Clinical engineer
Function in a professional context:
The clinical engineer is an expert and/or manager of high qualification in the management of clinical engineering services; he/she carries out his/her activity within healthcare structures and deals with the acquisition and management of biomedical technologies.
The clinical engineer:
- manages the acquisition of new devices;
- guarantees the continuity and safety of operations, managing the testing and maintenance of health equipment, carrying out roles of responsibility in the technical offices of clinical engineering services, and evaluating the costs/benefits of innovative technologies;
- manages and designs software tools, including innovative ones, for the management of equipment, inventory of assets, management of medical records;
- manages the safety of health equipment, also assessing its environmental effects, the effects on health personnel and patients;
- plans training for healthcare personnel for the safe and correct use of even complex devices;
- supervises the organization of the service itself.
Competences associated to the function:
The clinical engineer:
- knows the main types of tools needed in a clinical engineering service;
- knows the legislation related to medical devices;
- knows and applies the procedures for quality assurance and accreditation of healthcare facilities;
- can manage the risk associated with the use of medical devices;
- knows how to communicate, relate to and deal with healthcare professionals;
- collaborates with health care professionals within their respective competences.
Career opportunities:
Clinical engineers find employment at:
- public and private hospitals within the technical offices and clinical engineering services;
- service companies for the management of medical telemedicine equipment and systems;
- specialized clinical laboratories.
Biomedical Engineering researcher
Function in a professional context:
The Biomedical Engineering researcher carries out his/her activity fundamentally characterized by innovativeness in support of basic research and applied to the design of innovative devices in the fields of medical images, support for clinical decision and medical devices, brain-computer interface, neuroprosthetics, neurorehabilitation, artificial intelligence applied to medicine, tissue engineering. The biomedical engineering researcher:
- applies innovative methodologies, including advanced computer simulation methods and graphics techniques for virtual simulation, in order to simulate, analyze and understand the functioning of biological systems;
- models and designs advanced diagnostic systems;
- deals with experimental activities and measurement techniques, including non-conventional ones, defines measurement protocols, analyzes data, also proposing theoretical interpretations and supports the clinical validation of what he/she has developed;
- implements advanced methods for clinical and industrial data analysis, using innovative signal processing techniques, statistical methodologies, and graphic tools;
- deals with image processing, suggesting innovative technologies, highlighting their potentials and limitations, proposing and implementing image processing methods, also improving the state of the art;
- deepens his/her skills by analyzing the literature of the sector;
- participates in scientific research projects, both in the industrial field (especially in research and development centers) and in advanced laboratories, integrating basic engineering knowledge, knowledge from physiology and medicine with typical bioengineering skills.
Competences associated to the function:
The biomedical engineering researcher:
- can investigate border issues not yet consolidated in the market;
- knows how to constantly update;
- can communicate and relate to the world of industrial engineering, information and biomedical engineering;
- can communicate and relate to the university world, public and private research centers.
Careers opportunities:
The typical professional fields for the biomedical engineering researcher are those of innovation and the development of new knowledge, new technologies and devices.
The biomedical engineering researcher can find a professional outlet in:
- public and private universities;
- public and private research and development centers;
- scientific hospitalization and treatment institutes (IRCCS);
- multinationals in the biomedical and pharmaceutical sector that have R&D, typically abroad.
Biomedical equipment designer
Function in a professional context:
The biomedical equipment designer:
- models and designs demanding components, machines and production plants relating to equipment in the biomedical industry;
- identifies, formulates and solves design-related problems using appropriate and updated methods, techniques and tools;
- carries out support activities in the design of electronic devices (also implantable, aimed at monitoring, diagnosis, therapeutic intervention) and biomechanical devices (suitable for the structural or functional replacement of organs or biological functions of a sensory, motor or metabolic type);
- designs and manufactures biomedical devices, advanced prostheses, biomechanical systems and rehabilitation techniques;
- studies the mechanical behavior of prostheses and biomaterials, and innovative techniques for modeling and designing advanced neuro-prostheses;
- analyzes the data relating to movement, and suggests / tests innovative techniques for rehabilitation and motor improvement, both in the clinical, industrial and sports medicine fields;
- analyzes complex biomechanical systems, also using advanced computer simulation techniques;
- follows the product, also innovative and complex, during different phases of the production process;
- plans and controls the reliability and quality of the production of biomedical equipment, and, at the same time, is concerned with ensuring innovation and the positioning of the most advanced products on the market.
Competences associated to the function:
The biomedical equipment designer:
- is able to interact and compare with colleagues, other professionals and public and / or private customers;
- knows the mechanical behaviour of prostheses and biomaterials;
- knows innovative techniques for modelling and designing advanced neuro-prostheses;
- knows the methodological-operational aspects related to the disciplinary areas of electronic engineering, automatic controls, signal and computer analysis, mechanical and materials engineering;
- knows the basic aspects of industrial and information engineering;
- knows the legislation relating to medical devices;
- knows the characteristics of the main types of instruments;
- designs and certifies medical devices.
Careers opportunities:
The biomedical equipment designer carries out his/her activity at:
- biomedical and pharmaceutical industries that manufacture and supply systems, equipment and materials for prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation;
- biomedical industries for the design and production of medical devices for diagnosis, therapy and rehabilitation;
- biomedical industries for the design and production of prostheses and artificial organs.
