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1 - Introduction: What Is Biomedical Engineering?

W. Mark Saltzman
W. Mark Saltzman
Affiliation:
Yale University, Connecticut
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Summary

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After reading this chapter, you should:

  • Be familiar with how changes in medicine have enhanced life span and quality of life.

  • Understand a few examples of the role of engineering in defining medical treatments.

  • Have developed your own definition of biomedical engineering.

  • Understand some of the subdisciplines that are included in biomedical engineering.

  • Understand the relationship between the study of biomedical engineering and the study of human physiology.

  • Be familiar with the structure of this book, and have developed a plan for using it that fits your needs.

Prelude

The practice of medicine has changed dramatically since you were born. Consider a few of these changes, some of which have undoubtedly affected your own life: Couples can test for pregnancy in their homes, a new vaccine is available for chicken pox, inexpensive contact lenses provide clear vision, artificial hips allow recipients to walk and run, ultrasound imaging follows the progress of pregnancy, and small reliable pumps administer insulin continuously for diabetics. For your parents, the changes have been even more sweeping. Overall life expectancy—that is, the span of years that people born in a given year are expected to live—increased from 50 in 1900 to almost 80 by 2000 (Figure 1.1). You can expect to live 30 years longer than your great-grandparents; you can also expect to be healthier and more active during all the years of your life.

Type
Chapter
Information
Biomedical Engineering
Bridging Medicine and Technology
 , pp. 1 - 28
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2009

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References

Table 1. Deaths, percent of total deaths, and death rates for the 10 leading causes of death in the selected age groups, by race and sex: United States, 2000. National Vital Statistics Report. 2002;50(16):13–48.
Enderle, J, Blanchard, S, Bronzino, J, eds. Introduction to Biomedical Engineering. San Diego: Academic Press; second edition, 2005.
Florman, SC. The Existential Pleasures of Engineering. New York: St. Martins Press, Inc.; 1976.Google Scholar
Nebeker, F. Golden accomplishments in biomedical engineering. IEEE Eng Med Biol Mag. 2002;21(3):17–47.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Katona, PG. The Whitaker Foundation: The end will be just the beginning. IEEE Trans Med Imaging. 2002;21(8):845–849.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Li, C, Granger, C, Schutte, H, Biggers, SB, Kennedy, JM, Latour, RA. Failure analysis of composite femoral components for hip arthroplasty. J Rehabil Res Dev. 2003;40(2):131–146.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ma, B, Lutchen, KR. An anatomically based hybrid computational model of the human lung and its application to low frequency oscillatory mechanics. Ann Biomed Eng. 2006;34(11):1691–1704.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schoen, FJ, Padera, RF. Cardiac surgical pathology. In: Cohn, LH, Edmunds, LHJ, eds. Cardiac Surgery in the Adult. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2003:119–185.Google Scholar
Schwan, HP. The development of biomedical engineering: Historical comments and early developments. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng. 1984;31:730–736.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schwan, HP, ed. The history of biomedical engineering. IEEE Eng Med Biol Mag. 1991;10:24–50.
Table 1. Deaths, percent of total deaths, and death rates for the 10 leading causes of death in the selected age groups, by race and sex: United States, 2000. National Vital Statistics Report. 2002;50(16):13–48.
Enderle, J, Blanchard, S, Bronzino, J, eds. Introduction to Biomedical Engineering. San Diego: Academic Press; second edition, 2005.
Florman, SC. The Existential Pleasures of Engineering. New York: St. Martins Press, Inc.; 1976.Google Scholar
Nebeker, F. Golden accomplishments in biomedical engineering. IEEE Eng Med Biol Mag. 2002;21(3):17–47.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Katona, PG. The Whitaker Foundation: The end will be just the beginning. IEEE Trans Med Imaging. 2002;21(8):845–849.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Li, C, Granger, C, Schutte, H, Biggers, SB, Kennedy, JM, Latour, RA. Failure analysis of composite femoral components for hip arthroplasty. J Rehabil Res Dev. 2003;40(2):131–146.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ma, B, Lutchen, KR. An anatomically based hybrid computational model of the human lung and its application to low frequency oscillatory mechanics. Ann Biomed Eng. 2006;34(11):1691–1704.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schoen, FJ, Padera, RF. Cardiac surgical pathology. In: Cohn, LH, Edmunds, LHJ, eds. Cardiac Surgery in the Adult. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2003:119–185.Google Scholar
Schwan, HP. The development of biomedical engineering: Historical comments and early developments. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng. 1984;31:730–736.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schwan, HP, ed. The history of biomedical engineering. IEEE Eng Med Biol Mag. 1991;10:24–50.

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