Programme Content
Fundamentals of Electronics, Electronics components and their principle of operation with respect to medical equipment. Operational Amplifiers and their use in biomedical instrumentation. Electronic interfacing of analogue circuits with computer. LabVIEW-based virtual instrumentation. Electronic signal conditioning.
2. Basic Biology & Physiology.Basics of biology: Biomacromolecules, cells, biological membranes, enzymes and enzyme catalysis, cellular metabolic pathways, cell cycle, cell division, molecular biology of cell, gene expression, DNA and its role in hereditary, cell signalling, and communication. Microbiology- bacteria, fungi and prokaryotes, their cytological features, and genetics. Human anatomy, organs and systems, hormones, nervous and sensory systems, nutrition, innate, and adaptive immunity.
3. Mechanics of Biomaterials.Forces and moments. Free body diagrams. Elastic, plastic, visco-elastic, and visco-plastic. Bending, torsional, and shear strength. Stress-strain relationships of linear and non-linear solids. Fatigue loading with and without corrosion. Fluid mechanics – shear thinning and shear thickening fluids.
4. Biofabrication.Introduction: bioprinting tissues, bones and cartilages; self-assembly, directed assembly, enzymatic assembly; laser-assisted bio-printing; fabrication of scaffolds (hydrogel method and fibre-based); artificial bacteria (active/passive drug delivery, microswimmer); component fabrication (stereolithography, laser machining, etc.); mass production (stamping, micro injection molding, etc.). Experiments: CAD (solidworks) and data import (from MRI/CT) - hands-on; Fused deposition molding (3D printing) - hands on; Tissue and organ printing (3D organ printer) - demonstration only; Scaffold generation - Hydrogel (wet chemistry) and Fibres (electrospinning) - hands on; Laser machining hands on; Mask generation (e-beam lithography and focussed ion beam) -demonstration only; Characterisation (imaging, profilometry, optical scanner) - hands on; Stamping - hands on.
5. Research Techniques in Biomedical Engineering.Simulation and analysis of physiological systems by up-to-date computer techniques and development of physical models; Biomechanical analysis and network representation; State-of-the-art bioinstrumentation techniques; monitoring physiological parameters electrical, mechanical, and chemical parameters of human body, microminiaturisation of electronics including MEMS; BIMEMS technology; Biomedical signal processing and imaging modalities; Research planning and interpretation of biomedical data; Telemedicine; Robotics in Medicine.
6. Soft Tissue Characterisation and Applications.Introduction to soft tissues. Review of major tissues and properties (skin, muscles, and connective tissues). Study of anatomy and biomechanical properties of tissues in all functional organs (e.g., brain, lungs, heart). Blood vessels and extremities. Biochemical testing methods: In vivo and in vitro. Test protocol for soft tissue testing. Linear and non-linear mechanical properties. Effect of specimen size, varying strain rates, and loading orientation. Mechanical testing with cadaveric tissues and soft tissue simulants. Finite element modelling of soft tissues. Study of Digital Image Correlation (DIC). Hyper elastic constitutive materials models (e.g., Mooney-Rivlin, gden). Soft tissue degradation modes. Characterising tissue weakening (age) and injury. Effect of impact loads. Soft tissue failure criteria, and fracture modes. Effect of wounds on soft tissues properties. Soft tissue biomechanics due to wound healing. Interaction of Soft tissues with interventions and medical devices. Effect of suturing, implantation, penetration, and frictional interactions on soft tissues properties. Project work: Comparison of biomechanics properties of soft tissue samples through experiments, material characterisation, DIC, and finite element simulations.
7. Healthcare Wearables: Design and Applications.History and evolution of wearable devices, social aspects of wearability, biochemical sensors, optical and acoustic sensors, smart materials for sensor and actuator design, bioelectronics for wearable applications – flexible circuit design, power considerations, energy storage methods, energy harvesting, biodesign of wearable technology measurement, mechanical design and prototyping, design for usability, and ergonomics. Target customer discovery, surveys, market competition, and statistic. Emerging applications in rehabilitation – soft-robotic devices and assistive devices. Neuromodulation and neural recording applications, wearable haptics and biofeedback systems. Signal processing techniques and machine learning methods in wearable devices.
8. Selected Topics in Biomedical Engineering: Healthcare Entrepreneurship and Management.Introduction to major healthcare problems and challenges in India, healthcare start-up ecosystem in India, academia vs industry, customer requirements and psychology, healthcare product idea and implementation strategy, Team building, business model development, bootstrapping startup (i.e., how to minimise cost and resources). Critical review of healthcare products and business ideas presented by students, and team building. Effective customer survey, market competition (analysis of novelty, need, barrier to entry, cost, and resources), product features. Low-cost product development and short-term funding avenues, grant writing. Product beta testing (Identification and use of in-house facilities and outsourcing) and clinical testing. Regulatory approvals, quality standards, and intellectual property. Short-term pilot study to understand customer acceptance. Product launching avenues (online/distributor/crowdfunding). Customer engagement (social media, word-of-mouth, partners). Pass/fail project review. Startup company formation steps. Biomedical startup scalability and sustainability. Group project: Healthcare product development and deployment (online/distributor/crowdfunding): Hands on.
9. Projects, Assignments, and Case Studies.Review Report/Paper on Literature for Artificial Tissue Development
Robotic Design and Implementation with Arduino
MVP and Business Model Development for One Healthcare Product Per Team/Individual
Online PG Diplomas are the academic programme of IIT Delhi, and there is no campus placement or assistance provided from IIT Delhi in these programmes. The evaluation of minor projects is subject to the faculty's discretion, based on academic guidelines and instructional objectives. Assessment criteria may vary depending on the nature of the project and its alignment with the course framework.
