What is Medical Engineering?
Medical Engineering encompasses a broad range of activities, and is alternatively called Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering. It is a multi-disciplinary subject integrating professional engineering activities with a basic medical knowledge of the human body and an understanding of how it functions when healthy, diseased or injured. Many of the advances in this field now seem commonplace - hip replacements, pacemakers, medical imaging, life support systems and medical lasers are just a few examples of the results of the work of Medical Engineers.
Medical Engineers are needed for the healthcare industry, the world's biggest industrial sector, which has a turnover approaching £100 billion per annum and is currently expanding at a rate of 7% per annum.
Medical Engineers are needed for the healthcare industry, the world's biggest industrial sector, which has a turnover approaching £100 billion per annum and is currently expanding at a rate of 7% per annum.
Field of Medical Engineering:
Though its a new branch of Engineering, Medical engineering is widely considered an interdisciplinary field, resulting in a broad spectrum of disciplines that draw influence from various fields and sources. Due to the extreme diversity, it is not atypical for a biomedical engineer to focus on a particular aspect. There are many different taxonomic breakdowns of BME, one such listing defines the aspects of the field as such:
--Bioelectrical and neural engineering
--Biomedical imaging and biomedical optics
--Biomaterials
--Biomechanics and biotransport
--Biomedical devices and instrumentation
--Molecular, cellular and tissue engineering
--Systems and integrative engineering
--Bioelectrical and neural engineering
--Biomedical imaging and biomedical optics
--Biomaterials
--Biomechanics and biotransport
--Biomedical devices and instrumentation
--Molecular, cellular and tissue engineering
--Systems and integrative engineering
Medical Diagonistic Equipment:
Diagonistic equipments are the most essential parts of either medical student or medical Engineer. These equipment not only diagnose the disease or defect but also help the doctors to treatment more correctly and easier. From Engineering point of view these equipments are very sophisticated and highly technology based devices. And almost all of them is very costly. But again as these equipments make the treatment easier they are upgrading on regular basis. Here I shall point out some hightech diagonistic Equipments.
X-Ray Maxhine:
An X-ray machine is essentially dignosis equipment of medical science. X-rays are like light in that they are electromagnetic waves, but they are more energetic so they can penetrate many materials to varying degrees. When the X-rays hit the film, they expose it just as light would. Since bone, fat, muscle, tumors and other masses all absorb X-rays at different levels, the image on the film lets you see different (distinct) structures inside the body because of the different levels of exposure on the film. The fractured bones to tumor, heart defect everything can be observed from X-Ray Film.
Modern X-Ray Machine
Ultrasonography:
Ultrasonography is amachine that uses the reflection of high-frequency sound waves to make an image of structures deep within the body. Ultrasonography is routinely used to detect fetal abnormalities.
Frequencies in the range of 1 million to 10 million hertz are used in diagnostic ultrasonography. The lower frequencies provide a greater depth of penetration and are used to examine abdominal organs; those in the upper range provide less penetration and are used predominantly to examine more superficial structures such as the eye.
In ultrasonography the ultrasonic waves are produced by electrically stimulating a piezoelectric crystal called a transducer. As the beam strikes an interface or boundary between tissues of varying acoustic impedance (e.g. muscle and blood) some of the sound waves are reflected back to the transducer as echoes. The echoes are then converted into electrical impulses that are displayed on an oscilloscope, presenting a 'picture' of the tissues under examination.
Ultrasonography can be utilized in examination of the heart (echocardiography) and in identifying size and structural changes in organs in the abdominopelvic cavity. It is, therefore, of value in identifying and distinguishing cancers and benign cysts. The technique also may be used to evaluate tumors and foreign bodies of the eye, and to demonstrate retinal detachment. Ultrasonography is not, however, of much value in examination of the lungs because ultrasound waves do not pass through structures that contain air.
A particularly important use of ultrasonography is in the field of obstetrics and gynecology. It is a fast, relatively safe, and reliable technique for diagnosing pregnancy, and for detecting some typical fetal anomalies.
Frequencies in the range of 1 million to 10 million hertz are used in diagnostic ultrasonography. The lower frequencies provide a greater depth of penetration and are used to examine abdominal organs; those in the upper range provide less penetration and are used predominantly to examine more superficial structures such as the eye.
In ultrasonography the ultrasonic waves are produced by electrically stimulating a piezoelectric crystal called a transducer. As the beam strikes an interface or boundary between tissues of varying acoustic impedance (e.g. muscle and blood) some of the sound waves are reflected back to the transducer as echoes. The echoes are then converted into electrical impulses that are displayed on an oscilloscope, presenting a 'picture' of the tissues under examination.
Ultrasonography can be utilized in examination of the heart (echocardiography) and in identifying size and structural changes in organs in the abdominopelvic cavity. It is, therefore, of value in identifying and distinguishing cancers and benign cysts. The technique also may be used to evaluate tumors and foreign bodies of the eye, and to demonstrate retinal detachment. Ultrasonography is not, however, of much value in examination of the lungs because ultrasound waves do not pass through structures that contain air.
A particularly important use of ultrasonography is in the field of obstetrics and gynecology. It is a fast, relatively safe, and reliable technique for diagnosing pregnancy, and for detecting some typical fetal anomalies.
Ultrasonographic machine
Electrocardiogram or ECG:
The ECG is the most commonly performed cardiac test. This is because the ECG is a useful screening tool for a variety of cardiac abnormalities; ECG machines are readily available in most medical facilities; and the test is simple to perform, risk-free and inexpensive.
From the ECG tracing, the following information can be determined:
-the heart rate
-the heart rhythm
-whether there are “conduction abnormalities” (abnormalities in how the electrical impulse spreads across the heart)
-whether there has been a prior heart attack
-whether there may be coronary artery disease
-whether the heart muscle has become abnormally thickened
All of these features are potentially important. If the ECG indicates a heart attack or possible coronary artery disease, further testing is often done to completely define the nature of the problem and decide on the optimal therapy. (These tests often include a stress test and/or cardiac catheterization.) If the heart muscle is thickened, an echocardiogram is often ordered to look for possible valvular heart disease or other structural abnormalities. Conduction abnormalities may be a clue to the diagnosis of syncope (fainting), or may indicate underlying cardiac disease.
From the ECG tracing, the following information can be determined:
-the heart rate
-the heart rhythm
-whether there are “conduction abnormalities” (abnormalities in how the electrical impulse spreads across the heart)
-whether there has been a prior heart attack
-whether there may be coronary artery disease
-whether the heart muscle has become abnormally thickened
All of these features are potentially important. If the ECG indicates a heart attack or possible coronary artery disease, further testing is often done to completely define the nature of the problem and decide on the optimal therapy. (These tests often include a stress test and/or cardiac catheterization.) If the heart muscle is thickened, an echocardiogram is often ordered to look for possible valvular heart disease or other structural abnormalities. Conduction abnormalities may be a clue to the diagnosis of syncope (fainting), or may indicate underlying cardiac disease.
CT Scan:
A CAT scan (Computed Axial Tomography), also abbreviated CT scan, is a process that uses computers to generate three-dimensional images from flat X-ray pictures. X-rays only take flat, two-dimensional scans, whereas the CAT scan takes 3D pictures. By examining 3D scans, doctors can examine a portion of the body one narrow slice at a time. This ability enables more accurate diagnosis by pinpointing specific areas that are causing the problem. The machine takes the images at many different angles around the body that produces cross-sectional pictures. The pictures are processed by a computer and recorded on a film. The recorded image is called a tomogram.
CT scans can help look for signs of inflammation, disease or cancer and monitor many other health conditions.
CT scans can help look for signs of inflammation, disease or cancer and monitor many other health conditions.
Lasik Laser Surgery Device
Intensive Care Unit:
An intensive care unit, or ICU, is a specialized section of a hospital that provides comprehensive and continuous care for persons who are critically ill and who can benefit from treatment.
Purpose:
The purpose of the intensive care unit (ICU) is simple even though the practice is complex. Healthcare professionals who work in the ICU or rotate through it during their training provide around-the-clock intensive monitoring and treatment of patients seven days a week. Patients are generally admitted to an ICU if they are likely to benefit from the level of care provided. Intensive care has been shown to benefit patients who are severely ill and medically unstable—that is, they have a potentially life-threatening disease or disorder.
Purpose:
The purpose of the intensive care unit (ICU) is simple even though the practice is complex. Healthcare professionals who work in the ICU or rotate through it during their training provide around-the-clock intensive monitoring and treatment of patients seven days a week. Patients are generally admitted to an ICU if they are likely to benefit from the level of care provided. Intensive care has been shown to benefit patients who are severely ill and medically unstable—that is, they have a potentially life-threatening disease or disorder.
Laser Surgery:
Laser (light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation) surgery uses an intensely hot, precisely focused beam of light to remove or vaporize tissue and control bleeding in a wide variety of non-invasive and minimally invasive procedures.
Laser surgery is used to:
**Cut or destroy tissue that is abnormal or diseased without harming healthy, normal tissue
**Shrink or destroy tumors and lesions
**Cauterize (seal) blood vessels to prevent excessive bleeding.
Laser surgery is used to:
**Cut or destroy tissue that is abnormal or diseased without harming healthy, normal tissue
**Shrink or destroy tumors and lesions
**Cauterize (seal) blood vessels to prevent excessive bleeding.
Types of lasers
The three types of lasers most often used in medical treatment are the:
- Carbon dioxide (CO2) laser. Primarily a surgical tool, this device converts light energy to heat strong enough to minimize bleeding while it cuts through or vaporizes tissue.
- Neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd:YAG) laser. Capable of penetrating tissue more deeply than other lasers, the Nd:YAG makes blood clot quickly and can enable surgeons to see and work on parts of the body that could otherwise be reached only through open (invasive) surgery.
- Argon laser. This laser provides the limited penetration needed for eye surgery and superficial skin disorders. In a special procedure known as photodynamic therapy (PDT), this laser uses light-sensitive dyes to shrink or dissolve tumors.
Laser applications
Sometimes described as "scalpels of light," lasers are used alone or with conventional surgical instruments in a diverse array of procedures that:
- improve appearance
- relieve pain
- restore function
- save lives
Laser surgery is often standard operating procedure for specialists in:
- cardiology
- dentistry
- dermatology
- gastroenterology (treatment of disorders of the stomach and intestines)
- gynecology
- neurosurgery
- oncology (cancer treatment)
- ophthalmology (treatment of disorders of the eye)
- orthopedics (treatment of disorders of bones, joints, muscles, ligaments, and tendons)
- otolaryngology (treatment of disorders of the ears, nose, and throat)
- pulmonary care (treatment of disorders of the respiratory system
- urology (treatment of disorders of the urinary tract and of the male reproductive system)
Open Heart Surgery:
Open heart surgery is any surgery where the chest is opened and surgery is performed on the heart. The term "open" refers to the chest, not the heart itself. The heart may or may not be opened, depending on the type of surgery.
Open heart surgery includes surgery on the heart muscle, valves, arteries, or other structures.
A heart-lung machine (also called cardiopulmonary bypass) is usually during conventional open heart surgery to help provide oxygen-rich blood to the brain and other vital organs. The machine also pumps, supplies oxygen, removes carbon dioxide from the blood, and provides anesthesia to keep the patient asleep during surgery.
Open heart surgery includes surgery on the heart muscle, valves, arteries, or other structures.
A heart-lung machine (also called cardiopulmonary bypass) is usually during conventional open heart surgery to help provide oxygen-rich blood to the brain and other vital organs. The machine also pumps, supplies oxygen, removes carbon dioxide from the blood, and provides anesthesia to keep the patient asleep during surgery.
Laparoscopic Surgery:
Laparoscopic surgery, also called minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is a modern surgical technique in which operations in the abdomen are performed through small incisions (usually 2-3cm) as compared to larger incisions needed in traditional surgical procedures. Laparoscopic surgery includes operations within the abdominal or pelvic cavities, whereas keyhole surgery performed on the thoracic or chest cavity is called thoracoscopic surgery. Laparoscopic and thoracoscopic surgery belong to the broader field of endoscopy.
The key element in laparoscopic surgery is the use of a laparoscope: a telescopic rod lens system, that is usually connected to a video camera (single chip or three chip). Also attached is a fiber optic cable system connected to a 'cold' light source (halogen or xenon), to illuminate the operative field, inserted through a 5 mm or 10 mm cannula or Trocar to view the operative field. The abdomen is usually insufflated with carbon dioxide gas to create a working and viewing space. The abdomen is essentially blown up like a balloon (insufflated), elevating the abdominal wall above the internal organs like a dome. The gas used is CO2, which is common to the human body and can be absorbed by tissue and removed by the respiratory system. It is also non-flammable, which is important because electrosurgical devices are commonly used in laparoscopic procedures.
The key element in laparoscopic surgery is the use of a laparoscope: a telescopic rod lens system, that is usually connected to a video camera (single chip or three chip). Also attached is a fiber optic cable system connected to a 'cold' light source (halogen or xenon), to illuminate the operative field, inserted through a 5 mm or 10 mm cannula or Trocar to view the operative field. The abdomen is usually insufflated with carbon dioxide gas to create a working and viewing space. The abdomen is essentially blown up like a balloon (insufflated), elevating the abdominal wall above the internal organs like a dome. The gas used is CO2, which is common to the human body and can be absorbed by tissue and removed by the respiratory system. It is also non-flammable, which is important because electrosurgical devices are commonly used in laparoscopic procedures.
