Overview

Selecting appropriate material to place in the human body may be one of the most difficult tasks faced by a biomedical engineer. Biomaterials must be nontoxic, non-carcinogenic, chemically inert, stable and often must be mechanically strong enough to withstand the repeated forces during a lifetime of use. Examples of biomaterials include temporary synthetic skin replacements, dental adhesives, bone cements, metals and polymers used in replacement joints and materials used in heart valve prosthetics.

Tissue engineering involves the formation of new tissues, either directly inside the body or ex vivo for implantation, to replace tissue damaged or destroyed by accident, disease, or congenital defect. Tissue engineering often involves the use of carefully designed synthetic scaffolds. Regenerative medicine involves inducing the body to regenerate natural tissue rather than form scar tissue after an injury. Examples of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine include the production of permanent living skin replacements, the regeneration of damaged cartilage and inducing the regeneration of functional heart muscle after heart attacks.

Biomedical engineering (BE, also sometimes abbreviated BME) is the application of a variety of engineering principles and design processes to medicine and biology for the improvement of healthcare. It is a very broad field, the definition of which tends to vary from institution to institution. The BE program at MSOE balances fundamental electrical, mechanical and chemical engineering content with a solid grounding in basic and life sciences. MSOE’s BE program is designed to prepare students for immediate employment in the medical device and healthcare industries, for graduate study in engineering and other related fields, and for professional studies such as medical and law school.