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BME 380: Medical Devices, Disease & Global Health

Prerequisites

None, but junior or senior standing and BME 309 preferred

Description

An examination of the intersection of technology and the delivery of health care in resource-poor environments, especially in Africa.

Who Takes It?

Mostly Juniors and Seniors. Graduate students welcome. Sophomores may enroll but are encouraged to consult with an instructor before doing so.

What It’s About

Engineering and the application of technologies are important in delivery of health care. This is true in the developing world as well as in the developed world, however health care technologies often fail to work as intended when solutions from wealthy countries are used in poor countries. Differences in burden of disease, infrastructure, economic and social structures are examined in the context of developing practical ways to improve health in specific parts of the developing world. Students work with the instructor to develop ideas a term paper examining a particular intervention. The global burden of disease.

Mini-Syllabus

Approaches to global health technology
Maternal and perinatal health
Diagnostics
Photonics and sensors
Lower respiratory infections
Tuberculosis
Asthma and COPD
Malaria
Non-communicable disease and Trauma

Textbook

No textbook. Students will be assigned multiple primary sources of information and review articles to develop a comprehensive background in the both technology and the use environment.