4) BIO-MEDICINE ENGINEERING

Mechanical Engineering is an engineering discipline that involves the application of principles of physics for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. Mechanical engineering is one of the oldest and broadest engineering disciplines.

It requires a solid understanding of core concepts including mechanics, kinematics, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and energy. Mechanical engineers use the core principles as well as other knowledge in the field to design and analyze motor vehicles, aircraft, heating and cooling systems, watercraft, manufacturing plants, industrial equipment and machinery, robotics, medical devices and more.



Where Mechanics and Biomedicine Meet
With over 200 medical device companies within twenty miles and three top-tier hospitals within walking distance, the Stanford campus provides a unique setting for medical innovation. Many faculty and students working are student biomechanical engineering, and developing a combination of strong mechanical skills with a working understanding of biological and/or medical systems and processes. Investigations range from exploring how proteins fold and interact to designing the next generation of medical equipment and joint replacements. Biomechanical Engineering research encompasses not only fundamental scientific questions but also the endeavors which will bring discoveries to hospitals, clinics, and society as a whole to improve general health, well-being, and quality of life.




The Biomechanical Engineering Program is central to the department's efforts in exploring the mechanics-biomedicine interface and developing innovative solutions for this rapidly growing area. In addition, many students working in all of the mechanical engineering groups (Design, Thermosciences, Flow Physics and Computation, and Mechanics and Computation) have substantial research efforts in the area of biological systems.

Modeling & Simulation Exploration

Mathematical and computational models are required to understand the extreme complexity of living systems. Creating models with sufficient complexity to replicate these systems is a difficult challenge but can provide insight into problems which would otherwise not be possible. New computational methods and programs are often required to model and simulate these systems. The department features a broad variety of computational research dedicated to biological systems, ranging from the study of molecular and DNA transport to simulations of bloodflow in organs and the mechanics of joints and body mechanics.

Medical Device Design
Research projects and coursework within the Biomechanical Engineering Program aid in the effort to create the next generation of medical devices, often partnering with local medical device companies. Taking ideas from concept to clinical device is critical for continuing to improve health care and patient quality of life.



Collaboration for Innovation
The success of biomedical pursuits depends upon close collaboration and cooperation between a broad team of physicians, engineers, scientists and therapists. Only through tight teamwork can the complex systems be explored and understood. The Biomechanical Engineering Program plays a key role in extending an open hand to all of these communities and an open environment for collaboration to occur. Engineers with expertise in biology, mechanics, computation, and the design process are protagonists in many local corporations and hospitals. The ongoing interaction with these corporations is a key strength of the Biomechanical Engineering Program and the Mechanical Engineering Department as a whole.

APPLICATIONS
Applications of mechanical engineering are found in the records of many ancient and medieval societies throughout the globe. In ancient Greece, the works of Archimedes (287 BC–212 BC) and Heron of Alexandria (c. 10–70 AD) deeply influenced mechanics in the Western tradition. In China, Zhang Heng (78–139 AD) improved a water clock and invented a seismometer, and Ma Jun (200–265 AD) invented a chariot with differential gears. The medieval Chinese horologist and engineer Su Song (1020–1101 AD) incorporated an escapement mechanism into his astronomical clock tower two centuries before any escapement could be found in clocks of medieval Europe, as well as the world's first known endless power-transmitting chain drive.

During the years from 7th to 15th century, the era called the Islamic golden age, there have been remarkable contributions from Muslims in the field of mechanical technology, Al Jaziri, who was one of them wrote his famous "Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices" in 1206 presented many mechanical designs. He is also considered to be the inventor of such mechanical devices which now form the very basic of mechanisms, such as crank and cam shafts.

During the early 19th century in England and Scotland, the development of machine tools led mechanical engineering to develop as a separate field within engineering, providing manufacturing machines and the engines to power them. The first British professional society of mechanical engineers was formed in 1847, thirty years after civil engineers formed the first such professional society. In the United States, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) was formed in 1880, becoming the third such professional engineering society, after the American Society of Civil Engineers (1852) and the American Institute of Mining Engineers (1871). The first schools in the United States to offer an engineering education were the United States Military Academy in 1817, an institution now known as Norwich University in 1819, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1825. Education in mechanical engineering has historically been based on a strong foundation in mathematics and science.

The field of mechanical engineering is considered among the broadest of engineering disciplines. The work of mechanical engineering ranges from the depths of the ocean to outer space.

EDUCATION

Degrees in mechanical engineering are offered at universities worldwide. In Bangladesh, China, India, Nepal and North America, mechanical engineering programs typically take four to five years and result in a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc), Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech), Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng), or Bachelor of Applied Science (B.A.Sc) degree, in or with emphasis in mechanical engineering. In Spain, Portugal and most of South America, where neither BSc nor BTech programs have been adopted, the formal name for the degree is "Mechanical Engineer", and the course work is based on five or six years of training.

In the U.S., most undergraduate mechanical engineering programs are accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) to ensure similar course requirements and standards among universities. The ABET web site lists 276 accredited mechanical engineering programs as of June 19, 2006. Mechanical engineering programs in Canada are accredited by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB), and most other countries offering engineering degrees have similar accreditation societies.

Some mechanical engineers go on to pursue a postgraduate degree such as a Master of Engineering, Master of Science, Master of Engineering Management (MEng.Mgt or MEM), a Doctor of Philosophy in engineering (EngD, PhD) or an engineer's degree. The master's and engineer's degrees may or may not include research. The Doctor of Philosophy includes a significant research component and is often viewed as the entry point to academia.

BOOKS ON BIO-MEDICINE ENGINEERING