Department of Biomedical Engineering

NANCY ALLBRITTON, Chair

The joint Department of Biomedical Engineering is a department of both the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University. The department maintains a joint graduate program, and at UNC–Chapel Hill it participates in the undergraduate program of the Curriculum in Applied Sciences and Engineering (CASE). Undergraduate students interested in biomedical engineering should consider the CASE program. More information is available under the CASE listing in this bulletin.

BMME courses at the 400 level are intended for undergraduates. BMME courses at the 500 level are open to advanced undergraduates but are intended for graduate students. Undergraduates should consult with the course director before registering for 500-level courses.

BMME

400 Introduction to Biomedical Engineering (1). Seminar introducing students to biomedical engineering research, including literature search, faculty presentation of ongoing research, and student discussion of research papers.

450 Linear Control Theory (4). Prerequisite, MATH 528. Linear control system analysis and design are presented. Frequency and time domain characteristics and stability are studied. These techniques are applied in an included laboratory. Undergraduate students should enroll in APPL 450.

490 Special Topics in Biomedical Engineering (3–9). A study in the special fields under the direction of the faculty. Offered as needed for presenting material not normally available in regular BME department.

505 Biomechanics (3). Prerequisites, MATH 383 and PHYS 116. Fundamental principles of solid and fluid mechanics applied to biological systems. Human gait analysis, joint replacement, testing techniques for biological structures, and viscoelastic models are presented. Papers from current biomechanics literature will be discussed.

510 Biomaterials (3). Prerequisite, BIOL 101 or BMME 589. Chemical, physical engineering, and biocompatibility aspects of materials, devices, or systems for implantation in or interfering with the body cells or tissues. Food and Drug Administration and legal aspects. Undergraduate students should enroll in APPL 510.

515 Introduction to Systems Biology (3). Prerequisite, MATH 383 or 528. Cells, tissues, organs, and organisms have been shaped through evolutionary processes to perform their functions in robust, reliable manners. This course investigates design principles and structure-function relationships of biomolecular networks. Emphasis will be placed on gene- and protein-circuits and their role in controlling cellular behavior and phenotype.

520 Fundamentals of Materials Engineering (3). The structure, defects, thermodynamics, kinetics, and properties (mechanical, electrical, thermal, and magnetic) of matter (metals, ceramics, polymers, and composites) will be considered.

530 Digital Signal Processing I (3). Prerequisite, COMP 110 or 116. This is an introduction to methods of automatic computation of specific relevance to biomedical problems. Sampling theory, analog-to-digital conversion, digital filtering will be explored in depth. Undergraduate students should enroll in APPL 430.

532 Microelectrode Techniques (4). Prerequisites, BIOL 101 and PHYS 351. Models for measurement of cellular transmembrane voltages with microelectrodes are introduced. Basic and technical aspects of the measurements are described. Students fabricate microelectrodes and measure action potentials in living cells.

550 Medical Imaging: Ultrasonic, Optical, and Magnetic Resonance Systems (3). Prerequisites, BIOS 550, BMME 430, and PHYS 128. Physical and mathematical foundations of ultrasonic, optical, and magnetic resonance imaging systems in application to medical diagnostics. Each imaging modality is examined, highlighting critical system characteristics: underlying physics of the imaging system, including mechanisms of data generation and acquisition; image creation; and relevant image processing methods, such as noise reduction.

551 Medical Device Design I (3). Student multidisciplinary teams work with local medical professionals to define specific medical device concepts for implementation.

552 Medical Device Design II (3). Device prototypes designed in the first course in series. Good manufacturing practices; process validation; FDA quality system regulations; design verification and validation; regulatory approval planning; and intellectual property protection.

560 Medical Imaging: X-Ray, CT, and Nuclear Medicine Systems (3). Prerequisites, APPL 410, BIOS 550, and PHYS 128. Overview of medical imaging systems using ionizing radiation. Interaction of radiation with matter. Radiation production and detection. Radiography systems and applications. Tomography. PET and SPECT systems and applications.

565 Biomedical Instrumentation I (4). Prerequisite, PHYS 351. Topics include basic electronic circuit design, analysis of medical instrumentation circuits, physiologic transducers (pressure, flow, bioelectric, temperate, and displacement). This course includes a laboratory where the student builds biomedical devices. Undergraduate students should enroll in APPL 465.

570 From Genes to Tissues: Molecular Biology and Genetics for Biomedical Engineers (4). One course in organic chemistry or biochemistry and one course in biology recommended. An introduction to molecular, cell, and tissue biology for BMME students covering molecular genetics, gene expression, self-assembling mechanisms, metabolism, bioenergetics, cell organelles, regulation of growth and differentiation, and signaling.

580 Microcontroller Applications I (3). Introduction to digital computers for real-time processing and control of signals and systems. Programming input and output devices using C and assembly language is stressed. Case studies are used to present software design strategies for real-time laboratory systems. Undergraduate students should enroll in APPL 480.

581 Microcontroller Applications II (3). Prerequisites, BMME 465, and APPL 480 or BMME 580. Problems of interfacing computers with biomedical and systems are studied. Students collaborate to develop a new biomedical instrument. Projects have included process control, data acquisition, disk systems interfaces, and DMW interfaces between interconnected computers.

589 Systems Physiology for Biomedical Engineers (5). Recommended preparation, two courses in biology and/or chemistry. A graduate-level introduction to systems and organ physiology. Topics covered will include membrane structure and physiology, muscle physiology, central neural systems, cardiac electrophysiology, and endocrinology.