Biomedical Signal and Image Processing (BSIP) Track

Biomedical signal and image processing is the study of bio/medical phenomena based on the information embedded in sensor-detected signals, including digital images and nerve electrical pulses.  It draws upon advances in signal processing, optics, probe chemisistry, electrical sensors, molecular biology, and machine learning, to provide answers to biological and medical questions.  Students in this track will gain understanding of the technologies involved in acquiring signals and images, the mathematical principles underlying the processing and analysis of signals, and the applications of signal/image processing in basic research and medicine.

This track aligns most naturally with a combined training of BME and Electrical & Computer Engineering.  A biomedical signal and image processing specialist will have a broad background to enter companies developing technologies for medical imaging or smart prosthetics, to pursue a career in basic biomedical research by going to a graduate school, or to enter a medical school to pursue a medical career particularly in radiology, neurology/neurosurgery, and pathology.

In addition to the general BME requirements, students in the CMBT Track must take the following:

BSIP Gateway Course (required)
18-290 Signals and Systems – Fall/Spring

BIMG Track Electives (choose 3)
03-534 Biological Imaging and Fluorescent Spectroscopy - Spring
18-491 Digital Signal Processing - Fall or Spring
18-792 Advanced Digital Signal Processing - Fall
18-799A Special Topics in Signal Processing: Registration in Bioimaging - Intermittent
42-334/03-310 Introduction to Computational Molecular Biology - Spring
42-426 BioSensors and BioMEMS – Spring, every other year
42-431/18-496 Introduction to Biomedical Imaging and Image Analysis – Fall
42-590/18-699A Special Topics in Signal Processing: Neural Signal Processing – Spring
42-640/24-658 Computational Bio-modeling and Visualization - Spring
42-660 Surgery for Engineers ** – Fall/Spring
42-735/16-725 Medical Image Analysis – Intermittent
42-X00 BME Research **

** The 42-x00 research project (42-200/300/400 Sophomore/Junior/Senior Biomedical Engineering Research Project OR 39-500 CIT Honors Thesis) must be on a BME topic supervised or co-supervised by a BME faculty member and conducted for 9 or more units of credit.  Students may count EITHER 42-x00 BME Research OR 39-500 CIT Honors Research (with BME supervision) OR 42-660 Surgery for Engineers as a track elective.  Students MAY NOT count both research and Surgery for Engineers as track electives.

Sample Schedules

• BME & ECE double major, class of 2009-2011 (PDF)
• BME & ECE double major, class of 2012 (PDF)

Course Planning Worksheet (doc, pdf)

(Update 10/03/09)