COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course is intended to be for senior level and first-year graduate
students who have an interest in biomaterials. This course will deal with the properties of
currently used materials in tissue replacement including metallic, ceramic, and polymeric materials.
Implant applications and design considerations for these materials as well as the problems associated
with long term survival will be described so that the mechanical, chemical and physiological
interactions between body environment and biomaterial can be better understood.
BME 344: Biological Performance of Materials
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Problems associated with selection and function of biomedical materials.
Performance of biomaterials related to surface interaction with surrounding
body tissue and fluids. Topics include the surface characterization,
physical chemistry of surfaces, solid-liquid interface, protein adsorption,
foreign body response, in-vitro and in-vivo testing of biomaterials, and
applications where either material-tissue or material-solution interfaces
dominate performance. Lectures will be supplemented by laboratory exercises
using model biomaterials.
BME 395: Special Topics-Polymeric Biomaterials
COURSE DESCRIPTION: The objective of this course is to provide biomedical engineering students
with an in-depth description of the synthesis, properties, and biomedical
applications of polymers. Topics include: free-radical, condensation,
ring-opening, and ionic polymerization; polymer molecular weight and
methods of determination; structure-property relationships of polymers;
uses of polymers in medicine and dentistry; in-situ free radical
polymerizations; polymeric surface treatments of materials; use of polymers
in drug delivery; polymeric hydrogels, degradable polymers; polymeric
materials for gene therapy and tissue engineering; biopolymers. Key
advances from the recent literature will be reviewed to supplement specific
lecture topics. The final exam will be to formulate a research proposal on
a current topic of macromolecular biomaterials research.
BME 495: Nanomaterials in Medicine
COURSE DESCRIPTION: A revolution in medicine has begun, which is being made
possible by advances in nanoscience and nanotechnology. New nanoparticle based
diagnostic and therapeutic strategies are beginning to become widely available,
and it is anticipated that the pace of research and development will lead to rapid
adoption of these technologies for the clinic. This course will cover the design,
synthesis, properties, and biological performance of nanoparticle based diagnostic
and therapeutic devices. There will be an emphasis on the research literature,
including landmark papers and emerging topics. Clinical applications where nanoparticles
are likely to have an impact will be discussed, including:
Synthesis and properties of inorganic and organic nanoparticles
Surface modification of nanoparticles
Nanopatterned/nanotextured surfaces
Targeting of nanoparticles to tissues, cells and sub-cellular compartments
