Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
FIGURE 1.8
Robotic surgery—a new tool in the arsenal of the physician.
http://library.thinkquest.org/03oct/00760/
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forefront of controversial scientific research since its conception. While the multitudes of
possibilities defy imagination, the moral issues accompanying stem cells have received equal
attention in recent years.
Furthermore, advances in nanotechnology, tissue engineering, and artificial organs are
clear indications that science fiction will continue to become reality. However, the social
and economic consequences of this vast outpouring of information and innovation must
be fully understood if this technology is to be exploited effectively and efficiently.
As one gazes into the crystal ball, technology offers great potential for affecting health
care practices (Figure 1.8). It can provide health care for individuals in remote rural areas
by means of closed-circuit television health clinics with complete communication links to
a regional health center. Development of multiphasic screening systems can provide pre-
ventative medicine to the vast majority of our population and restrict hospital admissions
to those requiring the diagnostic and treatment facilities housed there. With the creation
of a central medical records system, anyone moving or becoming ill away from home can
have records made available to the attending physician easily and rapidly. These are just
a few of the possibilities that illustrate the potential of technology in creating the type of
medical care system that will indeed be accessible, high quality, and reasonably priced
for all. (For an extensive review of major events in the evolution of biomedical engineering,
see Nebeker, 2002.)
1.3 WHAT IS BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING?
Many of the problems confronting health professionals today are of extreme importance
to the engineer because they involve the fundamental aspects of device and systems analy-
sis, design, and practical application—all of which lie at the heart of processes that are
fundamental to engineering practice. These medically relevant design problems can range
