Frontiers of Biomedical Engineering with W. Mark Saltzman

25. Biomedical Engineers and Artificial Organs

Frontiers of Biomedical Engineering (BENG 100)

In this final lecture, Professor Saltzman talks about artificial organs, with a stress on synthetic biomaterials. First, the body’s responses (immunological and scar healing responses) to foreign materials are introduced. This leads to discussion of different types of polymer/plastic materials (i.e., Dacron and GORE-TEX) and their properties. Next, Professor Saltzman talks about the design and function of some artificial organs, such as lens implants, heart valves and vessels, hip, dialyzer, heart/lung bypass machine, and the artificial heart. Lastly, challenges and areas for improvement in the field are presented.

00:00 – Chapter 1. Introduction to Biomaterials
03:15 – Chapter 2. Polymers
15:50 – Chapter 3. Threat of Coagulation and Clotting
22:22 – Chapter 4. Physical Responses to Biomaterials
27:41 – Chapter 5. Joint Replacement Using Biomaterials
38:01 – Chapter 6. Dialysis
43:51 – Chapter 7. Artificial Organs and Conclusion

Complete course materials are available at the Open Yale Courses website: http://open.yale.edu/courses

This course was recorded in Spring 2008.