Engineering with its various branches like mechanical, electrical, civil, electronics, etc., has been poular among students for quite a long time. However, in the recent times Biomedical Engineering has gained currency among the student community. Biomedical Engineering combines the thorough knowledge of the principles of both medicine and engineering. The biomedical engineers apply the concepts of biology, physics as well as chemistry to develop products and devices for diagnosis and treatment. The branch integrates physical, chemical, mathematical and computational sciences and engineering principles to study biology, medicine, behaviour and health. So the biomedical engineers have to work closely in association with healthcare professionals like doctors, nurses, therapists and technicians.
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If you want to become a biomedical engineer, you have to do your Bachelor of Engineering (BE) in Biomedical Engineering offered at select institutes. Otherwise, you can do you BE in any of the branches like Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electronics Engineering or Chemical Engineering and a postgraduate course in Biomedical Engineering. Alternately, you can do your BE in any of the Engineering branches and go for a postgraduate course in Medical Technology, which is considered equivalent to a postgraduate course in Biomedical Engineering. You can also complete an MBBS degree and then opt for a postgraduate degree in Biomedical Engineering/Medical Engineering/Medical Technology.
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Biomedical engineers develop innovative biologics, processes, materials, devices and informatics to prevent, diagnose and treat diseases for patient's rehabilitation. Many of the biomedical engineers do research work along with professionals from life sciences, chemists, and medical scientists. The devices like artificial organs, prostheses (artificial devices to replace missing body parts), medical information systems, instrumentation, health management and care delivery systems, etc., are the contributions of the biomedical engineers. Thus, the engineers in this specialised field need to have a sound grounding in a basic engineering field like mechanical or electronics together with biomedical field. Here, the specialists are also concerned with developing imaging systems such as magnetic resonance, ultrasound and x-ray machines, and techniques and devices to automate insulin injections or control body functions.
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Biomedical engineers find employment with companies that manufacture equipment used in hospitals and diagnostic centres or centres for research and development, manufacturing, quality control and testing as also installation, maintenance or sales and marketing departments. They can also get jobs with large hospitals for selecting, handling and maintaining sophisticated equipments in addition to building customised devices for special needs or work in institutions involved in research. There are a few government agencies where you can get recruited for product testing, safety and establishing safety standards for devices.
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Employment opportunities for biomedical engineers are immense considering the fact that the aging of the population and focus on health issues medical devices and equipment designed by biomedical engineers. Other developments, like computer-assisted surgery and heavy research in molecular, cellular and tissue engineering will also increase the demand for biomedical engineers. Further, the rehabilitation and orthopedic engineering fields are growing at a very fast pace, which also require the services of biomedical engineers.
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Remuneration for biomedical engineering professionals is quite decent. In medical equipment manufacturing companies, you can get anything between Rs.20,000 and Rs. 30,000 per meonth. In research and teaching institutions salaries vary between Rs. 18,000-25,000 per meonth. Private hospitals and clinics pay between Rs. 15,000 and Rs. 25,000 per month. In case of government agencies, the remunerations per month is in the range of Rs. 16,000 to Rs. 22,000 per month.
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These days, Biomedical Engineering along with Biotechnology and Bioinformatics has emerged as one of the hottest careers. In addition, the opening of the insurance sector has made high-quality medical care possible for millions in the country now. Healthcare is also witnessing a lot of technological growth. Taking these developments into account, one can very safely say that in near future, the biomedical engineers will be among the most sought after professionals in public sector enterprises as well as corporate establishments. If you really enjoy research work and are deeply interested in developing cutting edge technologies, then you should pursue a postgraduate course abroad.
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Speciality Areas: There are many areas of specialisation in the emerging field of Biomedical Engineering. Some of them are given below:
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(i) Bioinstrumentation - This area specialises in the application of electronics and measurement techniques to develop devices for diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Specialists in this branch make newer and better instruments for X-rays and MRI, etc. as also cameras and other devices to help medical practitioners get a better look at the body.
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(ii) Biomaterials - It relates to producing materials from both living tissues and artifical materials to replace diseased organs. The engineers make devices that functionally true copes of the organs which are to be replaced. They are capable of growing organs from tissues and cells in the laboratory.
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(iii) Tissue Engineering - Nowadays, tissue substitutes are being developed to restore or improve the functions of diseases or damaged human tissues. To give one example, cells from an individual's healthy kidney are used and put in the diseased kidney to grow healthy tissue.
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(iv) Biomechanics - This involves application of mechanics to biological or medical problems and study the flow of bodily fluids in order to decide the specifications for the various devices such as artificial joint replacements, pacemakers, etc.
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(v) Clinical Engineering - Biomedical engineers also develop and maintain computer database of medical instruments and equipment records in hospitals.
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(vi) Orthopedic Bioengineering - Here, engineering is used to understand the function of bones, joints and muscles and for the design of artificial joint replacements. They analyse the friction, lubrication, and wear and tear of natural joints to develop artifical limbs. Further, they also research new technologies and materials that make up bones, joints and tooth implants which are almost as good as nature's version. One of their latest responsibilities include developing and looking after fully programmed robots for use in operating rooms for reaching vital organs that may get damaged permanently, due to human error.
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(vii) Navigation Systems - In this specialised branch, biomedical engineers use software tools and specialised imaging equipments to create a digital picture of the insides of a human patient's body. This helps the surgeons in determining the best possible way to go about an operation. They help in developing new laser technologies for applications in routine and specialised operations, dental surgery and slim-related disorders. The biomedical engineers also help in enhancing the capabilities and improvement in the quality of life for individuals with physical impairments. They are involved in development of homes and workplaces in such a way so as to make such people's lives easier.
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