The faculty of Biomedical Engineering Technion – Israel Institute of ...

The faculty of Biomedical Engineering
Technion – Israel Institute of Technology
Biomedical Engineering program
modeled as a classical engineering program
Prof. Dan Adam, Dean

Short history of the faculty of Biomedical Engineering at the Technion:
� Established as an interdisciplinary program in 1962
� Became a Department of Biomedical Engineering in 1992
� Allowed to establish an Undergraduate Program 1999
� The first class graduated in 2003 (24 students)
� Became a Faculty of Biomedical Engineering in 2004
� Currently 45-55 students are admitted per year

B.Sc. In Biomedical Engineering
Our philosophy
• Educate a high quality engineer, with a vast theoretical
background
• Provide an extensive background of Medical Sciences courses
from the first year
• In addition to analysis courses – provide design courses
• Laboratory courses, year-long Projects and a Clinical Project
allow student to learn how theory is translated into practice
• 4–year program (= 240 ECTS*)
ECTS* - European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System
http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/programmes/socrates/ects_en.html

The first two years include (mandatory courses )
Extended courses in Basic Sciences
(Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Computers);
Life Sciences
(Anatomy, Biochemistry, Cell Biology and Physiology);
Basic Engineering
(Mechanics, Electronics, Biomaterials and Transport Phenomena).
The last two years include
10 - 14 elective courses;
2 Biomedical Engineering laboratory courses;
2 design courses;
2 project courses (design) in cooperation with the Biomedical
industry.

B.Sc. In Biomedical Engineering
Major tracks of elective courses:
(a) Imaging and Medical Equipment
(system engineering and control, non-invasive techniques, principles of imaging, signal
processing and processing of medical images).
(b) Movement, Rehabilitation Eng., Artificial Organs & Implants
(research of walking and movement, mechanics of sports, equipment for orthopedic/neurological
rehabilitation and aids for the handicapped, surgical implants, bioengineering of cells, tissues
and of tissue substitutes, artificial organs).
(c) Biomaterial, Biotechnology and Tissue Engineering
(biochemical engineering, molecular engineering, biosensors, artificial metabolic organs,
controlled drug release biological substitutes).

Challenges of BME Professional Education
Mega-trends: Demographic changes
� Strong population growth until 2050,
especially in Africa and Asia (UN):
�2006: 6.5 billion people
�2025: 7.9 billion people
�2050: 9.3 billion people
�Africa: 0.9 billion � 1.9 billion
�Asia: 3.9 billion � 5.2 billion
�Europe: 0.63 billion � 0.65 billion
� Aging population
�2050: More people aged 60 years and
over than under 14 years
�China 2050: 7.5% > 80 (today 0,9%)

Number of Life Science Companies
620 companies
50-60 new each year
1st company - 1901
* Incomplete data
Source: ILSI Database
הקוסעת תויורשפא
Medical Devices
–
םידומיל תינכות
Patents per Million Capita
Total number of patents per capita = 1st place
Absolute number of patents = 7th place
Annual growth rate of 20% = 3rd place (after Taiwan and UK)
Life Science Sectors

M.Sc. and Ph.D. In Biomedical Engineering
Research Activities
1. Medical imaging and signal processing*
2. Tissue engineering /Tissue Regeneration & Biomaterials
3. Biomechanics and Rehabilitation Engineering*
4. Neural interfaces Engineering
5. Biomedical Optics
* including modeling and integrative systems (Cardiovascular, locomotion)
Graduate students:
46 towards a M.Sc. Degree, 35 – towards M.E.
29towards a Ph.D. degree
Total =110 (with thesis = 75)

Faculty
Professors
Prof. Adam Dan
Prof. Beyar Rafael *
Prof. Bruckstein Alfred *
Prof. Durban David *
Prof. Marmur Abraham *
Prof. Meller Amit
Prof. Mizrahi Joseph
Prof. Prat Hillel *
Associate Professors
Prof. Azhari Haim
Prof. Gur Moshe
Prof. Kimmel Eitan
Prof. Landesberg Amir
Prof. Levenberg Shulamit
Prof. Seliktar Dror
Prof. Shoham Shy
Senior Lecturers
Dr. Sznitman Josue
Dr. Weihs Daphne
Dr. Yelin Dvir
Adjunct Lecturers
Dr. Almagor Meir
Associate Professor. Azhari Roza
Dr. Benhaim Hanoch
Dr. Friedman Zvi
Dr. Jehuda-Cohen Tamar
Dr. Levy Mark M.
Dr. Levy Carmit
Dr. Lichtenstein Oscar
Dr. Schneiderman Rosa
Mr. Smolinsky-Gilad Zvika
Dr. Vilensky Alex
Professor Emeritus
Prof. Dinnar Uri
Prof. Gath Isak
Prof. Lanir Yoram
Prof. Lotan Noah
Prof. Maroudas Alice

Engineering Interfaces with
Neuronal Populations
Dr. Shy Shoham
Traditional approaches to neural engineering are severely limited by
the biological compatibility, stability and invasiveness of electrodes.
These limitations effect many medical and neuroscientific applications.
Our approach relies on the design of massively parallel optical
interfaces for non-contact stimulation or recording of populations of
neurons.

• We use viruses to express
ChannelRhodopsin2, a lightactivated
ion channel in rat
retinal ganglion cells.
• In outer-retina blindness these
neurons are healthy but don’t
receive any input.
• An optical “bypass” system will
translate the visual world into
artificial activation patterns that
will be projected directly onto
the retina.
Artificial optical stimulation
of the retina
Dr. Shy Shoham

� Miniature Endoscopy
� Imaging of Blood cells in-vivo
Biomedical Optics - Dvir Yelin
� Imaging of acoustic vibrations in the central ear
� Cancer therapy using femtosecond laser pulses
Nano-ablation
Local therapy using nano-particles
Optics
yelin@bm.technion.ac.il
• Microscopy
• Endoscopy
• Contrast for
microscopy
• Minimally invasive
diagnosis and
therapy
• Miniature
endoscopy
Nano-technology
Biomedicine

Prof. Amit Meller - Nano-Biotechnology
• Employing nanopore force spectroscopy to study RNA
unfolding and re-folding kinetics
• Development of novel optical methods for single molecule
detection in biomedical applications

Prof. Amit Meller - Nano-Biotechnology

Dr. Josue Sznitman - Nano-Biotechnology
QUANTITAIVE PHENOTYPING
OF MODEL ORGANISM
MOTILITY

Dr. Josue Sznitman - Nano-Biotechnology
TRANSPORT PHENOMENA OF
INHALED NANOPARTICLES

Bio-rheology lab - Dr. Daphne Weihs
15 μm
Nano-particles
dispersed in a cell or
within liposomes, as a
function of cell type
Correlation between structure and mechanics to viability
and function of cells
• Characterization of the mechanical changes in a breast
cancer cell in response to chemotherapeutic and
physical treatments
• Controlled introduction of particles into living cells for
use as mechanical markers and carriers
• Laser manipulation of particles for application of forces
in cells and measurement of mechanical properties
• Forces that cells apply to their substrate
10 μm
Particle introduction as a function of its surface chemistry,
size, and the cell type

Cancer cells
Low-intensity electric field kills cancer cells
Fibroblasts
Healthy fibroblasts are not morphologically
affected, particles within them move more
Motion of particles in a gel indicates
strength of attachment of cells to
their substrate
Mechanical response and affect on the
viability of breast cancer cells treated with
low-intensity electrical currents, separately
and in a model micro-environment
Survivability of cancer cells is increased
when in their natural environment
Bio-rheology lab - Dr. Daphne Weihs

GELRIN – An Engineered Biological Matrix for Cartilage Repair
Lateral Medial
Cartilage Defect Model
Gelrin Implant
After Gel Injection - Lateral
Complete Cartilage Repair
Dr. Dror Seliktar
In Situ Gelation
UV Light Polymerization
Collaboration with Regentis Biomaterials Ltd., and Israeli start-up company

Injectable Biomaterials for Cardiac Regeneration
Dr. Dror Seliktar
Day 2 Day 4 Day 6
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
ROI mean amplitude [micron]
20
15
10
5
0
0 1 2 3 4 5
time [sec]

Laser Engraving of Nerve Guidance Channels into Hydrogels
5 mm
Dr. Dror Seliktar

Tissue Engineering with Stem Cells
Embryonic
Stem Cells
+
Biodegradable
Polymer Scaffold
Dr. Shulamit Levenberg
In Vivo Implantation
To repair or replace
damaged tissues.

Basic Science Amir Landesberg
Cross-bridge (XB) dynamics
Calcium kinetics
Mechano-electrical feedback
Muscle energetics
Cardiac contractility
Clinical Applications
& Medical devices
Physiological Cardiac Assist Device
Cardiac Resynchronization
Cardiac contractility
Non-Excitatory Stimulation
Adaptive pacing
Pneumedicare – Safe ventilation

A device for Continuous monitoring of adequate
lung ventilation
Amir Landesberg
Bench to bedside
First in Men

Tracking [ particles: cells
soften Aunder
ultrasound
]
Ultrasound induced facilitated
angiogenesis, growth and sprouting
[A]
Flk1
Y (nm)
Eitan Kimmel - Cell and tissue modulation using ultrasound
Bubble dynamics, cavitation effects
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
control
Ultrasound
control
0
0 20 40 60 80
X (nm)
Dimensionless Radius
[B
]
[C
]
1.2
0.8
0.4
0.0
0.4
0.8
1.2
t=4.583
4.593
4.598
4.603
4.609
Alterations in
tissues - jets
Sample
Does acoustic radiation force
intensify at a boundary such
as the blood vessel wall?

Anatomy and Physiology:
CT
© JA Kennedy
Prof. Haim Azhari
PET/CT
PET

Standard PET/CT fused
Prof. Haim Azhari
Standard PET HCT PET
Brain
© JA Kennedy
HCT PET/CT fused

Biomechanics
Prof. Joseph Mizrahi

Human Biomechanics
Prof. Joseph Mizrahi

Shock Loads in Walking
Prof. Joseph Mizrahi

Functional MRI
Prof. Moshe Gur
•Imaging of active regions
•Detection of objects

Prof. Moshe Gur

Real-time Monitoring of RF Ablation by Ultrasound
Data acquisition
(ultrasound RF data and images)
In-Vitro experiments – correlation to coagulated area (and temperature changes)
Dan Adam
Data processing stages
Frequency shifts (of peaks in the spectrum) displaying changes in tissue properties that correlate with
temperature elevations
Tissue mimicking phantom experiments – correlation to temperature changes

Functional imaging of the heart–
using ultrasound
High-resolution Strain Imaging – the most sensitive tool for assessing
cardiac function
Dan Adam
STI Method

Efficient pacing of the myocardium using external
High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) / Dan Adam
� Cardiac arrest is one of the leading causes of death in the western world.
� 20% to 40% result from a systolic cardiac arrest (no electrical activity, no contractions of the myocardium).
Methods
The ultrasonic wave is composed of two stages:
(1) negative pressure wave – for generating microbubbles
(2) positive pressure wave – for generating mechanical pressure
In-vivo Experiments and Results
The experiments are performed in a water tank. The board with the
rat is inserted into the tank. The imaging probe is used for finding the
location of the rat's heart and to coordinate its location with the focal
point of the HIFU transducer.
The ultrasonic sonication starts only when the R wave is detected.
Imaging
probe
HIFU
transducer
Measurements of ECG
and blood pressure
signals.
Additional blood
pressure wave
PVC
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
-0.2
3
2
1
0
-1
-2
The combination of the waves
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3
x 10 -5
-3
[sec]
Blood Pressure
ECG
Trigger
-0.4
1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500
msec

USA Occupations with the fastest growth - 2008-2018
Occupations
Percent
change
Number of new
jobs
(thousands)
Wages (May
2008
median)
Education/training
category
1 Biomedical engineers 72 11.6 $ 77,400 Bachelor's degree
2
Network systems and data communications
analysts
53 155.8 71,100 Bachelor's degree
3 Home health aides 50 460.9 20,460
4 Personal and home care aides 46 375.8 19,180
Short-term on-the-job
training
Short-term on-the-job
training
5 Financial examiners 41 11.1 70,930 Bachelor's degree
6 Medical scientists, except epidemiologists 40 44.2 72,590 Doctoral degree
7 Physician assistants 39 29.2 81,230 Master's degree
8 Skin care specialists 38 14.7 28,730
Postsecondary
vocational award
9 Biochemists and biophysicists 37 8.7 82,840 Doctoral degree
10 Athletic trainers 37 6.0 39,640 Bachelor's degree
11 Physical therapist aides 36 16.7 23,760
Short-term on-the-job
training
12 Dental hygienists 36 62.9 66,570 Associate degree
13 Veterinary technologists and technicians 36 28.5 28,900 Associate degree
14 Dental assistants 36 105.6 32,380
Moderate-term on-thejob
training
15 Computer software engineers, applications 34 175.1 85,430 Bachelor's degree
SOURCE: US Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics and Division of Occupational Outlook