The aim of the module is to give an overview of how mechanical engineering can be applied to medicine and micro engineering.
The following topics will be used to illustrate how mechanical engineers can apply their skills and knowledge in medicine:
Physiological systems
Biological systems & structures
Bone & connective tissues
Failure of connective tissues
Biomechanics
Computational methods
Model validation
Medical Device Design
Fracture fixation
Joint replacement
Tribology of joints
Pre-clinical testing.
The following topics will be used to illustrate how mechanical engineers can apply their skills and knowledge in micro engineering, particularly looking at manufacturing processes developed in the micro and nanofabrication industry:
micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS)
crystallography
material deposition
photo lithography
advanced lithography techniques
etching
micro mechanics,
microelectronics
design of applications such as accelerometers, pressure sensors, biosensors and optomechanical chemical systems.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module students should be able to:
Demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of biological systems and structures and how engineering can be used to investigate their mechanical properties and failure modes.
Demonstrate a comprehensive awareness of a range of biomaterials and be able to select an appropriate material for a medical device.
Use fundamental engineering principles to investigate the forces within human joints.
Demonstrate a wide knowledge and comprehensive understanding of the design process for medical devices and critically analyse the methodologies used for validation and verification.
Demonstrate an awareness of the legal requirements for medical devices, including health and safety and risk analysis.
Demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the science of crystallography in relation to the construction of MEMS components and the importance of crystal structures in MEMS fabrication.
Demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the deposition processes and various types of deposition used for microsystems fabrication.
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the three types of solids (amorphous, polycrystalline, and crystalline).
Identify, classify and critically assess the performance of crystal orientation based on Miller indices.
