Let the Blood Flow: Biomedical Artery Unclogging Experiment
Biomedical engineers develop ways to break down blood clots that could cause strokes.Copyright (bottom) Medline Plus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, (top) Nicole Rager-Fuller, National Science Foundation http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/imagepages/19462.htm http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_images.jsp?cntn_id=108100&org=CHE
Students work as biomedical engineers to find liquid solutions that can clear away polyvinyl acetate polymer "blood clots" in model arteries (made of clear, flexible tubing). Teams create samples of the "blood clot" polymer with different concentrations to discover the concentration of the model clot and then test a variety of liquids to determine which most effectively breaks down the model blood clot. Students learn the importance of the testing phase in the engineering design process, because they are only given one chance to present the team's solution and apply it to the model blood clot.
Biomedical engineers apply their understanding of scientific and mathematical principles to create practical solutions to biological problems. The highly interdisciplinary field includes diverse applications of new technologies created to improve patient treatment. With circulatory system diseases a leading cause of death in the U.S., engineers have designed, tested and implemented many devices, such as artificial hearts, artificial valves, stents, as well as medical and surgical procedures, to save lives. In the case of life-threatening blood clots in blood vessels, biomedical engineers research the biochemistry and structure of blood clots and apply this knowledge to develop and test methods for harmlessly breaking them down.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Explain the importance of the testing stage in the engineering design process before presenting and using a solution to a problem.
- Describe methods and approaches biomedical engineers may use to develop solutions to dangerous and life-threatening blood clots in blood vessels.
- Apply their understanding of the formation and degradation of polymers to develop liquid solutions that break down polyvinyl acetate polymers.