What is Biomedical Engineering?
It's one of the youngest fields of engineering, in which traditional engineering expertise is blended with medical knowledge to analyse and solve problems in biology and medicine, providing an overall enhancement of healthcare. As such, biomedical engineers need to obtain a fundamental education in areas of both medicine and engineering. On this website you can read our newsletters for some examples of what biomedical engineers (including recent NUI Galway graduates) are doing. You'll also find full details of the Biomedical Engineering degree course.
What type of work does a Biomedical Engineer do?
The work of Biomedical Engineers includes a wide range of areas. The following are just a few:
Artificial organ design and development: artificial organs include the design of artificial hearts, lungs, kidneys, and livers; the design of organ components such as artificial heart valves and synthetic blood vessels.
Orthopaedic biomechanics: includes the design of artificial joints (hips, knees, elbows, shoulders), and the analysis of human motion.
Cardiovascular device design and development: Biomedical Engineers are involved in the design of blood pumps, oxygenators, surgical tools, catheters, etc. to facilitate the treatment of cardiovascular disease.
Design of Materials (metals, ceramics, polymers) for use in the body: the human body rejects all foreign materials which enter it, and as such, a large portion of Biomedical Engineering entails developing and testing new materials for use in the body as artificial organs, orthopaedic implants, or surgical tools.
Rehabilitation medicine: includes the development of tools and procedures to improve the standard of living for people with physical impairments.
What types of jobs are available to Biomedical Engineers?
The West of Ireland has become the European capital for the healthcare an cl medical device industry, with several-more companies located throughout Ireland. The...