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.