What do Biomedical Engineers do ?

Biomedical engineers combine biology, medicine, and engineering and use advanced knowledge of engineering and science to solve medical and health-related problems. Biomedical engineers design massive MRI machines along with the microscopic machines used in surgery. They research and develop prostheses, evaluate the use of artificial organs, and improve instrumentation used in hospitals and clinics.

An increasing demand for cost-effective medical products should boost the demand for biomedical engineers, particularly those working in pharmaceutical manufacturing and research. The best job prospects are expected for biomedical engineers with master's degrees in the field.

Biomedical Engineering

Biomedical engineering is the application of engineering principles and techniques to the medical field. This field seeks to close the gap between engineering and medicine. It combines the design and problem solving skills of engineering with medical and biological sciences to improve healthcare diagnosis and treatment.^[1]

Biomedical engineering has only recently emerged as its own discipline, compared to many other engineering fields; such an evolution is common as a new field transitions from being an interdisciplinary specialization among already-established fields, to being considered a field in itself.

Much of the work in biomedical engineering consists of research and development, spanning a broad array of subfields (see below). Prominent biomedical engineering applications include the development of biocompatible prostheses, various diagnostic and therapeutic medical devices ranging from clinical equipment to micro-implants, common imaging equipment such as MRIs and EEGs, biotechnologies such as regenerative tissue growth, and pharmaceutical drugs and biopharmaceuticals.