- A medical device is an instrument, apparatus, implant, in vitro reagent, or related article that is used to diagnose, prevent, or treat disease or other conditions, and does not achieve its purposes through chemical action within or on the body (which would make it a drug). Whereas medicinal products (also called pharmaceuticals) achieve their principal action by pharmacological, metabolic or immunological means, medical devices act by other means like physical, mechanical, or thermal means.
Category Archives: Subdisciplines of BME
Subdisciplines cont.
- Pharmaceutical Engineering is a branch of pharmaceutical science and technology that involves development and manufacturing of products, processes, and components in the pharmaceuticals industry (i.e. drugs & biologics).
- Clinical Engineering is the application of engineering and technology to analyze and provide solutions for the clinical needs of patients. This is a diverse profession covering many areas of health care and clinical engineers often specialize in one aspect of the field.
Subdisciplines within Biomedical Engineering
- Tissue engineering frequently involves stem cells, a kind of premature cell first isolated from the body in 1992; implanting stem cells in the appropriate location can generate everything from bone to tendon to cartilage.
- Genetic engineering refers to a set of technologies that are being used to change the genetic makeup of cells and move genes across species boundaries to produce novel organisms. The techniques involve highly sophisticated manipulations of genetic material and other biologically important chemicals.