what is biomedical engineering

Biomedical engineering (BME) or medical engineering is the application of engineering principles and design concepts to medicine and biology for healthcare purposes. Biomedical engineering is a specialized subset of bioengineering that focuses on the application of engineering practices for healthcare purposes by designing medical devices and developing processes to improve health outcomes. Biomedical engineers work in a wide variety of settings and disciplines, including industry, academia, and government. They are expected to hold at least a bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from an Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology, or ABET-accredited program, and be knowledgeable in many areas including physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, mathematics, statistics, materials science, and engineering. Biomedical engineering has recently emerged as its own study, as compared to many other engineering fields. Much of the work in biomedical engineering consists of research and development, spanning a broad array of subfields. Prominent biomedical engineering applications include the development of biocompatible prostheses, various diagnostic and therapeutic medical devices ranging from clinical equipment to micro-implants, common imaging equipment such as MRIs and EKG/ECGs, regenerative tissue growth, pharmaceutical drugs, and therapeutic biologicals.