MEC8054 : Contemporary Case Studies in Biomedical Engineering
- Offered for Year: 2026/27
- Module Leader(s): Dr Alessia Noccaro
- Lecturer: Dr Ana Ferreira-Duarte
- Owning School: Engineering
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 2 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
• Introduce basic orthopaedic and neuroscientific theory relevant to the case studies.
• Critically apply mechanical engineering techniques to biomedical engineering problems.
• Provide knowledge and understanding of key healthcare technologies and their impact.
• To raise critical awareness of the use of biomedical technologies and provide practical examples of their application
Outline Of Syllabus
• Broad overview of biomedical engineering technologies and applications.
• Description of case studies of medical technologies in the field of biomedical robotics, including clinical needs, relevant anatomy and physiology, clinical and engineering assessments of previous and current design solutions.
• Description of human-robotic technologies and their application to motor neuroscience and rehabilitation
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 50:00 | 50:00 | Work for the individual assignment (data analysis and presentation) |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 1 | 1:00 | 1:00 | Introduction lecture |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 2 | 2:00 | 4:00 | Lectures |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 5 | 1:00 | 5:00 | Lectures |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 50:00 | 50:00 | Work on the report. |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Practical | 3 | 2:00 | 6:00 | Data analysis in MATLAB. |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Practical | 1 | 2:00 | 2:00 | Lab experiments for the acquisition of data on motor learning |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Drop-in/surgery | 1 | 3:00 | 3:00 | 1 hour open office |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 1 | 79:00 | 79:00 | Recommended revision for assessments |
| Total | 200:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
Lectures will introduce the teaching material. Lectures provide the medium through which information and complex ideas can be delivered. The teaching material delivered will, through taught case studies, analyse in detail a clinical situation where a biomedical engineering solution is available. The use of case studies will allow the students to investigate contemporary areas of biomedical engineering in depth. Engineering solutions will be assessed and critiqued by students during discussions in lectures, prior to being assessed. Students will appraise scientific literature on the contemporary issues in biomedical engineering and produce individual assignments. Practical sessions for experimental data acquisition and their elaboration in MATLAB will provide skills on experimental design and data analysis. Independent study supports the students' self-study in reading around the lecture material and the associated scientific literature.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Exams
| Description | Length | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral Examination | 15 | 2 | A | 20 | 15 min group presentation on the experimental lab results in the teaching week 35 (M1, M2, M3, M4, M16, M17) |
| Oral Examination | 15 | 2 | A | 50 | 15 min individual oral examination on the whole syllabus, after the group presentation in the teaching week 35 (M1, M2, M3, M4, M17) |
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | 2 | M | 30 | 1000-word individual report on specific case study (M1, M2, M3, M4, M17, M18) in the teaching week 37 |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
30% of the assessment will be based on an individual report. This will test whether the students have learned to analyze and critically evaluate technical literature related to biomedical engineering and assess contemporary case studies in the field.
Group presentation (20% of the total mark), will assess students’ ability to work in team, critically apply concepts of biology and physiology to the design and use of biomedical engineering technologies, utilize knowledge of experimental design and data analysis for biomedical research, effectively communicate methods and critically present and interpret experimental results.
Individual presentation (50% of the total mark), will assess students’ knowledge of the syllabus, their ability to communicate effectively biomedical engineering concepts, apply appropriate engineering methods to data analysis, critically evaluate technical literature and experimental results. It will also assess students’ critical thinking and ability to discuss relevant problem in the field of biomedical engineering, identify limitations and propose solutions.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- MEC8054's Timetable