Gauri Chhabra
India is witnessing an alarming increase in diseases and injuries of all kinds. According to a recent report, 17% of the urban Indians have kidney injuries; and there are nearly two million heart attacks a year, one person dies every 33 seconds owing to a heart attack and over 4 million people are living with chronic joint pain. For such ailments we use pacemakers, defibrillators, artificial kidneys, blood oxygenators, prosthetic hearts, and joints. Have you ever wondered what these pacemakers, defibrillators etc. are made of? They are made of fluids that include, air, blood, lymph and water. It can be found both in plants and animals. With a surge in heart diseases, joint problems and kidney injuries.,the study of the discipline that deals with such devices that is Biofluid Mechanics has also gained momentum. Let us understand what Biofluid Mechanics
What is Biofluid Mechanics?
Biofluid mechanics is a discipline which uses or touches on many other disciplines including biology, medicine, biochemistry, biorheology, hemorheology, mathematics, bioengineering and physics. Biofluid Mechanics applies engineering, mathematical and physical principles of fluids to solve complex and multifaceted problems, primarily in biology and medicine, but also in aerospace and robotics.
This field has a direct bearing on clinical issues including heart surgery and heart valve replacement, the reaction of pharmaceutical in the body, surgical by pass techniques, ultrasound studies, and the role of hemodynamic reactions on the endothelial cells – a major element in the development of heart disease the leading killer in the modern world. It can be considered as the conjuncture of mechanical engineering and biological engineering. It spans from cells to organs, covering diverse aspects of functionality of systemic physiology, including cardiovascular, respiratory, reproductive, urinary, musculoskeletal and neurological systems etc.
The need
The subject of Biofluid Mechanics is a fascinating subject due to the fact that it attracts attention from both the scientists and general public. The study of biofluid dynamics is directed towards finding solutions to some of the human body related diseases and disorders. Unlike engineering applications, understanding human body biofluid dynamics is not easy. This is due to the fact that in vivo experiments are not easy to perform. Non-invasive experiments are useful but not always give theo desired result. Thus, both theoretical and computational biofluid dynamics play a major role in the understanding of human body biofluid dynamics. The extracorporeal systems, such as medical devices, can be experimentally tested by satisfying local government regulations. Real biofluids are often essential to test these devices. Such fluids can only be obtained by licensed bodies. Thus, in the development of medical devices both theoretical and computational biofluid dynamics play a major role at the early stages of design and development.
Eligibility and skill set
Biofluid Mechanics is offered as an elective subject in Post Graduation level in Biomedical Engineering. In order to pursue your masters in biomedical engineering need to have pursued your Bachelor of engineering or bachelor of technology or equivalent in Biomedical or Medical Electronics with at least 50% marks in aggregate.
For getting int Bio Fluid Mechanics, you should have research and problem-solving skills, competence in developing arguments from scientific, ethical and philosophical perspectives. You should also posses the ability to plan and manage projects; ability to gather, analyze and communicate complex technical data to others. Besides, you should also have the ability to work in all kinds of environments, developed through field-work experience.
Institute Scape
Institutes offering M.Tech in Biomedical Engineering ( India)
*Indian Institute of Technology, Madras
*Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee
*Manipal University, Jaipur
*Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad
*Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur
*Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University, Coimbatore
Institutes offering M.Tech and M.Sc. in Biomedical Engineering( Abroad)
*Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, offering M.Tech in Biomedical Engineering
*University of Strathclyde, Glasglow, Scotland, offering M.Sc. in Biomedical Engineering
Responsibilities
The tasks you carry out will vary depending on your employer and the seniority of the post held, but may include:
*Using computer software and mathematical models to design, develop and test new materials, devices and equipment. This can involve programming electronics, building and evaluating prototypes, troubleshooting problems, and rethinking the design until it works correctly.
*Conducting research to solve clinical problems using a variety of means to collate the necessary information, including questionnaires, interviews and group conferences.
*Working closely with other medical professionals, such as doctors and therapists as well as with end-users (patients and their careers).
*Assessing the potential wider market for products or modifications suggested by health professionals or others.
*Arranging clinical trials of medical products.
*Approaching marketing and other industry companies to sell the product.
*Writing reports and attending conferences and exhibitions to present your work and latest designs to a range of technical and non-technical audiences.
*Meeting with senior health service staff or other managers to exchange findings
Scope in India & Abroad
India: This field is still in the development stage in India and, therefore, scope is very limited for this field. One of the main reasons why progress is slow is due to the lack of integration between research institutions, hospitals and universities in India. In developed nations such as USA, UK and Singapore, excellent integration exists between universities and hospitals, thereby creating the perfect environment for R&D in Biomedical Engineering. In India, most of the jobs related to Biomedical Engineering are in non-tech areas such as service, maintenance, customer support, sales and management. If you are interested in pursuing a career in research and core development work in Biomedical Engineering must look for jobs in universities, labs and research centers in India or pursue MS and PhD studies in USA, UK and other nations.
Abroad: The scope for this field is excellent abroad. Biomedical Engineering is doing extremely well in USA, UK, Germany, Singapore, Canada and Australia. Other countries such as Japan and China are also doing very well in this field. There has been some tremendous achievements and breakthroughs in these nations due to the excellent integration that exists between research centers, universities and hospitals, thereby enabling researchers, scientists, faculty and surgeons to work together to solve complex problems in medicine and healthcare. Pay packages are impressive for biomedical engineers in these countries. If you are very ambitious and looking to climb up the ladder in this field will benefit immensely from a PhD degree in biomedical engineering. A career in the above mentioned nations will be very rewarding and satisfying, provided you work hard.
Career Scape
Healthcare, Pharmaceutical and Healthcare equipment manufacturing sectors are the prime recruiters. Government agencies such as Drugs Department, State wise Health Departments are also known to recruit B.E./B.Tech. Biomedical Engineering Graduates. Average starting salary is generally between 3-6 Lakh Rupees per year. Chances of building a career abroad after Graduation is good, when it comes to this Engineering branch. Abroad, salary package will be much better in comparison to the figure mentioned above. You may also find jobs in Pathological labs, Clinics and Hospitals as well as Rehabilitation Clinics. Some of the commonly found job posts available for graduates are- Biomedical Engineer, Equipment Design Engineer, Lab Technician/Administrator, Research Engineer
Road Ahead
The application of sophisticated computational simulation models for the evaluation of the progress of disease, for the determination of long-term risk and for the planning of optimal treatment strategies is gaining ground in clinical practice: Personalized healthcare is a paradigm allowing for the enhancement of treatment specificity and efficacy. At the same time, continued progress in imaging helps reveal mechanisms and provides diagnostic possibilities that have not been available before. This calls for a need for the professionals in the field of Bio Fluid Mechanics.
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