Biomedical Engineering
Melissa Moss, Director
Biomedical engineers are involved in the design and improvement of products and procedures that promote improved health. Contributions of biomedical engineers range from the design of artificial organs to the discovery of new therapeutic pharmaceuticals to the development of surgical procedures and associated instrumentation. The Departments of Chemical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering collaborate to offer the Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering. The curriculum provides a strong foundation in the basic and applied sciences, as well as in the liberal arts, to provide students with a well-balanced education. Increasing emphasis is placed upon the application of engineering principles to biological systems in the junior and senior years. The curriculum provides the opportunity to engage in technical electives, laboratory course components, and a capstone design experience. Additional elective components and the design experience can be tailored to the specific interests of the student.
Bachelor’s/Master’s Degrees Accelerated Program
The Bachelor’s/Master’s Degrees Accelerated Program in Biomedical Engineering allows undergraduate students to complete both the B.S. degree and M.S. degree in as few as five years. The use of dual credit-courses that can be used toward both degrees enables acceleration of the program, reducing the total enrollment of the student by one semester.
Biomedical Engineering undergraduate students may apply for approval of an accelerated education plan in the semester in which they will complete 90 hours of undergraduate course work. In addition, students must have a sufficient foundation in biomedical engineering course work to enable them to take graduate-level courses. University and program regulations stipulate that applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.40, both overall and in biomedical engineering courses. Students in the accelerated program must maintain a GPA of 3.40 while pursuing the B.S. degree.
Students applying to this program must submit to The Graduate School a completed “Application for Admission to a Combined Bachelor’s/Master’s Education Plan” (G-BMPA) with endorsements of the undergraduate advisor, research advisor and the program graduate director. The dean of The Graduate School has final authority for approving accelerated education plans. A “Bachelor’s/Master’s Degree Accelerated Plan Course Work Authorization” form must be submitted for each semester in which one or more of these courses are taken.
Participation in the accelerated program does not require or insure acceptance into The Graduate School. Students wishing to continue towards a master’s degree in biomedical engineering at USC must apply formally to the Graduate School by submitting the appropriate application and all required supporting documents. Students in the accelerated program will be eligible for graduate assistantships upon admission to The Graduate School.
Only graduate-level courses (numbered 500 and above, including up to 3 credit hours of project/research work) satisfying both B.S. and Master’s degree requirements may be used for dual credit. BMEN core graduate courses (excluding 1-hour seminar courses and thesis preparation, BMEN 799) or courses from list of the approved BMEN graduate electives (refer to the graduate student handbook) may be used for graduate-level coursework. No more than twelve credit hours may be used as dual credit. The graduate courses used for dual credit must be taken during the student’s final undergraduate year.
Courses
Introduction to topics comprising the field of Biomedical Engineering, including their ethical impacts. Familiarization with resources and basic skills necessary to succeed in this major and field.
Introduction to molecular, cellular, and physical biology principles and concepts and application of engineering principles to further the understanding of biological systems. Protein and nucleic acid structure and function; DNA replication, mutations, and repair; transcription, translation, and post-translational processing; cellular organization; molecular transport and trafficking; and cellular models.
Mathematical and theoretical analysis of the mechanical properties and functions of materials, including those of biological origin and clinical relevance. Stress, strain, mechanical properties of materials, axial loading, torsion, bending, and stress/strain transformations. Application of the categories and methodology of solid mechanics to study biological tissues and events.
Properties of metals, ceramics, polymers, natural materials and composites; methods to modify surface and bulk properties of biomaterials; mechanisms of degradation in physiological environments; cell- and tissue-biomaterial interactions; host response to implanted biomaterials; blood-biomaterial interactions; rational design of biomaterials for specific biomedical applications.
First, second, and third law of thermodynamics; free energy and chemical equilibrium in biological processes; phase equilibrium for biomedical systems; energy and metabolism; membrane potentials and depolarization.
Analysis and discussion of biomedical industries, standards, regulations, products, and patents. Ethical issues associated with research, introduction of new products, animal subjects, and human subjects.
Analysis and discussion of industries, products, patents, industrial inventiveness, and biomedical research. Ethical issues associated with research, introduction of new products, animal subjects, and human subjects.
Basic electric circuits and equivalent cell model circuits used in biomonitoring and electrophysiology. Ohm’s and Kirchoff’s Laws. Applications of electrical components, such as operations amplifiers, filter, and Wheastone bridge, in biomonitoring and electrophysiology. Origins of bioelectricity. Biopotential and electrochemistry including Nernst and Goldman-Hudgkin-Katz equations for describing membrane potential of nerve and muscle cells. Ion transport involved in maintaining cell pH, action potential, muscle contraction, sensory perception.
Qualitative and quantitative aspects of infectious diseases; principles of diagnosis and control. Elements of human immunological response and immune disorders; influence on biomedical engineering of explants and implants.
Foundations for biomedical engineering with a focus on human anatomy and physiology. Introduction to the inter-relationships between tissue/organ structure and function; demonstration of how an engineering approach can promote understanding of these relationships. Recent biomedical engineering advances and their relations to underlying anatomy and physiology.
Graduation with Leadership Distinction: GLD: Professional and Civic Engagement Internships, GLD: Research
Qualitative and quantitative aspects of human system based medical microbiology; principles of diagnosis and control of representative human diseases. Elements of human immunological response and immune disorders.
Sensing and measurement of biophysical and biochemical properties and signals in the human body for quantitative molecular, cell, and tissue analysis. Overview on the theory, design and application of common biomedical instrumentation used for diagnosis, treatment, and scientific study of physiological parameters in clinical medicine and biomedical research.
Introduction to laboratory techniques and tools used for physiological measurements in biomedical engineering, with focus on biological, physical, and biomaterial methods. Data processing and analysis, as well as effective communication of results in written and oral form.
Introduction to laboratory techniques and tools used for physiological measurements in biomedical engineering, with focus on measurement of biosignals and common analytical methods employed in biomedical research and clinical settings. Data processing and analysis, as well as effective communication of results in written and oral form.
Course content varies and will be announced in the schedule of classes by title. May be repeated as topic varies.
Biological systems are used in chemical industries for a wide variety of applications, including the formation of important products (e.g. pharmaceuticals), sensor technology, degradation, and waste water treatment. This class will provide an overview of materials needed to investigate and model biosystems.
Integrated team work/project management, "voice of the patient", design specifications, design functions, design concepts, economic factors, concept selection and product architecture. The initial feasibility study, selection of the final design approach, and preliminary specifications are required by the end of the semester.
Graduation with Leadership Distinction: GLD: Professional and Civic Engagement Internships, GLD: Research
Design for manufacturability, ergonomic and aesthetic considerations, prototype construction and testing, fabrication and biological testing of tissue engineered constructs, statistical methods/design of experiments, ethics/product liability and social/environmental impact. The final engineering design (specifications, drawings, bill of materials, including assessment of economics) will be completed by the end of the semester. Both written and oral reports are to be provided.
Graduation with Leadership Distinction: GLD: Professional and Civic Engagement Internships, GLD: Research
Summer internship, REU, or co-op experience in biomedical engineering. Students enroll in this course following their research experience and prepare a summary paper and research seminar on their technical accomplishments. A maximum of 3 credits may be applied toward the degree.
Graduation with Leadership Distinction: GLD: Professional and Civic Engagement Internships, GLD: Research
Basic fluid mechanics, capillary, drop and micro/nanoparticle, electrokinetics; micropump, mixer, preconcentrator, electrophoresis, microactuator and particle manipulator; sensors for pressure, velocity, concentration, temperature in environmental monitoring/biodefence, clinical diagnostics, drug discovery/delivery.
Cross-listed course: EMCH 562
Fundamentals of nano- and microfabrication, metrology and their applications in biomedical engineering and science. The fabrication covers photolithography, nano/microfabrication for nano/microstructures, etching and additive techniques, MEMS integration and packaging, etc. Metrology focuses on characterization of nanostructures with imaging technologies.
Cross-listed course: EMCH 567
Routes of administration; mechanisms of drug absorption and biological barriers; pharmacokinetic modeling of drug distribution; drug excretion and biotransformation; design and evaluation of controlled release systems, targeted release systems, and responsive release systems.
Engineering approaches to study and control immune reactions and their applications in therapy and diagnostics for infectious disease, cancer, allergy, autoimmunity, and transplantation.
Survey of cardiovascular development, anatomy, physiology and pathology. Recent advances in our understanding of the basic mechanisms of congenital cardiovascular defects and cardiovascular disease. Engineering principles, detection and treatment of cardiovascular defects.
Mathematical and theoretical analysis of the mechanical properties and functions of soft biological tissues to include arterial vessels.
Molecular basis of bioregenerative engineering; biomaterial design; biocompatibility assessment; cell isolation and characterization; rapid prototyping, scaffold fabrication, and biofabrication; protein and gene delivery; bioreactor design; transport in biological tissues; applications of tissue engineering in regenerative medicine.
Course content varies and will be announced in the schedule of classes by title. May be repeated as topic varies.