Biomedical Engineering

• The programme offers a unique mix between engineering knowledge and medical applications, between research and design.
• The University of Groningen is the only university in the Netherlands where Biomedical Engineering is organized in cooperation with a University Medical Center. Several courses are given at the UMCG by medical experts.

In the first year you learn basic knowledge and skills in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics and Engineering Design. In the diagram above you see some courses you can expect.

In the second year you will be further trained as a Biomedical Engineer and will become acquainted with Imaging Techniques (MRI, CT), on Designing Medical Devices and on Biomaterials for Implants and Tissue Engineering. In the third year you start focusing on one of these three topics to gain more in-depth expertise; you will gain experience in research and in big data opportunities, and finally you will run a full project on your own.

Biomedical Engineering offers you the opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge about a broad range of topics offered by the University of Groningen. In addition, we offer you state-of-the-art medical facilities of the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), where several lectures and practicals are organized.

A Bachelor's degree programme consists of 180 ECTS in total. Credits per year: 60 ECTS; most courses are 5 ECTS.

Once you have completed the three-year Bachelor's programme and have your degree, you may continue with the Master's degree programme to study the Biomedical engineering field in greater depth. A Bachelor's degree in BME qualifies you for the Master's degree programme in Biomedical engineering at Groningen (or the equivalent at another Dutch university). After completion of the Master's degree in Biomedical Engineering, there are numerous employment possibilities.

The multidisciplinary nature of Biomedical Engineering adds significantly to employment possibilities in both research, design and management-oriented jobs. Biomedical engineers may contribute to research, or to the design of innovative products, to business, managerial, quality and regulatory aspects of biomedical engineering and to a safe introduction of technology and devices in hospitals. Biomedical Engineers are also experts who may advise on the development of long-term strategies and policies in the field of biomedical engineering:

* In the industry, a BME alumnus can become a member of the R&D-department, work on new product development or improve existing ones. In large companies biomedical engineers are educated to organize clinical trials in hospitals.

* In universities or research institutes a biomedical engineer can work as a PhD-student for 4 years on a scientific project, e.g. evaluation of new diagnostic imaging techniques or implant prototypes. Another possibility as PhD-student is to work on the application of new therapeutic techniques in oncology or design of new prostheses.

* In hospitals a biomedical engineer can work as a safety officer to increase patient safety by introducing training sessions for using new diagnostic tools or new artificial organs.

* Government organizations can hire BME alumni to work on certification of new medical devices, new Master’s programmes, or new legislation.

* When you follow the Diagnostic Imaging & Instrumentation track in the BME Master’s, you are eligible to start a post academic Dutch-taught training in Medical Physics. As a medical physicist you are a clinical specialist in health care with practical knowledge of physics and technology. You are responsible for the safe and responsible introduction of new and existing medical equipment and technology for optimization of diagnostic imaging and treatment.

* You can become an entrepreneur, start your own company to further develop the medical device that you designed during your Master’s project, patent it, write a business plan and finally bring it to the market

Within the Bachelor's and Master's programmes Biomedical Engineering you can conduct research within the following areas:

Medical Imaging

The Medical Imaging track concerns both Medical Imaging and Medical Instrumentation.

Medical Imaging focuses on the visualisation of structures and processes within the human body. It ranges from the visualisation of metabolic processes within a cell, up to the measurement of electrical activity in the cortex. Nowadays, a wide variety of imaging techniques is used, such as X-ray and CT, MRI, PET and ultrasound cameras for the medium and large scale (down to 1 mm). Different types of optical and electron microscopes cover the range toward micrometre or even nanometre scale. A further topic is radiation therapy.

Medical Instrumentation is concerned with non-imaging equipment and control systems. Examples include surgical technologies, anesthesia equipment, non-invasive diagnostic equipment using light, and instruments for the measurement of parameters of body functions, as used in an intensive care environment. Other important topics concern modelling of physiological processes and the physiology of bioelectrical phenomena at the cellular or organ level, such as in muscle tissue or the neural system.

Medical Device Design

To restore body functions, research and design is performed on implants, artificial organs and prostheses. For prevention of health decline, sensor systems can be designed to allow citizens to self-monitor their health condition (e.g. their stress and sleep condition); intervention systems can be designed to improve the condition of citizens (e.g. via a balance and muscle strength trainer). ICT plays an important role in gathering and processing sensor data and advising the best interventions for an individual using self-learning decision support systems.

For improved diagnostics, innovative diagnostic instruments can be designed that are smaller, faster, more accurate, or cheaper. New technologies can be selected that make entire new instrumentation possible.

Biomaterials Science and Engineering

All implants must be biocompatible, which means that they are accepted by the body and do not evoke a rejection reaction. Interactions between body cells and biomaterials therefore are an important field of study in the realisation of high quality implants. Biomaterials can also be biodegradable, which means that they are slowly broken down into harmless substances in the body. At present, new tissue engineering techniques for the restoration of tissue structures are being developed.