Artificial Heart Design Challenge
Students are tasked in creating artifical heartsCopyright National Institutes of Health http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jarvik-7_Artificial_Heart_Image_3559-OT.jpg
Students are presented with a hypothetical scenario in which they are biomedical engineers asked to design artificial hearts. Using the engineering design process as a guide, the challenge is established and students brainstorm to list everything they might need to know about the heart in order to create a complete mechanical replacement (size, how it functions, path of blood etc.). They conduct research to learn the information and organize it through various activities. They research artificial heart models that have already been used and rate their performance in clinical trials. Finally, they analyze the data to identify the artificial heart features and properties they think work best and document their findings in essay form.
The engineering design process is a proven approach to research, design, model and create viable new ideas. Biomedical engineering is a growing research field that merges engineering with the medical field to create new devices, procedures and medicines that enhance or extend human quality of life.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Trace the path of blood through the human heart.
- Describe the general size, location and function of the heart, and compare that to artificial heart models.
- Discuss their opinions of how the invention of the artificial heart impacts society.
- Describe the engineering design process and give an example of each step of the process.