EGH438 Biomaterials
To view more information for this unit, select Unit Outline from the list below. Please note the teaching period for which the Unit Outline is relevant.
| Unit code: | EGH438 |
|---|---|
| Prerequisite(s): | EGB314 |
| Equivalent(s): | ENB338 |
| Assumed Knowledge: | LSB131, LSB231 and EGB214 are assumed knowledge |
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Timetable | Details in HiQ, if available |
| Availabilities |
|
| CSP student contribution | $1,118 |
| Domestic tuition unit fee | $4,680 |
| International unit fee | $5,784 |
Unit Outline: Semester 1 2024, Gardens Point, Internal
| Unit code: | EGH438 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Pre-requisite: | EGB314 |
| Equivalent: | ENB338 |
| Coordinator: | Travis Klein | t2.klein@qut.edu.au |
Overview
Biomaterials are widely used to create medical implants and devices. Thus, it is important for biomedical engineers to understand the fundamental properties of biomaterials and their interactions with biological systems. After taking this unit, you should be able to select suitable biomaterials for specific medical implants, devices and tissue engineering applications based on key features including biocompatibility, manufacturability, and sustainability. You will also have the essential knowledge to communicate with other professionals in the biomedical space including materials engineers, cell biologists, surgeons, and medical device regulators.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Apply biophysical theories in materials and manufacturing to analyse biomaterials at a mastered level.
- Defend design decisions in materials and manufacturing related to medical devices and tissue engineering at a mastered level.
- Evaluate impacts of ethics and regulation in materials and manufacturing of medical devices at a mastered level.
- Prepare and present reports on biocompatibility and device designs in materials and manufacturing of medical devices at a mastered level.
Content
Topics covered in this unit include:
- biomaterial properties and fabrication methods
- use of materials in a medical environment;
- biophysics;
- relationships between the properties, failure mechanisms, processing and microstructures of various materials used for medical applications and their interaction with human tissues;
- metallic, ceramic, and polymeric implant materials;
- composite biomaterials;
- sustainability, ethical considerations; and regulatory aspects of biomaterials;
- tissue response to implants;
- tissue engineering
Learning Approaches
In this unit you can expect to experience the following timetabled activities:
- Lectures from experienced engineers and scientists that will activate your understanding of theories and principles, and model approaches to solving problems.
- Tutorial classes that will give you the opportunity to work collaboratively with your peers to solve problems. These will be facilitated by tutors and will provide an opportunity to test your understanding and gain feedback on your work.
- Practical classes, in which you will collaboratively plan for and conduct experiments to give you hands on experience with the physical phenomena that you are learning about.
- To complement timetabled activities, you can expect to be provided with learning resources including videos and readings on a unit Canvas site that you can access flexibly to complete your learning in this unit. Success in this unit will require you to manage your time to ensure you have focused time each week (beyond timetabled activities).
At the beginning of the unit, you will be made aware of the ways in which you can ask questions or seek clarification from the Unit Coordinator, Lecturers and Tutors.
You are expected to:
- Engage with timetabled activities on campus and ask questions.
- Manage your time to engage with online resources outside of timetabled activities. These will be available on the unit Canvas site. You will receive regular email announcements regarding release of these resources.
- Engage with your peers in a learning community to practise problem solving and then work independently to complete your assessment tasks.
- Prepare for timetabled classes and activities and follow up on any work not completed.
- Complete assessment tasks by working consistently across the semester and meeting the due dates that are published via the unit Canvas site.
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
You will receive written feedback on your reports and oral and written feedback on your presentations.
Assessment
Overview
As you progress through this unit you will move between learning underpinning scientific theory and concepts and using that theory in practical applications. You will be developing your capability to solve problems by looking at physical systems and diagnosing the appropriate theory and methods to predict behaviour of those systems, which is a key capability for professional engineering practice. The assessment for the unit is designed to assess your learning against the unit learning outcomes and includes problem solving tasks, reporting on experimental and group project work, and a final exam, which will test your capability to diagnose and solve problems in biomedical engineering.
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Examination (written)
You are required to analyse & solve problems related to engineering applications in a final examination. This will encompass all aspects of the unit to assess your understanding of biophysical theories, material and manufacturing decisions in design, and ethics and regulation of biomaterials.
“If campus access is restricted at the time of the central examination period/due date, an alternative, which may be a timed online assessment, will be offered. Individual students whose circumstances prevent their attendance on campus will be provided with an alternative assessment approach.”
Assessment: Portfolio
You are required to submit practical reports including discussion of your work with references to research articles. This will assess your understanding of practical content, as well as understanding of literature beyond the lectures, tutorials, and textbook (30%).
This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.
Assessment: Group Project
You will work in a group on a biomaterials-related project working to solve a clinically relevant problem. You will present your work to a panel of experts, and submit a report detailing your findings from your design, prototyping, experiments and analysis of the literature, along with a biocompatibility assessment that would be suitable for regulatory submission.
This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.
Academic Integrity
Students are expected to engage in learning and assessment at QUT with honesty, transparency and fairness. Maintaining academic integrity means upholding these principles and demonstrating valuable professional capabilities based on ethical foundations.
Failure to maintain academic integrity can take many forms. It includes cheating in examinations, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, and submitting an assessment item completed by another person (e.g. contract cheating). It can also include providing your assessment to another entity, such as to a person or website.
You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.
Further details of QUT’s approach to academic integrity are outlined in the Academic integrity policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Breaching QUT’s Academic integrity policy is regarded as student misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.
Resources
You are required to use the following:
- The unit website on QUT's Canvas (learning materials that support timetabled activities and assessment tasks)
- QUT Library Databases
- QUT Cite| Write: You can access QUT cite/write online (Free download from QUT library)
Resource Materials
Recommended text(s)
Title: Essential biomaterials science
Author: Williams, D. F. (David Franklyn)
Publication date: 2014
Publisher: Cambridge, United Kingdom ; New York : Cambridge University Press
Risk Assessment Statement
You will be informed of any requirements pertaining to a safe workplace. In lectures, tutorials and such, the information will include location of fire exits and meeting points in case of fire. If you do not follow legitimate instructions or endanger the safety of others or do not act in accordance with the requirements of the Workplace Health and Safety Act, you will be required to leave the session.
You will be required to undertake practical sessions in the laboratory under the supervision of members in the teaching team and technical staff. Prior to entry to a laboratory space you must complete the Undergraduate Health, Safety and Environment Induction (annual completion requirement). You will be advised of requirements of safe and responsible behaviour and will be required to wear appropriate protective items (e.g. closed shoes or steel capped shoes, lab coat, and safety glasses). The unit’s Canvas site will provide you with a copy of the risk assessment and will provide you with details on how to perform the laboratory tasks safely.
Standards/Competencies
This unit is designed to support your development of the following standards\competencies.
Engineers Australia Stage 1 Competency Standard for Professional Engineer
1: Knowledge and Skill Base
Relates to: Examination (written), Portfolio
Relates to: Examination (written), Portfolio
Relates to: Portfolio
Relates to: Portfolio
Relates to: Group Project
Relates to: Group Project
2: Engineering Application Ability
Relates to: Portfolio, Group Project
Relates to: Group Project
Relates to: Group Project
3: Professional and Personal Attributes
Relates to: Group Project
Course Learning Outcomes
This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.EN01 Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)
- Make decisions ethically within the social, cultural, and organisational contexts of professional engineering practice.
Relates to: Group Project - Engage stakeholders professionally and communicate the outcomes of your work effectively to expert and non-expert audiences using appropriate modes.
Relates to: Group Project - Engage with and apply regulatory requirements relating to safety, risk management, and sustainability in professional engineering practice.
Relates to: Group Project - Demonstrate coherent knowledge and skills of physical, mathematical, statistical, computer, and information sciences that are fundamental to professional engineering practice.
Relates to: Examination (written), Portfolio - Demonstrate a thorough understanding of one engineering discipline, its research directions, and its application in contemporary professional engineering practice.
Relates to: Portfolio