Undergraduate Study
Minor supervised by an interdisciplinary faculty committee, administered by the Chemical and Biological Engineering Department. The Biomedical Engineering minor is a unique opportunity for engineering students to acquire a multi-disciplinary engineering and life sciences background for entering the field of biomedical engineering.
The program is open to all undergraduate engineering students at Iowa State University. This minor will provide students with a foundation of core biology and engineering relevant to further study in biomedical engineering along with an introduction to the application of engineering principles to biomedical problems from a multidisciplinary perspective as well as the applications within the majors of the participating departments. Minor requirements are as follows:
A minimum of 17 cr. meeting the six requirements below with a minimum of 9 of those credits not being used to meet degree requirements and a minimum of 6 cr. at the 300 level or above. No more than 3 cr. of 490 credit may be applied to this minor.
| BIOL 212 | Principles of Biology II | 3 |
| B M E/CH E 220 | Introduction to Biomedical Engineering | 3 |
| BIOL 256 | Fundamentals of Human Physiology | 3 |
| or BIOL 335 | Principles of Human and Other Animal Physiology | |
| Introductory Engineering Elective * | 3 | |
| Advanced Engineering Elective ** | 3 | |
| Professional Elective *** | 2-3 | |
| Total Credits | 17-18 | |
*A second (Introductory) engineering course from a department other than that of your major. The topic of the course should have ready application to later B M E-related electives in that discipline (C E 274; CH E 210; CPR E 281; E E 201, 314, or 442 and 448; E M 324 or 378; IE 271; MAT E 273; M E 231; or other courses approved by Minor Chair).
** 300-500 level engineering course with clear biomedical engineering application (B M E 490, B M E/E E 341, 450; B M E/CH E 440; B M E/MAT E 456; IE 447; I E 571; M E 550 or other courses approved by Minor Chair).
*** 300-500 level engineering or life sciences course with clear biomedical engineering application OR B M E 490 OR departmental 490 with biomedical engineering topic OR 200+-level life sciences laboratory course (If a 200-level course is chosen here, the student will need to meet the required 6 cr. of 300+ courses by substitution of a higher-level course for the other requirements or by taking an additional course.), OR 300-500 level B M E course.
Courses
Courses primarily for undergraduates:
(Cross-listed with CH E). (3-0) Cr. 3. S.
Prereq: BIOL 212, ENGR 160 or equiv, MATH 166, CHEM 167 or CHEM 177, PHYS 232
Engineering analysis of basic biology and engineering problems associated with living systems and health care delivery. The course will illustrate biomedical engineering applications in such areas as: biotechnology, biomechanics, biomaterials and tissue engineering, and biosignal and image processing, and will introduce the basic life sciences and engineering concepts associated with these topics.
(Cross-listed with E E). (3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: B M E 220
Overview of Micro-Electro-Mechanical-System (MEMS) technologies for bioengineering, fundamentals of microfluidic device design, fabrication, and characterization, survey of microfluidic functional building blocks for lab-on-a-chip applications including mixers, valves, channels, and chambers. Topics of nanotechnology in bioengineering, nanoscale building block technologies for bioengineering including self-assembling, surface chemical treatment, nano-imprinting, nano-particles, nano-tubes, nano-wires, and stimuli-responsive biomaterials.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: B M E 220, E M 324, MAT E 273
Introduction to the anatomy of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue. Range of movement, joint dislocation, bone deformity and fracture. Application of continuum mechanics to both living and non-living systems. Laws of motion, free-body diagrams and simple force analysis of musculoskeletal system. Biomechanical response of soft and hard tissues with emphasis on microstructure and mechanical properties. Applications to bioengineering design.
(Cross-listed with CH E). (3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: CH E 210 or CH E 220, MATH 266 or MATH 267, PHYS 232
Applications of material and energy balances, transport phenomena, chemical reaction engineering, and thermodynamics to problems in biomedical engineering and applied physiology; survey of biomedical engineering; biomaterials; biomedical imaging.
(Cross-listed with E E). (3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: B M E 220
Overview of biosensors and bioanalytical challenges; designing for performance including various analytical problems, ion-selective membranes, characteristics of enzymes and basics of bioaffinity sensing; fundamentals of bioselective layers including depositing films and membranes, surfaces for immobilization and bioselective agents; survey of different biosensing technologies including electroanalytical, biomembrane, optical, and acoustic-wave based sensors.
(Cross-listed with MAT E). (3-0) Cr. 3. F.
Prereq: CHEM 178 and MAT E 216 or MAT E 273 or MAT E 392
Presentation of the basic chemical and physical properties of biomaterials, including metals, ceramics, and polymers, as they are related to their manipulation by the engineer for incorporation into living systems. Role of microstructure properties in the choice of biomaterials and design of artificial organs, implants, and prostheses.
(Cross-listed with A B E, AER E, CPR E, E E, ENGR, I E, M E, MAT E). (1-4) Cr. 3. Repeatable. F.S.
Prereq: Student must be within two semesters of graduation; permission of instructor.
Application of team design concepts to projects of a multidisciplinary nature. Concurrent treatment of design, manufacturing, and life cycle considerations. Application of design tools such as CAD, CAM, and FEM. Design methodologies, project scheduling, cost estimating, quality control, manufacturing processes. Development of a prototype and appropriate documentation in the form of written reports, oral presentations and computer models and engineering drawings.
Cr. 1-6. Repeatable, maximum of 6 credits. F.S.SS.
Prereq: permission of chair for the bioengineering minor
Investigation of biomedical engineering topics of special interest to student and supervising faculty member with a final written report.