Final Specifications

Size and Appearance:
The PCA pump is designed to minimize the overall size and maximize the convenience for the patient. This product must be portable and small enough to hold in the palm of one’s hand:
-Small pump system similar to an asthma inhaler
-“L-shaped” body consisting of the mechanical base and a canister
-No bigger than 5 inches high and 3 inches wide

Source of Power for Mechanism:
To allow the patient optimum flexibility with the PCA pump, the mechanism will use a rechargeable battery operating system that will power both the pumping mechanism for the drug and the computer system:
-Ideal battery life will be 14 hours
-Recharged using a wall adapter

Mechanical locking system:
For security measures, the patient must activate two buttons on the back of the pump to release the dosage of medication. After these two buttons are pressed, the patient can receive the medicine by pressing a large button on the top of the pump.
-Safety buttons are positioned to put the canister in an “unlock” mode
-Pins built within the canister are aligned with the safety buttons
-Once the safety buttons are pressed, the pins release the canister from “lock mode” to “unlock mode”
-The large button on the top allows the drug to pass from the pump to the patient’s mouth
-If all 3 buttons are pressed correctly, a dose will successfully be released and recorded in the computer system

Mechanical release system of drug:
The pain medication is ejected in a gaseous form. The formation of gas is accomplished by having the drug in a highly pressurized state in the canister and then having it released into an area of lower pressure.
-Canister contains 200 doses of medication in a pressurized liquid form
-Individual doses are released via a tube from the canister to the base
-A mechanized system applies pressure to the bottom of the canister to force a dose to be released from the tube
-Once released from the tube, gas flows through the base directly to the patient’s mouth

Care and maintenance of system:
-Since this is a system that is placed in a patient’s mouth, the mouthpiece of the system must be removable to ensure a bacteria free surface. In addition, the exterior surface of the PCA pump will be made out of smooth plastic to ensure overall cleanliness.
-In terms of power maintenance, batteries can be changed by unscrewing a small door at the bottom of the pump.

The Joys of Oral Painkillers...

While I was hoping that I would get around to meeting with my partners for the bioengineering design project, I woke up at 3:30AM on Saturday morning with excruciating ear pain in my right ear. After several panic-calls to Penn-transit, I found myself sitting at the UPenn hospital emergency room twiddling my thumbs impatiently waiting for a doctor to bring me out of my misery (and hopefully, pain).

After an hour of waiting, I left the hospital with a prescription for oral painkillers, antibiotics, and neomycin ear drops to help cure my ear infection. My only thoughts at that moment were relief and exhaustion, but after the pain subsided later that evening, I came around to appreciate the how efficient the painkillers/antibiotics actually were.

I can't imagine having to insert a needle into my arm each time I was in pain. For every individual time I ever needed a dose of pain medication, I don't know if I would have been capable of using such an intravenous method. My unfortunate experience this weekend brought me a lot of pain, but also gave me insight on how important it is to remain "ahead of the curve" in terms of methods of administering medication. I can only imagine how cumbersome and tiresome it is for people in constant pain to have to use a needle to manage it sufficiently.

Presently, my pain is gradually subsiding, thanks to the help of modern medicine, and my mind is in full swing, ready to get back into the world of design and creation in BE 100.

We all hate pins and needles...there must be an alternative

As I sat back and listened to Dr. Bogen in lecture today, I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with this new monster of a project. At first, I figured that it was my responsibility to be able to design, build, and test a new device to administer pain medication orally. Since I do not even know how to use a power tool, let alone be able to use a screwdriver, I initially panicked. Once Dr. Bogen cleared up my confusion about not having to actually BUILD the device, my fears quickly subsided.

Nothing is worse than being in pain and being incapable of controlling it. Pain medication makes healing much more bearable for the patient. Whenever I get injured in figure skating, I want nothing more than the pain to vanish. With the help of oral medication, I am usually able to dull the discomfort and continue on with my day.

Imagine recovering from a complicated surgery without pain medication. With the help and expertise of biomedical engineers, there are devices that can help manage pain levels. Presently, all of these devices are invasive. Being confined to a bed with needles makes it more difficult to move as well as heighten the level of discomfort for the patient. But what if the patient is in an emergency situation when there is no time to insert a needle. What will happen if someone is wounded on the battle field and must be airlifted to a hospital? Will they need pain medication? Of course, but needles may be unsanitary or more complex to administer.

With the help of a device that can deliver pain medication orally, patients can be assured that the administration of the pain relievers will be both sanitary and quick.

Now, the big question is whether or not there is a market for such devices. I personally hate needles and will choose any other alternative to them (I think most people would agree with me). Therefore, there is a definite marker for such a medical device. The bigger question is whether such a device is feasible to be built. Although I am not a qualified engineer, I think that we can all individually and collectively think of possible ways to construct a machine that will administer pain medication orally.

Arrows, and Rectangles, and Circles, Oh My!

Alright, alright. The bioengineering project was not solely devoted to making my flowchart look presentable with various shapes and colors. Nor was word-count my only quality indicator. Honestly, I thought this analytical project would be much more simpler than I thought it would be.

As one can see, I originally thought that I would be capable of mapping out an entire neurological disorder, its treatment, and the respective side effects. After much research and way too many hours of panicking, I discovered that this project was not about the complexity of the problem or technology, but more along the lines of being able to analyze and certain topic of interest. With two weeks until the paper's deadline, I threw out all research pertaining to Ritalin, ADD, and ADHD, and hastily began brainstorming of other topics of interest.

One field of medicine that has always captured my attention was cardiology. I immediately thought of the pacemaker for my topic of choice, but upon further research, I learned that the pacemaker is no longer a technology with one pre-determined setting. Today, pacemakers closely resemble the functioning of a human's natural pacemaker by using a more dynamic approach.. The dual chamber rate responsive pace maker functions on three different setting and uses physiological sensors to determine which mode is most appropriate. In addition, the pacemaker's computer chip uses the information from different physiological states to construct an overall level of exertion to determine the magnitude of the electrical impulse that should be sent out.

So I guess today's question is: did I gain anything by "mapping" out the pacemaker? My answer is most certainly yes. Not only was this the most challenging assignment I have had at Penn thus far, but I was able to prove to myself that I am capable of handling "engineering" projects. While I am only an introductory engineering class, this project was my first stepping stone into the world of analysis, design, and construction. I did not invent the pacemaker or help construct it, but by analyzing it on such a small level of detail, I began to appreciate the crossover between a soundly built engineering machine with the ability for it to be able to function in a human body. As a hopeful doctor, I want to understand how medical machines work. This machine analysis project has shown me the true value of keeping an engineering perspective on medical technology.

Does ritalin do more harm than good?

Fall break at Penn is a great way to spend time catching up with friends, family, homework, and bioengineering research.

I spent some time today perusing articles on PubMed addressing several side effects of the stimulant ritalin. Ritalin certainly helps people of all ages dealing with ADD/ADHD, but as with any drug, comes with a myriad of risks and side effects. Aside from several common side effects such as loss of appetite, moodiness, headaches, and weight loss, people who are prescribed ritalin are warned about involuntary muscle spasms or "tics".

How does a drug cause involuntary muscle spasms? If ritalin is supposed to control the brain, why does the drug cause involuntary actions? Does this stimulant "overstimulate" certain areas of the brain involving motor movement?

I am fascinated as to why a stimulant is used to control the brain, but as well as to why it would cause additional actions such as tics. I think I may have found an even more specific research topic to deal with!

Researching a potential research topic:

I am presently five weeks into my BE 100 course. Five weeks is not nearly enough time to award myself an engineering degree, but I have mastered logging into the PubMed database for articles.

Over the past week, I have found myself “googling”, reading, and typing away, trying to find a topic worthy enough for my first of many research papers in bioengineering. The term “research paper” overwhelmed me at first. I am aware that I cannot cure cancer, treat heart disease, and come up with a new vaccine all in the span of three to five pages, but I am capable of learning and familiarizing myself with a topic of a more manageable size.

While finishing off my reading for psychology class, I came across a section of my textbook that explained the symptoms and treatments for Attention Deficit Disorder. I discovered that a common treatment, Ritalin, is not a suppressant, but a stimulant. If people with ADD/ADHD have brains that are hyperactive, then why do they take medication that will stimulate the brain? How does the stimulant suppress the over activity in their mind?

At the completion of that reading, I killed two birds with one stone: I finished my psychology reading for the week and I found a potential research topic for my paper!

My musical set of fingers:

Every time I place my piccolo in my hands, the keys feel like a natural extension of my fingers. The actions that are created by my hands are translated onto the tiny silver button beneath the pads of my fingers. After many years of playing this instrument, the keys of the piccolo have become my second set of hand joints.

Similar to the skeleton of a hand, the keys are attached to a joint on the rod. Each key can be moved individually and perform distinct movements. With 13 keys in total, there are countless of other pieces of metal that form the “skeleton” of the piccolo. A human hand has 5 fingers, but needs 27 bones to make up the structure and function of the hand. Who knew that a woodwind instrument is so similar to our own biological skeleton?

All aboard the piccolo train!

Looking even closer at my piccolo’s structure, the rods on the main body are at first glace complicated in nature. Interconnecting with thin wires and miniature screws, they rods are at the heart of the piccolo and is the central mechanical center for the instrument. The rods move with each other to assure the keys function in sync with each other in a flawless manner. As a vital part of the piccolo’s overall functioning, the rods are the momentum behind the sound, air control, and sound level.

As I boarded my train this morning from Penn Station in New York to Philadelphia, I passed by a poster of an old steam locomotive. The intricacy of the design of the wheels instantly captured my attention. While the mechanics of the steam locomotive wheels are on a much larger and complex scale than the 13.8 inch piccolo, the rods and mechanics of the locomotive serve the same function. Both were built and designed to act as the main “motion hub” of the structure. Their purpose to streamline the movements into one cohesive dance of technique.

Where do the roots of piccolos come from?

When I picked up the piccolo for the first time, the luster of the silver keys captivated me. They detracted my eyes from the long and dark wood body and each time I picked up the instrument, I was mesmerized by how an instrument such as the flute, which is typically quite long, can be compacted into such a small contraption. Until now, I never really compared the overall structure of the piccolo to anything else.

Last weekend, when I was in New York City, I ate dinner at a Japanese restaurant. Looking around the room, each corner of the room was adorned by a bonsai tree. The bonsai tree adjacent to my table had a dark brown trunk with bright green foliage blossoming out of the tiny branches. In retrospect, the bonsai tree at the Japanese restaurant and my piccolo are not all that different. My piccolo has a main body, small rods branching out, and keys that cap off each rod, while the bonsai tree has a trunk, branches, and bunches of leaves tailing the edges.

The labs are alive with the sound of music!

The Piccolo. An instrument that is small in size, large in sound, charming in appearance, and serious in technique. A member of the woodwind family. Alright, enough rambling!

I play both the flute and the piccolo and even though I do not fabricate these instruments, I know a bit about the structure and fabrication of them. At first glance, the piccolo is made of a combination of 2 different materials: metal and wood. Hence the name, woodwind. The piccolo is about half the size of a standard flute and can produce sounds that are an octave higher. Physically, the piccolo has 13 keys on the main body and one mouthpiece for air. The 13 keys control the 15 air openings that allow for different notes. From tip to tip, the piccolo is 13.8 inches long (roughly 35 centimeters). At the widest part of the instrument, the diameter is three quarters of an inch. Now this may sound boring and mundane, but trust me, this combination of metal and wood produces some of the most magical sounds in music!

#10

Healthcare professionals should take advantage of television. The vast majorities of homes in America has a television or at least have access to one nearby. In order to encourage people to visit their doctors on a regular basis, national public service announcements should be broadcasted throughout the day on major cable channels encouraging people to visit their doctors.

It may seem condescending to have to relay such important information via television, but people pay attention to commercials and to the messages they carry. PSA’s that encourage people to visit their doctors will save money in numerous ways.

Firstly, a regular checkup is crucial for one’s overall health. Not only will doctors point out areas of concern, but can give the patient information on how to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The first step in catching a serious medical problem is through early intervention in the doctor’s office at a checkup, not during a severe heart attack at home. In the future, less patients will fall severely ill. Patients can save money that could have potentially been used to treat a serious medical condition, and hospitals will be less flooded by medical emergencies.

Medical television adds can go a long way, as long as they are accessible and are aired frequently enough.

#9

It seems as if the whole country is “going green” by promoting recycling and reducing waste. The medical world can also take its own measure to become even more efficient, cost-effective, and green as well!

Instead of handing millions of people paper bills and claim forms, they should be receiving digital copies to their phones or computers. It is extremely difficult to manage all the paperwork necessary to fill out a claim for insurance reimbursement. A national billing and claims database not only saves delivery charges and paper, but as well as countless man hours that are spent filling out envelopes and processing payments.

A central digital database can keep a history of what has been paid and can automatically issue receipts and file them for longer period of times. In addition, if there is ever an emergency where paper receipts are lost due to a natural disaster, copies of those documents will be readily available online.

Patients can also save money with this system as well. I have encountered several people who have missed deadlines to get reimbursed for medical expenses or who simply forgot. Not only will they get reimbursed sooner, they can avoid the problem of forgetting to fill out a claim form.

#8

Let’s face it; the United States is behind in cancer research. While researchers may worry that their research is too costly, having millions of people bedridden in hospitals slowly dying away is more costly. In order to save money in cancer treatments, more money should be put into cancer research.

The United States is very hesitant in promoting technologies for cancer treatments. Many patients are seeking treatment in Europe and Canada because there are more options available to them. For those that do not have enough money to get treated at an international location, they are given no other choice but to get treated in the United States. Some cancer patients do not even have enough money to receive chemotherapy treatments!

How can the whole cancer situation be remedied? More money should be invested into different treatments. Researchers should focus on less invasive treatments that does not confine the patient to a hospital bed for months on end. In addition, additional screening tests should be developed to detect cancer earlier on before it is too late to receive treatment.

Each day, 1500 people die from cancer while 3400 are diagnosed with it. Cancer should not be taken lightly. In order to save people’s lives and to save money, more innovative cancer technologies should be created.

#7

Before practicing, all doctors had to say the Hippocratic Oath. Therefore, shouldn’t all doctors be up to date with the latest medical trends and diagnoses?

Upon visiting older doctors, I have discovered that they are sometimes behind in their knowledge in terms of the latest technologies and methods of diagnosing. I think there should be one central electronic database that acts like an online medical handbook/reference book.

If method A of curing X disease is cheaper than method B, all doctors should advise their patients to chose method B. Of course, not all doctors would be aware of method B if they never heard of it. This online reference tool can serve as an invaluable resource for healthcare professionals of all ages. Younger doctors may discover successful and older methods of diagnosing and treating diseases, while older doctors can keep track of more technologically advanced treatments.

You may ask, how does this database reduce health care costs? Well, instead of forcing a patient to see many different doctors for several opinions, they can visit a doctor who has access to many different options and can present them to the patient all at once. The patient then has the option of choosing not only the most cost efficient method for their treatment, but can have a personal opinion in how they should be treated.

#6

Here at Penn, we are currently in a “Swine-flu crisis”. How could it have been prevented? Is there any solution to reducing the hospital costs for treating H1N1 patients? Every time I hear the world influenza, I immediately think of “vaccine”. Could the H1N1 outbreak have been prevented if a vaccine existed sooner rather than months after the initial scare?

In my opinion, the United States is not spending enough in vaccine research. While the initial cost of developing, testing, and researching vaccines may seem high at first, but when looking at the after-effects of having a wide array of vaccines readily available, the pros outweigh the cons. Think of how many lives vaccines have saved from polio, measles, influenza, hepatitis, cervical cancer, and smallpox.

The potential that vaccines hold is astonishing; they not only save lives but also save money. Vaccines have made the United States a healthier country overall. When comparing America to countries with little access to vaccines there is an obvious difference in the life expectancy. With vaccines, residents can live productive, healthy lives without ever having to visit a hospital to get cured of infectious diseases.

#5

There is no such thing as a magical pill that can diagnose and screen for every disease in medical history. Even the most sophisticated of software and medical equipment is incapable of doing so.

If I were an inventor with special powers, one of the first things I would do is develop a test that can screen for diseases early on. Many illnesses that are diagnosed are done so too late. The symptoms may become deadly or too serious to properly cure. With early diagnostic exams, precious money can be saved when treating the patient and they can recover faster, thus reducing hospital care costs.

I may be wishfully thinking, but some tests do exist for certain diseases. For example, there is an early diagnostic test for Kidney Disease. Thousands of patients who may have died from Kidney Disease were properly treated and eventually cured because it was caught early enough. This goes to show that investing in researching and developing early diagnostic tests will not only be beneficial to patients, but doctors can save time, hospitals will be burdened by fewer patients, and the United States will eventually save in healthcare costs.

#4

Consider the costs of running a primary care clinic in a remote area. The cost of having an office, medical tools, doctors, and nurses is extraordinarily high. Secondly, some residents who like in more remote areas may not have access to such facilities for several hundred miles. How can the United States bring health care closer to every corner of the country, but still keep the cost low?

Every time I want to see my friends back home face to face, I cannot just hop on a plan and travel five hundred miles north. So whenever I want to have a conversation with them, I simply turn on my computer and use Skype.

If someone needs to consult a health care professional, but are not within driving distance, what should they do? A new trend in healthcare is being treated via television screens. Instead of driving to a doctors office, a makeshift doctors office is made available, but without a doctor. Instead, the doctor may be situated hundreds of miles away, but can diagnose, give advice, and look at the patient all through a live video stream.

Will “medical-Skyping” improve healthcare, or is it a “band-aid solution”? I think there is no substitute for being able to go to a doctor in person, but if it is impossible to see a doctor nearby, this may be the next best solution. Patients can be seen right away instead of waiting hours on end in hospital emergency rooms, and can be followed up more often if they have a chronic illness.

Setting up a video chat system would be much less costly than having a complete clinic. If a small rural town has fewer than 2000 residents, it may be more cost efficient to have an office with a doctor available on call through video chat.

Who knew video chat would help reduce health care costs?

#3

With our busy lives, many of us forget what is most important to us: our health. Instead of remembering to take our pills in the morning, our priority is checking our blackberry to see if we received any e-mails. For some patients, pills can be the fine line between life and death. Many elderly people who live alone can sometimes forget to take their daily dosage of medication and people suffering from a mental illness may oversee the importance of taking their drugs.

Proteus Biomedical is presently developing and testing a digestible chip that can be attached to pills. Once swallowed, these devices send a signal to a wireless receiver on the skin saying whether or not it was ingested properly. The doctor is then notified if their patient has successfully taken their prescribed medication. Monitoring their prescription intake on a daily basis can prevent further disaster and keep the patient’s overall health in order. According to the Scripps research institute, the medication monitoring system can save billions of dollars annually:

- $10.1 billion for patients with congestive heart failure

- $6.1 billion for patients with diabetes

- $4.9 billion for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

http://www.ihealthbeat.org/Articles/2009/8/5/Companies-Tap-Wireless-Technology-To-Boost-Care-Reduce-Costs.aspx

#2

At Penn, many of my professors communicate and hand out assignments electronically using blackboard. Over the past month, I have received very few paper handouts in classes. I think that electronic academic databases are more organized and convenient; they are accessible from any computer, can be used at any hour of the day, and are much more organized than having a heap of papers on my desk in my dorm. If Penn can implement its academic records into an electronic database, why can’t medical records nationwide be put into some sort of database?

Think about how many difficulties doctors have when trying to communicate with each other about a common patient. One doctor may be at home, away from his medical records while the other doctor is standing over the patient wondering if they have any chronic conditions worth noting. What would remedy this situation? An electronic database!

How would this database save money? Firstly, instead of having to rely on the patient to relay their medical history every time they go to a doctor, the medical office or hospital can have access to a detailed and accurate medical history. Having access to such information gives them less chance at guessing and checking for symptoms and providing treatment options. Detailed information can provide a more personal diagnosis and treatment plan.

Some hospitals are already implementing data bases that can be shared over multiple institutions with just the click of a mouse. While this is only currently being done on a small-scale basis, these trials prove that having a national medical database for everyone in the US will provide less room for error, identify doctors if certain diseases are going are more than others, and most importantly, reduce health care costs.

#1

Between paying nurses, doctors, and assistants, the costs of salaries for healthcare professional certainly adds up overtime. The simple act of taking sending a nurse to one’s home to take their blood pressure or temperature can cost medical companies millions of extra dollars. With a new technology called wireless “Telehealth” systems, patients are given sensors to keep track of their condition around the clock. Not only will hospitals be able to monitor each patient’s condition whenever they way, they can lower the amount of nurses needed to travel the extra distance to monitor a patient’s condition.

The newfound convenience of Telehealth may appear to be its only advantage, but the benefits of wireless sensors goes beyond the reduced travel time for nurses. Many patients who have a certain illness are treated too late into the process; billions of extra dollars are spent on the treatments of diseases and illnesses that could have been diagnosed earlier. Treating a disease earlier in the process reduces treatment costs for insurance companies and the patient, frees up valuable hours for doctors, and gives the patient a better chance of getting better. With the wireless sensors, healthcare professionals can keep track of a patients condition and be notified at anytime if there is any suspicious signs of illness.

By 2012, it is estimated that 15 million systems will be implemented into patients and hospitals nationwide. Will Telehealth actually reduce healthcare costs? In my opinion, wireless sensors are the pathway to simultaneously improving one’s health while reducing costs. My next door neighbor recently survived a one million dollar heart transplant. With one of these wireless sensors, doctors could of kept track of his blood pressure etc… and treat his heart ailments much sooner. One little sensor could have saved Canada one million dollars.

http://www.electronicsnews.com.au/Article/Telehealth-technologies-to-reduce-health-care-costs/492494.aspx

Top Ten:

Hilary Clinton tried to reduce health care costs. Obama is in the midst of attempting to reduce health care costs. Bioengineers are even trying to reduce health care costs (technologically, of course!) Well, I may not be David Letterman, or the host of a late-night television show, but I am a student in Introduction to Bioengineering, and here is the top ten technologies that I found which can reduce health care costs! (Maybe David Letterman will give me credit for them if he decides to air it!) :

To Wikipedia?, or to not Wikipedia? That is the question!

While writing papers in high school, one tenth of my grade was based on how well I cited my sources. Over the years, I came to familiarize myself with citing my sources as a way to boost the final mark on my paper. Citing the correct source meant the difference between an A- and an A+.

I never really payed attention to where I found my information, nor did I pay attention to who wrote the information. All I cared about was making sure I did not lose any point from not citing my sources.

Luckily, I came to realize that citing sources are worth more than one tenth of the grade of a research paper. The quality of my sources and the way I find them can make all the difference in how I learn about the material I am researching. As a professional engineer, the difference between quality sources and Wikipedia has much more of an impact than a letter grade on a paper.

As an engineering student, my new goal is to approach each research project as a lesson. When I begin my search for data and facts, will I want to trust the user “ScienceRox” on a public science forum, or read about a distinguished professor who published an article in a medical journal? Should I use Wikipedia as the “be all, end all” when it comes to information, or should I invest the extra time to dive into science articles written by knowledgeable engineers and researchers?

I would not hand over my expensive designer dress to be tailored by my ten-year-old sister, so why should I place my trust in a source that is not reputable?

Can colored soap and germ killing surfaces be the answer to the H1N1 virus?

Time and time again, Penn students are told to wash their hands to prevent the onset of the H1N1 virus and other illnesses. Are there any other preventative measures other than simple hand washing? From personal experience, no matter how many times I may seem to wash my hands, I end up getting sick.

For example, one type of “biomedical technology” that can help prevent the swine flu pandemic at Penn and beyond is hand soap that will turn a different shade of color when it is exposed to the bacteria. Instead of quickly washing one’s hands, a person can take the time to make sure all the bacteria-colored areas are washed well. Someone can fulfill the action of washing their hands, but do not do so in a way to kill all the bacteria. This “bacteria-activated” soap is just one way to assure that people’s hands are as clean as possible. If the swine flu is transmitted primarily by touching others, cleaner hands will enable us to control the pandemic in a slightly easier fashion.

Another technology to help better manage the swine flu pandemic is the installation of bacteria-free surfaces in classrooms and offices. Bioengineers are currently developing countertops with built-in chemicals on the surface to kill bacteria. While these countertops do not currently kill all bacteria, the idea of developing desks and chairs with such bacteria-free surfaces can significantly reduce the number of swine flu sufferers. The installation of bacteria free surfaces in hospitals, schools, and offices may reduce the spreading of diseases. On a daily basis, people are in close contact with their coworkers, fellow students, etc… If they must work in such close proximity, it would be beneficial for these people to work around surfaces that are bacteria free.

It is not practical to quarantine each and every individual during cold and flu season, so for now, it is best if bioengineers can work around their situation and improve the working environment. There will never be an office or hospital that is 100% bacteria free, but the technologies mentioned above can help manage the swine flu pandemic.

The fabrication of artificial limbs...

One area of bioengineering that I find particularly fascinating is the fabrication of artificial limbs. Presently, some researchers are making brain activated limbs that move more like a natural limb.

These cutting edge limbs are connected to the old nerves that were originally connected to the natural limb. The nerves are connected to a nearby muscle that can then get signals from the brain. In turn, the brain signals activate movement in the artificial limb, closely mimicking how a natural arm or leg would function.

The following video that I watched on Youtube demonstrates in more detail how these limbs function:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6R5bm6qx2E

"YouTube - Cutting Edge Prosthetic Arms." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Web. 16 Sept. 2009. .

This area of bioengineering innovations combines physics, biomechanics, anatomy, and chemistry. It is remarkable how many types of sciences go into the fabrication and creation of one single limb.

These mechanical wonders are brilliant in design, but they are more than complicated little machines. They are vital for the lives of those who lost their limbs and can no longer function independently. Bioengineering goes beyond the making of "cool machines" or the fabrication of synthetic materials for the body. The overall goal of bioengineering will always come down to improving the health and well being of others, whether it be in the process of making an artificial limb, developing a screening process for a disease, or finding a new vaccine to prevent the H1N1 virus...

Are early screening tests the answer to our health problems?

In the ideal medical “utopian” world, there would be one magical test that would be able to screen for all types of diseases and medical problems. Presently, no such test exists, but there is a test that will screen for kidney disease, even with no obvious symptoms present.

In the New York Times article Early Warning for a Deadly Kidney Disease (Brody, 2009), Mrs. Johnson was suffering from severe weight gain and high blood pressure for over three years. While watching TV, she encountered a free screening test administered by the Kidney Early Evaluation Program. Mrs. Johnson proceeded to take the test and found out that she indeed had chronic kidney disease; thankfully, she was diagnosed early enough to begin successful treatment.

I feel that this screening test is a large step forward in the world of biotechnology, but raises the important question: Shouldn’t all diseases have an early screening test that is low in cost, yet reliable enough to produce consistent results?

This article presents two major “hurdles” that bioengineers are currently facing, the first challenge being trying to develop tests that can detect diseases, and secondly, developing tests that are affordable for those who do not have access to adequate health insurance.

This article is presenting a new dimension to bioengineering, a new era devoted to making the most efficient technologies, but at the same time in the most cost efficient way. What good would a test be if it is expensive to make and is only available to wealthy people?

Just as consumers are demanding faster and cost-effective computers, doctors and patients are demanding accessible and innovative diagnostic tests. Bioengineers, of course, are the ones who are in control of what can or cannot be made. They are the ones with the expertise who will be able to carry out such biomedical technologies. Doctors diagnose the disease, but it is up to the bioengineers to find ways to detect such illnesses.

In my opinion, developing such screening tests may actually reduce health care costs in the near future. If an illness can be diagnosed earlier with the help of a screening test, then less money may actually be needed to treat the patient.

"The New York Times Log In." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. Web. 16 Sept. 2009. .

Oh the wonders of thinking like an engineer!

No matter profession I chose after my undergraduate career, I want to know that I will be able to think like an engineer. Whether I chose to be a doctor, or ultimately decide to be an engineer, the skill of thinking and problem solving like an engineer would be invaluable to me.

Is there a special procedure in the way engineers tackle a problem? Engineers are systematic in their train of thought, yet are capable of thinking outside of the box when necessary. In my opinion, people in all professions should possess the ability to think like an engineer.

I do not know what the future holds for me, nor do I know which classes I will choose next semester, but I am absolutely sure that I want to graduate with the mindset of an engineer.

What does the crystal ball of bioengineering hold for me?

While the whole field of bioengineering piques my interest, I want to learn about the most pressing issues in the field. What areas of bioengineering require the most attention? Are there any illnesses or diseases that should be placed on top of the priority list of bioengineers?

Presently, news channels across the country are documenting the need for an H1N1 vaccine. At the moment, H1N1 is one of the more urgent problems on the list of health experts, doctors, and bioengineers, but what will be some of the more ongoing issues that will eventually require years of research and attention? Is it a cure or suppressant for Alzheimer’s? Should we keep focusing our attention on autism? Or will bioengineers have to focus on the obesity epidemic plaguing this country by storm?

As I move forward in my education in bioengineering, I want to learn what will require my attention in the next fifteen to twenty years, not just this month or year.

If I had a time machine, where in the biomedical world would I go?

Every time I heard the word “modern medicine”, the first thought that comes to my mind is pain management. Doctors wouldn’t perform open-heart surgery without some sort of anesthesia, nor would they do a complex brain surgery without any sort of pain control. How would these complicated procedures be possible without torturing the patient with feelings of pain and discomfort?

In my opinion, the forefront of “modern-medicine” truly began when anesthesia was first used during medical procedures such as surgeries. In lieu of modern anesthesia, patients prior to the 19^th century were either given large amounts of alcohol to consume, or herbal concoctions to numb any pain.

When you come to think of it, the beginning of “modern medicine” jumpstarted in the 19^th century, around the time of the birth of modern painkillers. I would have loved to be a part of this revolutionary change in the medical world.

Most procedures today would not take place without painkillers, nor would doctors even think about performing knee replacement surgery or inserting medal rods to replace shattered bones. I want to see what it would have been like to be on the brink of old world medicine and the beginning of modern day procedures.

Are bioengineers the farmers of tomorrow?

A couple of months ago, I was discussing the field of bioengineering with an older woman at a restaurant. She took one look at me and asked why a girl would go to the University of Pennsylvania to learn the skills to become a farmer!

While I obviously do not know absolutely everything about being a bioengineer, I am aware that they are not farmers, nor do I have a desire in becoming a farmer.

Personally, when I hear the word “bioengineering”, I think of remarkably intelligent people tinkering away trying to improve medical technologies and devising new materials and strategies to further improve medicine. I think bioengineers carry a double-edge challenge, one side containing the ability to make technological advances with materials, while their other side must understand how those materials interact with the physics, chemistry, anatomy and biology of the human body.

Bioengineers know the human body inside out, but also know how to think technically. These engineers are the momentum in the medical world, as they are the people who control what is created and whether or not it is safe to use in a human being.

To answer the question of the blog, bioengineers are not farmers in the agricultural sense, but are constantly "growing" new innovations while "fertilizing" the future of medicine with their expertise.

Why did I pick bioengineering as my major?

Each time someone asks me the question of what I plan on majoring in at UPenn, I quickly respond by saying “bioengineering”. Their immediate response is one mixed of astonishment and confusion. The short, yet very complex word, “bioengineering” is like dropping a bomb on someone’s head; I am essentially telling them that I want to be a participant and contributor in developing technologies that will keep our population healthy, alive, and well. This is precisely why I picked bioengineering as my major at Penn.

Not only do I want to learn about the innovations being created presently, but also I want to be one of the “lucky ones” to be able to continue to create, shape, and mold the medical world. Bioengineering will give me the technical skills required to work in the medical field and will teach me how to communicate those skills with other experts.

So hopefully one day while I am sitting in my office at a hospital or some laboratory, and someone asks me what I majored in at the University of Pennsylvania, the term “bioengineering” will come across as a positive force, and not a source of confusion. :)