Introduction to Medical Engineering

Module overview

Medical Engineering (or Biomedical Engineering) is an exciting and multidisciplinary field that combines engineering, medicine and the life sciences to develop technologies that improve healthcare and enhance people's lives. This module introduces you to this exciting and rapidly evolving discipline, exploring how engineers work alongside clinicians, scientists and healthcare professionals to solve real-world medical challenges. You will discover the engineering principles behind healthcare technologies and gain an understanding of how engineering integrates with anatomy, physiology and clinical practice. Along the way, you will explore the personal, societal and industrial factors that influence the development of medical technologies, from identifying clinical needs to designing solutions that improve patient care. By the end of the module, you will have a broad understanding of the scope of medical engineering and the opportunities it offers, providing a strong foundation for further study and future careers in biomedical engineering and the healthcare technology sector.

Aims and Objectives

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

Explain key biopsychosocial considerations in the use of healthcare technologies.
Outline the purpose, principles and performance of some key healthcare technologies
Explain principles of ethics, risk management and data protection in the context of medical engineering

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

Identify and analyse ethical concerns and make reasoned ethical choices informed by professional codes of conduct from both engineering and healthcare practice.
Adopt an inclusive approach to medical engineering practice and recognise the responsibilities, benefits and importance of supporting equality, diversity and inclusion.

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

Select and critically evaluate technical literature and other sources of information and carry out independent study

Subject Specific Practical Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

Communicate effectively in a multidisciplinary context on complex engineering matters with technical and non-technical audiences, evaluating the effectiveness of the methods used.
Use practical laboratory and experimental skills to investigate problems in medical engineering and healthcare contexts.

Learning and Teaching

Teaching and learning methods

Learning and teaching methods include 1)Lectures and presentations by academic staff, clinicians and users 2)Interactive sessions with users and clinicians 3)Case studies 4)Short design activities 5)Labs 6)Visits to industry, clinical facilities and research labs 7)Independent study

Study time
Type	Hours
Independent Study	60
Lecture	29
Completion of assessment task	30
Seminar	10
Design development	10
Practical classes and workshops	11
Total study time	150

Assessment

Formative

This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.

Lab Report

Assessment Type: Formative
Feedback:
Final Assessment: No
Group Work: No

Design Exercise

Assessment Type: Formative
Feedback:
Final Assessment: No
Group Work: Yes

Educative poster and supportive paper

Assessment Type: Formative
Feedback:
Final Assessment: No
Group Work: Yes

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Breakdown
Method	Percentage contribution
Exam	50%
Assignment	50%

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Breakdown
Method	Percentage contribution
Coursework	100%

Repeat Information

Repeat type: Internal & External

Module overview

Aims and Objectives

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Transferable and Generic Skills

Subject Specific Practical Skills

Syllabus

Learning and Teaching

Teaching and learning methods

Assessment

Formative

Lab Report

Design Exercise

Educative poster and supportive paper

Summative

Referral

Repeat Information