 |
Public Policies & Objectives | |
Resources |
|
Policy Statements | |
Archives |
|
Activities | |
Coalitions & Taskforces |
|
Fast Facts |
| Policy Statements | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997 |
Biomedical Engineering
April 17, 1998
Contact: Allison Sayler
Te: 202-296-2237, ext. 14
Email: asayler@aaes.org
AAES recommends an organizational focus for biomedical engineering within the NIH to increase the contributions that engineering and applied sciences can make to promote innovation; to provide a mechanism that includes engineering representation for establishing and coordinating NIH policy; to coordinate the currently autonomous programs within the NIH Institutes; and to provide advice on the solicitation, submission and review of proposals with a primary biomedical engineering research emphasis.
Background
Definition
Biomedical engineering is the application of engineering principles and methods to problems in biology and medicine. Biology, engineering, physics, chemistry, and mathematics research are applied to advance knowledge and provide the technologies needed to improve prevention, diagnosis, and treatment and maintenance of health care through new biologics, materials processes, implants, and devices.
History
In 1994, the report, "Support for Bioengineering Research," was written by the External Consultants Committee of a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Working Group. This report was in partial response to a Congressional directive to the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a study on support for bioengineering research.
Recommendations from this report included the need for:
- A central focus for basic bioengineering research
within NIH at the highest level - including
the funds to support collaborative extramural
research; and
- An intramural bioengineering research program
to focus on cutting-edge research of national
significance.
- NIH considered this report, and that of its internal Working Group, when it transmitted its report to Congress on bioengineering research in 1995. This led to a directive in 1997 from Harold Varmus, Director of NIH, which established the NIH Bioengineering Consortium (BECON). BECON consists of representatives from the NIH Institutes, Centers and Divisions and is charged with providing a focus for "bioengineering issues." The professional societies that represent the various aspects of bioengineering should also be a party to efforts to better understand the role of bioengineering in the federal government, academia, and the private sector.
In 1997, Senators Frist and Wellstone introduced S. 1030, the "National Center for Bioengineering Research Act." This bill would establish the Center within the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) to promote basic research in bioengineering. The Center would have no granting or proposal review authority.
Findings
AAES finds that the applications of biomedical engineering research to improving the nation's health have been substantial. Examples include:
- Imaging: The combination of computer generated
3-D MRI images with other clinical data into
a 3-D model of the brain to help plan surgery.
This is followed by a "virtual surgery"
to plan the real thing with triggers to alert
the surgeon when operating in difficult or sensitive
areas.
- Prosthetics: The development of artificial
heart valves, artificial bones and insitu sensors
such as implanted diabetic pumps.
- Telemedicine: The development of visual communications via phone lines for combat army units, the elderly living at nursing homes, and remote rural locations or areas without medical specialists or facilities. The use of implanted or external sensors could transmit key information to medical centers for diagnosis and treatment options.
As these few examples illustrate, the realized and potential biomedical advances from biomedical engineering research are substantial. It is almost impossible, however, to access the current level of federal support for biomedical engineering research across the scattered agencies, institutes and programs that fund it. For example, bioengineering research is occurring at the Department of Defense, Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation and other federal agencies. NIH is undoubtedly the largest source of federal funds, but information is not systematically collected, instead the research is supported within the missions of the many NIH Institutes, and there is currently no reliable mechanism to coordinate the intramural and extramural support of biomedical engineering research within NIH and in the other federal agencies.