New Course Proposal –

ENSC 370-3 Biomedical Engineering Directions

Jim Cavers, Andrew Rawicz, School of Engineering Science

Calendar Information

Course Number: ENSC 370

Course Title: Biomedical Engineering Seminar

Credit Hours: 3 Vector: 3-0-0 (seminar-tutorial-lecture)

Course Description

This seminar course provides students with a general overview of biomedical engineering as a discipline, including its purpose and scope. Typical discussion topics: goals and limitations of biomedical engineering, the nature and relevant technologies of selected application areas, common aspects of biomedical practice, current trends and new directions in biomedical engineering. Students conduct extended investigations of biomedical practice, new biomedical techniques or possible new products, then prepare reports and present seminars.

Prerequisites: Completion of at least 25 credit-hours of Engineering Science (ENSC) courses plus KIN 208

Corequisites: None.

Special Instructions: None.

Course(s) to be dropped if this course is approved: None.

Rationale for Introduction of this Course

This pivotal course is placed in Semester 5 of the Biomedical Engineering curriculum, when students have learned enough to make informed assessments, yet have not made their final-year course selections. It is intended both to inform and to inspire the participants. Discussion topics include goals and limitations of BME, the nature and relevant technologies of a few important application areas, some common aspects of biomedical practice, current trends and new directions in biomedical engineering. Guest speakers allow this range of topics to be addressed. Field trips show industrial applications and solutions. Student-led seminars, extended investigation of current topics, and “virtual projects” get students actively engaged with the biomedical field.

Will this be a required or elective course in the curriculum; probable enrolment when offered?

This will be a required course for Biomedical Engineering students. Probable enrolment: 30

Scheduling and Registration Information

Indicate Semester and Year this course would be first offered and planned frequency of offering thereafter.

First offering Spring 2007, annually in the Spring semester thereafter.

Which of your present CFL faculty have the expertise to offer this course? Will the course be taught by sessional or limited term faculty?

The course will be taught by tenure-track faculty. Presently, Dr. A. Rawicz and Dr. F. Beg have the expertise to teach it. At least one additional faculty member will be hired in the Biomedical Engineering area by Engineering Science, and we expect that such a person could also teach it.

Are there any proposed student fees associated with this course other than tuition fees?

No.

Is this course considered a ‘duplicate’ of any current or prior course under the University's duplicate course policy? Specify, as appropriate.

No.

Resource Implications

Note: Senate has approved (S.93-11) that no new course should be approved by Senate until funding has been committed for necessary library materials. Each new course proposal must be accompanied by a library report and, if appropriate, confirmation that funding arrangements have been addressed.

Provide details on how existing instructional resources will be redistributed to accommodate this new course. For instance, will another course be eliminated or will the frequency of offering of other courses be reduced; are there changes in pedagogical style or class sizes that allow for this additional course offering.

With the planned hiring of an additional faculty member in Biomedical Engineering, the course can be accommodated.

Does the course require specialized space or equipment not readily available in the department or university, and if so, how will these resources be provided?

No.

Does this course require computing resources (e.g. hardware, software, network wiring, use of computer laboratory space) and if so, describe how they will be provided.

No.

Course Outline

General Description

This course provides students with a general overview of Biomedical Engineering as a discipline, including its purpose and scope.

The course is conducted in seminar style, with a topical presentation, followed by discussion and questions. Approximately half of the presentations are made by the instructor and by guest speakers with special expertise. The remainder of the presentations are made by the students. The format is flexible, however, and many of the topics could feature presentations by any or all of the instructor, students or guests.

Field trips to local biomedical companies or research organizations make the ideas and possibilities of biomedical engineering more tangible. Student also perform a “virtual project” or an extended investigation. Virtual projects let students exercise their own imagination and initiative in designing medical or assistive devices. An alternative to the project is an extended investigation, in which students explore some aspect of biomedical practice or the potential of some emerging biomedical technique.

Presentation Topics

Some topics are in the course every year. Others vary by year and by the current enthusiasms of students and instructor. Continuing topics:

overview of BME;
industrial and FDA standards related to medical devices;
working with doctors;
research ethics in working with live subjects;
trends and new directions in BME.

Typical other topics:

diagnostic tools: principles and technologies;
implants – challenges, risks and benefits;
assistive devices for physical disabilities: passive, measurement based and stimulative;
assistive devices for sensory disabilities;
assistive devices for mental disabilities;
life sustaining devices: external (clinical), internal (implantable) or portable;
drug delivery methods;
information flow in the health care system;
challenges in telemedicine.

Field Trips

At least six field trips are carried out to local medical engineering companies or BME research organizations. A group discussion follows each of these visits, after which students write brief essays to describe company activities and explain why they operate in that fashion. Typical companies are identified below.

· Department of BME at BCIT

· Medical Device Development Centre

· QLT

· Inex Pharmaceuticals

· G. F. Strong Rehab Centre (computer assistive devices, assistive devices, prosthetics)

· PYNG Products

· St. Paul’s Hospital (Cochlear implant dept.)

· Millenium Technologies (manufacturer of MRI)

· Xillix Products

· Mitroflow (heart valves)

· Neil Squire Foundation

· VGH spine research group

Projects

As an additional activity, the students may work in groups of two on virtual projects based on designing a medical (e.g., diagnostic) or assistive device for a specific disease/disability. (The projects are termed “virtual” because the devices are not constructed in this course.) Teams must thoroughly research the medical conditions requiring the development of the device as a lead-in to the design process. Each team submits a significant report and presents a seminar on its proposed device.

Extended Investigation

As an alternative to the project, students may conduct, singly or in groups of two, an extended investigation into some aspect of biomedical practice or the potential of some emerging biomedical technique. This is expected to be a substantial and well-researched work. Each student or team submits a significant report and presents a seminar on the investigation.

Grading

Field trip essays - 15%

Participation in discussions - 15%

Report on project or extended investigation - 45%

Seminar Presentation - 25%