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41162 Fundamentals of Biomedical Engineering Studio A

Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.

Subject handbook information prior to 2018 is available in the Archives.

UTS: Engineering: Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering
Credit points: 6 cp
Result type: Grade and marks

Requisite(s): 41160 Introduction to Biomedical Engineering

Description

The objectives of this subject are to introduce students to the field of biomedical engineering and familiarise them with the following two areas: (i) medical and assistive devices: medical devices include both diagnosis and therapeutic devices, while assistive devices aim to enhance the living standard of people, particularly the elderly and disabled, and (ii) molecular diagnostic devices and genome technologies: these deal with common practices in diagnostics and cutting edge genome sequencing. This subject runs in a studio mode. Students learn from their involvement in implementing and finding solutions to real-life problems that attempt to enhance people's health. These include:

  • processing, analysing and modelling different physiological signals that can be used in various medical and assistive devices;
  • implementation of tools and methods that enable the diagnosis of diseases through analysis of genomic data sets.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

Upon successful completion of this subject students should be able to:

1. Communicate and collaborate in teams to manage biomedical projects.
2. Acquire, process, analyse and model some of the biomedical signals.
3. Use design skills (in software, hardware) to generate solutions in medical and assistive technologies.
4. Apply technical techniques and tools to develop models in molecular diagnosis and healthmoics.
5. Research and understand the engineering aspects of the state of the art biomedical diagnostic tools such as the PCR machine and a wide variety of DNA, RNA sequencing approaches.
6. Present findings to a variety of audiences including stakeholders.

Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)

This subject also contributes specifically to the development of the following faculty Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs) and Engineers Australia (EA) Stage 1 competencies:

  • Identify and apply relevant problem solving methodologies, which is linked to EA Stage 1 Competencies: 1.1, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 (B.1)
  • Design components, systems and/or processes to meet required specifications, which is linked to EA Stage 1 Competencies: 1.3, 1.6, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 (B.2)
  • Implement and test solutions, which is linked to EA Stage 1 Competencies: 2.2, 2.3 (B.5)
  • Communicate effectively in ways appropriate to the discipline, audience and purpose, which is linked to EA Stage 1 Competency: 3.2 (E.1)

Teaching and learning strategies

The studio depends on teamwork, and develops students’ skills in software and hardware to process and analyse signals that can be used in basic medical and assistive devices. It also introduces students to gene analysis and sequencing. Students will be able to work on their group projects in the presence of teaching staff as well as during their own time. This flexibility will allow students to meet the projects’ deadlines. Students will be involved in either industry-oriented projects or practical projects that can be applied in real life. For the industry projects, representatives from the industry will describe problems that the projects attempt to solve and make visits in certain milestones. Students will receive feedback from the teaching staff about their proposed solutions and their progress.

During the first six weeks of the session, students will mostly use their computers to implement the medical and assistive devices project. The remainder of the session (six weeks) will focus on genomics and healthomics.

Content (topics)

  • Processing and analysis of biomedical signals
  • Utilization of muscle activities (obtained using electromyogram signals) to control devices
  • Modelling of Tissue-wireless signal interaction
  • Understand the process of gene analysis
  • Analysis of biological data and gene expressions, and research into Polymerase Chain Reaction/sequencing to diagnose diseases
  • Team communication and collaboration

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Medical and Assistive Devices ? Report

Intent:

To develop basic understanding of medical signals.

Objective(s):

This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs):

1 and 2

This assessment task contributes to the development of the following course intended learning outcomes (CILOs):

B.1, B.2, B.5 and E.1

Type: Report
Groupwork: Group, group assessed
Weight: 15%
Length:

The report length should range between 5 and 10 pages.

Criteria linkages:
Criteria Weight (%) SLOs CILOs
Description of the problem and literature review 30 1 B.1
Implementation procedure 40 2 B.2
Results and discussion 20 2 B.5
Report format and presentation 10 1 E.1
SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Assessment task 2: Medical and Assistive Devices ? Seminar

Intent:

To analyse biomedical signals, develop inputs for a basic bio-mechatronic system, or model tissue-wireless signal interaction.

Objective(s):

This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs):

1, 2, 3 and 6

This assessment task contributes to the development of the following course intended learning outcomes (CILOs):

B.1, B.2, B.5 and E.1

Type: Presentation
Groupwork: Group, individually assessed
Weight: 35%
Length:

Each group is expected to give a 15-minute presentation that will be individually assessed for each group member and submit a detailed report about the implementation of the assignment (10 to 15 pages in length).

Criteria linkages:
Criteria Weight (%) SLOs CILOs
Oral presentation: description of the work of each group member (implementation and results) 50 2, 3, 6 B.2, B.5, E.1
Report: Problem description and literature review 15 1 B.1
Report: Implementation procedure 20 2, 3 B.2
Report: results and discussion 10 2 B.5
Report: format and presentation 5 1 E.1
SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Assessment task 3: Genomics & Healthomics ? Seminar

Intent:

To be familiar with engineering background and problems associate with genomics and healthomics.

Objective(s):

This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs):

1, 4, 5 and 6

This assessment task contributes to the development of the following course intended learning outcomes (CILOs):

B.1, B.2, B.5 and E.1

Type: Presentation
Groupwork: Group, individually assessed
Weight: 50%
Criteria linkages:
Criteria Weight (%) SLOs CILOs
Oral presentation: description of the work of each group member (implementation and results) 50 4, 5, 6 B.2, B.5, E.1
Report: Problem description and literature review 15 1 B.1
Report: Implementation procedure 20 4, 5 B.2
Report: results and discussion 10 4, 5 B.5
Report: format and presentation 5 1 E.1
SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Minimum requirements

In order to pass this subject students must:

  • Attend a minimum of 80% of schedule classes, and
  • Attempt all assessment tasks, and
  • Achieve an overall mark of 50% or greater.