Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers — Tasks

Task statements

• Evaluate the safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of biomedical equipment.
• Prepare technical reports, data summary documents, or research articles for scientific publication, regulatory submissions, or patent applications.
• Design or develop medical diagnostic or clinical instrumentation, equipment, or procedures, using the principles of engineering and biobehavioral sciences.
• Conduct training or in-services to educate clinicians and other personnel on proper use of equipment.
• Conduct research, along with life scientists, chemists, and medical scientists, on the engineering aspects of the biological systems of humans and animals.
• Adapt or design computer hardware or software for medical science uses.
• Maintain databases of experiment characteristics or results.
• Develop statistical models or simulations, using statistical or modeling software.
• Read current scientific or trade literature to stay abreast of scientific, industrial, or technological advances.
• Manage teams of engineers by creating schedules, tracking inventory, creating or using budgets, or overseeing contract obligations or deadlines.
• Develop models or computer simulations of human biobehavioral systems to obtain data for measuring or controlling life processes.
• Design or conduct follow-up experimentation, based on generated data, to meet established process objectives.
• Write documents describing protocols, policies, standards for use, maintenance, and repair of medical equipment.
• Communicate with bioregulatory authorities regarding licensing or compliance responsibilities.
• Develop methodologies for transferring procedures or biological processes from laboratories to commercial-scale manufacturing production.
• Collaborate with manufacturing or quality assurance staff to prepare product specification or safety sheets, standard operating procedures, user manuals, or qualification and validation reports.
• Research new materials to be used for products, such as implanted artificial organs.
• Prepare project plans for equipment or facility improvements, including time lines, budgetary estimates, or capital spending requests.
• Consult with chemists or biologists to develop or evaluate novel technologies.
• Confer with research and biomanufacturing personnel to ensure the compatibility of design and production.
• Recommend process formulas, instrumentation, or equipment specifications, based on results of bench or pilot experimentation.
• Communicate with suppliers regarding the design or specifications of bioproduction equipment, instrumentation, or materials.
• Advise hospital administrators on the planning, acquisition, and use of medical equipment.
• Analyze new medical procedures to forecast likely outcomes.
• Design and deliver technology, such as prosthetic devices, to assist people with disabilities.
• Advise manufacturing staff regarding problems with fermentation, filtration, or other bioproduction processes.
• Review existing manufacturing processes to identify opportunities for yield improvement or reduced process variation.
• Develop bioremediation processes to reduce pollution, protect the environment, or treat waste products.
• Lead studies to examine or recommend changes in process sequences or operation protocols.
• Design or direct bench or pilot production experiments to determine the scale of production methods that optimize product yield and minimize production costs.