We guess the answer lies in the question itself. Engineers help make medical devices and maintain, repair and innovate them. However, this is hardly the extent of an engineer’s role in medicine. More on that later. Did you come here looking for the best master’s degree for medical technologists? We’ve got that and more for you.
The new millennium brought new technology and transformed the way we look at medicine. We’ve come so far as to create an artificial embryo outside of the womb. This couldn’t have been possible without the expertise of engineers. So, if you’re looking to have a stronger foundation, please look up some online mechanical engineering courses that will help get your concepts straight.
The manufacture of medical devices needs someone who can find scientific solutions for persistent problems coupled with a strong foundation in engineering and medicine. This calls for a professional who knows physiology and can provide technological solutions in medicine.
A medical engineer is responsible for manufacturing instruments in all verticals of medicine. We have summarized a few of them below:
Biomechanics
A sub-discipline of biophysics, biomechanics study and attempt to mimic the mechanisms of biological processes at the intracellular and cellular level, of organs and organ systems and entire organisms. This field of study uses methods derived from simple Newtonian mechanics, material sciences, etc., to observe the structure and function of biological systems. The end goal is to acquire the ability to imitate these processes to help prevent, diagnose, and treat pathologies like cancer more efficiently.
Biomedical optics
This discipline in biomedical engineering examines the interaction between light and biological material such as cells, blood, and tissues. This field aims to work out non-invasive methods to operate on pathologies. Biomedical optics is a vast field since it includes spectroscopy, optical imaging, analysis, etc. The growth of endoscopy, microscopy, and multimodal imaging has opened up many opportunities for medical engineers in this field. If you click this link you can learn more about the use of spectroscopy in biotech and medical engineering.
Tissue engineering
Tissue engineering has made creating an artificial embryo possible. It involved improving and replacing functional biological systems and materials. Also called regenerative technology eliminates the need to use animals as test subjects. Subsequently, avoiding an ethical and functional question of accuracy.
Neural engineering
Applying the same principles of engineering applied to tissue engineering, neural engineering is replacing and creating human neural tissue. Since the cellular processes and functions of the brain and spinal cord are highly complicated and nuanced, neural engineering has become a discipline on its own.
Genetic engineering
The stuff of science fiction just a few decades ago, genetic engineering aims to alter the DNA itself. Technologies like CRISPR have made genetic modification and manipulation of human genomes possible. It has the potential to eliminate certain diseases and pathologies. Genetic engineering also poses an ethical threat in the wrong hands.
Rehabilitation engineering
Rehabilitation engineering can transform the lives of the specially-abled. Be it motor or sensory disability. A rehabilitation engineer can now manufacture hearing aids, prosthetics, and orthotics to drastically improve their quality of life.
The above are just a few ways engineers can transform medical technology. Dive right into this field to know a lot more about how you can contribute to healthcare.
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