1. Vanderbilt University Biomedical Engineering
BME Senior Design

2. Description
This course integrates the engineering and life science backgrounds of senior biomedical engineering students through the presentation of design principles for medical devices and systems.
Prerequisite: BME 271, 251, 252
Credit Hours: 3 credit hours per semester

3. In the beginning…
The course begins with classroom lectures on basic design principals and techniques. These lectures are supported by a continuously updated web page and written materials.

4. Picking a project
First, project ideas are solicited from people in the university and people in industry.
Students may choose to pursue one of the suggested projects or find someone to advise them on a topic of their own choosing.

5. Project Groups
Because of the complexity of some of the projects, students are given the option of working in groups of two or three.

6. And they are off…
Near the end of the first semester all of the students have been matched with a project and an adviser.
The lecture portion of the course ends, and students begin to focus their attention on their senior design project outside of class.

7. Support
The students may get workspace and supplies from their advisor or they may choose to use the facilities that are provided by the BME department.

8. Workshop
Drill press, router and router guide, table saw and other miscellaneous hand tools

9. Cellular Lab
Incubators and culture supplies
Cell monitoring equipment

10. Electronics lab
Bread boards and components
Oscilloscopes

11. Computer Lab Software includes:
Visual Basic®, Visual C++® Professional, Visual InterDev™, Visual J++™ Professional Edition, Office Developer Edition, Windows NT® Workstation; by Microsoft ® Designsafe, by Design Safety Engineering, Inc.

12. Monitoring progress
Students present a number of oral presentations describing their project and its progression. These presentations are done using computer presentation software and are also posted to each projects web site.

13. The big event…
The final result of two semesters of work is presented near the end of the spring semester.
Each group puts together a poster on their project and presents their work to the faculty in the department.

14. Some of this years projects
Fetal Stabilizer Design
System to determine calories in food
Development of a blood glucose sensor
Patient Flow Analysis of the Women's Cancer Center.
Parallel Bars Platform
Interfacing & analysis of ECG & mSNA
Tele-schooling at VUMC Children's Hospital