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Specializations (Tracks)

Starting with the 2011-2012 academic year, the BME program will have new specializations, which consolidate from the previous five specializations into the following three. Why pick a specialization? It makes you more appealing than the next guy when you're applying to a job, reu or internship. Chosing a specialization and sticking with it gets you the most out of your time in the BME department at WPI. You can learn more about all this stuff with your mentor if you're part of the mentor/mentee program.

Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering

Biomaterials is a specialization within biomedical engineering that integrates engineering fundamentals in materials science with principles of cell biology, chemistry and physiology to aid in the design and development of materials used in the production of medical devices. When most people first think of biomaterials, implants such as surgical sutures, artificial hips or pacemakers generally comes to mind, but many other aspects are included in this diverse field of study: Biomaterials Design - Identify the physiological and engineering criteria that an implantable biomaterial must meet. Select the proper chemical composition to insure that the biomaterial imparts the desired mechanical properties and evokes the appropriate tissue response for the specified application. Mechanics of Biomaterials - Characterize the magnitude and nature of the mechanical properties of biomaterials. Predict and measure how the physical/structural properties of a biomaterial determine its mechanical properties. Biomaterials-Tissue Interactions - Examine the molecular, cellular and tissue responses to implanted medical devices. Design biomaterials with properties that induce the desired wound healing and tissue remodeling responses from the body. Biomaterials research and development has improved our health care in many ways including:

  • Design and manufacturing of replacements parts for damaged or diseased tissues and organs (e.g. artificial hip joints, kidney dialysis machines)
  • Improved wound healing (e.g. sutures, wound dressings)
  • Enhanced performance of medical devices (e.g. contact lenses, pacemakers)
  • Correct functional abnormalities (e.g. spinal rods)
  • Correct cosmetic problems (e.g. reconstructive mammoplasty, chin augmentation)
  • Aid in clinical diagnostics (e.g. probes and catheters)
  • Aid in clinical treatments (e.g. cardiac stents, drains and catheters)
  • Design biodegradable scaffolds for tissue engineering (e.g. dermal analogs)
Tissue engineering integrates the principles and methods of engineering with the fundamentals of life sciences towards the development of biological substitutes to restore, maintain or improve tissue/organ function. When most people first think of tissue engineering, artificial skin and cartilage generally comes to mind, but many other aspects are included in this diverse field of study: Scaffold/Biomaterial Design - Identify the physiological and engineering criteria that a biodegradable scaffold must meet. Select the proper biochemical composition to insure that the cells perform in a physiologic manner on the surface of the scaffold. Functional/Biomechanical Tissue Engineering - Characterize the roles of biomechanical stimuli on the growth and development of bioengineered cells, tissues and organs. Measure the biomechanical properties of bioengineered tissues and organs. Bioreactor Design - Design reactors that control the rates at which nutrients and growth factors are supplied to bioengineered tissues and organs during growth and development in a laboratory environment.

Advisors:  Prof. Gaudette,  Prof. Page,  Prof. Pins,  Prof. Rolle

Biomechanics and Biotransport

Biomechanics is a specialization within biomedical engineering that involves the application of engineering mechanics to the study of biological tissues and physiological systems. When most people first think of biomechanics the way we move or the strength of bones generally comes to mind but many other aspects are included in this diverse field of study including:

  • Dynamics - analysis of human movement including walking, running, and throwing
  • Statics - determination of the magnitude and nature of forces in joints, bones, muscles and implanted prostheses, and characterization of the mechanical properties of the tissues in our bodies
  • Fluid mechanics - analysis flow of blood through arteries and air through the lung
Biomechanics research has improved our understanding of, among other things:
  • Design and manufacturing of medical instruments, devices for disabled persons, artificial replacements, and implants.
  • Human performance in the workplace and in athletic competition
  • Normal and pathological human and animal locomotion
  • The mechanical properties of hard and soft tissues
  • Neuromuscular control
  • The connection between blood flow and arteriosclerosis
  • Air flow and lung pathology
  • The effects of mechanical loads on cellular mechanics and physiology
  • Morphogenesis, growth, and healing
  • The mechanics of biomaterials
  • Engineering of living replacement tissue (tissue engineering)

Advisors: Prof. Billiar

Bioinstrumentation, Biosensors and Biomedical Imaging

Modern health care relies heavily on a large array of sophisticated medical instrumentation to diagnose health problems, to monitor patient condition and administer therapeutic treatments, most often in a non-invasive or minimally-invasive manner. During the past decade, computers have become an essential part of modern bioinstrumentation, from the microprocessor in a single-purpose instrument used to do a variety of small tasks to the desk-top microcomputer needed to process the large amount of clinical information acquired from patients. A biomedical engineer is not simply a user of measurement technology, but an active participant in the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic modalities. Hence, the Biosensors and Bioinstrumentation track of our program focuses on training students to design, test, and use sensors and biomedical instrumentation in humans and animals to further enhance the quality of health care. Emphasis is placed both on understanding the physiological systems involved in the generation of the measured variable or affected by therapeutic equipment as well as the engineering principles of new sensors and advanced measurement devices. This track provides an excellent training experience that prepares students for careers in industry, higher education as well as medical school. Examples of common biomedical sensors, devices, and instrumentation developed by biomedical engineers and used routinely in medicine include:

  • Blood chemistry sensors (e.g. electrolytes, O2, CO2, pH, glucose)
  • Specialized instrumentation for genetic testing
  • Physical sensors (e.g. pressure, temperature, flow)
  • Electrical sensors (electrodes)
  • Electrocardiographs (a device that measures the electrical activity of the heart)
  • Electroencephalograph (a device that measures the electrical activities of the brain)
  • Electromyography (a device that measures the electrical activities of muscles)
  • Mechanical respirator
  • Cardiac pacemaker
  • Defibrillators
  • Artificial heart
  • Pulse oximeters
  • Ultrasonic equipment
  • Imaging scanners (nuclear cameras, CAT, MRI)
  • Drug infusion and insulin pumps
  • Electrosurgical equipment
  • Heart-lung machine
  • Anesthesia machine
  • Kidney dialysis machine
  • Specialized equipment used by disabled people (e.g. hearing aids)
  • Laser systems for eye surgery
Biomedical imaging is a broad specialization within biomedical engineering that involves the application of quantitative science and engineering to detect and visualize biological processes. An important sub-area in biomedical imaging is the application of these tools and knowledge to the study of diseases with an ultimate goal of aiding medical intervention. While x-ray imaging is an obvious and familiar example with tremendous diagnostic utility, it represents only a small aspect of this important field. Biomedical imaging: Includes the numerous and diverse imaging technologies that nearly cover the electromagnetic spectrum. Examples include x-ray imaging, visible light (optical) imaging, near-infrared imaging, magnetic resonance imaging, and ultrasound imaging. The detected radiation can be either naturally emitted by the body (such as infrared radiation) or re-emitted radiation (as in magnetic resonance imaging). It also includes technologies that produce images following the introduction of a chemical agent into the body, such as nuclear medicine imaging and luminescence-based imaging. Involves the development of sophisticated instrumentation to acquire and process images from the body, most often in a non-invasive or minimally-invasive manner. A biomedical engineer is not simply a user of an imaging technology, but an active participant in the development of new technologies. Requires an understanding of how energy interacts with biological tissue and how this interaction is used to produce images of diagnostic utility. This understanding is rooted in the disciplines of physics, chemistry, and biology. A biomedical engineer, therefore, must have a strong background in the physical sciences. Involves both image acquisition and image processing. Rarely are the signals acquired by the instrumentation immediately interpretable. For example, image processing is used to create two- and three-dimensional images from the acquired "raw" signals and to extract important image features. An example is computed tomography, which converts a series of through-body x-ray images into a cross-sectional image that reveals internal tissue structures. Image processing is grounded in the disciplines of mathematics and computer science. Is capable of generating much more than simple anatomic images. For example, newer biomedical imaging technologies are being used to image and quantify blood flow and metabolic activity in normal and diseased tissue. The development of these "functional" imaging technologies has tremendous potential to substantially advance our understanding of biological and disease processes. Because it is often completely noninvasive, biomedical imaging is already revolutionizing the study of brain function in humans. Involves all size scales, from sub-cellular to whole body. Is an important component of many other disciplines and specializations, including biology and tissue engineering. Without the technical advances in biomedical imaging, we would often be at the mercy of time-consuming and tedious chemical or histological analyses to probe cellular function and microscopic structures. Non-invasive methods also allow biological processes to be studied over time on the same sample.

Advisors:  Prof. Chon,  Prof. Granquist-Fraser,  Prof. Mendelson