Brief History of the Department
Biomedical Engineering is one of the newly created departments in Federal College of Dental Technology and Therapy, Enugu. The Federal College of Dental Technology and Therapy is one of the institutions supervised by the Federal Ministry of Health.
The department was started in 2017 to award in 2017 to award National Diploma (ND) and Higher National Diploma (HND). The department has recently been approved to run Bachelor degree progrmamme in affiliation with FUTO.
Projections;
The courses in Biomedical Engineering are designed to:
- Produce Biomedical Engineers who are able to apply appropriate technological principles and techniques in problem solving.
- Provide students with board practical and theoretical training in the analytical and interpretative skills necessary for careers in the relevant areas on biomedical engineering.
- Develop productive and technological manpower and highly trained professional to execute the manufacture of biomedical devices / equipments needed in health care delivery.
- Provide adequate technological knowledge and skills on general dental and medical areas of health care delivery.
- Develop highly skilled professionals who can research and formulate materials for dental and medical practice.
Objectives
At the end of the programme, the students are able to:
- Apply engineering principles to medicine and health care delivery.
- Work with life scientists, chemists, and medical scientists to research the engineering aspects of the biological systems of humans and animals.
- Carry out research projects and investigations over a wide range of topics in biomedical engineering.
- Prepare procedures, write technical reports, publish research papers, and make recommendations based on their research findings
- Present research findings to scientists, nonscientist executives, clinicians, hospital management, engineers, other colleagues, and the public.
- Attain appropriate skill and technological acquisition in biomedical engineering.
- Provide instruction and training in the principles of engineering and natural sciences as applied to medicine and healthcare delivery.
- Gain mastery and knowledge of the structure and function of the human body.
- Gain knowledge in measurement, assessment of dysfunction and maintenance of therapeutic devices.
- Gain skill in modalities, specification, development and design of biomedical equipment.
- Design equipment and devices, such as artificial internal organs, replacements for body parts, and machines for diagnosing medical problems.
- Install, adjust, maintain, repair, or provide technical support for biomedical equipment.
- Evaluate the safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of biomedical equipment.
- Provide technical service in health care industry.
- Train clinicians and other personnel on the proper use of equipment
Scope of Biomedical Engineering
Straddling the life sciences, the physical sciences and engineering, Biomedical Engineering covers materials, therapies, devices, technology, systems, methods and processes that facilitate the understanding of human disease, or its prevention, diagnosis, treatment, alleviation or monitoring.
Biomedical engineers differ from other engineering disciplines that have an influence on human health in that biomedical engineers use and apply an intimate knowledge of modern biological principles in their engineering design process. Aspects of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, chemical engineering, materials science, chemistry, mathematics, and computer science and engineering are all integrated with human biology in biomedical engineering to improve human health, whether it be an advanced prosthetic limb or a breakthrough in identifying proteins within cells.
There are many subdisciplines within biomedical engineering, including the design and development of active and passive medical devices, orthopedic implants, medical imaging, biomedical signal processing, tissue and stem cell engineering, and clinical engineering. The following are examples of specialty areas within the field of biomedical engineering:
- Bioinstrumentation uses electronics, computer science, and measurement principles to develop devices used in the diagnosis and treatment of disease.
- Biomaterials is the study of naturally occurring or laboratory-designed materials that are used in medical devices or as implantation materials.
- Biomechanics involves the study of mechanics, such as thermodynamics, to solve biological or medical problems.
- Clinical engineering applies medical technology to optimize healthcare delivery. Clinical engineers work to ensure that medical equipment is safe and reliable for use in clinical settings.
- Rehabilitation engineering is the study of engineering and computer science to develop devices that assist individuals with physical and cognitive impairments.
- Systems physiology uses engineering tools to understand how systems within living organisms, from bacteria to humans, function and respond to changes in their environment.
- Manufacturing Engineering: Manufacturing Engineers are responsible for developing and designing medical products.
- Software Engineering: Software Engineers focus on designing and developing computer programs that are used for various medical applications.
- Research: Researchers spends the bulk of their time obtaining knowledge to find solutions to medical problems.
- Quality Assurance Engineering: Quality Assurance Engineers examine medical products after they’ve been manufactured to make sure that they meet certain standards and specifications. They support assigned teams to generate product quality system documentation, ensure high process capability outcomes and generate risk.
- R&D Engineering: R&D Engineer serves as a technical expert in medical equipment and single use devices
- Tissue and stem cell Engineering: Tissue and stem cell engineers work towards artificial recreation of human organs, aiding in transplants and helping millions around the world live better lives.
Duties of Biomedical Engineers
Biomedical engineers typically do the following:
Biomedical engineers design instruments, devices, and software used in healthcare; bring together knowledge from many technical sources to develop new procedures; or conduct research needed to solve clinical problems. They often serve a coordinating function, using their background in both engineering and medicine. For example, they may create products for which an indepth understanding of living systems and technology is essential. They frequently work in research and development or in quality assurance.
Biomedical engineers design electrical circuits, software to run medical equipment, or computer simulations to test new drug therapies. In addition, they design and build artificial body parts, such as hip and knee joints. In some cases, they develop the materials needed to make the replacement body parts. They also design rehabilitative exercise equipment.
The work of these engineers spans many professional fields. For example, although their expertise is based in engineering and biology, they often design computer software to run complicated instruments, such as three-dimensional x-ray machines. Alternatively, many of these engineers use their knowledge of chemistry and biology to develop new drug therapies. Others draw heavily on mathematics and statistics to build models to understand the signals transmitted by the brain or heart.
Career Opportunities in Biomedical Engineering
Biomedical engineers work in a wide variety of settings and disciplines. There are opportunities in industry for innovating, designing, and developing new technologies; in academia furthering research and pushing the frontiers of what is medically possible as well as testing, implementing, and developing new diagnostic tools and medical equipment; and in government for establishing safety standards for medical devices. Many biomedical engineers find employment in cutting-edge start-up companies or as entrepreneurs themselves.
Prospects and job opportunities abound for graduates of Biomedical Engineering. Moreover, Federal College of Dental Technology and Therapy, Enugu being among the few institutions running these programme in Nigeria. It will become a resourceful spot for other institutions that will establish Biomedical Engineering programme in the near future.
Biomedical Engineers can be considered for employment as lecturers/professors, research analysts/consultants, service and application specialists, Technological support engineers/ analysts and technical specialists/ consultants in the following:
- Colleges and Universities
- Medical Centers and Hospitals
- Biomedical Companies
- Defense Services
- Clinic Engineering and laboratories
- Rehabilitation Engineering
In the last few years, Forbes has dubbed biomedical engineering as the best health care career. And the possibilities within biomedical engineering are nearly endless.
Entry Requirements into Biomedical Engineering Department
To apply for Biomedical Engineering as a UTME candidate, you require: Five SSCE credit passes including Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and English Language and any other Science subject. In UTME, note that English Language is mandatory.