Chair    Robert L. Spilker
Department Home Page   http://www.bme.rpi.edu/

Biomedical engineers typically do research and design; they discover new knowledge and they also apply this knowledge to design new engineering devices and systems that are useful in medicine and biology. Biomedical engineering (BMED) has helped produce many devices that society now takes for granted, such as noninvasive imaging systems for the body, critical-care monitoring instruments in intensive care units, and a wide spectrum of implants—such as artificial joints, oral implants, and vascular grafts—to replace damaged or diseased tissues. Now, in this modern era of stem cells, genomics, and proteomics, BMED is increasingly involved with cell and molecular biology as it arises in basic research and design of new devices and technologies. For instance, many biomedical engineers are using basic knowledge about the cellular/molecular processes of tissue regeneration to help design replacement tissues and organs—a field that has come to be known as tissue engineering. At Rensselaer, a key focus is functional tissue engineering, which encompasses the biology and engineering necessary to understand, characterize, synthesize, and shape the requisite mechanical behavior of living tissues.

The biomedical engineering curriculum is founded upon a strong base of engineering with significant life science content, together with courses that bring engineering solutions to medical needs. Biomedical engineering students can choose a concentration to develop knowledge and skills in one of the following areas: cell and tissue engineering; implant design; signal and image processing; and the design of sensors and instruments.

Areas of Advanced Research and Study

Cellular Bioengineering   Cultured mammalian cells are used to study, in vitro and at the cellular/molecular level, systems of biomedical interest. Experimental projects in progress include investigations of the mechanisms of osteoblast interactions with orthopedic/dental implant materials; structure and biochemistry of the cell/biomaterial interface; and the effects of mechanical stresses on cellular function, morphology, and structure. Theoretical approaches are used in modeling proliferation of anchorage-dependent, contact-inhibited cells and in quantifying morphological responses of cells to mechanical forces.

Computational Bioengineering   The level of complexity inherent in the study of human systems such as musculoskeletal or cardiovascular systems frequently dictates the need for numerical methods of solution. We are developing and applying high performance computational methods to the study of diathrodial joint mechanics, cardiovascular mechanics, dental mechanics, and imaging. Projects involving the development of computational methods for bioengineering applications are done in collaboration with Rensselaer’s Scientific Computation Research Center.

Orthopaedic Biomechanics   In an aging individual, musculoskeletal well-being is a key factor that contributes towards quality of life by directly affecting the mobility and ability of an individual to carry out daily tasks. The Orthopaedic Biomechanics Laboratory uses a combination of cellular and tissue level approaches to: (a) identify changes in the biological and mechanical characteristics of the skeletal tissues with emphasis on aging and osteoporosis; and (b) develop microenvironments conducive to regeneration of lost or damaged matrix. Current research areas include: biology and mechanics of hard tissue; cellular control of tissue growth and development; mechanobiology of skeletal tissue regeneration; and fatigue fractures of long bones.

Oral & Maxillofacial Implants and Bone-Implant Interfaces   In oral/maxillofacial surgery, orthopaedic surgery, and tissue engineering, events at the bone-implant interface ultimately determine clinical implant performance. All such interfaces transmit loads, so interfacial biomechanics and biomaterials become extremely relevant. Continuing projects include (1) characterization of applied forces and moments on oral implants in vivo, and (2) assessment of bone biology at loaded vs. unloaded bone-implant interfaces. New aspects of these projects involve digital image-based strain analysis of bone at interfaces and cell/molecular-level approaches to understand bone healing/remodeling as a function of interfacial biomechanics and biomaterials.

Impedance Imaging   Electrical impedance imaging is the technology for creating images of the internal structures of a body from measurements made at electrodes on the body’s surface. Electrical currents are applied to the body from an array of electrodes, and from the resulting voltages, an image can be reconstructed of the electrical conductivity of the body. An interdisciplinary group of mathematicians, computer scientists, electrical, and biomedical engineers is collaborating in a multiphase investigation of image reconstruction algorithms, instrumentation development, and clinical applications. Applications being studied include monitoring lung water, mapping temperature rise during local tissue heating, and detection of breast tumors.

Bioinstrumentation and Medical Devices   This area focuses on designing, developing, building, and testing instruments both for basic research in biomedical engineering and for direct clinical application. Research and advanced study include work on respiratory transducers and monitors, computer-controlled devices for physiological and medical studies, cardiac output monitors, viscoelastic testing of biological materials, and development of noninvasive/nontraumatic diagnostic instrumentation for bone and vascular abnormalities.

Computing and Signal Processing Applications   Several research studies emphasize computer techniques. Research in imaging includes studies that apply engineering methods of computer-assisted tomography to image reconstruction for microscopy. Major efforts are in three dimensional visualization of fluorescence micrographs from a conventional light microscope. This research has broad application in the life sciences. Such methods allow biologists to observe the activity of chromosomes throughout various phases of the cell cycle. Other research projects are in new methods of image reconstruction for X-ray computed tomography. Sophisticated algorithms and techniques are being developed for computer-aided analysis of patient data in both cardiac and respiratory diagnosis and computer control of the hemodynamics and ventilator therapy of surgical and postoperative patients.

Systems Physiology and Clinical Medicine and Surgery   The techniques of systems modeling are applied to a variety of physiological systems to elucidate their function and behavior, to determine the etiology of disease, to suggest improved methods of diagnosis and treatment, and to predict courses of response and recovery. Experimental facilities include a bioinstrumentation laboratory, an analytic research laboratory, a physiology laboratory with an extensive array of research equipment, and on-line data acquisition computers. Computer control of the administration of vasoactive drugs is actively studied.

Other Research   Biomedical engineering research at Rensselaer involves three schools within the Institute and interactions with Albany Medical College, Columbia University, Université de Montreal, UC San Francisco, Spokance Center for Tissue Integrated Orostheses, and several other hospitals.

Faculty

Core Faculty

Professors

Bizios, R.   Ph.D. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology); cellular bioengineering, cell/biomaterial interactions, biomaterials.
Brunski, J.B.   Ph.D. (University of Pennsylvania); dental biomechanics and implants, bone healing at interfaces, biomaterials.
Newell, J.C.   Ph.D. (Albany Medical College); cardiopulmonary physiology, systems modeling, impedance imaging.
Spilker, R.L.   Sc.D. (MIT); computational mechanics and biomechanics (chair of department).

Associate Professors

DePaola, N.   Ph.D. (MIT-Harvard Medical School); biofluid mechanics, cellular bioengineering.
Ostrander, L.E.   Ph.D. (University of Rochester); information processing, biomedical signal analysis, human factors in medical equipment design.
Roysam, B.   D.Sc. (Washington University); electrical, computer, and systems engineering; intelligent imaging at low SNR, parallel computation, biomedical applications.

Assistant Professors

Vashishth, D.   Ph.D. (University of London, UK); orthopaedics biomechanics, hard tissue biology (aging and osteoporosis), sports medicine (stress fractures and running injuries).

Affiliated Faculty

Cheney, M.   Ph.D. (Indiana University); professor of mathematical sciences; applied mathematics, differential equations, mathematical computed tomography.
Doremus, R.H.   Ph.D. (University of Illinois, University of Cambridge); professor of glass and ceramics science; physical chemistry, solutions of polyelectrolytes and proteins.
Isaacson, D.   Ph.D. (New York University); professor of mathematics and computer science; electric current computed tomography.
Modestino, J.W.   Ph.D. (Princeton University); professor of electrical, computer, and systems engineering; stochastic processes in communication and control, information theory and coding, detection and estimation theory, digital signal and image processing.
Savic, M.   Eng.D.Sc. (University of Belgrade); professor of electrical, computer, and systems engineering; controlled cryodestruction, signal processing.
Scarton, H.A.   Ph.D. (Carnegie Mellon University); associate professor of mechanical engineering and mechanics; biomechanics, wave phenomena, acoustics, noise control.

Adjunct Faculty

Bowser, S.S., Jr.   Ph.D. (University at Albany, SUNY); cell structure and function, particularly cell motility and cytoskeleton-membrane interactions, effects of mechanical forces on cell physiology, biology of benthic foraminifera.
Cousins, J.P.   Ph.D. (Johns Hopkins University); magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy.
Del Vecchio, P.J.   Ph.D. (Fordham University); biology, vascular endothelium.
Edic, P.M.   Ph.D. (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute); electrical impedance imaging and magnetic resonance imaging computation.
Fuestel, P.   Ph.D. (Albany Medical College); cerebral circulation and regulation of respiration.
Jacobs, R.L.   M.D. (State University of Iowa); orthopedics, physiology, biochemistry of bone.
Lee, B.Y.   M.D. (Seoul National University School of Medicine); surgical research, peripheral vascular surgery.
Metzger, D.   Ph.D. (University of Illinois at Chicago); regulation of immunity, mucosal immunology, immune response to xenogenaic tissue implants.
Rangert, B.   Ph.D. (Chalmers Institute of Technology); dental implants, biomaterials and biomechanics.
Saba, T.M.   Ph.D. (University of Tennessee); physiology of the reticuloendothelial system, cardiovascular and pulmonary function during shock, host defense mechanisms.
Singer, H.   Ph.D. (Dept. of Pharmacology, University of Virginia); vascular smooth muscle cell biology, calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinases, intracellular regulation of smooth muscle contractility.
Turner, J.N.   Ph.D. (State University of New York, Buffalo); biophysics, anatomic pathology, quantitative light microscopy.

Emeritus Faculty

Roy, R.J.   M.D. (Albany Medical College), D.Eng.Sci. (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute); systems physiology,digital signal processing, pattern recognition.

Undergraduate Programs

A student may enter this curriculum and either follow the baccalaureate program leading to the Bachelor of Science degree or be admitted to the Professional School and follow the professional program leading to the Master of Engineering degree as well as the Bachelor of Science. To select course options that will meet specific needs and interests, the student should consult with an academic adviser at an early stage.

Baccalaureate Program   In lieu of the general core engineering program presented earlier, the baccalaureate program shown below may be followed by students who have identified biomedical engineering as their choice of discipline.

The Biomedical Engineering Department offers several concentrations. Students interested in implant design, cell and tissue engineering, and computational biomechanics can select a materials or mechanics course emphasis. Students interested in biomedical signals, images, sensors, and instrumentation can select an electrical or computer systems emphasis. For other biomedical engineering interests, including premedical and predental programs, consult a department adviser.

1. ENGR-1330 Introduction to BMED or ENGR-1310 Introduction to Engineering Electronics or ENGR-1300 Engineering Processes; may be taken in first or second year.
2. Placement of Hum. and Soc. Sci. electives can be varied with Free Electives. The courses counted as Free Electives must show a minimum of 12 credit hours. The total credit hours for the degree is 126-128.
3. Science requirement.
4. For the materials/mechanics emphasis, choose ENGR-2250 Thermal-Fluids Engineering. Choose ENGR-4300 Electronic Instrumentation OR ECSE-2010-Electric Circuits for the computer-based and electrical emphasis. For other elective choices, see a departmental adviser.
5. BMED specified concentration courses (see listing below). Check prerequisites to assure that courses are taken in appropriate order. Free Electives may be moved to different semesters to accommodate timing of concentration courses.
6. The minimum total credit hours of Free Electives is 12, with no restrictions on the included number of 3 and 4 credit hour courses.
7. PDII will be fulfilled from a published list at the start of each semester and can be taken either semester; PDIII can be taken either semester of the senior year. PDI is part of ENGR-2050, Intro to Engineering Design.
8. Capstone and writing-intensive course.

BMED Specified Concentration Courses   Select mechanics or materials electives from the list below for Implant Design, Cell and Tissue Engineering, and Computation Biomechanics. Select computer-based and electrical electives for Biomedical Signals, Images, Sensors and Instrumentation. For other choices in a concentration Plan of Study, see a departmental adviser.

Humanities and Social Sciences Electives   The humanities and social sciences electives are based on the Institute and School of Engineering requirements for these courses. It is recommended that the student elect sequences in appropriate departments in order to obtain adequate breadth and depth in subject areas. Students desiring minors in Humanities and Social Sciences must consult the school or department in which the courses are offered for further information and specific requirements.

Minimum Credit Hours   This curriculum requires a minimum of 126 credit hours.

Professional Program   The professional program leading to the M.Eng. degree combines concentration courses from a traditional engineering discipline with biomedical engineering course work. Courses are chosen in consultation with the student’s program adviser as part of an approved course plan of study. The fourth year is the same for the B.S. and the professional program.

Minor Program in Biomedical Engineering   The Department of Biomedical Engineering offers a minor in biomedical engineering for undergraduates majoring in other engineering and science fields. The selection of courses must have the prior approval of the department and must form a coherent program.

Graduate Programs

Graduate programs lead to the Master of Engineering, Master of Science, Doctor of Engineering, and Doctor of Philosophy degrees.

Biomedical Instrumentation Concentration   Bioinstrumentation, systems modeling, and computer technology and techniques have been the basis for some of the most advanced and intensive achievements in biomedical engineering. Students in this concentration prepare to work in the design and construction of transducers and electronic processing equipment for on-line measurements and control of physiological parameters. Techniques for computer simulation, pattern recognition, feedback control, and nonlinear and linear systems analysis of biological systems are additional aspects of advanced training in this concentration. There are active research programs in electrical impedance imaging, automated closed-loop drug delivery systems, tissue perfusion measurements, and image processing that covers the theoretical basis and practical applications of noninvasive internal imaging of animate and inanimate objects.

Materials Concentration   In the materials area, applications of engineering to design of prosthetic devices require sophisticated knowledge of structure, properties, and behavior of a wide range of materials—metals, ceramics, glasses, polymers, composites, and biological materials. Implant design and the new field of tissue engineering both involve a working knowledge of material properties, tissue/biomaterial interactions, and biocompatibility. The design of entirely new materials for use within the body also falls within this concentration.

Mechanical Concentration   Mechanics has helped solve problems involving cell physiology, blood flow, skin rheology, bone mechanics, the design of load-bearing prostheses, methods of joint lubrication, and countless other items of interest in medicine. Continuum mechanics, finite element analysis, strain gauge techniques, model analysis techniques, and micromechanics are some of the methods used to attack these problems.

Admission

Persons seeking admission to graduate degree programs in biomedical engineering should arrange for their Graduate Record Examination aptitude test scores to be sent to the Biomedical Engineering Department. Applicants who cannot take the test should attach an explanation to the application. Submission of GRE Advanced Test scores is also recommended. For further information on the Graduate Record Examinations, write to: Graduate Record Examinations, Box 955, Princeton, NJ 08541.

Graduate Degree Requirements

The department offers programs leading to the Master of Engineering (M.Eng.), Master of Science (M.S.), Doctor of Engineering (D.Eng.), and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.).

Master’s Programs

Rensselaer requires completion of at least 30 credit hours (with satisfactory grades) beyond the bachelor’s degree; at least 15 of these credit hours must have suffix numbers 6000-6990. Other Institute requirements are specified in the Rensselaer Catalog.

Biomedical Engineering Master of Science Degree Without Thesis   The Biomedical Engineering Master of Science (M.S.) degree without thesis is recommended for students who do not plan further graduate studies. In consultation with his/her academic adviser, the student should put together a plan of study that satisfactorily meets Institute Requirements, Core Biomedical Engineering (BMED) Requirements, Core Concentration Requirements, and Recommended Technical Electives for a minimum of 30 credits.

Biomedical Engineering Master of Science Degree With Thesis   The Biomedical Engineering Master of Science degree with thesis is recommended for students who plan to continue graduate school studies towards either a Ph.D. or an M.D. degree. The master’s thesis should contribute new knowledge to the field of study. In consultation with his/her academic adviser, the student should put together a plan of study that satisfactorily meets Institute Requirements, Core BMED Requirements, Core Concentration Requirements, and Recommended Technical Electives for at least 24 credits. A maximum of six credits may be earned by thesis work. Under all circumstances a minimum of 30 credits must be completed.

Biomedical Engineering Master of Engineering Degree   A student with a bachelor’s degree in engineering may pursue a Master of Engineering Degree. This program is recommended for students interested in industrial positions. In consultation with his/her academic adviser, the student should put together a plan of study that satisfactorily meets Institute Requirements, Core Requirements, Core Concentration Requirements, and Recommended Technical Electives for at least 24 credits. A project is not required but an applied research, development, or design project may be completed, if desired, with the academic adviser’s approval and given a maximum of six credits. Under all circumstances a minimum of 30 credits must be completed.

Recommended Technical Electives   In consultation with his/her adviser, the student should select engineering and science courses that complement his/her program of study and career plans. Examples of such courses are given in the summaries below:

Doctoral Programs   Matriculation into the doctoral program is based upon prior demonstration of a high level of academic achievement in graduate and/or undergraduate work. Advanced study and research are conducted under the guidance of a faculty member of the Department of Biomedical Engineering and an interdisciplinary committee. Usually 54 credits of formal courses are required in addition to the residency and thesis requirements. These requirements are formalized in a plan of study that is prepared in consultation with the research adviser and doctoral committee.

Courses   Courses directly related to this curriculum are described in this catalog in the courses section under the department codes BMED, CHME, ECSE, MTLE, and MEAE.