The ability to engineer systems at the cellular scale provides new tools and instruments for the study of biological processes. At the same time microtechnology is leading to the miniaturization of many devices, instruments and processes that increase performance and lower costs. Consider the negative aspects of exploratory surgery, such as brain surgery where the location of a tumor and the surgeon's instruments are not precisely known, or surgeries requiring large incisions for access and visualization. Minimally invasive surgery uses technology to provide advanced imaging techniques that precisely locate and diagnose problems or instruments that sense tissue while passing through small tubes and catheters, or virtual reality systems that immerse clinicians directly into the procedure reduce the invasiveness of surgical interventions. It combines a broad knowledge of applied atomic and nuclear physics, radiation biology, radiation protection, and radiation detection and measurement with the technical and analytical analysis skills of an engineer to prepare the students for work in these areas.
Rehabilitation engineering is a new and growing specialty area of biomedical engineering.
Rehabilitation engineers expand capabilities and improve the quality of life for individuals with physical impairments. Because the products of their labor are so personal, often developed for particular individuals or small groups, the rehabilitation engineer often works directly with the disabled individual. Systems physiology is the term used to describe that aspect of biomedical engineering in which engineering strategies, techniques and tools are used to gain a comprehensive and integrated understanding of the function of living organisms ranging from bacteria to humans. Modeling is used in the analysis of experimental data and in formulating mathematical descriptions of physiological events. In research, models are used predictively in designing new experiments to refine our knowledge.