Media Releases >
Media Releases Archive
> Student innovators to aid biomedical industry
Student innovators to aid biomedical industry
Document Tools
April 30, 2003
A new biomedical engineering program set to begin later this year at SFU will produce graduates whose innovations for designing medical equipment will enhance the changing needs of health care delivery.
The program is the first of its kind in Canada to be offered at the undergraduate level. It is expected to attract more female students to the school of engineering science and will provide a broad range of hands-on opportunities for students to develop their ideas, resulting in new and improved equipment for the biomedical industry.
SFU engineering science professor Andrew Rawicz says the program is the result of nearly a decade of work to develop a specialized option for engineering students looking to apply their talents in the field. "In the medical market, such devices are among the most challenging to design, and are subject to stringent testing and approval," says Rawicz, who has created and marketed several of his own medical devices through his company, Applied Medical Devices Inc. The veteran professor is known for constantly challenging his students to follow through on their ideas by developing and testing new products.
The multidisciplinary program is the result of efforts between the schools of engineering, kinesiology and the gerontology research centre. Rawicz says support from all sides has resulted in a wide range of course offerings and potential research directions. New focuses will include such areas as photonics and optical engineering.
Rawicz has already been flooded with inquiries from high school students and anticipates beginning the program with 30 undergraduate and 30 graduate students. Job prospects are high. Some 300 BC companies produce medical devices, and the number is growing.
Fourth-year engineering student Andrew Pruszynski is eyeing the graduate component. Pruszynski and his colleagues recently designed a wireless biological signal monitor. The device could eventually be used to enable those with health risks to be monitored from home, minimizing their need for hospitalization. Students are refining their work and, with enthusiastic prompting from Rawicz, hope to pursue their product's development. "With a growing aging population it's an emerging field with a lot of work to be done," says Pruszynski.
"Our students have a high social sensitivity," says Rawicz. "They also respond when intellectually challenged, and even though it can be risky in the business world, they are learning that there are big benefits to such perseverance, for society and for themselves."
—30—
Contact
Andrew Rawicz, 604.291.3819; rawicz@sfu.ca
The program is the first of its kind in Canada to be offered at the undergraduate level. It is expected to attract more female students to the school of engineering science and will provide a broad range of hands-on opportunities for students to develop their ideas, resulting in new and improved equipment for the biomedical industry.
SFU engineering science professor Andrew Rawicz says the program is the result of nearly a decade of work to develop a specialized option for engineering students looking to apply their talents in the field. "In the medical market, such devices are among the most challenging to design, and are subject to stringent testing and approval," says Rawicz, who has created and marketed several of his own medical devices through his company, Applied Medical Devices Inc. The veteran professor is known for constantly challenging his students to follow through on their ideas by developing and testing new products.
The multidisciplinary program is the result of efforts between the schools of engineering, kinesiology and the gerontology research centre. Rawicz says support from all sides has resulted in a wide range of course offerings and potential research directions. New focuses will include such areas as photonics and optical engineering.
Rawicz has already been flooded with inquiries from high school students and anticipates beginning the program with 30 undergraduate and 30 graduate students. Job prospects are high. Some 300 BC companies produce medical devices, and the number is growing.
Fourth-year engineering student Andrew Pruszynski is eyeing the graduate component. Pruszynski and his colleagues recently designed a wireless biological signal monitor. The device could eventually be used to enable those with health risks to be monitored from home, minimizing their need for hospitalization. Students are refining their work and, with enthusiastic prompting from Rawicz, hope to pursue their product's development. "With a growing aging population it's an emerging field with a lot of work to be done," says Pruszynski.
"Our students have a high social sensitivity," says Rawicz. "They also respond when intellectually challenged, and even though it can be risky in the business world, they are learning that there are big benefits to such perseverance, for society and for themselves."
—30—
Contact
Andrew Rawicz, 604.291.3819; rawicz@sfu.ca