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Medical Device Design

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Learn to design assistive, therapeutic, diagnostic or surgical medical devices with in-depth knowledge of the whole design process, from ideation to fabrication to (clinical) testing and verification.

What does it take to develop a better, more precise tool for minimally invasive cardiac surgery or a glucose monitor that can alert emergency personnel? Or what about building an ankle prosthetic device, or an artificial kidney? These types of devices may differ, but in many cases, you will follow the same design process. If you’re interested in deepening your insights into biomedical science while advancing your design skills, the specialisation in Medical Device Design is the right choice for you. From engineering devices for diagnostic, assistive, therapeutic to surgical purposes, you will improve the lives of patients by developing new technologies for (bio)medical applications.

This specialisation will put you at the forefront of R&D of medical devices, able to bring experts from various disciplines and backgrounds together in an overall design process.

Venkat Kalpathy Venkiteswaran, assistant professor in the department of Biomechanical Engineering

What is Medical Device Design?

The key within this specialisation is the word design. While other specialisations may focus on a specific area within the field of biomedical engineering, this specialisation will familiarise you with the whole design process of different types of medical devices, from implants and tools to medical robots. You will gain knowledge in product development, test methods, clinical research methods, design methodology, human factors, manufacturing methods, biomaterials, robotics and control, and mechatronics. From ideation to fabrication to (clinical) testing and verification; you will be able to design and develop a medical device, taking into account aspects such as functional and technical requirements, ethics, human factors, and clinical certification and approval.

Examples of courses you will follow during this specialisation:
  • The course Integrative Design of Biomedical Products will guide you through the conceptual design of a medical device, working in project groups to create an actual new product, from a heart simulator to an insulin pump.
  • The course Medical Certification and Human Factors teaches you about human factors and what regulations and values must be taken into account for products with human end-users.
  • In the course Technology for Health, you will learn to analyse a healthcare problem and evaluate the potential impact of healthcare technology, and propose technology research for developing new concepts towards new solutions, beyond the present state of the art, including a technology transfer plan.

Within this specialisation, you have the opportunity to collaborate closely with the professional field and work on case studies that stem directly from clinical practice. You might contribute to the development of magnetic capsules that can replace (uncomfortable) catheters in the detection of cancer within the large intestine, or design a prototype for a mini-hovercraft to transport injured athletes from the track or field, to name a few examples. Within UT's innovative TechMed Centre, you will be able to contribute to cutting-edge research and come up with solutions to many relevant and real-life medical challenges.

What will you learn?

As a graduate of this Master's and this specialisation, you have acquired specific, scientific knowledge, skills and values, which you can put to good use in your future job.

  • Knowledge

    After completing this Master’s specialisation, you:

    • have solid knowledge about devices that support or augment the human body for specific biomedical applications;
    • know the technical fundaments of medical device functions, such as manufacturing methods, biomaterials, robotics, control and mechatronics;
    • are familiar with regulations for device approval (e.g. in-vitro verification and clinically relevant in-vivo testing.
  • Skills

    After successfully finishing this Master’s specialisation, you:

    • can develop ideas for a new medical device through conceptual design and ideation;
    • are capable of working in multidisciplinary teams and can manage projects with different groups of engineers, clinicians and stakeholders;
    • can conduct research and read, analyse and write academic papers in this field, as well as present your results to peers and colleagues.
  • Values

    After completing this Master’s specialisation, you:

    • think about your work in a societal context, taking into account the needs of patients, clinicians and/or other end-users;
    • are aware of differences across multiple disciplines that intersect in this field;
    • can identify gaps in your knowledge, and you have a mindset to enhance and extend your knowledge through study.

Other master’s and specialisations

Is this specialisation not exactly what you’re looking for? Maybe one of the other specialisations suits you better. Or find out more about related Master’s:

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