Biomedical engineering is a specialized field where engineering and medicine intersect. Biomedical engineers use principles of engineering and biological sciences to design and build health devices. They are professional problem-solvers who identify problems that patients, doctors, or other healthcare professionals are experiencing and then brainstorm solutions and design new devices or other products intended to solve that problem. Biomedical engineers contribute to the development of medical devices and equipment such as pacemakers, artificial limbs, and insulin pumps, enabling individuals with disabilities or medical conditions to lead more independent lives. They also play an important role in designing and improving medical imaging technologies, including MRI, CT, and ultrasound systems, which aid in the accurate diagnosis and monitoring of diseases.
Here are some specific tasks that biomedical engineers typically do:
- Design equipment and devices, such as artificial internal organs, replacements for body parts, and diagnostic machines.
- Install, adjust, maintain, repair, or provide technical support for biomedical equipment.
- Evaluate the safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of biomedical equipment.
- Train clinicians and other personnel on the proper use of biomedical equipment.
- Work with life scientists, chemists, and medical scientists to research the engineering aspects of biological systems of humans and animals.
Biomedical engineers work in a wide variety of settings and disciplines, including industry, academia, and government. They may work for medical equipment and supply manufacturers, innovating, designing, and developing new technologies. They may also work in academia, furthering research and pushing the frontiers of what is medically possible as well as testing, implementing, and developing new diagnostic tools and medical equipment. In government, they may establish safety standards for medical devices. Biomedical engineers have a wide range of job opportunities that can include a hospital-based practice as a clinical engineer, an industrially based engineer designing medical devices, a technical sales engineer, or a staff engineer in a medical research laboratory.
