Biomedical engineers may be involved with designing medical instruments and devices, developing medical software, tissue and cellular engineering, developing new procedures or conducting state-of-the-art research needed to solve clinical problems.

There are numerous areas of specialization and course work within biomedical engineering.

These include:

  • Bioinstrumentation: the application of electronics and measurement techniques to develop devices used in the diagnosis and treatment of disease, including heart monitors, intensive care equipment, cardiac pacemakers and many other electronic devices.
  • Biomaterials: the development of artificial and living materials used for implantation in the human body, including those used for artificial heart valves, kidney dialysis cartridges, and artificial arteries, hips and knees.
  • Biomechanics: the study of motion, forces and deformations in the human body, including the study of blood flow and arterial disease, forces associated with broken bones and their associated repair mechanisms, mechanisms of blunt trauma including head injuries, orthopedic systems, and the forces and movement associated with human joints such as the knee and hip.
  • Tissue and cellular engineering: the application of biochemistry, biophysics and biotechnology toward the development of new cellular and tissue systems and an understanding of disease processes, including development of artificial skin and organs, cell adherence to artificial materials to prevent rejection by the body, and the development of new genetic cellular systems to treat diseases.
  • Medical imaging: the development of devices and systems to image the human body to diagnose diseases, including the development and data processing of the CAT scan, MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), medical ultrasound, X-ray and PET (positron emission tomography).
  • Rehabilitation engineering: the development of devices and prosthetics to enhance the capabilities of disabled individuals, including design of wheelchairs, walkers, artificial legs and arms, enhanced communication aids, and educational tools for the handicapped.