Biomedical Engineering

Students who chose the biomedical concentration will complete courses in engineering, biology, and chemistry in addition to completing general requirements for an engineering degree. This coursework includes at least three additional credit hours of lab work.

• Dynamics: A mechanics course that examines the kinematics and kinetic analysis of particle systems and rigid bodies.
• Mechanics of Materials: A solid mechanics course that examines the stresses, strains, and deformations that develop when various loads (tension, compression, torsion, bending, or any combination of these loads) are applied to deformable bodies. Elements of structural design are introduced using
  safety factors and failure criteria for ductile materials. The mechanics design laboratory provides an introduction to experimental methods, hands-on experience applying and using strain gages and investigating beam loading, and an introduction to finite-element analysis (FEA) software.
• Fluid Mechanics: A comprehensive, introductory course in fluid mechanics covering: hydrostatics; control volume approach to the continuity, momentum, and energy equations; dimensional analysis, similitude, and modeling; introductory boundary layer theory; fluid drag and lift; flow through conduits, pumps and compressors; and hydraulics and open channel flow. All students participate in team design projects involving design of water supply, irrigation, air handling system, or other complex fluid dynamics system.
• Biomechanics: An introduction to applying the principles of mechanical engineering – primarily solid mechanics and dynamics – to living systems. The course will focus on the biomechanics of human movement, particularly the process of inverse dynamics during locomotion, and also on the mechanical properties of biological tissues. Open-ended project work will be a significant component of the course. No prior biological knowledge will be assumed.
• Engineering Research and Methods: A research course that explores the techniques and knowledge necessary to design and conduct experiments. It will include the nature and scope of a research project, how to conduct literature searches, and how to design methods and protocols for problem solving. In collaboration with a faculty mentor(s), students will choose and conduct a research project. Project results will be presented in a departmental seminar.
• Cell and Molecular Biology: An introduction to molecular mechanisms in living organisms. Topics include structure and functions of cellular components, gene structure and expression, and recombinant DNA technology. Concepts of reductionism and evolutionary theory will be addressed. Three lectures and one laboratory period of three hours per week.
• Human Anatomy: A detailed study of the organ systems of the human body, with an emphasis on dissections, including cadaver dissections. Three lectures and one laboratory per week.
• Human Physiology: An advanced study of the functions of the human body and how it responds to stress and disease. Three lectures and one laboratory per week.
• Organic Chemistry: Structure and Mechanism: In this foundational organic chemistry course, students will learn the foundational topics and problem-solving skills needed to understand the plethora of chemical reactions that involve compounds containing carbon. A working knowledge and application of topics such as nucleophiles, electrophiles, acids, bases, stereochemistry, mechanism, kinetics, substitution reactions, elimination reactions, carbonyl chemistry, and conformational analysis will be developed. Through a detailed understanding of the chemistry, an honest discussion of ethical implications, and a thoughtful interaction with the material we will develop an understanding of how God reveals himself through his creational structure.
• Advanced Organic Chemistry: BioOrganic: In this advanced organic chemistry course, students will learn the application of organic chemistry to the processes of life. Through the process of reviewing chemical literature articles that report metabolic pathways and the total synthesis of biological products, students will apply the foundational ideas learned in Chemistry 225, classify reactions based on analogy, articulate an understanding of topics such as stereoselectivity and regioselectivity, and consider how biological catalysts accommodate chemical reactions. Through an in-depth application of the chemistry, an honest discussion of implications, and a thoughtful interaction with the material we will develop an understanding of how God has created a world in which life is supported through organic chemistry.
• Biochemistry: Study of the foundations of biochemistry, starting with the structures and functions of small biomolecules—amino acids, monosaccharides, fatty acids and nucleotides—to macro-biomolecules—peptides, proteins (enzymes), oligosaccharides, nucleic acids and lipids. With this knowledge of biomolecules, the principles of metabolism, enzyme kinetics, catalytic strategies, regulatory strategies, and allosteric enzymes will be studied. Introduction to transduction and energy storage involved with glycolysis and gluconeogenesis, the citric acid cycle, oxidative phosphorylation, and fatty acid metabolism. After exploring God’s beautiful design of biomolecules, the students will understand how God’s hand is working in living cells and thereby give glory to God.
• Introduction to Microprocessors and Digital Circuits: Digital circuits are covered, from simple logic gates through elementary microprocessor architecture. The course begins with elementary logic for binary systems, Boolean algebra, binary integer number formats and arithmetic, and combinational design. Intermediate topics include synchronous state machine design and register level concepts. The course concludes with topics in microprocessor architecture that include elementary assembly language and interfacing. Laboratory provides hands-on experience in logic design and microprocessor interfacing and includes two formal design projects. This course serves both computer science and engineering students.
• Mechatronics and Instrumentation: An introduction to engineering mechatronics with applications of engineering measurement, data acquisition, instrumentation, sensors, actuators, digital and analog signal fundamentals, automatic control, and other electro-mechanical system interfacing.
• Thermal-Chemical Systems: Engineering thermodynamics applied to chemical, energy, and environmental systems. Students will study cycles and efficiencies, mixtures and solutions, chemical reactions, chemical and phase equilibrium, combustion thermodynamics, availability analysis, gas mixtures and psychrometrics, and thermal-fluid systems analysis. Applications to chemical reactors, combustion systems, emissions measurement, efficiency assessment, and indoor/outdoor air quality will be explored.
• Heat Transfer: Studies of the three modes of heat transfer (conduction, convection, and radiation) with application to heat exchangers. Computer methods are used extensively for heat transfer design and analysis. A formal heat exchanger design project is included in this course.
• Embedded Microcontroller Systems: A course on the design of microcontroller-based systems and the associated software and hardware. Software issues such as modular design, interrupt-driven I/O, and design for reliability are covered. Hardware issues such as serial and parallel interfacing, bus structures, grounding and shielding, and D/A and A/D conversions are also studied. Lab exercises provide design experience using a particular microcontroller or a softprocessor foundation in an FPGA.
• Computational Mechanics: A senior-level computational modeling and design course focused on the application of finite element analysis (FEA) and other computer simulation tools for stress, deflection, thermal, kinematic, or dynamic modeling.
• Machine Design: A senior-level design course in the analysis and design of machine elements. The first half of the course covers materials processing; stress-strain analysis; as well as failure criteria for static and dynamic loading. The second half of the course applies these fundamentals to the specification and design of several machine elements such as, shafts, bearings, gears, springs, fasteners, clutches, brakes, and slider cranks, four-bar linkages, cams. Students will complete an open-ended mechanical design project. Familiarity with computer software capable of solving iterative design problems is required.
• Environmental Engineering: An introduction to water supply and wastewater treatment, solid waste management, hazardous waste disposal, pollution control equipment, and other topics relating to the engineer’s role for ensuring clean air and providing clean water to communities. Methods and equipment for monitoring and testing air and water quality will be examined.
• Electronics I: A study of the flow of electricity in, and application of, semiconductor devices. Topics include basic signals and amplifier characteristics, operational amplifiers models and applications, diodes and applications, field effect transistors, bipolar junction transistors, and methods of amplification with single-transistor circuits. The laboratory includes a number of short design problems.
• Electronics I: A continuation of Engineering 322. Topics include biasing strategies for discrete and integrated circuit designs, current mirrors, differential and multistage amplifiers, frequency response, feedback, and stability. The laboratory includes construction of a kit, which introduces students to power output stages, tuned amplifiers, and demodulator circuits. The laboratory also includes a short design problem.
• Introduction to Power System Analysis: An introduction to the design, planning, and operation of electric power utilities. Includes principles of economic dispatch and politics that impact design and operating strategies. Topics include power transmission lines, transformers, generators, system modeling, load flow analysis, faults, and system stability.
• Dynamic Systems and Process Control: A study of the dynamics and automatic control of systems. Topics include dynamic system modeling, feedback, steady-state operation, transient response, root loci, state-space representation, frequency response, stability criteria, and compensation. A variety of system types are modeled and analyzed, including mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, thermal, and chemical systems. Structured modeling approaches using Laplace transform methods and state equations are explored.
• Control Systems Lab: A laboratory course in the dynamic modeling and automatic control of mechanical and electrical systems.
• Introduction to Communication Systems: A study of analog and digital communication systems performance and theory with applications in radio, satellite, telephone, computer networking, and radar systems. Topics include linear modulation (AM, SSB, etc.), exponential modulation (FM and PM), sampling theory, the discrete-time and discrete-frequency domains, and basic digital modulation methods such as m-ary PSK, DPSK, OFDM, etc. The topic of noise is considered at the most elementary level sufficient to distinguish the performance of various modulation methods in the presence of noise.

See the course catalog for more information