From the editor
Grand Challenges
in Biomedical Engineering
Michael R. Neuman
I
n October 2012, I had the opportunity
to attend the Grand Challenges in
Biomedical Engineering Conference
organized by the IEEE Life Sciences Ini-
tiative. It was one of the best conferences
that I have attended in recent years, and I
came away from the day and a half meet-
ing with a much better appreciation of the
contributions that biomedical engineer-
ing has made to life sciences and clinical
care as well as knowledge of some of the
exciting new engineering approaches that
are being applied in these areas. An excel-
lent group of well-recognized speakers
presented recent developments and con-
tinuing challenges (many of these grand
as well as some lesser ones) that bio-
medical engineers should address or are
already addressing. Needless to say, a day
and a half conference cannot present all
of the grand challenges in our specialty,
and the meeting did tend to emphasize
some areas more than others. There were,
however, some subareas of our specialty
that could have been linked together
in ways other than those suggested by
the speakers.
One such area that interested me is
the range of issues surrounding inter-
faces with the body. There were several
presentations that talked about electrical
interfaces such as the brain–computer
interface, applied neural control systems,
and deep-brain electrical stimulation.
Indeed, the whole problem of connecting
to the nervous system in a meaningful
way is one of the important challenges
in biomedical engineering and neurosci-
ence. However, there are other interfaces
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MPUL.2012.2228796
Date of publication: 13 February 2013
that chemical interfaces with the body
are also as important as the electrical
ones. During much of biomedical engi-
neering’s brief lifetime, ways to sense
chemical activity in the body have been
investigated, although these are not as
well developed as the electrical interfaces.
In a way, these interfaces are more chal-
lenging than the electrical ones, even
with the body that are equally important though the latter often involve chemical
that were not highlighted in the same reactions as well. For example, one of the
way. The interaction of ionizing and non- major challenges in treating diabetes with
ionizing radiation with the body has led a system that behaves as an “artificial
to major developments in biomedical pancreas” is to develop a chronic implant-
imaging over the last 50 years, and, as we able glucose sensor that can remain viable
learned at the conference, there are some for many years. Although the field has
exciting imaging areas lying ahead. As successfully developed sensors that are
long as I have been aware reliable for several days,
of biomedical engineer- these are not suitable for
ing, there has been the During much long-term implantation
continuing problem of of biomedical as a part of this prosthetic
interfacing materials of engineering’s brief pancreas system. All of
nonbiologic origin with the other components of
lifetime, ways to
the body both internally the system are at a point
and, in some cases, exter-
sense chemical where they are almost
nally. The whole issue activity in the ready to be deployed, but
of biocompatibility for body have been the sensor is still the miss-
devices, components, and investigated. ing link.
even transplanted organs One can make the
is still a major unsolved same argument for other
problem that was an important aspect internal or even external sensors of body
of many of the challenges covered in the chemistry. To use closed-loop control
conference; however, most of the discus- systems as therapeutic agents for clini-
sions of this topic occurred during the cal problems has been a goal of biomedi-
social events as opposed to the sessions. cal engineering for many years. The rate
As a degree-carrying electrical engi- responsive pacemaker is an example of
neer, I am pleased whenever someone this effort—whereby the pacemaker can
talks about electrical properties and respond to changing body conditions just
interfaces with living systems because it as the natural heart would do with input
is an area that I have a chance of under- from the autonomic nervous system and
standing. After all, electricity has played some of the body’s natural chemical sen-
a significant role in the biomedical engi- sors. Although the pacemaker research-
neering approach to living systems, as ers and industry have come up with some
evidenced by the examples mentioned solutions to this problem, getting internal
above and having an entire session at the sensors that can respond to the chemical
conference devoted to it. Yet, the electrical signals that help maintain homeostasis
signals in the body are usually the result just as the body’s natural chemical sen-
of some chemical interaction, and much sors do is still a challenge. When one
of the body can be considered a chemical– considers that the lifetime of a modern
biochemical machine as opposed to an pacemaker currently is 8–12 years, one
electrical one. Thus, I would like to argue must also expect the chemical sensors
january/february 2013  ▼  ieee pulse 3
to have a similar lifetime. Unfortunately,
this is still a technological challenge.
So, since I was not asked to list
my grand challenges for biomedical
engineering at the conference, I will do
it here. We need to overcome the limi-
tations of interfacing biomedical engi-
neering devices with living systems. The
interface must deal with electrical, chem-
ical, mechanical, materials, and optical
connections to the body. Interfaces must
include those that are internal or indwell-
ing as well as those on the body surface
or even remotely located from the body.
The interfaces must be capable of single
or bidirectional transmission of informa-
tion, and they must do this with minimal
interference to normal bodily functions.
This is by no means a simple task or, I am
sure, it would have been solved by now.
It involves understanding the physiol-
ogy of foreign material interactions with
the body as well as current and future
therapeutic interventions to minimize
the deleterious effects of these interac-
tions. Can stealth materials be developed
that the body will not see and try to fight
off? Are there geometries that are less
confrontational to biologic systems that
could be used in interfacial systems? How
can blood perfusion be maintained in the
presence of interfaces when it is needed
4  ieee pulse  ▼  january/february 2013
and avoided when it is not? I am sure sensing textiles. In my opinion, the most
that there are many other similar ques- important aspect of addressing this chal-
tions that could be asked and need to be lenge will be keeping an open mind and
addressed, but I think you get the idea of thinking beyond the current limits of
what I am saying. one’s discipline.
Is this an impossible challenge that The most important thing to remem-
will never be solved? I will not go so far as ber is that we face many grand chal-
to say that, but it clearly is a challenge that lenges and we have many opportunities
will require a lot of work to address them. Don’t
and a lot of understand- worry, the challenges
ing before it is met. It cer- In my opinion, the presented at the confer-
tainly is not a challenge most important ence are not being kept
that is limited to the field aspect of addressing secret! As a matter of fact,
of biomedical engineer- a special issue of IEEE
this challenge will be
ing, even though we will Transactions on Biomedical
certainly have a strong keeping an open mind Engineering that includes
role to play in addressing and thinking beyond papers based upon the
it. As with most of the the current limits of presentations and discus-
grand challenges in bio- one’s discipline. sions at the conference is
medical engineering, this scheduled for March 2013,
one involves just about and this certainly will be
every scientific discipline. Clearly life sci- an issue not to be missed. In a relatively
ence and engineering are involved, but new field such as biomedical engineer-
so are chemistry, physics, mathemat- ing, there are often more questions than
ics, and psychology. Who knows, other answers, and that is one reason it is such
fields often considered far removed from an exciting field in which to work. Even
biomedical engineering such as fashion though the conference may have missed a
design and visual and performing arts grand challenge or two, what was clear is
might be considered as well. Certainly, the that there were plenty to go around for all
recent field of wearable sensors incorpo- of us. Now all we have to do is to choose
rated into garments involves the former, our challenges and get to work!
and already investigators are developing