First semester. Three credits. Prerequisite or corequisite: MATH 116Q. Recommended preparation: BIOL 107. Open to sophomores or higher.

Techniques for analysis and modeling of biomedical systems. Application of advanced mathematics (including Differential Equations, Laplace Transforms and Statistics) and computer-aided methods to study problems at the interface of engineering and biology. Elements of physiological modeling and the solution of the transient and forced response for a variety of biomechanical, biomaterial, bioelectrical and biochemical systems.

220. Biochemical Engineering for Biomedical Engineers

First semester. Three credits. Prerequisite: BME 211. Corequisite: CHEM 243.

Introduction to chemical reaction kinetics; enzyme and fermentation technology; microbiology, biochemistry, and cellular concepts; biomass production; organ analysis; viral dynamics.

221. Introduction to Biochemical Engineering

(Also offered as CHEG 273 and as ENVE 283.) First semester. Three credits. Recommended preparation: CHEG 251.

Enzyme and fermentation technology; microbiology, biochemistry, and cellular concepts; biomass production; equipment design, operation, and specification; design of biological reactors; separation processes for bio-products.

223. Fermentation and Separation Technologies Laboratory

Second semester. Three credits. One class and two 3-hour laboratories. Prerequisite: BME 221.

Introduction to techniques used for industrial mass culture of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, and methods used to extract useful products from these cultures. Metabolic processes, energentics, growth kinetics and nutrition of microorganisms. Synthesis of cellular material and end products. Heat exchange, oxygen transfer, pH control, sterilization and design of fermentors. Culture of eukaryotic cell mass. Immobilized enzyme and cell reactors. Product recovery methods of precipitation centrifugation, extraction filtration and chromatography

251. Biosystem Analysis

Second semester. Three credits. Prerequisite: BME 211. This course and ECE 202 may not be both taken for credit.

Fourier analysis, LaPlace analysis and Z-transforms. Techniques for generating quantitative mathematical models of physiological control systems; the behavior of physiological control systems using both time and frequency domain methods.

252. Biomedical Engineering Measurements

First semester. Four credits. Prerequisite: BME 251; ECE 210W.

A lecture and laboratory course that covers fundamentals of biomedical measurement and patient safety. Measurements of physical quantities by means of electronic instruments, mechanical devices and biochemical processes. Analysis of measurement systems using mathematical models. Methods of measuring signals in the presence of noise. Use of computers in measurement systems.

253. Physiological Control Systems

Semester by arrangement. Three credits. Prerequisite: BME 251 or ECE 232.

Analysis of human physiological control systems and regulators through the use of mathematical models. Identification and linearization of system components. Systems interactions, stability, noise, and the relation of system malfunction to disease. The analysis and design of feedback systems to control physiological states through the automatic administration of drugs.

255. Bioinstrumentation

Either semester. Three credits. Prerequisites: BME 252.

Modeling, analysis, design, and operation of transducers, sensors, and electrodes, for physiological systems; operational and instrumentation amplifiers for bioelectric event signal conditioning, interfacing and processing; A/D converters and hardware and software principles as related to sampling, storing, processing, and display of biosignals and digital computers.

261W. Biomechanics

First semester. Four credits. Prerequisites: BME 211 and CE 211; ENGL 110 or 111 or 250.

A lecture and laboratory course that covers mechanics of bone and soft tissue. Biosolids and biofluids. Simple and combined stress and strain, torsion and flexure. Tissue strength and constitutive equations. Fatigue and fracture resistance of bone. Synovial joint mechanics, friction and wear.

262. Biosolid Mechanics

Either semester. Three credits. Prerequisite: BME 261W .

Mechanical behavior of biological solids. Applications of the theories of elasticity, viscoelasticity, and poroelasticity to bones, ligaments and tendons, skeletal muscle, and articular cartilage. Axial, bending, shearing and torsional loadings. Bone morphology and growth. Biphasic theory. Failure theories. Topics may be modified slightly to  accomodate student interests. 

271. Biomaterials

Second semester. Four credits. Prerequisites: MMAT 201 or 243 and BME 211.

A lecture and laboratory course that introduces a series of implant materials including metals, ceramics, glass ceramics, polymers, and composites. These materials are compared with the natural materials, with consideration given to issues of mechanical properties, biocompatibility, degradation of materials by biological systems, and biological response to artificial materials. Particular attention is given to the materials for the total hip prosthesis, dental restoration, and implantable medical devices. 

273. Advanced Biomaterials

Second semester. Three credits. Prerequisite: BME 271. Not open to students who have passed BME 272.

Offers opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge of a series of biomaterials for various applications. Topics include calcium phosphates and composites for hard tissue replacement, drug delivery systems, issues unique to the biomedical field, and regulations for new products and standards.

274. Introduction to Tissue Engineering

Second semester. Three credits. Prerequisite: BME 271.

Presents basic principles of biological, medical, and material science as applied to implantable medical devices, drug delivery systems and artificial organs.

280. Bioinformatics

(Also offered as CSE 277.) Either semester. Three credits. Prerequisite: BIOL 107, CSE 254, and either STAT 220Q or STAT 224Q.

Fundamental mathematical models and computational techniques in bioinformatics. Exact and approximate string matching, suffix trees, pairwise and multiple sequence alignment, Markov chains and hidden Markov models. Applications to sequence analysis, gene finding, database search, phylogenetic tree reconstruction.

290. Biomedical Engineering Design I

Both semesters. Three credits. Prerequisites: This course is taken by seniors in the semester before BME 291.

Discussion of the design process; project statement, specifications project planning, scheduling and division of responsibility, ethics in engineering design, safety, environmental considerations, economic constraints, liability, manufacturing, and marketing. Projects are carried out using a team-based approach. Selection and analysis of a design project to be undertaken in BME 291 is carried out. Written progress reports, a proposal, an interim project report, a final report, and oral presentations are required.

291. Biomedical Engineering Design II

Both semesters. Three credits. Prerequisite: BME 290.

Design of a device, circuit system, process, or algorithm. Team solution to an engineering design problem as formulated in BME 290, from first concepts through evaluation and documentation. Written progress reports, a final report, and oral presentation are required.

295. Special Topics in Biomedical Engineering

Semester, credits and hours by arrangement or as announced.
Prerequisite and/or consent: Announced separately for each course. With a change in topic, this course may be repeated for credit. 

Classroom and/or laboratory courses in special topics as announced for each semester.

299. Independent Study

Either semester. Credits and hours by arrangement or as announced. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. With a change in content, this course may be repeated for credit.

Individual exploration of special topics as arranged by the student with an instructor of his or her choice.