Carleton University
Senate Senate Academic Planning Committee
November 22, 2005
TO: Senate
FROM: Brian Mortimer, Clerk of Senate
RE: B.Eng. in Biomedical and Electrical Engineering
The Senate Executive, at its meeting today, approved, on behalf of Senate, the Bachelor of Engineering program in Biomedical and Electrical Engineering.
cc Dean, FED
S. Bauer, Calendar Editor
Chair, Systems and Computer Engineering
Carleton University
Senate Academic Planning Committee November 21, 2005
TO: Senate Executive
FROM: Brian Mortimer, Clerk of Senate
RE: BEng in Biomedical and Electrical Engineering
The Bachelor of Engineering program in Biomedical and Electrical Engineering was approved in principle at the Senate meeting of June 2, 2005. At its meetings of 11 and 21 November 2005, the Senate Academic Planning Committee considered this program in detail and recommends that Senate approve the program.
There is an MCTU deadline of 25 Nov 2005 for program documentation to support inclusion in the funding package for 2006-2007. In order to meet this deadline, Senate Executive is asked to consider this BEng program for approval, on behalf of Senate, at the 22 Nov 2005 meeting of Senate Executive.
Proposal for a new Undergraduate Degree Program:
B. Eng. In Biomedical and Electrical Engineering
(Commencement Date: Academic Year 2006-2007)
Submitted By: The Faculty of Engineering and Design
Carleton University
1. Objectives
A new Bachelor of Engineering Degree program in Biomedical and Electrical Engineering is proposed. This new degree program will be an addition to the nine engineering programs that are offered by the Faculty of Engineering and Design. The proposed program is designed to meet all the accreditation requirements of the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB). Official assessment and approval for accreditation of all new programs by CEAB take place when the first cohort reaches the final year of the program. All existing nine engineering programs at Carleton University are fully accredited by CEAB.
The goal of the program is to educate engineering students in the application of electrical engineering and science principles such as electromagnetic waves, electronics, engineering materials, signal processing, computing and display devices, quantitative analysis, communication systems and image analysis to solve basic problems in biotechnology and medicine. Students in this program will learn how to apply their quantitative and experimental skills in solving biological and medical problems and in designing and building new components and systems for biomedical applications. Our main objective is to educate students and enable them to make contributions that are biologically meaningful from an engineering and basic science perspective. This objective is accomplished through a structured program that includes a combination of course work in mathematics, natural and life sciences, applied engineering science and design, and elective courses from the arts, culture, humanities and social sciences. The program also includes aspects of directed and individual study, supervised project work, extensive laboratory and industrial (clinical) field experience, oral and written presentations. In addition, mandatory course material is included on the laws and ethics of the engineering profession, health and safety, the impact and role of science and technology in society and ethics and standards in the biomedical field.
Introduction of this program is consistent with the strategic direction of the faculty of Engineering and Design at Carleton University, which places strong emphasis on research and teaching programs in the biomedical engineering field. In partnership with the Faculty of Science and the University of Ottawa, several engineering departments have developed a Masters Degree program in biomedical engineering currently being appraised by OCGS. The Faculty has made a number of new academic appointments in this field and has significant advanced research portfolio in biomedical applications.
2. Biomedical Engineering
While biological engineers are expected to have a solid foundation in a more traditional engineering discipline such as electrical, mechanical or chemical engineering, their primary focus will be on integrating biology and medicine with engineering to solve problems related to living systems. The proposed program allows the students to take a core curriculum in the field of electrical engineering and then integrate their engineering knowledge and skills with their understanding of the complexity of biological systems in order to improve medical practice. Hence, biomedical engineers must be trained in the life sciences as well. Similar programs can be developed in the future that combine biomedical engineering with other existing engineering programs such as mechanical engineering and environmental engineering.
A recent publication by IEEE[1] have identified future biomedical applications that require combined knowledge in the fields of electrical and biomedical engineering. The following definitions are quoted from the IEEE publication.
Bioinformatics involves developing and using computer tools to collect and analyze data related to medicine and biology. Work in bioinformatics could involve using sophisticated techniques to manage and search databases of gene sequences that contain many millions of entries.
BioMEMS Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) are the integration of mechanical elements, sensors, actuators, and electronics on a siliconchip. BioMEMS are the development and application of MEMS in medicine and biology. Examples of BioMEMS work include the development of microrobots that may one day perform surgery inside the body, and the manufacturer of tiny devices that could be implanted inside the body to
deliver drugs in response to the body’s demand.
Biomaterials are substances that are engineered for use in devices or implants that must interact with living tissue. Examples of advances in this field include the development of coatings that fight infection common in artificial joint implants, materials that can aid in controlled drug delivery, and “scaffolds” that support tissue and organ reconstruction. New devices with the latest technology can make a dramatic difference in people's lives.
Biosignal Processing involves extracting useful information from biological signals for diagnostics and therapeutics purposes. This could mean studying cardiac signals to determine whether or not a patient will be susceptible to sudden cardiac death, developing speech recognition systems that can cope with background noise, or detecting features of brain signals that can be used to control a computer.
Clinical Engineering: clinical engineers support and advance patient-care by applying engineering and managerial skills to healthcare technology. Clinical engineers can be based in hospitals, where responsibilities can include managing the hospital’s medical equipment systems, ensuring that all medical equipment is safe and effective, and working with physicians to adapt instrumentation to meet the specific needs of the physician and the hospital. In industry, clinical engineers can work in medical product development, from product design to sales and support, to ensure that new products meet the strict standards of medical practice.
Information Technology in biomedicine covers a diverse range of applications and
technologies, including the use of virtual reality in medical applications (e.g. diagnostic procedures), the application of wireless and mobile technologies in health care settings,
artificial intelligence to aid diagnostics, and addressing security issues associated with
making health care information available on the world wide web.
Instrumentation, Sensors, and Measurement involves the hardware and software design of devices and systems used to measure biological signals. This ranges from developing sensors that can capture a biological signal of interest, to applying methods of amplifying and filtering the signal so that it can be further studied, to dealing with sources of interference that can corrupt a signal, to building a complete instrumentation
system such as an x-ray machine or a heart monitoring system.
Micro and Nanotechnology: Microtechology involves development and use of devices on the scale of a micrometer (one thousandth of a millimeter, or about 1/50 of the diameter of a human hair), while nanotechnology involves devices on the order of a nanometer (about 1/50 000 of the diameter of a human hair, or ten times the diameter of a hydrogen atom). These fields include the development of microscopic force sensors that can identify changing tissue properties as a way to help surgeons remove only unhealthy tissue, and nanometer length cantilever beams that bend with cardiac protein levels in
ways that can help doctors in the early and rapid diagnosis of heart attacks.
3. Program Description
As in other engineering programs, curriculum for the proposed program contains courses and material that cover a number of subject categories identified by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB) as follows:
· Mathematics: include appropriate elements of linear algebra, differential and integral calculus, differential equations, probability, statistics, numerical analysis and discrete mathematics,
· Basic Sciences: include elements of physics and chemistry and elements of life sciences. These subjects are intended to impart an understanding of natural phenomena and relationships through the use of analytical and experimental techniques. Students in this program are required to take basic biology and biochemistry courses in order to ensure their understanding of the life cycle processes and elements,
· Engineering Science: Engineering science subjects normally have their roots in mathematics and basic sciences, but carry knowledge further toward creative applications. They may involve the development of mathematical or numerical techniques, modeling, simulation and experimental procedures. Application to the identification and solution of practical engineering problems is stressed,
· Engineering Design: Engineering design integrates mathematics, basic sciences, engineering sciences and complementary studies in developing elements, systems and processes to meet specific needs. It is a creative, iterative and often open-ended process subject to constraints that may be governed by standards or legislation to varying degrees depending upon the discipline. These constraints may relate to economic, health, safety, environmental, social or other pertinent interdisciplinary factors. The engineering curriculum must culminate in a significant design experience which is based on the knowledge and skills acquired in earlier course work and which preferably gives students an exposure to the concepts of team work and project management. A research project may be interpreted as engineering design provided that it can be clearly shown that the elements of design, as noted in the definition, are fulfilled in the completion of the project,
· Complementary Studies in arts, humanities and social sciences: While considerable latitude is provided in the choice of suitable courses for the complementary studies component of the curriculum, some areas of study are considered to be essential in the education of an engineer. Accordingly, the curriculum must include studies in engineering economics and on the impact of technology on society, and subject matter that deals with central issues, methodologies and thought processes of the humanities and social sciences. Provision must also be made to develop each student’s capability to communicate adequately, both orally and in writing.
A given course may contain material that belongs exclusively to one of the above subject categories. However, a number of courses in the program usually cover material associated with two or more subject categories. Accreditation requires the curriculum to include a foundation in mathematics and basic sciences, a broad preparation in engineering sciences and engineering design and an exposure to non-technical subjects that complement the technical aspects of the curriculum. Certain quantitative criteria have been set by CEAB to ensure that the curriculum has adequate contents in each of the above five subject categories.
Appropriate laboratory experience is an integral component of the engineering program curriculum. Instructions in safety procedures are included in students’ laboratory experience.
Finally, the program will ensure that students are made aware of the role and responsibilities of the professional engineer in society. Appropriate exposure to ethics, equity, public and worker safety and health considerations and concepts of sustainable development and environmental stewardship form an integral component of the curriculum. Given the field of the proposed program, a course on ethics and standards in the biomedical engineering is deemed essential.
2.1 Program Structure
Biomedical and Electrical Engineering
Bachelor of Engineering (21.0 credits)
First year
- 3.5 credits in MATH 1004, MATH 1005, MATH 1104, PHYS 1004, ECOR 1010, ECOR 1101, ECOR 1606
- 1.5 credits in CHEM 1000 [1.0], BIOL1003
Second year
- 4.5 credits in MATH 2004, ECOR 2606, ELEC 2501, SYSC 2002, MATH 3705, ALSS1000, ELEC 2507, ELEC 2607, ELEC3105
- 0.5 credit in BIOC2200
Third year
- 4.5 credits in SYSC 3600, ELEC 3509, ELEC 3500, ELEC3908, STAT 3502, SYSC 3006, SYSC 3501, ELEC 3909, ECOR 3800
- 0.5 credits in CHEM2203
Fourth year
- 2.0 credits in SYSC 4XXA, ECOR 4995, ELEC 4601, SYSC4405
- 1.0 credit in either SYSC 4907 [1.0] or ELEC 4907 [1.0]
- 1.5 credit in Biomedical Engineering Electives
- 0.5 credits from: SYSC or ELEC at the 4000-level with a laboratory/problem analysis component
- 1.0 credit in Complementary Studies Electives
Notes: for Requirement 8 above, students should register in ELEC 4907 if their supervisor is in Electronics and in SYSC 4907 if their supervisor is in Systems and Computer Engineering. The project must deal with a biomedical engineering application.
Appendix A includes description of the above courses.
2.2 Summary of Program Features
· The program is designed to be fully compliant with the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board requirements and guidelines.
· New Biomedical Engineering fourth year elective courses will be developed, including:
o ELEC4XXA – Biomedical Sensors
o SYSC4XXB – Health Care Engineering
o SYSC4XXC – Biomedical Instrumentation
o SYSC4XXD – Biological Signal Acquisition and Modeling
· Summary of changes from the existing Electrical Engineering program
o Replacing CHEM1101 – Chemistry for Engineering Students by CHEM1000 – General Chemistry. CHEM1000 is a full credit course while CHEM1101 is one half-credit course. Note that CHEM1000 is already included in the Environmental Engineering program.
o Addition of three Science courses in biology and chemistry: BIOL1003, BIOC2200 and CHEM2203
o Replacing 2.0 credit options in Complementary Studies Electives by 1.0 credit and adding a new mandatory course on Ethics, Research Methods and Standards for Biomedical Engineering (SYSC4XXA)
o Course SYSC2004 has been removed
o Replacing of 4th year elective courses by:
§ 1.5 credits from Biomedical Engineering electives (4 new courses)
§ 0.5 credit from: SYSC or ELEC at the 4000-level
o Course SYSC 4405 – Digital Signal Processing is mandatory