Sensors, Instrumentation, and Micro/Nanotechnology Focus Area Upper-Level Engineering Courses – updated March, 2016
EN.510.311
EN.510.313
EN.510.314
EN.510.316
EN.510.403
EN.510.407
EN.510.421
EN.510.422
EN.510.430
EN.520.216
EN.520.315
EN.520.345
EN.520.349
EN.520.353
EN.520.372
EN.520.401
EN.520.407
EN.520.410
EN.520.424
EN.520.425
EN.520.432
EN.520.433
EN.520.435
EN.520.447
EN.520.448
EN.520.450
EN.520.454
EN.520.465
EN.520.483
EN.520.491
EN.520.492
EN.530.354
EN.530.414
EN.530.420
EN.530.421
EN.530.446
EN.530.646
EN.530.672
EN.540.403
EN.540.440
Structure of Materials
Mechanical Properties of Materials
Electronic Properties of Materials
Biomaterials I
Materials Characterization
Biomaterials II: Host response and biomaterials applications
Nanoparticles
Micro and Nano Structured Materials & Devices
Biomaterials Lab
Introduction To VLSI
Introduction to Information Processing of Sensory Signals
Electrical & Computer Engineering Laboratory
Microprocessor Lab I
Control Systems
Programmable Device Lab
Basic Communication
Introduction to the Physics of Electronic Devices
Fiber Optics & Devices
FPGA Synthesis Lab
FPGA Senior Projects Laboratory
Medical Imaging Systems
Medical Image Analysis
Digital Signal Processing
Information Theory
Electronics Design Lab
Advanced Micro-Processor Lab
Control Systems Design
Digital Communications I
Bio-Photonics Laboratory
CAD Design of Digital VLSI Systems I (Seniors/Grads)
Mixed-Mode VLSI Systems
Manufacturing Engineering
Computer-Aided Design
Robot Sensors/Actuators
Mechatronics
Experimental Methods in Biomechanics
Robot Devices, Kinematics, Dynamics, and Control
Biosensing & BioMEMS
Colloids and Nanoparticles
Micro/Nanotechnology: The Science and Eng. of Small Structures
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EN.580.434 Bioelectricity
EN.580.441 Cellular Engineering
EN.580.442 Tissue Engineering
EN.580.451 Cell and Tissue Engineering Lab
EN.580.456 Introduction to Rehabilitation Engineering
EN.580.457 Rehabilitation Engineering Design Lab
EN.580.471 Biomedical Instrumentation
EN.580.472 Medical Imaging Systems
EN.580.495 Microfabrication Lab
EN.580.571 Honors Instrumentation
EN.580.616 Introduction to Linear Dynamical Systems
EN.580.688 Foundations of Computational Biology & Bioinformatics II
EN.600.445 Computer Integrated Surgery I
EN.600.446 Computer Integrated Surgery II
Contact the department advising office for course additions.
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Sensors, Instrumentation, and Micro/Nanotechnology Focus Area Non Upper-Level Engineering Courses
(maximum of 3 credits from this list may count in focus area)
EN.520.213 Circuits
EN.520.214 Signals & Systems I
EN.580.112 BME Design Group
EN.580.211 BME Design Group
EN.580.212 BME Design Group
EN.580.311 BME Design Group
EN.580.312 BME Design Group
EN.580.411 BME Design Group
EN.580.412 BME Design Group
EN.580.413 Design-Team, Team Leader
EN.580.414 Design Team/Team Leader
EN.580.580 Senior Design Project
EN.580.581 Senior Design Project
Students may use a maximum of 3 research credits as a non-upper-level engineering course.
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Undergraduate education should first and foremost have a balance of math, basic sciences, core engineering, and
some level of specialization. At the senior level, however, this is your chance to taste advanced courses and
specialization and get ready for novel technologies and emerging fields and thus get ready for research or
becoming practicing engineer, or technically competent hands on physician someday. To pursue very advanced
electives such as Honors Instrumentation, Computer Integrated Surgery, Biosensing and BioMEMS or
Instrumentation: Molecular/Cellular, VLSI Design and Prototyping, and Micro/Nanotechnologies, you will need
some prerequisite courses, so do plan a series of courses beginning junior year to prepare well and have some
depth.
On one hand some specialization like this may make you stronger and make it possible to be a practicing engineer
in the industry due to hands on skills or prepare you better with research tools. But on the other hand, it is
important not to specialize too early and be too narrow in your focus. Such focusing can be done at graduate level.
Try to supplement this coursework with laboratory research or industrial/medical internship experience.
The Sensors, Instrumentation and Micro/Nanotechnology track is suitable for students who have strong
engineering interests, mapped to various engineering disciplines and careers in industry, entrepreneurship, and
certainly grad/med schools. As this concentration gives plenty of opportunity to go deeper in to engineering theory
and practice, culminating in several hands on and practical courses, it can prepare you for a career in medical
device industry, research, entrepreneurship, and use of advanced technologies as a clinical scientist. Depending on
the specialization you choose,, you will get to further focus your education and refine your career choices. These
concentrations are
Electronic Circuit, Device (ECD) specialization – aligned with ECE, giving extensive training and experience in use
and design of sensors and instrumentation development, research and building systems for medical applications.
Signals, Systems and Controls (SSC) specialization – aligned with ECE and ME, giving more theoretical and
mathematical foundations to deal with biomedical signals and control systems, providing rigorous foundation for
research as well as data analysis.
Robotics and Surgical Systems (RSS) specialization – aligned with ME and CS, with extensive education and
training in mechatronics and computer aided systems and automation in medical applications, including surgery.
Medical Imaging (MI) specialization – aligned with ECE and CS, giving both theoretical and practical exposure to
variety of imaging technologies, from optical to X-ray, MRI etc; this track combines both theory and practice,
preparing you for careers in industry R&D, as well as academia.
Micro-Nanotechnologies (MN) specialization – aligned with Materials Sci & Eng, ChemBio, as well as ECE/ME.
Focus is on micro/nano materials, fabrication, and research at the interface of cells and tissue. Well suited for
graduate research and or leading edge entrepreneurial careers.
Materials and Cell-Tissue (MCT) specialization – aligned with Material Sci & Eng, ChemBio as well as overlapping
with the Cell & Tissue Engineering track in BME; well suited for BME graduate school and medical school, and
careers in more basic biomedical technology research
For further questions, please consult Prof. Nitish Thakor, thakorjhu@gmail.com
ECD – ELECTRONICS CIRCUITS, DEVICE specialization – You can select a cohesive set of course, not all of course, to
advance your knowledge and capability to design circuits, electronics and instrumentation. In particular VLSI
design and CAD and so on are advanced approaches to design integrated circuits. Biomedical Instrumentation is a
very practical culmination. This area is good for students who are focusing or double majoring in EE, like design
and hands on experience, considering either industrial or research/graduate career paths. Several other areas,
such as microfabrication, optical and computer integrated surgery complement this focus area.
520.216
520.345
520.349
520.345
520.372
520.407
520.424
Introduction to VLSI (3) **
ECE Laboratory (3)
Microprocessor Laboratory (3)
Programmable Device Laboratory (3)
Physics Electronic Devices (3)
FPGA Synthesis Laboratory (3)
520.425
520.448
520.450
520.491
520.492
530.414
580.471
FPGA Projects Laboratory (3)
Electronics Design Laboratory (3)
Advanced Microprocessor Lab (3)
CAD of Digital VLSI Systems (3)
Mixed-Signal VLSI Systems (3)
Computer-Aided Design (3)
Biomedical Instrumentation (4)
SSC - SIGNAL, SYSTEMS, CONTROL SPECIALIZATION – If you are interested in analysis of biomedical signals such
as from the ear, brain, doing research on how brain codes for information, use the basic principles for imaging as
well. Other related areas are instrumentation and imaging. Math courses such as linear algebra and matrix theory
can be nice complements. This specialization is more theoretical than hands on and provides for a good
preparation for research and graduate studies.
520.401
520.435
520.447
520.454
520.465
580.471
580.472
580.616
Basic Communication (3)
Digital Signal Processing (4)
Information Theory and Coding (3)
Control Systems Design (3)
Digital Communications (3)
Biomedical Instrumentation (4)
Medical Imaging Systems (3)
Intro to Linear Dynamical Systems (3)
RSS - ROBOTICS and SURGICAL SYSTEMS - This is clearly a specialized area, although an area in which JHU has
many strengths. This is your path to linking ME, EE or CS approaches, learning about sensors, actuators, robotics,
mechatronics, and find applications of all this in advanced medical robotics. The field can open your interest in
research and some level of industrial applications and careers. However, it can also be too narrow a specialization
and may be better followed at the graduate level. The complementary areas are Instrumentation, Imaging and so
on. Being good at hands on and instrumentation design or theoretically strong, or strong programming can all be
helpful. Computer integrated surgery is of course provides a culmination for this field.
520.345
ECE Laboratory (3)
520.432
520.448
520.450
530.414
530.420
530.421
530.646
580.471
Medical Imaging Systems (3)
Electronics Design Laboratory (3)
Advanced Microprocessor Lab (3)
Computer-Aided Design (3)
Robot Actuators and Sensors (3)
Mechatronics (3)
Introduction to Robotics (3)
Biomedical Instrumentation (4)
580.472
580.616
600.445
580.616
600.446
Medical Imaging Systems (3)
Linear Dynamical Systems (3)
Computer-Integrated Surgery I (4)
Computer-Integrated Surgery II (3)
MI - MEDICAL IMAGING – This concentration is focused on building the mathematical and technical foundations of
medical imaging; i.e. both mathematical methods for image analysis and image reconstruction and practical and
theoretical aspects of machinery such as X ray CT and MRI. The courses require strong math background with
linear algebra, matrix analysis, Fourier transform and other signals methods are desirable. Students may purse
graduate studies or may seek medical career. Industry may also like this background, but advance studies at
Masters or PhD may be desirable. The signals area, and perhaps instrumentation area, complements this focus
area.
520.345
520.401
520.432
520.433
520.435
520.465
580.472
600.445
600.446
ECE Laboratory (3)
Basic Communication (3)
Medical Imaging Systems (3)
Medical Imaging Analysis (3)
Digital Signal Processing (4)
Digital Communications (3)
Medical Imaging Systems (3)
Computer-Integrated Surgery I (4)
Computer-Integrated Surgery II (3)
MICRO-NANOTECHNOLOGIES – This is an emerging area that often attracts students, but careful consideration
should be given concerning your interest. The field involves a lot of experimental techniques/lab oriented courses
and newly developed courses covering technologies form micro/nano scale. This is a very good area for studies if
your goal is to go to graduate school. The biology side complements the course as you can do device fabrication to
experiment with cells and molecules and tissue engineering. In that sense this complements the
biology/physiology well, and usually sets up good research opportunities at graduate level. While there are
advanced industries/startups in this area, you have to be careful about using or expecting this preliminary
knowledge to get a job. Microfab lab is a must, Biomedical Instrumentation is a core course, and advanced courses,
such as Biosensing and BioMEMS can be taken.
510.316
520.448
530.672
540.440
580.425
580.441
580.442
580.451
580.471
580.495
580.571
Biomaterials I (3)
Electronics Design Laboratory (3)
Biosensing and BioMEMS (3)
Micro and Nanotechnology (3)
Ionic Channels in Excitable
Cellular
Engineering (3)
Membranes
Tissue Engineering (3)
Cell & Tissue Lab (3)
Biomedical Instrumentation (4)
Microfabrication Laboratory (4)
Honors Instrumentation (2)
MATERIALS, CELL-TISSUE INSTRUMENTATION Specialization - This area of specialization is for students who
plan to build a strong foundation of biomaterials and micro/nano technologies for interfacing to the cells and
tissue in the body. Knowledge of biomaterials, including synthesis and characterization, to biocompatibility of
materials, and to various applications of biomaterials is critical for developing implanted medical devices and
interfacing to biological samples (cells/tissues and organs). This training overlaps and complements well with the
Cell/Tissue Engineering track. Here, you can also develop a focus on the technological aspects of interfacing with
cell and tissue at the micro and nanoscale, include designing of MEMS and nanoparticles.
510.311
510.313
510.314
510.316
510.313
510.403
540.403
540.404
510.407
510.421
510.430
530.672
540.440
580.441
580.442
580.451
530.445
530.448
580.495
Structure of Materials (3)
Mechanical Properties of Materials (3)
Electronic Properties of Materials (3)
Biomaterials I (3)
Mechanical Properties of Materials (3)
Materials Characterization (3)
Colloids and Nanoparticles
Therapeutic and Diagnostic Colloids
Biomaterials
II (3)
(3)
Nanoparticles (3)
Biomaterials Lab (3)
Biosensing and BioMEMS (3)
Micro and Nanotechnology (3)
Cellular Engineering (3)
Tissue Engineering (3)
Cell and Tissue Laboratory (3)
Introductory
Biomechanics (3)
LLLLTissuLaEngineeringLaboratory
Biomechanics
II (3)
(2)
Microfabrication Laboratory (4)