Technology Interactions ‹ Chapter Title Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-HillA Division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Technology InteractionsTechnology Interactions

Bioengineering is the use of engineering to solve problems in biology, medicine, human behavior, health, and the environment.

Technology Interactions Chapter 18 Bioengineering Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-HillA Division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

What Do Bioengineers Do?What Do Bioengineers Do?

design replacements for body parts

design devices and machines to diagnosis and treat disease and to help rehabilitate patients with impairments

develop biological systems for use in cleaning up the environment

design equipment and devices that help people work more efficiently and safely

Technology Interactions Chapter 18 Bioengineering Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-HillA Division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

ProsthesesProsthesesProstheses are replacement or enhancement body parts for people with disabilities.

Biomechanics is the study of the natural movements of the body.

Designers use knowledge of biomechanics to design prostheses that move like natural limbs.

Technology Interactions Chapter 18 Bioengineering Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-HillA Division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Myoelectric DevicesMyoelectric DevicesA myoelectric signal is an electrical pulse sent by the brain through the nerve endings to the muscles. This causes the muscles to flex.

Prosthetic devices have been designed that pick up myoelectric signals and use them to control a limb.

Technology Interactions Chapter 18 Bioengineering Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-HillA Division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Sensory SystemsSensory Systems

Temperature sensors placed in a prosthetic device respond to heat and cold.

The sensors signal a computer within the device, which then sends a signal through wires to the skin to relay the sensation of heat or cold.

Technology Interactions Chapter 18 Bioengineering Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-HillA Division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Prosthetic ImplantsProsthetic ImplantsProsthetic implants are placed inside the body.

Materials used for implants must be acceptable to the body’s immune system.

♦ Titanium, a strong, lightweight metal, is used for prosthetic hip and knee joints.

♦ Plastics such as woven acrylic are used to make flexible artificial veins.

Technology Interactions Chapter 18 Bioengineering Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-HillA Division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

DiagnosisDiagnosisDiagnosis is the process of examining a patient and studying symptoms to find out what illness or condition the patient has.

Bioengineers have designed medical equipment that can measure, monitor, and show images of the body’s natural functions as well as illnesses and diseases.

Technology Interactions Chapter 18 Bioengineering Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-HillA Division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Measuring Human Electrical Signals

Measuring Human Electrical Signals

An electroencephalograph (EEG) records the electrical activity of the brain.

An electrocardiograph (ECG or EKG) records the electrical currents of the heart.

Technology Interactions Chapter 18 Bioengineering Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-HillA Division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Imaging the Human BodyImaging the Human BodyMedical imaging is the process of taking pictures of the inside of the human body.

Various technologies are used.

♦ X rays

♦ Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

♦ Computerized tomography (CT)

♦ Ultrasound

Technology Interactions Chapter 18 Bioengineering Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-HillA Division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

X RaysX RaysX rays are a form of electromagnetic radiation.

X-ray machines send X rays through the body and onto film that is sensitive to X rays.

X rays can pierce deep into materials like bone, tissue, fat, and muscle.

Each material absorbs X rays differently and produces a different image on the film.

Technology Interactions Chapter 18 Bioengineering Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-HillA Division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) uses magnetic energy, radio waves, and computers.

MRI makes 3D images of areas as small as one millimeter.

Technology Interactions Chapter 18 Bioengineering Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-HillA Division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Computerized TomographyComputerized TomographyComputerized tomography (CT) uses a rotating X-ray machine, rather than magnetic fields, to create an image on the computer.

CT is also called computerized axial tomography, or CAT.

Technology Interactions Chapter 18 Bioengineering Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-HillA Division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

UltrasoundUltrasoundUltrasound imaging uses sound waves that create echoes when they bounce off body structures.

A computer interprets the echoes and generates an image.

Technology Interactions Chapter 18 Bioengineering Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-HillA Division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

TreatmentTreatmentMachines designed by bioengineers are used to monitor and record body functions and even help perform surgery.

For example, LASIK surgery corrects people’s vision by reshaping the cornea of the eye using a computer-controlled laser.

Technology Interactions Chapter 18 Bioengineering Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-HillA Division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

ErgonomicsErgonomicsErgonomics is the study and design of equipment and devices that fit the human body, its movement, and its thinking patterns.

Ergonomics is also called human factors engineering.

Human factors engineers design workstations and work environments that help people work more efficiently.

Technology Interactions Chapter 18 Bioengineering Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-HillA Division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

BioprocessingBioprocessingBioprocessing is bioengineering technology that uses living microorganisms or parts of organisms to change materials from one form to another.

Bioprocessing is used to help clean the environment with microorganisms, such as algae in ponds and acid-producing bacteria in sewage treatment.