An intensive design program for BME students
The Biomedical Engineering Fellows is an intensive design program for BME students interested in pursuing careers in medical technology that will provide them with practical design experience.
Academics
The courses in this program will allow students to become comfortable with performing electronic and mchanical computer aided design (CAD), printed circuit board (PCB) layout and fabrication, and electronic signal processing in hardware and with microcontrollers. Each student will design, construct and demonstrate a functional medical instrument based on a clinical need identified by a Duke University Medical Center clinician, and their device will be tested and iterated on through low-medium-high fidelity prototyping. Students will also be exposed to the FDA medical device clearance process.
The program involves the following courses:
- Freshman Design (EGR101) [required for all Pratt students]
- Medtech Device Prototyping Skills (BME290L/254L) [recommended sophomore or junior year, counts as general BME elective]
- CAD
- 3D printing
- ECAD (schematic capture, PCB layout & fabrication)
- Analog & digital circuit design; microcontrollers
- Electronics specification testing
- Agile Project Management / Kanban Boards
- A MedTech-focused senior capstone design course, choosing from:
- Medical Device Design I &II (BME 473L/474L) [473L can count as a BME general elevtice or IM advanced elective, and 474L counts as the design requirement]
- One-semester capstone design:
- Biophotonic Instrumentation (BME463L)
- Design for People with Disabilities (BME460L)
- Design for the Developing World (BME462L)
- Medical Instrument Design (BME464L)
- Advanced Design /MedTech Elective
- Medical Software Design (BME547, can count as BME general elective or IM advanced elective)
- Embedded Medical Devices (BME590L/BME554L)
- Quality Systems for BME (BME590)
- Advanced Design & Manufacturing (BME590)
- Medical Product Reimbursement (BME590)
- Business Fundamentals of MedTech (BME590)
- Design Project Independent Study (requires pre-approval by Dr. Palmeri)
- Design Health (any semester)
One advanced design / MedTech elective is required if you take BME473L/474L, otherwise two advanced electives are required if you choose to take a 1-semester capstone design course.
Faculty Advisors
Industry and Medical Center Opportunities
Students who participate in this program frequently engage in summer internships with biomedical engineering companies, both inside and outside Research Triangle Part (RTP), including:
- Blur
- Garmin
- Stryker
- InnAVasc (now Gore)
- Edwards Lifesciences
- MicroElastic Ultrasound
- Zimmer Biomet
- Pilleve
- LivaNova
- Boundless Science
Students have had opportunities to design medical devices in various departments within Duke University Hospital, including:
- Duke University School of Nursing
- Duke Surgery
- Duke Gastroenterology
- Duke Urology
- Duke Neurology
- Duke Pediatrics
How to Apply
Click here to apply for the Design Fellows program (applications open in September 2024 and close by end of October 2024).
Stay Connected
See a highlighted project on an mHealth Tympanometer that BME Design Fellows have worked on to help screen children for hearing loss in low-resource areas.