Future of Bio-engineering Engineering – Trends, Inventions, Innovations

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Some Trends in Bio-Engineering Research

  • More sophisticated biomedical devices
  • Biomedical engineering
  • New therapeutic devices - cochlear implant, life-saving implantable defibrillators, vascular stent technology
  • Cell and tissue engineering
  • Fusion of engineering with molecular cell biology
  • In the next 25 years, advances in electronics, optics, materials and miniaturization will push development of more sophisticated devices for diagnosis and therapy, such as imaging and virtual surgery
  • A potentially even greater impact of bioengineering will result from the increased ability to incorporate molecular-level information into complex models. The result will be a revolution in diagnosis and treatment of diseases ranging from osteoarthritis to Alzheimer disease
  • Hyper-evolution
  • Skin Research and Technology
  • Done until Bioengineering Future, Trends links
  • Stem Cells
  • Gene Therapy
  • Aging - To go beyond a life expectancy of 80, new genetic and molecular therapies will have to be introduced
  • Cloning
  • Human Genome Project
  • Recombinant DNA biotechnology
  • Protein-based "biochips"
  • Biochip implants in the body
  • Biosensors are monitors that use enzymes, monoclonal antibodies, or other proteins to test air and water quality, to detect hazardous substances, and to monitor blood components in vivo
  • Bioinformatics
  • Cell and tissue engineering
  • "Lab on a chip" diagnostics, enabling routine and sensitive analysis of thousands of molecules simultaneously from a single sample

Bioengineering

  • Future electronic developments in the health care industry - http://www.bmt.tue.nl/archive/BMEcongress011101/Souquet.htm
  • Technology Drivers
    • Moore’s law to continue to 2010
      • More processing power in ICs, higher bandwidth in networks
      • Ever increasing, almost unlimited storage
      • Semiconductor cost reductions of 30 - 40% p.a
      • Smarter algorithms through better understanding
      • 3D images, automatic speech recognition
      • Web technology and advanced architectures
      • Biomedical and Gene engineering
      • Molecular Imaging
      • The Shape of things to come:
  • Revolution in Imaging for diagnosis and Therapy
    • Gene Therapy, monitored by Molecular Imaging
    • Substantial patient outcome improvements and efficiency gains in providing care E-healthcare, Personal healthcare
    • True-View CT: Anatomy of the Heart
  • Virtual Inspection Tools for diagnosis
    • Full Volume
    • 3D Surface and Volume Rendering
    • CT – Angio
  • Imaging pictures
    • Fast Improvements in Cardiac Imaging
    • Vessel Visualisation and Segmentation
    • Breath hold image, Long Axis
    • Accurate, real time imaging of the Coronary Arteries
    • High resolution (500 microns) RCA wall imaging
    • Ultrasound, Key Modality for diagnosis and Therapy monitoring
    • Vascular: detection of stenosis and post-operative checking
  • Echocardiography: Measuring blood flow in the heart
  • Contrast agents show blood flow in the heart: real-time Perfusion
  • Real time Parameterization reveals ischemia in the heart and in the liver
  • Contrast agents can be expanded to targeted Drug delivery and therapy
  • Drug encapsulation
    • Encapsulation reduces systemic effects of potent drugs
    • Drugs delivered on site by rupturing shell through Ultrasound
    • Shells ruptured with current diagnostic intensities
    • Rupture event enhances drug effect
    • Concentration greatly enhanced in region of interest
    • Example: Vascular Disease and Fibrin Targeted Contrast
  • Gene Therapy
    • Originally: to repair inherited disorders
    • Now extending into cancer therapy, infectious disease, heart disease and revascularization
    • Generic Steps
      • Identify defective gene
      • Introduce good gene into a "vector", often a immunized virus
      • Insert virus into body
      • Virus builds itself into the DNA
      • Gene expresses into a protein
      • Protein cures the disease
Web Resources
 
Bioengineering Future, Trends
 
Biotechnology Future, Trends
 
Biomedical Engineering Future, Trends