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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Engineering : Mechanical

Undergraduate Course: Living Materials and their Biomaterial Replacements 4 (MECE10016)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Engineering CollegeCollege of Science and Engineering
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) AvailabilityNot available to visiting students
SCQF Credits10 ECTS Credits5
SummaryThe tissues that make up the human body display extraordinary characteristics; self-assembly, self-healing, adaptive and sometimes actuatable. This course looks into the source of these characteristics and then considers what materials we, as engineers, can use to replace them. We will focus attention on the musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems of the body and the biomaterials that have been developed for use as substitutes. We'll consider how the body reacts to the presence of man-made biomaterials and the impact of the need for biomaterial sterilisation. Not all replacement materials are man-made; we'll think about tissue engineering as a way to grow new tissue. Finally, we'll introduce the legal processes surrounding regulation of biomaterial use and consider the ethics of growing new body parts.
Course description The course will consist of 20 1-hour lectures and 10 1-hour example/Lab demonstration classes.

Lectures:
Course Syllabus
Course Overview
1. Soft materials and viscoelasticity. Linear and non-linear VE, time-dependent behaviours. An introduction to the living material.
2. Muscle - ultrastructure, passive v's contractile mechanical performance.
3. Connective tissues ligament and tendon, ultrastructure, mechanical properties, soft tissue healing.
4. Bone - cortical and cancellous ultrastructure, mechanical properties, bone healing.
5. Vascular tissue - Arteries veins and capillaries, smooth muscle, biomechanical behaviour, blood flow management.
6. Biocompatibilty - from clotting to the immune response.
7. Sterilisation techniques and aseptic approaches.
8. Metallic biomaterials - mechanical properties, corrosion, fretting and fatigue.
9. Polymeric biomaterials - mechanical properties, oxidative embrittlement and inertness v's biodegradability.
10. Ceramic biomaterials - mechanical properties, brittleness and surface engineering.
11. Tissue Engineering - pluripotent cells, scaffold materials and tissue constructs.
12. Regulation of biomaterials and ethical aspects.

Labs:
They will include demonstration labs of tissues and anatomy.
Course work
Small coursework exercise [20%].
The course work will be an exercise looking at tissue understanding and anatomy.

Exam:
3 questions on living materials and their biomaterial replacements [80%].
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Students MUST NOT also be taking Engineering in Medicine 5 (MECE11010) OR Engineering in Medicine (MSc) (PGEE11154)
Other requirements None
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2024/25, Not available to visiting students (SS1) Quota:  None
Course Start Semester 1
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 100 ( Lecture Hours 20, Seminar/Tutorial Hours 10, Feedback/Feedforward Hours 2, Formative Assessment Hours 3, Summative Assessment Hours 10, Other Study Hours 35, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 18 )
Additional Information (Learning and Teaching) TBC
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 80 %, Coursework 20 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) Examination: 80%
Coursework: 20%
Feedback Coursework components will allow for feedback to be given. Also there will be a drop-in hour each to facilitate feedback.
Exam Information
Exam Diet Paper Name Hours & Minutes
Main Exam Diet S1 (December)Living Materials and their Biomaterial Replacements 42:120
Resit Exam Diet (August)Resit Exam2:120
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Understand the structure of human tissues and how this informs their mechanical properties. Appreciate the 'living' nature of tissue, its self-assembly maintenance and repair;
  2. Discuss the mechanical properties of metallic, ceramic and polymeric biomaterials and summarise the limitation of each of these classes of biomaterials. Reprise sterilisation technologies and their influence on biomaterial properties;
  3. Explain the concept of tissue engineering, its application and research directions;
  4. Understand blood clotting, biocompatibility and the body¿s reaction to foreign materials;
  5. Discuss the role of regulation and ethics in the use of biomaterials and tissue engineered materials.
Reading List
Fundamentals of Anatomy & Physiology, Global Edition, 2018 by Frederic H. Martini
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Not entered
KeywordsBiomaterials,LIving Materials
Contacts
Course organiserProf Alistair Elfick
Tel: (0131 6)50 7254
Email: Alistair.Elfick@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMiss Catherine Davidson
Tel:
Email: c.davidson@ed.ac.uk
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