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What is Bioengineering?

Mark S. Redfern, Ph.D.Professor, BioengineeringVice Provost For Resaerch

Department of BioengineeringUniversity of Pittsburgh

Westinghouse Science Honors Institute

Bioengineering - Pittsburgh

What is Bioengineering?

• “Applying engineering knowledge and methods to solve biomedical problems.”

• Spans molecular to whole body– Tissue Engineering– Artificial Organs– Medical Instrumentation– Rehabilitation Engineering– Imaging

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What is Bioengineering?

• “Advances knowledge in engineering, biology and medicine, and improves human health through cross-disciplinary activities that integrate the engineering sciences with life sciences and clinical practice.”

• [Engineering applied to health ]

Professional DisclaimerClinician Life Scientist Engineer

“A good scientist is a person with original ideas. A good engineer is a person who makes a design that works with as few original ideas as possible.” - Anonymous

“Scientists dream about doing great things. Engineer s do them.”– James Michener

What is a Medical Device?

Tongue depressor Heart-lung machine

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Even the iPhone!

Artificial Organs

Completely Artificial

Bio-hybrid Artificial

Organ Regeneration

COMPLEX I TY

SAFETY

EFF I CACY

PAST

PRESENT

FUTURE

What We Need to ProvideCirculatory Assistance

• provide 1.5 gallons per minute of blood flow at physiologic pressures

• non-clotting• immuno-resistant• quick, easy to implant• efficient and reliable• deliver good quality of life• affordable

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Total Artificial Heart (TAH)

Cardiosystems Inc (Jarvik TAH)

• recipient’s entire heart, or ventricles are removed and replaced with a mechanical device

Novacor LVAD

• Implanted within the abdomen

• Ventricle empties into the pump

• Pump pushes blood to the ascending aorta

TandemHeart pVAD

• Continuous (non-pulsatile) flow ventricular assist device

• Short-term support (1-8 days)

Cardiac Assist Inc..

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Ventricular Assist Device

Ventricular Assist Device

Ventricular Assist Device

PediaFlowUniversity of Pittsburgh

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Artificial Lung

Iron Lung - Polio

Artificial Lung

Borovetz

Membrane Oxygenation

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Catheter made from bundle of hollow fiber membranes

Inserted in femoral vein and placed within Vena Cava

Supply O2, remove CO2 before blood reaches lung: partial respiratory support

Pulsating balloon for enhanced gas exchange

Intravenous Partial Respiratory Support

ExternalFitting

Pneumatic Shaft

Hattler Respiratory Catheter ®

1935-2008

BrackHattlerMD/PhD

Medical Devices Laboratory

Design Features of the Hattler Respiratory Support Catheter

Hollow Fiber Membrane Bundle

Bundle Cut-Away

ProximalManifoldDistal

Manifold

Hollow Fiber FabricPulsating Balloon

ExternalFitting

O2CO2

He

Multi-LumenGas Shaft

Implantable Artificial Kidney

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Implantable Artificial Kidney

UCSF

Vision-assist Device

BrainPort Device

Vision-assist Device

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Neural Engineering

Neural Motor Lab-Andrew Schwartz, PhD

Rehab Neural Engineering Lab-Doug Weber, PhD-Michael Boninger, MD-Jen Collinger, PhD

Neural Tissue Interface Lab-Tracy Cui, PhD

Neural Prosthetic

Univ of Pittsburgh MotorLab

http://motorlab.neurobio.pitt.edu/multimedia.php

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Quadriplegic Stroke Patient

BrainGate, Brown University

Implementing Human Studies

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yff20TlHv34&feature=related

Neural Engineering: What do we need to know to do this?

• Neuroscience (i.e. the brain)• Electrode interface issues:

– Material Science– Bio-compatability

• Signal & Image Analysis• Computational modeling• Control Systems• Robotics & Mechatronics• Medicine & Surgery• Veterinary Science

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Rehabilitation Engineering

• Wheelchair evaluations and upper extremity injuries

Rory Cooper, Michael Boninnger, Alicia Koontz

Human Engineering Research Laboratory

http://www.herlpitt.org/video.htm

Robotic-assisted Surgery

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Organ Decellularization

Biologic Scaffoldsfor Regenerative Medicine

Stephen F. Badylak, DVM, MD, PhD

Badylak

GORE ALERT!!!!

“Pixy Dust” to encourage tissue re-growth

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Sara Doll and Katie O’CallaghanPitt Alumni!

…and…Biomedical Engineers and Scientific

Reviewers@ FDA – Office of Device Evaluation

Off the Beaten Path…working at the FDA

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Who Are We?

Sara

BS: Bioengineering� Systems/Signals

Concen� ECMO Tech at

Children’s� IAESTE Internship

Minor: Neuroscience� NIMH Fellowship

Study AbroadEngineering World

Health

Katie

BS: Bioengineering� Hybrid

Concentration� Intramural

Internship� Industrial

Internship

BA: German� Dual Degree

Program� Study Abroad

IAESTE Internship

Who Are We?

One year after graduation…• Full-time employees at the

FDA• Sara: Surgical and

Neurological devices• Katie: Cardiovascular

devices

ACTIVE Education

• Hybrid Concentration• Minor• Double Major• Double Degree Program• …just take a lot of

interesting classes!

���� talk to profs, P.I.s, other

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Practical Work Experience

• Internships–Intramural–Industrial–Other: INROADS, NIH, programs through other universities

• Fellowships (NIMH, MDFP)• Co-op•

I’ve got my degree, now what?

What is FDA?

United States government regulatory agency

–Our mission is to:»Promote the public health»Protect the public health

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What is FDA?

• Food and Cosmetics– Labeling, supplements, cosmetic safety

• Veterinary Medicine– Vet drugs, animal feeds

• Biologics – Vaccines, blood supply, human tissues, gene

therapy

• Drugs• Devices – CDRH

What does CDRH regulate?

Division of Cardiovascular Devices

• Ventricular Assist Devices• Heart Valves• Drug Eluting Stents• PFO Occluders• Pacemakers• Defibrillators (External and Implantable)• Balloon catheters; other percutaneous

cardiology devices

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Division of General, Restorative, Neurological Devices

• Transcranial magnetic stimulators

• Silicone implants• Deep brain stimulators for

Parkinson’s• Computer-aided surgery

devices• Orthopaedics

Bioengineering Education @ Pitt

Getting a Bioengineering Education

• Degrees in Bioengineering

Or

• Degrees in other Engineering Field with application to biomedicine

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BioE Educational Objectives• Fundamentals in Engineering &

Biology• Broad base of knowledge• Education Beyond the Classroom• Provide an individualized education

for students specific to their post-graduate goals (i.e. industry, graduate school or medical school)

• ….not a terminal degree

B.S. in Bioengineering• Basic Sciences

– Mathematics– Chemistry– Physics

• Engineering– Mechanics– Materials– Electronics

• Humanities– Literature– Communication– Ethics

• Biological Sciences– Biology– Physiology

• Bioengineering– Core Courses– Concentration– Internships– Design

Concentration Areas

Biomechanics(R. Cham)

Orthopedic Biomech.Cardiovascular Biomech.

Rehab. EngineeringErgonomics

Biosignals and Imaging

(A. Batista)Signal Processing

BiocontrolImaging

Cellular andTissue

Engineering(L. Davidson)Biomaterials

Tissue Engineering

Medical DeviceEngineering

(J. Patzer)Artificial OrgansNeural Devices

Biomaterials

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Bioengineering Graduates

Where do they go? 2000 - 2011

In Summary

●Bioengineering - application of engineering to solve biomedical problems

●Bioengineering - expanding in Pittsburgh region & in the country

●Curriculum provides breadth & depth

●Graduates go to graduate schools, medical schools, and industry