Exploring the Vast Field of Biomedical Engineering
Many specialties within the field offer differing opportunities
Biomedical engineering covers many different areas of medicine, making a number of specialties possible—even some that may still be in development as the biomedical engineering fields evolve. Here are some of the specialties from which students pursuing advanced degrees in biomedical engineering today can choose.
Common Biomedical Engineering Specialties
Bioinstrumentation
Computers are being used extensively in almost every field today, and biomedical engineering is no exception. Bioinstrumentation is a specialty that designs tools and equipment to diagnose and treat all kinds of diseases with the help of computers and other electronic devices.
Biomaterials
In medicine today, all kinds of implants are being used to improve functionality and provide new treatments for several conditions, including supports for tissue regeneration and nanoparticles that can detect cancers. Biomaterials need to be tested extensively for safety and longevity after they are developed and before they can be used in the human body.
Biomechanics
These biomedical engineers focus on the body’s movements, creating products like artificial heart valves and joint replacements that have extended people’s lives and made them more functional and less painful.
Cellular, Tissue, and Genetic Engineering
Understanding the human body at the cellular level can lead to better treatments and new ways of solving medical problems. This specialty focuses on preventing or stopping disease before it becomes life-altering through changing genetics and stem cell treatments, for example.
Clinical Engineering
Clinical engineers work to apply biomedical research and development to healthcare settings like hospitals and doctors’ offices. This specialty works closely with physicians, nurses, and other medical professionals to train them on using developed technologies with patients.
Orthopedic Bioengineering
Bones, muscles, joints, and ligaments are often damaged or destroyed by accidents or disease. Orthopedic bioengineers develop products, mainly implants that allow better movement and improved functioning. This specialty offers people a better quality of life as their bodies work better and can regain lost function.
Rehabilitation Engineering
Rehabilitation engineering primarily deals with prosthetics that replace damaged or missing body parts and help people regain function.
Systems Physiology
This specialty is more theoretical than some others, using engineering principles and tools to better understand how different living organisms function. These principles can then be applied to other areas of biomedical engineering to help in product development and testing.
Some Biomedical Engineering Job Titles
Common job titles in biomedical engineering fields include manufacturing engineer, quality engineer, software engineer, researcher, and physician. Most of these job titles can apply to any of the above specialties in more specific ways, and job titles can also overlap in some cases, especially with smaller companies and startups.
As you decide which school to attend to get your biomedical engineering degree, ask yourself, “Will they prepare you for a variety of niche fields of interest?” Will you be experiencing creative thinking in biomedical engineering? Florida Tech offers biomedical engineering degrees with top-notch faculty that represent different niche fields and give students a well-rounded experience. Learn more about our biomedical engineering degree program and all that we have to offer.
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