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Session 1526

An Interdisciplinary Combined Research-Curriculum in Biomedical Optics Sohi Rastegar, Gerard L. Coté Texas A&M University

ABSTRACT

The objective of this project sponsored by the NSF Combined Research-Curriculum Development program is to develop, implement, and evaluate an interdisciplinary curriculum in Biomedical Optics. The thrust of the new curriculum includes the development of four new courses based on research advances made within the Biomedical Engineering Program at Texas A&M University in collaboration with internal and external medical centers. The four Senior/First-year-Graduate level courses are broken down into two principles courses, a hands-on laboratory course, and a design course. One principles course is on therapeutic applications of lasers and the other on optical monitoring and biosensing applications. They both include outside lectures from faculty within other Engineering disciplines and from the Medical collaborators. In addition, the lectures are supplemented with critical reviews of the literature and group discussions. With this pedagogy in the classroom courses, the laboratory course, and in particular, the design course, the emphasis will be placed on real world problem solving. The curriculum is being developed with input from an industrial and faculty advisory board containing technical and medical experts, specialists from both small and large Biomedical Optics companies, and individuals experienced in curriculum development. Upon completion of this curriculum development, a broader impact on engineering fields other than Biomedical Engineering is anticipated due to the modular nature of the proposed course offerings. While the curriculum as a whole gives the student a premier background in Biomedical Optics, the individual courses offer many unique applications and fundamental principles of lasers and optics beneficial to other engineering disciplines.

INTRODUCTION

The introduction of photonic technology into medicine over the last decade has revolutionized many procedures, and because of low cost relative to many other technologies it has the potential to greatly impact health care in the nation and throughout the world. For example, coherent fiber optic bundles have been applied in laproscopy cholycystectomy to transform a once painful and expensive surgery into virtually an outpatient procedure. Our team of collaborators has been active in defining and demonstrating the engineering fundamentals of the interaction of light and heat with biological media with interest in several important clinical applications in dermatology, ophthalmology, cardiology, urology, and oncology. We perceive there to be an excellent match between a major need of society, from health care and from industrial perspectives,

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Rastegar, S., & Coté, G. L. (1997, June), An Interdisciplinary Combined Research Curriculum In Biomedical Optics Paper presented at 1997 Annual Conference, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 10.18260/1-2--6641