Paper Authors

Abstract

NOTE: The first page of text has been automatically extracted and included below in lieu of an abstract

Wireless Application in Biomedical Engineering and Technology Programs and its Impacts on Enrollment and Global Economy

Abstract

Wireless communications in e-healthcare is a new and promising area. Increasingly, the field of healthcare relies on computerized processes. Mechanical elements, sensors, actuators and electronics make medical devices work. More emphasis should be given to the wireless applications in the medical fields. This can be in terms of the instruments communicating with one another or the wireless networking of human-embedded sensor arrays. The goal is to develop more basic understanding of and more efficient methods for signal processing and communications in wireless biomedical sensor networks. This goal can be extended to build an in home elder healthcare system that monitors patients’ medication intake. In recent years, sensor and sensor networks have been adopted as a major research focus by federal funding agencies and the private sector. Also, the advances in medical imaging techniques such as MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) and PET (Positron Emission Tomography) can lead to the early diagnosis of many diseases and an increase in effectiveness of treatment and prevention.

Simultaneously, business and industry are increasingly seeking graduates with appropriate background and training in this emerging and lucrative field of biomedical engineering and technology. The United States Labor Department supports this area of concentration by forecasting a job growth of 31.4 percent through 2010, double the rate for all other jobs combined. The aging U. S. population as well as the increase demand for improved medical devices and systems, are contributing to this increase in demand. Women will be motivated so that the stagnant or even decreasing 20 percent level of enrollment in engineering and technology fields nationwide may be lifted by understanding that the careers in this area are exciting, rewarding, satisfying and accessible. In this time of economic globalization, wireless communication in healthcare can not be ignored. Academia is also feeling pressure to contribute its share. The author will present the biomedical engineering technology concentration in the Electronics Engineering Technology program in the department of Engineering Technology of the Northwestern State University, Natchitoches, Louisiana which is one of a few ABET accredited engineering technology programs with such concentration nationwide. The overall impact on global economy will also be presented. Knowledge of this crucial field will broaden the undergraduate experience of technology and enhance their employment opportunities very greatly.

Introduction

The application of wireless biological sensor networks (WBSN) for health monitoring, have drawn a lot of interest among academia and industry. The development of a cost effective flexible platform for multiple sensors will allow easy customization, energy efficient computation, communications and increased reuse1. According to a study the population of age 65 and older will grow from 10.6 million in 1975 to 18.2 million in

• Citation

• Format
  • APA
  • APA - LaTeX bibitem
  • MLA
  • MLA - LaTeX bibitem
  • Bibtex
  • EndNote - RIS

Islam, R. (2009, June), Wireless Applications In Biomedical Engineering And Technology Programs And Its Impact On Enrollment And Global Economy Paper presented at 2009 Annual Conference & Exposition, Austin, Texas. 10.18260/1-2--4529