RIT Launches Biomedical Engineering Studies

State-of-the-art program blends engineering, biology and medicine

Question: What do you get when you cross engineering with biology and medicine?

Answer: State-of-the-art technology and one of the hottest fields of early 21st Century— biomedical engineering.

A just-launched biomedical engineering option in Rochester Institute of Technology’s Kate Gleason College of Engineering gives students expertise in the design of components for potentially life-saving medical procedures. Applications include critical-care monitoring, diagnostics, implantation and remote surgery.

"Implantable medical devices—small in size, low in power and with the ability to sense, process and control electrical signals—will evolve and replace defective biological parts in the human body," says Robert Bowman, professor and department head of electrical engineering. "Modern, integrated, microelectronic technology is ideal for engineering solutions to an array of human medical conditions."

Biomedical engineering studies are usually offered at the graduate level, Bowman adds, making RIT’s option for undergrads unique.

"Engineering is finding ways to apply science and technology to solve problems and answer challenges for the benefit of humankind," says Dan Phillips, assistant professor of electrical engineering. "There are infinite opportunities for applying basic engineering principles to biology and medicine."

Phillips instructs Biomedical Instrumentation, the first of five new courses comprising the option, teaching principles of electronic instrumentation and design for biomedical measurement and monitoring devices.

Students also study artificial intelligence, remote sensing and manipulation, wireless technology, microelectromechanical systems, and fabrication for applications such as online monitoring and diagnosis of cardiac function; invasive diagnostic devices; advanced prosthesis design using neural inputs; medical information entry, retrieval and verification; "smart" sensors and instrumentation for basic physiological and medical research.

Another application is telepresence for image analysis and surgery—using instrumentation for detection and manipulation in remote surgery or examination via remote communication, such as an Internet connection, and use of a robotic arm, Phillips says.

Other new courses include Biomedical Sensors and Transducers, Fundamental Electrophysiology, Biomedical Signal Processing, and Biorobotics/Cybernetics.

RIT’s mechanical engineering department is also developing a biomedical engineering option that will include multidisciplinary courses in electrical engineering, industrial and systems engineering, and courses offered through the College of Science, says Ed Hensel, professor and mechanical engineering department head. In industrial and systems engineering, students study ergonomic design and predict physical and cognitive human capabilities.

"Our goal is to create a cross-disciplinary collaboration in biomedical engineering that capitalizes on close relationships in engineering with this important field," says Harvey Palmer, engineering dean.

Note: According to a national survey by U.S. News & World Report, RIT’s Kate Gleason College of Engineering ranks sixth in the nation among undergraduate and graduate engineering programs, offering degrees in computer, electrical, industrial and systems, mechanical, and microelectronic engineering, applied statistics and engineering science.

RIT was the first university to offer undergraduate degrees in microelectronic and software engineering. Founded in 1829, RIT has one of the nation’s oldest and largest cooperative education programs.