This course provides students with the knowledge required to perform biomedical engineering.  The course is broadly divided into two halves.  In the first, the students gain an understanding of the structure and function of cells and tissues and the generation of electrical signals in cells.  In the second part of the course, the students are introduced to specific concepts of biomedical engineering including fluid mechanics, imaging modalities and sensors.

2 lectures per week

ENG1031 Introduction to Biomedical Engineering 1 and ENG4181 Biophysics of Cells and Systems 4

None

Assessment

65% Written Exam

20% Project Output

15% Report

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. For non-Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below.

It is not possible to offer reassessment in group project work in this course. Students failing to complete the group project work, without good cause, will be receive a Credit Refused (CR) grade and will be required to re-attend the course the following year.

The aims of this course are to:

■ provide an understanding of the structure and function of cells and tissues;

■ develop concepts of biomedical engineering including fluid mechanics, imaging and sensors;

■ explore biocompatibility and the impact of engineered systems in a biological environment.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ evaluate the relationship between the structure and function of DNA and RNA and how they encode for proteins;

■ evaluate the relationship between the structure and function of proteins and explain how they are encoded by the genetic code;

■ apply the knowledge of the molecular structure and function of DNA, RNA and proteins to explain the basis of healthy cells and disease;

■ apply the basic principles underlying the structure of the cell membrane and proteins to describe the nature of electrical excitability in cells;

■ describe the basis of the nervous system in the context of muscle contraction and the reflex response;

■ apply the knowledge of the structure and function of the eye and the ear to explain the sensory function of these organs;

■ evaluate the relationship between the role of biological fluids and their function in the context of their mechanical properties;

■ apply the knowledge of imaging methods to describe techniques to visualise healthy and diseased cells and tissues;

■ evaluate the biocompatibility of surfaces in the context of in vitro systems;

■ apply the knowledge of biocompatibility to describe in vitro assays to characterize the impact of engineered systems on their use in biological systems.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.

Students must attend the timetabled laboratory classes.