BME Design Project  

General Course Information:

BME 371 BME Design Project

Instructor Information:

Ken Diller, Sc.D.
Professor
Office Address: ENS 612
Telephone Number: 471-7167
Fax Number: 471-0616
Email: kdiller@mail.utexas.edu

2002-2003 Catalog Data

Creative design, analysis, selection, development and fabrication/growth of BME engineering components and systems.  Development of team project with faculty advisor and sponsoring engineer/clinician.  Two lecture hours and four laboratory hours per week for one semester.  Prerequisites:  BME 370, completion of five or more track courses.

Coordinator

Kenneth R. Diller, Sc.D.

Goals

The goal of BME 371 is for students to learn the design process by experiencing developing a practical solution for a challenging real-world problem.  The experience should integrate the knowledge gained from the foregoing curriculum and prepare students to transition to industrial practice effectively.

Knowledge, Abilities, and Skills Students Should Have Entering This Course

Students entering this course must have completed all core curriculum courses required for the BSBME degree, thus having a broad basic knowledge of engineering principles, life and physical sciences, and application of engineering in biomedical systems.  Plus, the student must have in-depth knowledge of one of the three tracks.  Preliminary design and teamwork experience will be accrued throughout the earlier BME curriculum, writing and communication skills in BME 333T.

Knowledge, Abilities, and Skills Students Should Gain From This Course

Students will learn by experience the design synthesis process by working on a practical engineering problem derived directly from medical practice or biomedical industry.  The students will work on 3-4 person teams with a faculty member and outside client. The students will learn the process of defining a design problem, considering alternative solutions, identifying a best design, and presenting and defending their results to the sponsor of the project.  The successful student will be knowledgeable about engineering professionalism and ethics, product and engineering liability, safety considerations and obligations.

Impact on Subsequent Courses in Curriculum

BME 371 is the capstone course in the curriculum

Criteria 2000 Outcomes Achieved

a.  Interaction between living and non-living materials.
b.  Design

Program Criteria Outcomes Achieved

a.  An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering.
b.  An ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data.
c.  An ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs.
d.  An ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams.
e.  An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems.
f.   An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility.
g.  An ability to communicate effectively.
h.  The broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global/societal context.
i.   A recognition of the need for and an ability to engage in lifelong learning.
j.   A knowledge of contemporary issues.
k.  An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice.

Professionalism Topics

All aspects of dealing with application of engineering practice to practical problems in society, and in particular biomedicine.

Topics (referenced to Criteria 2000 and program criteria outcomes)

Engineering design