Unit 4032 Introduction to Biomedical Engineering (D/650/9512) Assignment Brief 2026

Unit 4032 Introduction to Biomedical Engineering Assignment Brief

Introduction

Biomedical engineering is an interdisciplinary field concerned with the application of knowledge and principles from engineering, physical and computer sciences to solve biological, medical and clinical problems and challenges. This rapidly evolving and expanding discipline has resulted in the development of revolutionary technologies that have allowed us to better understand, optimise and enhance the functions of biological and medical systems, such as the development of diagnostic technologies, imaging technologies, prosthetic devices, artificial implants and rehabilitative devices.

The purpose of this unit is to introduce the scope of biomedical engineering and  its role in advancing healthcare. The unit will focus on applications of biomedical engineering in the fields of medical devices and equipment, robotics, medical instrumentation and sensors, and biomaterials and tissue engineering. It will introduce the use of laboratory techniques and equipment used in the field and provide an overview of their application in health and clinical care and research.  The unit will also cover important ethical considerations, including patient safety  and privacy, and regulatory frameworks and standards that govern the development and use of healthcare technologies in research and practice. The unit will end with  a discussion of current and emerging trends and areas of research and innovation.

On successful completion of this unit students will be able to explain the role and scope of biomedical engineering and outline and present examples of its use in understanding, evaluating and optimising the functions of biological or medical systems. They will develop basic proficiency in obtaining and interpreting measurements using biomedical instruments and devices and will consider ethical and regulatory frameworks in the development and use of biomedical engineering technologies in research and practice.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this unit, students will be able to:

LO1 Describe the scope of biomedical engineering and its application to biological and medical systems

LO2  Analyse biomedical data obtained using biomedical measurement equipment in a laboratory environment

LO3 Examine ethical and regulatory considerations in the development and use of biomedical technologies

LO4 Discuss emerging trends and the outlook for biomedical engineering.

Essential Content

LO1 Describe the scope of biomedical engineering and its application to biological and medical systems

Definition and scope of biomedical engineering:

• Definition of biomedical engineering and contributing disciplines
• Range and scope of biomedical engineering applications
• Historical and current impact of biomedical engineering on healthcare
• Case studies of technology-driven transformations/innovations in healthcare.

Biomedical engineering subspecialisations:

• Biomedical instrumentation and sensors
• Medical devices and robotics
• Medical imaging
• Prosthetics, orthotics and rehabilitative devices
• Biomaterials and tissue engineering.

Role of the biomedical engineer:

• Breadth of career pathways and opportunities in biomedical engineering
• Professional societies and resources for biomedical engineers
• Role of the biomedical engineer in industry, healthcare and academia.

LO2 Analyse biomedical data obtained using biomedical measurement equipment in a laboratory environment

Acquiring and assessing the performance of biomedical and healthcare equipment:

• Installation and procurement
• Testing, servicing and maintenance
• Planned preventative maintenance
• Limitations of equipment, identifying faults and conducting safety checks
• Technical reports, instructions for use and documentation.

Introduction to biomedical data measurement:

• Overview of biomedical data types e.g. heart rate, electrocardiograph (ECG), pulmonary function, imaging
• Data acquisition principles and measurement techniques
• Medical instruments and sensors.

Evaluation of data quality:

• Concepts of calibration, accuracy, reliability, repeatability, linearity, sensitivity, range and hysteresis.

Data interpretation:

• Limitations and appropriate use of measurement tools
• Signal processing and concepts of filtering, noise and signal artefact
• Basic descriptive statistics: intraindividual and interindividual means and variance
• Errors of measurement.

Data presentation:

• Graphical presentation and representation of data.

LO3 Examine ethical and regulatory considerations in the development and use of biomedical technologies

Use of biomedical and healthcare technologies:

• Processes in acquiring approval for purchase, installation and use of technologies in clinical spaces
• Safety in clinical spaces
• Life expectancy of medical equipment
• Disposal of out of service medical devices
• Healthcare equipment safety checks and reporting/recording faults
• Awareness initiatives/campaigns e.g. advancements in medical devices and usage, interventions to meet local needs
• Marketing, sales and stakeholder relationship management.

Ethical principles and frameworks:

• Introduction to ethical considerations in biomedical engineering research and practice
• Ethical processes and considerations
• Animal and human participant clinical trial testing, regulatory approvals required, ethics cttee approval, local approval from cttee for new interventional procedures, participant informed consent
• Conflict of interest and disclosure.

Regulatory bodies:

• Importance of following Health and Safety guidance and carrying it out thorough appropriate risk assessments
• Global, European and national regulatory frameworks governing the development and use of biomedical technologies and research practice.

LO4 Discuss emerging trends and the outlook for biomedical engineering

Trends and advancements in biomedical engineering:

• Emerging areas in research and innovation
• Artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and data analytics
• Personalised medicine and targeted therapy.

Skills and behaviours in the biomedical industry:

• Entrepreneurship and leadership in the biomedical sector
• Grand challenges and example case studies
• Professional responsibilities towards patients, service users, other stakeholders and society in general
• The engineer in society.

Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria

Recommended Resources

Print Resources

Bainbridge, A.F. (2023) Ethics for Engineers: A Brief Introduction. Abingdon: CRC Press.

Banerjee, A., Chakraborty, C., Kumar, A. and Biswas, D. (2020) ‘Emerging trends in IoT and big data analytics for biomedical and health care technologies’. In Handbook of Data Science Approaches for Biomedical Engineering, pp. 121–152. London: Academic Press.

Blinowska, K.J. and Żygierewicz, J. (2022) Practical Biomedical Signal Analysis Using MATLAB®. 2nd Ed. London: CRC Press.

Bronzino, J.D. and Peterson, D.R. (2018) ‘Biomedical Engineering Fundamentals’.  In The Biomedical Engineering Handbook, Volume 1. 4th Ed. Boca Raton, Florida:  CRC Press.

Bronzino, J.D. and Peterson, D.R. (2017) Biomedical Signals, Imaging, and Informatics.  In The Biomedical Engineering Handbook, Volume 3. 4th Ed. Boca Raton, Florida:  CRC Press.

Douglas, Y. and Grant, M.B (2018) The Biomedical Writer: What You Need to Succeed in Academic Medicine. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Enderle, J.D. and Bronzino, J.D. (2012) Introduction to Biomedical Engineering. 3rd Ed. London: Academic Press.

Essick, J. (2018) Hands-On Introduction to LabVIEW for Scientists and Engineers. 4th Ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

King, A.P. and Eckersley, R. (2019) Statistics for Biomedical Engineers and Scientists:  How to Visualize and Analyze Data. London: Academic Press.

Kirk, A. (2019) Data Visualisation: A Handbook for Data Driven Design. 2nd Ed. London: SAGE Publications.

Levin-Epstein, M. (2019) Careers in Biomedical Engineering. London: Academic Press.

Miyauchi, A. and Miyahara, Y. (2022) Biomedical Engineering. Singapore: Jenny Stanford Publishing.

Narayan, R. (2018) Encyclopaedia of Biomedical Engineering. London: Elsevier.

Street, L.J. (2023) Introduction to Biomedical Engineering Technology: Health Technology Management. 4th Ed. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press.

Tranquillo, J., Goldberg, J. and Allen, R. (2022) Biomedical Engineering Design.  London: Academic Press.

Indicative equipment and other resources

• Essential laboratory components (resistors, conductors, soldering board)
• Oscilloscope
• Power supply
• Multimeter
• Data acquisition system and software (e.g. LabVIEW)
• Electromyography (EMG) sensors
• Accelerometers/gyroscopes
• An ultrasound system (optional)
• Signal and image processing packages (e.g. MATLAB)

Note: This is not an exhaustive list and should only be used as a general guide in planning for suitable resources. Examples indicate the varied scope of facilities other institutions offer to aid delivery of the subject.

Links

This unit links to the following related units:

Unit 5057: Medical Instrumentation

Answer

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