IFMBE Proceedings 55 - Medical Bioengineering ... - Springer Link

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neering and biomedical engineering belong to the top jobs, with a constant growths in .... conferred in two years of study after the BEng or BSc were obtained; at ...
Medical Bioengineering Education in Iasi, Romania H. Costin1,2, L. Verestiuc1, D. Zaharia1, R. Ciorap1, C. Corciova1, and G. Andruseac1 1

Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical Bioengineering, Iasi, Romania 2 Institute of Computer Science of Romanian Academy, Iasi Branch

Abstract— Besides medical and pharmacy specialists, the engineering branch has a main role in modern health care, characterized by high medical technology, powerful software programs for data analysis, and top management tools to increase efficiency of the health care system. Among many engineering specialties, bioengineers and biomedical engineers, even if somehow different, have a main common feature: the strong inter-, multi- and transdisciplinarity of their work. The paper analyses some characteristics of the specific education process in both fields, shows their sub-domains of activity, presents opportunities related to designing a career, presents specific aspects of 21 years of medical bioengineering education in Iasi city, Romania, and concludes that medical bioengineering and biomedical engineering belong to the top jobs, with a constant growths in demand. Keywords— education, medical bioengineering, biomedical engineering, career development.

I. INTRODUCTION The existence of so many terrible and incurable diseases, among which cardiovascular, neurodegenerative and psychic diseases, cancers, even a newcomer – obesity – emphasizes the permanent need of very skilled staff in health care. Medical bioengineering (MBE) and Biomedical engineering (BME) are two of the prominent scientific and economic domains nowadays. This statement is supported including by one of the most increasing of the job market in the world. For instance, between 2010 and 2020, the number of biomedical engineers is projected to rise by about 62 percent in the U.S. [1]. To fix notions, “Medical bioengineering integrates physical, chemical, mathematical, and computational sciences and engineering principles to study biology, medicine, behavior, and health. It advances fundamental concepts, creates knowledge from the molecular to the organ systems levels, and develops innovative biologics, materials, processes, implants, devices, and informatics approaches for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, for patient rehabilitation, and for improving health.” (NIH, USA, Working Definition of Bioengineering - July, 1997, [1]). MBE includes the study of cellular engineering, tissue engineering, cell signaling, cell imaging, bioinformatics, molecular engineering, bioacoustics, biomaterials, genetic engineering etc.

Biomedical engineering (BME) is the application of engineering principles and design concepts to medicine and biology for healthcare purposes (e.g. diagnostic, therapeutic or preventive). This domain seeks to close the gap between engineering and medicine, i.e. combines the design and problem solving skills of engineering with medical and biological sciences to advance healthcare treatment, including diagnosis, monitoring, and therapy. It is highly interand multidisciplinary, i.e. brings together concepts from different branches of engineering like electrical, mechanical, chemical and computer science. Prominent examples are biomedical devices and instrumentation, biomechanics and biotransport, biomaterials, medical biotechnologies, biomedical optics, neural engineering, etc. II. MOTIVATION OF EDUCATION IN MBE AND BME The aging of the population and the focus on health issues increase the demand for better medical devices and equipment designed by bioengineers. For example, rehabilitation engineering is growing rapidly to meet the increasing needs of aged patients and patients with disabilities. For instance, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Outlook Handbook states that employment opportunities for bioengineers were better and are also expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations in the coming years. In fact, BME is expected to be the fastest-growing job market in the United States during the next seven years, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) [1]. Combined with a continuous growing job market and financial reward, bioengineers and biomedical engineers have the gratification coming from working to meet the needs of society. They choose the bioengineering field to be of service to people, to be a part of the excitement of working with living systems, and to apply advanced technology to the complex problems of biology and medicine. A. General Educational Aspects The core action lines of the Bologna process was the adoption of a system of easily readable and comparable degrees for promoting European citizens employability and the international competitiveness of the European higher education system. Qualifications frameworks came into the

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Bologna agenda between 2001 and 2003. Several Bologna policy seminars were organized on qualifications frameworks, describing qualifications in terms of level, workload, and competences, and should be useful both at national level and at the level of the European Higher Education Area. Qualifications frameworks have the potential to make higher education systems more transparent, providing common reference points for levels of qualifications, and also strengthening links between qualifications and learning outcomes. Romania and other few countries (Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, and United Kingdom) have fulfilled all steps in implementation of qualifications frameworks. MBE and BME programs in Romania are based on national recommendations and correlated with similar programs in EU. Fields of specialization within undergraduate MBE and BME programs usually include: Bioinformatics, Bioinstrumentation, Biomaterials, Biomechanics, Biomedical devices, Bio-Micro/Nano-Electro-Mechanical Systems, Biosignal and biomedical image processing, Biotechnologies, Cellular, tissue and molecular engineering, Clinical engineering, Medical imaging, Medical electronics, Molecular imaging, Rehabilitation engineering, Healthcare management. This is also the situation at Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Iasi, Romania, where the first and single Faculty of Medical Bioengineering in Romania was founded 21 years ago. Now this faculty offers undergraduate and master programs in MBE. B. MBE and BME Education Programs in Romania In Romania MBE and BME directions are developed first as undergraduate programs: bioengineering, in Iasi, at University of Medicine and Pharmacy and medical engineering that are implemented in Cluj at Technical University, Bucharest at Politehnica University, in Timisoara, Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad, Transilvania University of Brasov, Oradea, Constanta. The MBE/BME qualification and competencies in MBE/BME is included in RNCIS (National Higher Education Qualifications Registry): qualification title, graduation title, identification elements for the qualification, qualification summary (professional and transversal competencies, possible occupations for the owner of the diploma. The programs are included in Fundamental domain Engineering sciences, and the study domain is Applied engineering sciences).The Master Degree in MBE/BME is conferred in two years of study after the BEng or BSc were obtained; at present the curricula and syllabi are varied and diverse. During the years of study, elective courses are offered in packages (modules) for more specialization in the domain of medical engineering.

III. MBE EDUCATION PROGRAMS AT GRIGORE T. POPA UNIVERSITY OF IASI The Faculty of Medical Bioengineering at Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Iai offers academic programs and research in health and applied engineering fields. The undergraduate program in medical bioengineering (MBE), initiated in 1994, is among the pioneering programs in East-Europe. The faculty contributes to the raising of the standards of quality in the health care system in Romania. To achieve this goal, the Faculty of Medical Bioengineering aims to:  promote quality and efficiency in education;  shape the personality and development of student’s creative skills;  advance continuous development of scientific research, international standards and assert scientific performance of the academic community;  integrate itself in national and international academic networks based on performance criteria and complementarity;  develop partnerships with businesses, local government or national institutions and international organizations. With top resources and facilities, our programs provide an ideal, stimulating environment to develop the necessary foundation for a career in Medical Bioengineering. A. Undergraduate Program in Medical Bioengineering Based on broad bioengineering competencies, that must be profound in selected topics, the BSc program teaches and develops the ability for basic and application oriented research in bioengineering and promotes analytical, creative and constructive skills for the development and improvement of complex biomedical systems and methods. The specialization of Bioengineering, accredited by ARACIS, aims to train specialists in the following areas:  equipment for diagnosis and treatment – training is done by accumulating knowledge in the fields of electronics, computers, instrumentation, biomedical signal processing, physiological measurements;  prosthetics – devices that aim to replace damaged structures of the body – the study program consists of the following disciplines: chemistry, biomaterials, tissue engineering, biocomposites, biomechanics, prosthetics and orthotics;  medical biotechnology – combines and applies knowledge from biology, biochemistry, biological active substances, chemical engineering and biochemistry, in order to produce drugs, natural products, cosmetics, food, and stimulators.

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Medical Bioengineering meets the real need to increase medical performance by approaching some of the activities that, at present, are carried out by physicians, e.g. good knowledge and maintenance of medical equipment, innovation of prosthetics and development of products derived from biotechnology. B. Master Programs in MBE/BME The Faculty of Medical Bioengineering offers the following Master Degree Programs (2 years, 120 ECTS): • • • • • •

Clinical Bioengineering; Medical Biotechnologies and Advanced Biomaterials; Medical Rehabilitation; Prosthetic Bioengineering; Advanced Medical Biotechnologies; Health Care Management. Master degree studies assure new skills in bioengineering and rehabilitation, practical and theoretical knowledge, that allow graduates to reach specialized positions in hospitals and laboratories, to continue their professional growth with the doctoral studies or to obtain research positions. Graduates of the program Clinical Bioengineering are prepared to: provide technical and operational support using clinical equipment and medical technology; offer consultancy regarding the assessment, purchase and installation of medical equipment; offer know-how to perform the periodic planned maintenance of medical equipment; solve issues concerning the management of medical equipment in hospitals and to ensure the achievement of high quality results in their operation; learn how to identify, formulate and solve problems that could occur in the operation of the medical equipment as part of the routine functioning of a hospital; design and coordinate experiments in the biomedical domain and to analyze and interpret the obtained data. The program Medical Biotechnologies and Advanced Biomaterials prepare graduates to: monitor and control process parameters in obtaining of biologically active compounds and biomaterials; use methods and techniques of analysis and ensure the operation of equipment in preclinical and clinical laboratories, research centers and production units; designs complex biomaterials for tissue engineering and advanced techniques of investigation and therapy and apply these techniques; apply specific techniques used in the development of culture; execute models of biological systems and implement the models in biomedical investigations; identify the functional characteristics and properties of implants and prosthesis in accordance with the applicable standards; make activities in control and quality assurance according to national and international ethical standards. Additional to the programs in MBE, the Master program Rehabilitation is addressed to the BSc in Health, Sport Sciences but also to MBE/BME graduates which are interested

to work in rehabilitation teams. The graduates of the program: apply evaluation methods, measure various parameters and interpret the data describing the status of disabled patients; devise and conduct scientific experiments; work in interdisciplinary teams alongside medical staff and engineers; understand the bioethical aspects involved in the use of technologies addressing medical issues specific to disabled patients; apply knowledge regarding normal function of different human biologic systems at rest and during exercise and physiological limitations of the systems; understand the impact of various pathological conditions on the functioning of the apparatus and systems; apply basic knowledge regarding the technical and construction specifications of medical devices with the purpose of correcting or compensating a reduced or missing bodily function. Graduates of the program Prosthetic Bioengineering: execute models of biological systems and models of biomechanical structures, in order to implement models in biomedical investigations; offer know-how to design prosthetic devices, create advanced investigation and therapy techniques and apply them in the health care environment; design and use medical devices that can substitute biological functions or assist persons with disabilities; can analyze, assess and process biomaterials and prosthetic devices; identify and use equipment and procedures belonging to investigation and therapy techniques. Graduates of the program Advanced Medical Biotechnologies: are able to intervene in the production process in order to correct technological parameters, to optimize efficiency and to evaluate risks; offer know-how to identify the bacteria and the viruses involved in human infectious pathology by spotting their particular microscopic characteristics, metabolic cultivation characteristics, antigenic structure and/or genetic configuration; use the methods for the analysis of medical active principles; participate in quality control and assurance, and apply appropriate norms. The program Health Management graduates specialists who: plan, organize and run managerial structures active in health care systems; offer know-how to identify and solve complex issues regarding clinical management and performance management for health care; participate in the implementation of health care strategies and health care programs; participate in control and managerial auditing actions; develop and implement financial plans in the health insurance systems; use information technology solutions in order to improve the efficiency of professional and administrative activities in the health care system. One of the most important international educational projects in which our faculty takes part is the TEMPUS IV project “BME-ENA Biomedical Engineering Education Tempus Initiative in Eastern Neighbouring Area”, with 17 partners (from which 7 are from EU). The wider objective

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of this project is to promote BME Education in East Neighbouring Area Countries (Armenia, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine) through the creation of new postgraduate programs in line with the European policy and the most recent development in the field. We consider that this project will have major positive effects in both the health technology industrial sectors and the health delivery systems. C. Research Activity The optimization of scientific research results and the technological transfer towards the corresponding industries represent major objectives for the programs financed by the EU. The Faculty of Medical Bioengineering assumed scientific research as a priority that shows the profile of the faculty at national and international levels. Research directions include: Biomedical instrumentation and physiological measurements; Biomedical signals and imaging processing; e-Health and telemedicine; Bioelectromagnetism; Tissue engineering (scaffolds for tissue engineering - bone, cartilage, skin, blood vessels); Biotechnology (special bioreactors and biomass processing); Nanotechnologies for diagnosis and therapy; Rehabilitation (functional stimulation; assistive technologies; biomechanical analysis of the posture and locomotion). With modern research centers and laboratories, which are fitted with modern equipment and located in a new building, the Faculty of Medical Bioengineering offers an excellent environment for research. D. Working in MBE/BME in Romania As a result of the developments in industry and the health care systems, there is a rapidly increasing need for the educational systems to provide the necessary human resources, which satisfies the needs of the employers, also implying the need for patient safety in health care delivery. The Faculty of Medical Bioengineering database includes 91% of BE graduates from 2000 to 2013 who are working in various areas such as: hospitals, research, higher education, prosthetic departments, public health department, home health insurance, medical representatives for companies of medical equipment, drugs or pharmaceutical plant and other categories of companies with related activity profiles. The Bioengineering graduate specialization insertion in the labor market includes: Health system and medical companies – 63%, Non-medical companies-5%, Master and PhD students – 25%, Research and education – 7%. Medical Bioengineers who work in hospitals are involved in technical departments for medical equipment manipulation and maintenance, in medical technology management. They are also involved in selection of the devices for patient care. Bioengineers also work carefully to ensure

that all of the hospital's equipment is safe and reliable. Some bioengineers work in design and research laboratories in companies for designing monitoring equipment, medical dedicated software, or processes to deliver therapeutic drugs safely and effectively. Rehabilitation bioengineers are medical bioengineers who work with technology and computers to help individuals with disabilities reach toward their maximum potential for an enjoyable and productive life. Helping the mentally disabled to learn, providing a voice for those who cannot speak, and transportation of the physically disabled are some of the activities of the rehabilitation bioengineer. Other bioengineers work in research laboratories located in medical schools, universities and government facilities. Still others make mathematical models of how parts of the body work together. Some bioengineers make man-made materials to repair and replace damaged organs. These materials may be used e.g. for contact lenses, dental implants, replacement hip joints and replacements for limbs. IV. CONCLUSIONS Medical Bioengineers work spans all of engineering and medicine. The great potential, challenge, and promise in this endeavor offer not only significant technological benefits but humanitarian benefits as well. The Faculty of Medical Bioengineering of Iasi, Romania, reached its maturity and proved its usefulness, professionalism and framing into European curricula in MBE/BME. Nowadays our alumni are deeply engaged in various international research programs and work in prestigious universities, research centers and companies all over the world.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

REFERENCES 1. 2. 3. 4.

IEEE, http://theinstitute.ieee.org/career-and-education/careerguidance/ what-it-takes-to-be-a-bioengineer BLS, http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes172031.htm#(2) Report-Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering in Europe Overview, Education, Standards and Professional Competences – ELearning in Biomedical Engineering, Project 2011-1-RO1-LEO0515321, Contract LLP-LdV/ToI/2011/RO/008, 201 Author: Institute: Street: City: Country: Email:

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Hariton Costin Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical Bioengineering 9-13, M. Kogalniceanu street Iasi Romania [email protected]