Jerry C. Collins
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Vanderbilt University

• Fundamentals of Ethics
• Ethics Education in Engineering
• Codes of Ethics
National Society of Professional Engineers
IEEE
ASME
BMES
• Examples of Ethical Dilemmas
• Exercise in Ethical Decision Making

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• Development and use of devices and techniques
Software
Products
Gene-transfer vector
• Effects that come in the wake of new devices and techniques
Intensive care unit
Living will
Radioactive waste
• Way of relating to the world
Enhancement technologies
Objects for human manipulation
Rejection of given
Humanity exerts power
Humanity as creator, or created cocreator

“Even using the yardstick of the ancient Greeks, our whole modern existence is nothing but hubris
(exaggerated pride) and godlessness….
Hubris today characterizes our whole attitude towards nature, our rape of nature with the help of machines and the completely unscrupulous inventiveness of technicians and engineers.”
Friedrich Nietzsche, On the Genealogy of Mortality, Cambridge Press, New
York, 1994, 86.

Teaching engineering ethics . . . can achieve at least four desirable outcomes: a) increased ethical sensitivity ; b) increased knowledge of relevant standards of conduct; c) improved ethical judgment ; and d) improved ethical will-power (that is, a greater ability to
act ethically when one wants to).
Davis, M. “Teaching ethics across the engineering curriculum.”
Proceedings of International Conference on Ethics in
Engineering and Computer Science. Available online at: http://onlineethics.org/essays/education/davis.html
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Ethical responsibility...involves more than leading a decent, honest, truthful life. . . . And it involves something much more than making wise choices when such choices suddenly, unexpectedly present themselves. Our moral obligations must . .
. include a willingness to engage others in the difficult work of defining the crucial choices that confront technological society . . . .
Langdon Winner, 1990. “Engineering ethics and political imagination.”
Pp. 53-64 in Broad and Narrow Interpretations of Philosophy of
Technology: Philosophy and Technology 7, edited by P. Durbin.
Boston: Kluwer. Cited in Herkert, J.R. Engineering ethics education in the USA: Content, pedagogy and curriculum. European Journal of
Engineering Education, 25, 303-13, 2000.

• Ethical implications of public policy relevant to engineering:
Sustainable development
Health care
Risk and product liability
Information technology
• Culturally embedded engineering practice
(institutional and political aspects of engineering, such as contracting, regulation, and technology transfer)
• Macroethical issues (e.g., overconsumption)
Herkert, Eur. J. Eng. Ed. 25:303, 2000.

The guiding principle of sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainable development recognizes the interdependence of environmental, social and economic systems and promotes equality and justice through people empowerment and a sense of global citizenship.
Whilst we cannot be sure what the future may bring, a preferable future is a more sustainable one.
Encyclopedia of Sustainable Development http://www.doc.mmu.ac.uk/aric/esd/menu.html

• Awareness of need is increasing
• Social issues
• ABET accreditation standards
70% of accredited programs have no ethics course requirement (Stephan, 1999)
• Key concept: "professional responsibility" (moral responsibility based on an individual's special knowledge) (Whitbeck,
1998).
• Typical concerns: conflicts of interest, integrity of data, whistleblowing, loyalty, accountability, giving credit where due, trade secrets, gift giving and bribes (Wujek and Johnson,
1992).
• Trend since 2000 is toward more formal engineering education in ethics.
Herkert, Eur. J. Eng. Ed. 25:303, 2000.

Engineering programs must demonstrate that their graduates have
• Ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, engineering
• Ability to design and conduct expts, analyze and interpret data
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Ability to design system, component, or process
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Ability to function on multidisciplinary teams
• Ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems
• An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility
• Ability to communicate effectively
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Broad education necessary to understand engineering impact in a global and societal context
• Recognition of need for and ability to engage in life-long learning
• Knowledge of contemporary issues
• Ability to use techniques, skills and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice

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. Fundamental Canons
Engineers, in the fulfillment of their professional duties, shall:
1. Hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public.
2. Perform services only in areas of their competence .
3. Issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner.
4. Act for each employer or client as faithful agents or trustees.
5. Avoid deceptive acts.
6. Conduct themselves honorably, responsibly, ethically, and lawfully so as to enhance the honor, reputation, and usefulness of the profession .
(More extensive Rules of Practice follow in the Code) http://www.nspe.org/ethics/eh1-code.asp

We, the members of the IEEE, in recognition of the importance of our technologies in affecting the quality of life throughout the world, and in accepting a personal obligation to our profession, its members and the communities we serve, do hereby commit ourselves to the highest ethical and professional conduct and agree:
1. to accept responsibility in making engineering decisions consistent with the safety, health and welfare of the public , and to disclose promptly factors that might endanger the public or the environment;
2. to avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest whenever possible, and to disclose them to affected parties when they do exist;

3. to be honest and realistic in stating claims or estimates based on available data;
4. to reject bribery in all its forms;
5. to improve the understanding of technology , its appropriate application, and potential consequences;
6. to maintain and improve our technical competence and to undertake technological tasks for others only if qualified by training or experience, or after full disclosure of pertinent limitations;
7. to seek, accept, and offer honest criticism of technical work, to acknowledge and correct errors , and to credit properly the contributions of others ;

8. to treat fairly all persons regardless of such factors as race, religion, gender, disability, age, or national origin;
9. to avoid injuring others , their property, reputation, or employment by false or malicious action ;
10. to assist colleagues and co-workers in their professional development and to support them in following this code of ethics . http://www.ieee.org/portal/index.jsp?pageID=corp_level1&p ath=about/whatis&file=code.xml&xsl=generic.xsl

Code of Ethics of Engineers from The American Society of Mechanical Engineers
THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES
Engineers uphold and advance the integrity, honor, and dignity of the Engineering profession by:
I.
using their knowledge and skill for the enhancement of human welfare ;
II.
being honest and impartial, and serving with fidelity the public, their employers and clients , and
III. striving to increase the competence and prestige of the engineering profession .

Code of Ethics of Engineers From ASME
THE FUNDAMENTAL CANONS
1.
Engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public in the performance of their professional duties.
2.
Engineers shall perform services only in the areas of their competence .
3.
Engineers shall continue their professional development throughout their careers and shall provide opportunities for the professional development of those engineers under their supervision.
4.
Engineers shall act in professional matters for each employer or client as faithful agents or trustees , and shall avoid conflicts of interest .
5.
Engineers shall build their professional reputations on the merit of their services and shall not compete unfairly with others.
6.
Engineers shall associate only with reputable persons or organizations.
7.
Engineers shall issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner .

Biomedical engineering is a learned profession that combines expertise and responsibilities in engineering, science, technology, and medicine. Mindful that public health and welfare are paramount considerations in each of these areas, the Society identifies in this Code principles of ethical conduct in professional practice, health care, research, and training . This Code reflects voluntary standards of professional and personal practice recommended for biomedical engineers.
Biomedical Engineering Professional Obligations
Biomedical engineers in the fulfillment of their professional engineering duties shall:
1. Use their knowledge, skills, and abilities to enhance the safety, health, and welfare of the public .
2. Strive by action, example, and influence to increase the competence, prestige, and honor of the biomedical engineering profession.
Biomedical Engineering Health Care Obligations
Biomedical engineers involved in health care activities shall:
1. Regard responsibility toward and rights of patients , including those of confidentiality and privacy, as a primary concern.
2. Consider the broader consequences of their work in regard to cost, availability, and delivery of health care .

Biomedical Engineering Research Obligations
Biomedical engineers involved in research shall:
1. Comply fully with legal, ethical, institutional, governmental, and other applicable research guidelines, respecting the rights of and exercising the responsibilities to human and animal subjects, colleagues, the scientific community and the general public .
2. Publish and/or present properly credited results of research accurately and clearly .
Biomedical Engineering Training Obligations
Biomedical engineers entrusted with the responsibilities of training others shall:
1. Honor the responsibility not only to train biomedical engineering students in proper professional conduct in performing research and publishing results, but also to model such conduct before them.
2. Keep training methods and content free from inappropriate influence of special interests .

“It is a staggeringly small world that is below. In the year 2000, when they look back at this age, they will wonder why it was not until the year 1960 that anybody began seriously to move in this direction. “
Richard Feynman, “There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom: An Invitation to Enter a New Field of Physics , ” delivered to American Physical Society
Dec. 1959, http://www.zyvex.com/nanotech/feynman.html
“There are many people, including myself, who are quite queasy about the consequences of this technology for the future. We are talking about changing so many things that the risk of society handling it poorly through lack of preparation is very large.”
K, Eric Dresler, “Introduction to Nanotechnology,” in Prospects in
Nanotechnology: Toward Molecular Manufacturing (Proceedings of the
First General Conference on Nanotechnology: Development, Applications
and Opportunities), ed. By Markus Krummenacker and James Lewis, New
York: Wiley and Sons, 1995, p. 21, as cited in Michael Crichton, Prey,
HarperCollins, Hammersmith, London, 2003, p. xiii.

• The science Feynman envisioned in 1959 is a reality
• Vanderbilt, and VUSE in particular, are centers of nanotechnology research
• There are great concerns about public awareness, education and discussion of the possible consequences of nanotechnology

Vanderbilt Engineering to Lead New Defense Nanotechnology Program
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Vanderbilt School of Engineering will lead a new multimillion-dollar multi-institutional nanotechnology program funded by the U.S.
Army Research Laboratory to develop radically improved electronics, sensors, windows, uniforms, and other critical defense systems.
The Advanced Carbon Nanotechnology Research Program will explore carbons
…“The goal of this cutting-edge research is to gain control of structures and devices at atomic and molecular levels and to learn to efficiently manufacture and use these devices,” says Jimmy L. Davidson, principal investigator of the new program.
Davidson, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Materials Science
Engineering, will coordinate the research efforts of the five institutions also involved in the program, including North Carolina State University, University of Kentucky, University of Florida, International Technology Center at
Research Triangle Park in North Carolina.

Davidson points out that, although carbon is the most versatile of elements and is the foundation of most fuel, synthetic materials and biological systems, little is known about the element’s behavior at the nanoscale level…“Research discoveries at the nanoscale have led to unique properties of carbon nanotubes, quantum wires and dots, thin films, DNAbased structures, and laser emitters,” Davidson says. “Yet using carbon as a building block in this promising new area of science is a potentially boundless resource not sufficiently explored in today’s research endeavors.”
In addition to conducting research into carbon-based nanotechnology, the new program will train graduate students to work in the emerging field and will establish close interactions among U.S. industry and government laboratories.
The Army Research Laboratory is providing $2.4 million for the program’s first year of operation. Initial goals will involve developing diamond/carbon nanostructures for biological and chemical sensors, developing a new energy-conversion devices, and developing electron emission devices for advanced electronics.

Biological and chemical sensors: Research will focus on developing carbon-derived nanotubes, electrodes and microtips for detection of toxic chemical agents.
Energy-conversion device: Thermal-electric energy conversion devices based on diamond/carbon vacuum field emitter nanostructures can provide power and cooling systems that are more efficient, clean, and environmentally friendly.
Electron emission devices: New cold-cathode electron emitters and gated field emission devices can be developed for high performance, efficiency and reliability in advanced electronics. Infrared-emission displays can be used in infrared imaging and sensing equipment.
These materials may also be useful for medical, biological and chemical applications.

Biological and chemical sensors: Research will focus on developing carbon-derived nanotubes, electrodes and microtips for detection of toxic chemical agents.
Energy-conversion device: Thermal-electric energy conversion devices based on diamond/carbon vacuum field emitter nanostructures can provide power and cooling systems that are more efficient, clean, and environmentally friendly.
Electron emission devices: New cold-cathode electron emitters and gated field emission devices can be developed for high performance, efficiency and reliability in advanced electronics. Infrared-emission displays can be used in infrared imaging and sensing equipment.
These materials may also be useful for medical, biological and chemical applications.

* Nanotechnology's highest and best use should be to create a world of abundance where no one is lacking for their basic needs. Those needs include adequate food, safe water, a clean environment, housing, medical care, education, public safety, fair labor, unrestricted travel, artistic expression and freedom from fear and oppression.
* High priority must be given to the efficient and economical global distribution of the products and services created by nanotechnology.
* Military research and applications of nanotechnology must be limited to defense and security systems, and not for political purposes or aggression.
* Scientists developing and experimenting with nanotechnology must have a solid grounding in ecology and public safety, or have someone on their team who does.

* Nanotechnology's highest and best use should be to create a world of abundance where no one is lacking for their basic needs. Those needs include adequate food, safe water, a clean environment, housing, medical care, education, public safety, fair labor, unrestricted travel, artistic expression and freedom from fear and oppression.
* High priority must be given to the efficient and economical global distribution of the products and services created by nanotechnology.
* Military research and applications of nanotechnology must be limited to defense and security systems, and not for political purposes or aggression.
* Scientists developing and experimenting with nanotechnology must have a solid grounding in ecology and public safety, or have someone on their team who does.

* All published research and discussion of nanotechnology should be accurate as possible, adhere to the scientific method, and give due credit to sources.
* Published debates over nanotechnology, including chat room discussions, should focus on advancing the merits of the arguments rather than personal attacks.
* Business models in the field should incorporate long-term, sustainable practices.
* Industry leaders should be collaborative and self-regulating, but also support public education in the sciences and reasonable legislation to deal with legal and social issues associated with nanotechnology.
Nanotechnology Now, http://nanotech-now.com/ethics-of-nanotechnology.htm
, see also The Foresight Institute, http://www.foresight.org
and http://www.thecbc.org/redesigned/pdfs/techno_04.pdf

PEOPLE
Recruiters,Advisors, Mentors
Graduates, Consultants
IDEAS
Research
Applications
SUPPORT
Academia
Education, Research, Applications
Industry

• Universities depend increasingly on industrial contributions
Gifts
Sponsored research
Clinical Trials Centers —ethical conflicts
• Universities are also trying to capitalize on ideas, inventions, intellectual property developed in their research enterprises
Industry needs to protect research
Universities need to publish research
Compromise: Publish only after an interval
• Vanderbilt’s Office of Technology Transfer and Enterprise
Development
Dr. Chris McKinney, Director
VU will not pursue ownership on sr. design work
• Reference: Derek Bok, Universities in the Marketplace: The
Commercialization of Higher Education, Princeton University
Press, 2003

THE DILEMMA OF BIOENGINEERING
RESEARCH ON HUMAN SUBJECTS
“Times are difficult for researchers using human subjects.”
The Scientist 14:1, 2000.

“Make the rules protecting patients too lax, and subjects will suffer and even die needlessly. Make them too strict, and lifesaving medications won’t make it out of the lab quickly enough to help the people who need them most.”
Time, April 22, 2002.

TIMELINE: 1932 - present
2000 – OHRP
1991 – The Common Rule (OHSR)
1979 – Belmont Report
1974 – National Research Act (OPRR)
1999 – death of Jesse
Gelsinger
1970 – Tuskegee Study exposed
1964 – Declaration of Helsinki
1947 – Nuremberg Code
1950’s – Thalidomide tragedy
1940 – Nazi medical experiments

THE NAZI DOCTORS
At a second trial of medical underlings, Dr. Edward
Katzenellenbogen, a former member of the faculty of the Harvard Medical School, asked the court for the death sentence. “Any physician who committed the crimes I am charged with deserves to be killed,” he exclaimed. He was given life imprisonment.
Shirer WL. The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, 1960.

Nuremberg Code (1947)
“ ethical yardstick against which defendants were judged”
• informed consent
• risk & benefit (equipoise)
• subject can terminate her/his involvement
• experiment should be based upon prior animal studies
• only scientifically qualified individuals should conduct human experimentation
• physical and mental suffering and injury should be avoided
• there should be no expectation that death or disabling injury will occur from the experiment

USPHS Study of Syphilis
• 1932: Started as a short study (6-8 months) with 200-
300 syphilitic black males in
Macon County
• Free medical examinations
• Not told of their disease, not treated
• Study continued with yearly physicals

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