 Biomedical engineering

Biomedical engineering applies engineering analysis, measurement and design to problems in biology, medicine and health care. It includes instruments for medical imaging, devices that interact mechanically with the body, biomaterials and tissue engineering. The National Library of Medicine's scope connects experimental and analytical engineering methods with devices, materials, processes and systems for biology and medicine.^[ref]

A useful research example combines tensile testing with Raman spectroscopy. A mechanical tester mounted on a Raman microprobe stage held hydrated bone specimens while their mineral spectra were measured during elastic loading. The apparatus connected macroscopic deformation to a molecular-scale observation.^[ref] Neither measurement alone describes every property of the biological system.

For an original device-mechanics example, model a uniform elastic test strip of length $L$, area $A$ and Young's modulus $E$. Under axial force $F$, the small-extension model givesWith $F=10\mathrm{N}$, $L=20\mathrm{mm}$, $A=2\mathrm{m}{\mathrm{m}}^2$ and $E=1\mathrm{GPa}$, the predicted extension is $0.10\mathrm{mm}$. Doubling area halves that extension without changing material stiffness. These stipulated values illustrate a design calculation, not a device recommended for use in a patient.

The model must be tested against relevant biological conditions. Hydration, loading rate, tissue interfaces and biocompatibility can matter alongside stiffness. Bench measurements establish behavior under their test conditions; evidence that a device achieves a clinical benefit requires a separate assessment. A biomedical engineer connects the physical model, the measurement and the intended biological function.