Running Head: BIOMEDICINE ADVANCEMENTS

Engineers: A literature Review of advancements in Biomedicine

Octavio Cordova Jr.
University of Texas at El Paso

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Abstract
Biomedicine is a field that is growing and expanding as time passes. The field is creating
links between different careers and advancing the technology used in both careers at the same
time. The field is innovating the technology to be able to be used in different ways to provide a
faster and cheaper way while following the ethical views. Ethical views are being determined by
the person and committee to ensure that the experiment will be ethical in every form. The
purpose of this literature review is to define biomedical engineer, innovations in the career,
ethical points to be followed, and career options they can pursue.

Biomedical Engineers: A Literature Review of advancements in Biomedicine

Introduction
Biomedical Engineers are currently innovating several fields at the same time with the
involvement of several careers into one same project. How did they all get involved into one
field? Different careers and advancements in technology have made the fields have to join into
one for better understanding and innovation of technology. Biomedical engineers bridge the
medical and engineering disciplines providing an overall enhancement of health care
(Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES), 1968).
However the fields are considered to be separate and operate on their own they both
come to a meeting point when it comes to advancements. They need each other to be able to keep
the technology innovations moving forward. The problem is what extremes or limits does it have
to reach to become less critiqued. We have to ask ourselves are the innovations being done in
ethical manners or what cautions are being taken. In doing so, four important questions need to
be considered:
1.
2.
3.
4.

What is a Biomedical Engineer?

What are innovations the Biomedical field has done?
What Ethical views do Biomedical Engineers have to follow in the procedures?
Where are the different careers biomedical engineers can be found?

The following review will provide information regarding the advancements in the Biomedicine
work field, what ethical steps are required by them, as well as what is the involvement they have
in society.
What is a Biomedical Engineer?
The engineers and medical field has always been seen as complete opposites. In an
organizations website for Biomedical Engineers, entitled Biomedical Engineering Society

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Advancing Human Health and Well Being, Biomedical engineers design and build innovative
devices (artificial limbs and organs, new-generation imaging machines, advanced prosthetics and
more) and improve processes for genomic testing, or making and administering drugs. This is
how engineers and the medical field have been combined to advance the technology for a better
good in the world. A biomedical engineer is always looking to innovate and apply the
engineering principles towards the biology and healthcare fields. They will try innovating and
building different devices in order to solve clinical problems that arise in the fields (Jim Lucas,
2014).

Source: Lucas, B. J. (2014). What Is Biomedical Engineering? Retrieved April 01, 2016, from http://www.livescience.com/48001biomedical-engineering.html

Biomedical Engineers use their principles of engineering and combine them with biology
to innovate and advance the science and technology. The involvement they require is a lot as they
have to be well-rounded when it comes to education as they have to have knowledge in several

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areas of engineering as well as specific areas in the medicine field to be able to be used for
application (Jim Lucas, 2014). This field is growing, as technology and healthcare are becoming
a bigger part in our everyday life and our understanding for these subjects are becoming clear.
The field of Biomedical Engineers is not only engineers, but researchers too. This field
includes many different aspects of the science world, as its an innovating field. The field grows
to be able to expand and create advancements in science.
What are innovations the Biomedical field has done?
The biomedical field has been involved in many projects that have made a huge impact
on todays world. Artificial organs, automated patient monitoring, blood chemistry sensors,
medical imaging systems, biomaterials design, biomechanics of injury and healing are some
projects that Biomedical Engineers are involved, but many more can be associated with them
(Jim Lucas, 2014). The projects that are worked on are really beneficial to the science world as
it creates cheaper and more effective ways to improve the health science field. The innovations
being brought to the world are impacting many parts of the world as they can now be used in
more parts for cheaper prices that more places can afford to pay for them. Many of the parts

being brought to the world are a major step and they are fast-forwarding the procedures of many
injuries or health disparities in the world. For example, the International Journal of Engineering

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explains in the journal of reverse engineering and CAD inspection of knee implants using the
Noomeo Optimum 3D scanner how you are able to create a CAD model by scanning/digitizing
existing parts/products (Rajic, Desnica, Stojadinovic, Lazi-Vulicevic, Eric, 2015). The
technology that is being used in todays world is innovating the lengths biomedical engineers
have to go when they are testing new equipment. Steps in the Biomedical field are fast
forwarding the way that test on different species will be examined.
In the field of Biomedicine there is several ways that they have advanced technology.
Another great example is in the editorial by Hiie Hinrikus (2014) where he explains the way that
waves, optics and different things have influenced some of the exams performed on people. In
the editorial by Hiee Hinrikus he also explains the way that they perform pulse wave procedures.
This is a procedure based on the velocity that the blood is flowing to determine blood pressure
on a person. The way that this simple procedure was invented meant advancements in the way
that technology was being used in the Medical field and providing safer ways to perform exams.
Sources: Medical advances on fast forward. (n.d.). Retrieved April 01, 2016, from
http://www.monash.edu/monashmag/articles/issue4/medical-advances-on-fast-forward.html

What ethical views do Biomedical Engineers have to follow in their procedures?

The Biomedical field is full of advancements in technology, but with those innovations
testing has to happen to be able to get many of materials approved. At this moment is when the
ethics have to come into place and determine how ethical is the experiment. Many problems in
the experiments that the population might experience is how far they are willing to go in an
experiment. In the interview I conducted to Tania Miramontes a Building Scholars student
(2016) she explained to me how far she would go in an experiment. Tania told me that in her
point of view that it could be both ethical and non-ethical because of the advancements in
technology, that many of the experiments that have to be done on animals can be eliminated. In

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some cases it something that cant be avoided as it serves the purpose in advancements in science
(2016). Experiments that are done in the field can be harsh that they have to be considered by a
committee before they are able to start the experiment. They have to determine if the steps you
are taking will be ethical and correct, or if they have to be corrected before they will be able to
start with the experiment. In many experiments the committee has to measure the lengths that
they will have to follow in order to come out with a successful experiment. They will also have
to determine the ethical lengths that are going to be taken. Tania also expressed to me that, If it
isnt part of my experiment once the animal seems distant, depresses, psychologically unstable or
sick I will stop there. I wont do experiments where I have to see how much pain they can take or
how long they will live with this disease, or anything that will test how long they will stay alive.
In many experiments its up to the person conducting the experiment to determine the extent they
will take in their experiments and if they consider it ethical.
Where are the different careers Biomedical Engineers can be found?
The Biomedicine field can be found in many locations it all depends mostly on the focus
of the person. The education that the Biomedical Engineers follow allows them to bridge
between engineering and medical fields. Its a really large field is has an immense growth 72% to
be more precise according to the University of Texas at Austin (2016). The information that UT
Austin is providing shows how the field is quickly expanding and being able to cover more in the
job forces. In the field you will be able to link up to different career forces such as universities,
industry, hospital, research facilities, in academia, and government agencies according to BMES
(1968). The field provides a diversity of careers that the person can take leading them to different
ethical views they will have to take in their careers. The different locations that the biomedical
engineers can be found are depending on the focus of their career. Within their career the

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engineers are able to focus on different areas, for example: clinical engineering, biomechanics,
biomaterials, bionics, medical imaging, orthopedic bioengineering, bionanotechnology and many
more (BMES, 1968). This career links many of the different options that show the growth of its
field in the recent years.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this literature review has analyzed many sources of data and has answered
questions that revolve around the advancements of the biomedicine field. The current situation
with the advancements in the field has grown because of the steps taken to advance the science
and the ethical perspectives of the people in the field and outside the field. It strengthens the
growth for the field also because it shows how this career is promising to the engineering and
medical field. Biomedicine is a diverse field that looks to make the world healthier and improve
the science of life. The field all comes down to the way that the persons ethics will act against
Source: Careers in Biomedical Engineering. (n.d.). Retrieved April 01, 2016, from
https://www.bme.utexas.edu/resources/careers-in-biomedical-engineering

them in the process.

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References

(n.d.). Retrieved April 01, 2016, from http://www.bmes.org/4DCGI/cms/review.html?

Action=CMS_Document
Careers in Biomedical Engineering. (n.d.). Retrieved April 01, 2016, from
https://www.bme.utexas.edu/resources/careers-in-biomedical-engineering
Hinrikus, H. (2014). Waves, oscillations and optics in biomedical engineering: research in the
Department of Biomedical Engineering 1994-2014. Proceedings Of The Estonian Academy
Of Sciences, 63(3), 200-210.
Lucas, B. J. (2014). What Is Biomedical Engineering? Retrieved April 01, 2016, from
http://www.livescience.com/48001-biomedical-engineering.html
Medical advances on fast forward. (n.d.). Retrieved April 01, 2016, from
http://www.monash.edu/monashmag/articles/issue4/medical-advances-on-fast-forward.html
Miramontes, T. (2016, March 26). Personal Interview
RAJIC, A., DESNICA, E., STOJADINOVIC, S., LAZIC-VULICEVIC, L., & ERIC, S. (2015).
REVERSE ENGINEERING AND CAD INSPECTION OF KNEE IMPLANT USING
THE NOOMEO OPTINUM 3D SCANNER. Annals Of The Faculty Of Engineering
Hunedoara - International Journal Of Engineering, 13(2), 39-42.