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University of Calgary Calendar 2022-2023 COURSES OF INSTRUCTION Course Descriptions B Biomedical Engineering BMEN
Biomedical Engineering BMEN

For more information about these courses, see the Biomedical Engineering program: research.ucalgary.ca/bme/home.

Senior Courses
Biomedical Engineering 300       Biology for Engineers
An introduction to basic biological concepts for engineers. Topics include eukaryotes and prokaryotes, biochemistry, molecular biology, cell biology, cell function, metabolism.
Course Hours:
3 units; (32 hours)
Antirequisite(s):
Credit for Biomedical Engineering 300 and Biology 331 will not be allowed.
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Biomedical Engineering 301       Introduction to Biomedical Engineering
Fundamentals of biological systems and the application of engineering principles to address challenges in human and animal health. The role of the biomedical engineer in society and in the current industrial landscape. Topics include pharmaceuticals and drug delivery, instrumentation and devices, physiological and biological measurements, biomechanics, imaging and diagnostics, the Canadian health-care system. Applications may include the cardiovascular, neural and musculo-skeletal systems.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-2)
Prerequisite(s):
Admission to the Minor or Major in Biomedical Engineering.
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Biomedical Engineering 309       Anatomy and Physiology for Engineers
Physiological terminology and anatomical planes of reference; cell biology and physiology; includes structure and function of musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, nervous, gastrointestinal and respiratory tissues and systems; diseases and disorders of those systems; design constraints for bioengineering products.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-3/2)
Prerequisite(s):
Admission to the Minor or Major in Biomedical Engineering.
Antirequisite(s):
Credit for Biomedical Engineering 309 and any of Biology 305, Kinesiology 259 or Kinesiology 260 will not be allowed.
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Biomedical Engineering 322       Biomedical Engineering Processes
Material and energy balances of physical and biological systems for steady state and transient conditions. Introduction to thermodynamic concepts and engineering methods to solve problems relevant to biomedical engineering. Differential equations applied to modelling and characterization of processes, linear algebra used for multidimensional and complex system computations and modelling.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-1.5T-3/2)
Prerequisite(s):
Engineering 201, Chemistry 209, Mathematics 277.
Antirequisite(s):
Credit for Biomedical Engineering 322 and Engineering 311 will not be allowed.
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Biomedical Engineering 381       Mechanics I
Review of linear algebra and introduction to vector calculus. Physical space, bodies, configurations and displacement fields. Velocity and the substantial derivative, acceleration. Deformation and strain, deformation and strain rates. Master balance equation, balance of mass, linear momentum and angular momentum. Constitutive equations: isotropic linear elastic solid, perfect fluid, viscous fluid. Equations of equivalence in the de Saint Venant beam. Bernoulli’s equation, fluid statics.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-1.5T-3/2)
Prerequisite(s):
Engineering 202 and Mathematics 277.
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Biomedical Engineering 383       Mechanics II
Elements of Solid Mechanics: review of axial-force, shear-force, bending moment and torque diagrams, equations of equivalence in the de Saint Venant beam, solution of axial force, torsion, bending, shear force, stress transformation and Mohr’s circle, yield criteria, beam deflection and statically indeterminate structures, Euler buckling. Elements of Fluid Mechanics: Navier-Stokes equation, static forces on surfaces, buoyancy, stability, control-volume analysis, dimensional analysis and physical similarity, introduction to external flows and flow through pipes.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-1.5T-3/2)
Prerequisite(s):
Biomedical Engineering 381.
Antirequisite(s):
Credit for Biomedical Engineering 383 and any of Mechanical Engineering 317, Mechanical Engineering 341, Engineering 317 or Civil Engineering 317 will not be allowed.
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Biomedical Engineering 388       Biomedical Signals, Systems and Instrumentation I
Principles of signals and systems in the context of operating principles of biological systems at multiple physiological scales. Concept of frequency and time domains, Fourier and Laplace transforms. Sensors and actuators. Review of circuits and introduction to basic analog signal conditioning – amplification and filtering. Noise and mitigation. Introduction to CAD tools and mechanical design.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-1.5T-3/2)
Prerequisite(s):
Engineering 225, Mathematics 277 and Physics 259.
Antirequisite(s):
Credit for Biomedical Engineering 388 and either Electrical Engineering 327 or 343 will not be allowed
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Biomedical Engineering 401       Fundamentals of Biomedical Device and Technologies
An introduction to the development of biomedical devices and technologies. Topics may include identifying biomedical needs, concept generation and prototyping, biologically inspired design, human factors related to design, regulatory issues, intellectual property protection, clinical trials, and commercialization considerations. Case studies may be drawn from cardiovascular, neural and musculoskeletal applications.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-1T)
Prerequisite(s):
Biomedical Engineering 301 and admission to the Minor or Major in Biomedical Engineering.
Antirequisite(s):
Credit for Biomedical Engineering 401 and either 517 or 619.05 will not be allowed.
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Biomedical Engineering 415       Sensor Systems and Data Analytics
Introduction to matrix and tensor manipulation with focus on computer programming aspects. Sensor systems and design of data collection strategies, with examples in relevant areas of biomedical engineering. Data curation and conditioning including outlier and anomaly pattern detection, noise removal and data reduction. Unsupervised clustering and association mining using machine learning techniques. Supervised classification using advanced machine learning techniques. Completion of a sensor- and data-oriented project in an area of biomedical engineering.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-2)
Prerequisite(s):
Mathematics 375 and admission to the Minor or Major in Biomedical Engineering.
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Biomedical Engineering 455       Transport Phenomena in Biomolecular Systems
Basic concepts in transport phenomena, including fluid dynamics (momentum transport), mass (molecular transport) and heat transfer (energy transport), with applications to biological systems, both medical and non-medical. Topics in fluid dynamics include: properties of Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids; dimensional analysis; drag; differential/microscopic balances (continuity and Navier-Stokes equations); boundary layer approximations. Topics in mass transfer include transport of chemicals in channels, diffusive and convective molecular transport. Topics in heat transfer include elements of conduction and convection.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-2)
Prerequisite(s):
Biomedical Engineering 300 and 322.
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Biomedical Engineering 468       Problem-based Biomedical Engineering Design I
Introduction to open-ended biomedical engineering problems: defining the problem, identifying solutions, feasibility analysis, generating concept, modelling, prototyping and testing. Students will work in teams on a series of design projects. Problems to come from BME partners (faculty, local industry). The teams will seek input and feedback from the partner, learn to communicate effectively within and outside the team.
Course Hours:
3 units; (1-3)
Prerequisite(s):
Engineering 200.
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Biomedical Engineering 478       Problem-based Biomedical Engineering Design II
Expanded work on open-ended biomedical engineering problems. Students will identify problems from draft concepts that address new biomedical needs, or around redefinition of current medical devices and technologies. Students will work in teams and apply problem-based learning to address these problems. Problems to come from BME partners and solutions will be presented to these partners.
Course Hours:
3 units; (1-3)
Prerequisite(s):
Biomedical Engineering 468.
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Biomedical Engineering 488       Biomedical Signals, Systems and Instrumentation II
Digitization, quantization, and sampling. Introduction to Z-transform. Embedded systems. Fixed/floating point limitations. Microcontroller programming. Introduction to cellular and molecular instrumentation.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-1.5T-3/2)
Prerequisite(s):
Biomedical Engineering 388.
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Biomedical Engineering 500       Biomedical Engineering Research Thesis
A research project in an area of interest, directed by a project advisor/faculty member. Includes a lecture component covering the scientific process, ethics, review of literature, and writing scientific proposals and manuscripts. The course culminates with a written thesis and presentation. Projects may involve experimental, analytic or computer modelling studies.
Course Hours:
9 units; (1-8)
Prerequisite(s):
Fourth- or fifth-year standing in Schulich School of Engineering, admission to the Biomedical Engineering minor and consent of the project supervisor.
Antirequisite(s):
Credit for Biomedical Engineering 500 and 503 will not be allowed.
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Biomedical Engineering 501       Biomedical Engineering Project
A project in an area of interest, supervised by a project advisor/faculty member. Includes a lecture component covering topics including the scientific process, ethics, review of literature, patent searches, market analysis, and technology evaluation. The project involves choosing a particular product, process or theory relevant to biomedical engineering, researching it and justifying its selection. A final report and presentation are required.
Course Hours:
3 units; (1-2)
Prerequisite(s):
Fourth- or fifth-year standing in Schulich School of Engineering, admission to the Biomedical Engineering minor and consent of the project supervisor.
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Biomedical Engineering 503       Research Thesis in Biomedical Engineering
A research project in an area of interest, directed by a supervisor (project advisor/faculty member). Includes a lecture component covering the scientific process, ethics, review of literature, and writing scientific proposals and manuscripts. The course culminates with a written thesis and presentation. Projects may involve experimental, analytic or computer modelling studies.
Course Hours:
6 units; (1-5)
Prerequisite(s):
Fourth- or fifth-year standing in Schulich School of Engineering and consent of the project supervisor.
Antirequisite(s):
Credit for Biomedical Engineering 503 and 500 will not be allowed.
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Biomedical Engineering 509       Introduction to Biomedical Imaging and Applications
Principles of various imaging modalities used in Biomedical engineering applications, including CT, MRI, ultrasound, PET, SPECT. Image processing operations: filtering, enhancement, feature extraction, pattern recognition and image reconstruction. Image registration and integration of different imaging modalities.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-2)
Prerequisite(s):
Fourth- or fifth-year standing in Schulich School of Engineering.
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Biomedical Engineering 511       Biomaterials and Biocompatibility
Basic chemical and mechanical properties of biological and synthetic materials and their role in biological system health, dysfunction, and repair. Role of microstructure, material properties, and biocompatibility aspects in selection of biomaterials for medical or industrial applications. Incorporation of biomimetic concepts in material design. Topics may include artificial and tissue engineered products, implants, prostheses, biofilms, biosensors, and foreign body response.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-2/2)
Prerequisite(s):
Fourth- or fifth-year standing in Schulich School of Engineering.
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Biomedical Engineering 515       Bioengineering Methods in Systems Biology and Physiology
Concepts from systems theory, differential equations, and stochastic processes applied to physiological and biological systems. Experimental and computational approaches to the study of gene expression and gene networks. Use of quantitative model-based approaches for integrative analysis of physiological and biological functions. Case studies of applications to disease mechanisms and the drug discovery process.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Mathematics 375.
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Biomedical Engineering 519       Special Topics in Biomedical Engineering
Current topics in Biomedical Engineering.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-2)
Prerequisite(s):
Consent of the BMES Director.
MAY BE REPEATED FOR CREDIT
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Biomedical Engineering 523       Biomechanics of Movement
Introduction to musculoskeletal biomechanics, including experimental and analytical approaches to the analysis of movement, experimental instrumentation and devices, and joint dynamics. Review of linear algebra. Description of physical space, coordinate systems, optical measurement of marker position. Three-dimensional rigid body kinematics, extraction of the kinematical quantities from the experimental data. Three-dimensional rigid body dynamics, determination of segmental inertial properties, determination of the joint forces and moments, measurement of ground reaction forces, theorem of the impulse. Force sharing problem, method of the Lagrange multipliers, optimisation. Elements of muscle and cartilage mechanics, introduction to the analysis of healthy and pathologic gait. Laboratory experiences complement and reinforce the theory.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-2)
Prerequisite(s):
Engineering 349.
Antirequisite(s):
Credit for Biomedical Engineering 523 and Mechanical Engineering 523 will not be allowed.
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Biomedical Engineering 525       Biomechanics of Tissues
The structure and functional behaviour of complex tissues which make up the human musculoskeletal system (bone, cartilage, muscles, tendons, ligaments) and cardiovascular systems (heart, blood vessels) will be explained by applying basic principles of continuum mechanics. Introductory topics include: review of linear and tensor algebra, kinematics of continua, deformation gradient, deformation and strain tensors, balance equations and Cauchy stress tensor, stress power and measures of stress. Constitutive equations introduced as they apply to the study of biological tissues; anisotropy and inhomogeneity, fibre-reinforced behaviour. Laboratory experiences complement and reinforce the theory.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-2)
Prerequisite(s):
Engineering 349.
Antirequisite(s):
Credit for Biomedical Engineering 525 and 405 will not be allowed.
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Biomedical Engineering 585       Molecular, Cellular and Tissue Engineering
Concepts, calculations, and methodologies in molecular, cellular and tissue engineering will be discussed and applied to solve problems in the areas of molecular diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, nanomedicine and regenerative medicine. Topics include cell biology and culture, stem cells, bioreactors, biomaterials, drug delivery, fluid dynamics, kinetics, and diffusion.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-2/2)
Prerequisite(s):
Fourth- or fifth-year standing in Schulich School of Engineering.
Antirequisite(s):
Credit for Biomedical Engineering 585 and any of Biomedical Engineering 407, Biomedical Engineering 519.09 or Chemical Engineering 541 will not be allowed.
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Graduate Courses
Biomedical Engineering 600       Biomedical Engineering Foundations
An introduction to core concepts of Biomedical Engineering including both fundamental biological and engineering knowledge. Course also provides students with both theoretical and practical knowledge related to developing and testing solutions to questions/problems relevant to the biomedical engineering field that is applied in a group project that runs the duration of the course.
Course Hours:
3 units; (4-0)
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Biomedical Engineering 602       Biomedical Engineering Core I
Focus is on the development of a biomedical engineering career. Topics may include an introduction to a) biomedical engineering research, research integrity and ethics, b) career paths and progression in biomedical engineering and c) oral research communication skills.
Course Hours:
1.5 units; (4-0)
Antirequisite(s):
Credit for Biomedical Engineering 602 and either 605 or 607 will not be allowed.
NOT INCLUDED IN GPA
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Biomedical Engineering 604       Biomedical Engineering Core II
Focus is on the academic aspects of graduate school and the preparation of a research proposal. Topics may include an introduction to a) research methodology, including experimental design and b) written research communication skills in biomedical engineering, and c) preparation and review of research proposals.
Course Hours:
1.5 units; (4-0)
Antirequisite(s):
Credit for Biomedical Engineering 604 and either 605 or 607 will not be allowed.
NOT INCLUDED IN GPA
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Biomedical Engineering 605       Research Seminars in Biomedical Engineering
Reports of studies of the literature or of current research.
Course Hours:
1.5 units; (1.5S-0)
NOT INCLUDED IN GPA
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Biomedical Engineering 607       Research Seminars in Biomedical Engineering
Reports of studies of the literature or of current research.
Course Hours:
1.5 units; (1.5S-0)
NOT INCLUDED IN GPA
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Biomedical Engineering 609       Anatomy and Physiology for Biomedical Engineers
Advanced instruction on human skeletal structure, types of connective tissues, structure of joints, muscle and organ structure and function, cardiac physiology, blood properties and flow, introduction to autonomous nervous system, and disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Other topics will be covered dependent on the interests of the instructor and students.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-3/2)
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Biomedical Engineering 619       Special Problems in Biomedical Engineering
Designed to provide graduate students, especially at the PhD level, with the opportunity of pursuing advanced studies in particular areas under the direction of a faculty member.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-0)
MAY BE REPEATED FOR CREDIT
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