30 Biomedical Engineering Interview Questions and Answers

Biomedical engineers are in charge of some of the most cutting-edge medical technology used today, from inventing artificial organs to producing new medical gadgets.

Concerning issues with patient care, biomedical engineers research and develop answers to medical and biological issues. A typical job for a biomedical engineer is operating and troubleshooting biomedical equipment as a medical technician or in a company’s research and development division.

R&D biomedical engineers use their knowledge to create innovative medical instruments and devices. On a daily basis, biomedical engineers who are also technicians offer technical assistance to maintain, repair, install, or alter biomedical equipment.

They must also instruct other employees on how to utilize the tools properly. In an interview, biomedical engineers must be ready to respond to a variety of inquiries about their work because this rapidly expanding sector is continuously changing.

In this post, we’ll look over biomedical engineer interview questions ranging from basic to advanced.

1. What exactly is Biomedical Engineering?

To enhance human health and life, biomedical engineering combines conventional engineering methods with biological sciences and medicine.

The field focuses on both the creation of tools, techniques, and algorithms that enhance medical and biological knowledge while enhancing the efficacy and delivery of clinical treatment, as well as the understanding of complex living systems through experimental and analytical methodologies.

2. Can you describe the work that biomedical engineers conduct in your own words?

The work that biomedical engineers conduct is quite diverse. They can work in clinics, colleges, businesses, or laboratories.

Their responsibilities also include designing and developing medical devices, artificial organs, therapy plans, lab layouts, and a wide range of medical sensors.

3. What do the terms “biomechanics” and “biomechanical engineering” mean, and how are they applied?

Biomechanics is the study and simulation of medical issues and systems using the principles of mechanics. This field can be used to create models for things like fluid transfer and a limb’s range of motion.

Artificial hearts, kidneys, and joints are a few prosthetic organs and limbs that have been created using biomechanical engineering.

4. How would you create a medical tool to enable a person with spinal damage to walk once more?

I would start by taking into account the patient’s general health and any other illnesses that could limit their movement. I would next create a machine that could sustain the patient’s weight while simultaneously giving them support while they walked.

For instance, I can create a compact exoskeleton that helps the patient walk forward with the use of crutches or a cane. The patient would have a secure means of transportation thanks to this kind of device, which is simple to move from location to location.

5. What Is BMI, Exactly?

BMI stands for body mass index. A person’s height and weight are compared. It is computed by dividing a person’s weight by height squared.

6. DNA fingerprinting: What is it?

Genetic fingerprinting, commonly referred to as DNA fingerprinting, is a method of identifying people by their DNA sequence. It’s mostly used in forensics.

For DNA fingerprinting, the Polymerase Chain Reaction and Short Tandem Repeats procedures are frequently used.

7. Describe MRI in detail.

The acronym for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is magnetic resonance imaging. It is a form of medical imaging that offers a thorough anatomy of internal organs, especially soft tissues.

A strong magnetic field is used in MRI to produce images and models of the intended organ.

8. What exactly is a bio-instrumentation?

The term “bio-instrumentation” describes the process of employing certain technology, apparatus, and equipment to create biomechanical devices to cure illnesses and injuries.

It combines the application of engineering concepts and procedures to complete a task in the biomedical industry.

9. What is disease Alzheimer’s?

The most prevalent type of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. It is a brain condition brought on by the misfolding of tau protein. This condition is terminal. This illness is degenerative. It can be identified with a PET or MRI scan.

10. What Wave Patterns Can Be Spotted During An Eeg Scan?

A sleep-related wave pattern called delta, drowsiness-inducing theta, relaxing alpha, thinking-inducing beta, and gamma are all visible in an EEG scan. A mu-rhythm is also seen in alpha.

11. Describe the blood-brain barrier.

When blood circulation is separated from the brain’s extracellular fluid, the central nervous system experiences blood-brain barriers (BECF). Every capillary exhibits this characteristic.

The capillaries are surrounded by tight junctions, which are absent from normal circulation. Glucose and other metabolic products are actively transported over the barrier by barrier cells using certain proteins.

Along with a thick basement membrane, this barrier also comprises of astrocytic end foot.

12. What is a microarray and how is it utilized, please?

A microarray is a matrix-like array used to study DNA sequences, according to the definition. These instruments are employed in many DNA or genomic research, including gene expression profiling, single nucleotide polymorphism detection, alternative splicing detection, and others.

Many genetic tests can be conducted concurrently using microarray chips, which are used by certain businesses.

13. What is the DNA fingerprinting principle explained?

Genetic fingerprinting is a method that uses DNA fingerprinting. The DNA sequence can be utilized in this method to identify a person. Forensics is the primary use of DNA fingerprinting.

The polymerase Chain Reaction is the fundamental mechanism behind DNA fingerprinting. DNA profiling is another name for this method in common usage.

14. What steps do you take to ensure the security and effectiveness of a medical tool or procedure?

I begin by going through the project requirements and client expectations. I then make a schedule for doing research, coming up with prototypes, and testing the apparatus or method.

I evaluate the findings following each testing step and make any necessary improvements. As a result, I can give my customers precise information regarding the efficacy and safety of their goods.

15. What is system physiology?

Systems physiology focuses on comprehending how systems inside live creatures work at the microscopic and submicroscopic levels, from drug d-g response to metabolic systems and illness response, voluntary limb movements to skin healing, and auditory physiology.

This field of study uses mathematical formulas in testing and simulation.

16. Medical imaging: What is it?

Medical imaging is used to recognize and classify health issues including cancers, deformities, and the like by combining electronic data processing, analysis, and presentation with an understanding of physical phenomena.

Other methods like ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are frequently employed.

17. List the most widely used technologies in medical imaging.

Medical imaging technology is employed in the fields of healthcare and research in a wide variety of ways. Nuclear medicine, electron microscopy, computer tomography, radiography, thermography, fluoroscopy, ultrasound, and positron emission tomography, or PET, are some of these.

The kind of imaging that is employed depends on the sort of study that is being done or the type of medical practice.

18. Are you familiar with LMO?

A living modified organism is referred to as LMO. LMOs are those creatures that have undergone genetic modification using biotechnology.

LMO encompasses both creatures that have undergone mutagenesis or conventional breeding and selection processes, as well as those that have undergone innovative recombinant DNA procedures. The ability of LMOs to consume hazardous waste is important.

19. What exactly is therapeutic cloning used for, and how?

DNA or a section of a DNA strand is duplicated during therapeutic cloning. It is referred to as somatic cell nuclear transfer at times. Stem cell-containing embryos are used in cloning.

Embryonic stem cells can regenerate and are pluripotent, which means they can develop into any of the more than 220 kinds of cells that can be found in the human body.

20. What steps are taken to determine the dose while evaluating a new drug?

I start by considering the patient’s age, weight, and general health when figuring out how much medication to prescribe. Then I take into account any existing ailments and the symptoms they are exhibiting.

The optimal dose is then calculated using an algorithm that I developed using my technical expertise. This is crucial because it ensures that patients take the appropriate dosage of medication without going overboard.

21. What is the gene conversion technique?

Gene conversion is a type of DNA genetic recombination event. This happens often during meiotic division, but it also happens in somatic cells. We can transmit DNA information from one DNA helix to another whose sequence has been changed using this method.

This method can also be used to achieve gene mutation. It might result in non-Mendelian inheritance. This effect has frequently been observed in fungal crosses.

22. Can you define a pathogen and list some common pathogen characteristics?

The word pathogen refers to any organism that feeds on other species. Pathogens are spread by a multitude of channels, including airborne, direct or indirect touch, sexual contact, blood, and other bodily fluids.

Pathogens might be viral, bacterial, or fungal in nature. Pathogens are most frequently linked with sickness, but they can also are used to eradicate pests and combat the disease that they produce, such as with a flu vaccination.

23. We aim to make our surgical instruments safer. What materials would you use to strengthen them?

High-strength steel is ideal for surgical instruments since it is lightweight and robust, making it ideal for medical purposes. I’ve previously worked with surgeons who utilized our company’s tools, so I know they’re already constructed of high-strength steel.

However, if I were developing a new product line, I would consider including titanium in the mix as well. It is more durable than steel yet lighter than aluminum.

24. What exactly is RCCS? 

RCCS is an abbreviation for rotary cell culture system. It is a device used in microgravity to produce three-dimensional cell clusters. NASA created this apparatus to examine the cell tissues of animals, including humans, in microgravity.

Tissues developed in the RCCS are bigger, three-dimensional, and have structural and chemical properties similar to normal tissue. Because RCCS has no moving parts, cells are less prone to damage and hence have a longer life period.

25. How have you used computer programs or software to improve medical processes or devices?

In my previous role, I was part of a team that used MATLAB and LabVIEW to create novel medical equipment. These two apps enabled us to swiftly construct prototypes for our products and test them before finalizing the design.

These programs were also utilized to examine data from people who tried our products.

26. Explain the biological neuron model. What distinguishes it from a synthetic neuron?

The biological neuron model is also known as the spiking neuron model. This model is a mathematical representation of the qualities of a nerve cell or neuron.

This model is designed to predict and describe biological processes. This differs from artificial neurons in that artificial neurons are based on computational efficacy. The artificial neuron output is determined by the synaptic weight.

27. What exactly is a prosthetic limb?

It is a synthetic appliance that can be used to replace a lost bodily component. It is based on the biomechatronics idea. It can be used to replace body parts that were lost at birth, as a result of an injury, or as a result of a defect.

The biggest disadvantage of prosthetic limbs is their high cost. Furthermore, owing to wear and tear, prosthetic limbs must be changed every 3-4 years. If the limb contains fitted tissues, the sockets in the limb must be updated once a month.

28. What makes introns and exons different from one another?

Any nucleotide sequence that is deleted from a gene by RNA splicing to create the gene’s final mature RNA product is referred to as an intron. Both the DNA sequence found within a gene and the matching segment in RNA transcripts is referred to as introns.

Most organisms’ genes as well as those of many viruses contain introns.

An exon is a DNA sequence or the RNA transcript of one. broadly speaking. A nucleic acid sequence known as an exon can be found in the mature form of an RNA molecule.

29. What distinguishes retroviruses from proviruses?

A reverse transcriptase enzyme is needed to copy a retrovirus, an RNA virus that can infect a host cell. Its RNA genome can be used to create DNA. The integrase enzyme subsequently incorporates the newly created DNA into the host’s genome.

The RNA virus then reproduces by assimilating into the DNA of the host cell. The viral family Retroviridae includes enveloped viruses known as retroviruses.

A provirus is a virus whose genome can bind to the DNA of the host cell. In dormant viral infections, the virus replicates via the replication of its host cell rather than by itself. This condition can persist for several host cell generations.

30. Which direction do you believe biomedical engineering is headed?

Considerably more can be done with biomedical engineering, in my opinion. Since it can enable us to produce more customized medical equipment at a reduced price, I’m particularly interested in the utilization of 3D printing technology in this area.

Nevertheless, I am aware that integrating new technology into healthcare settings might be difficult. I would make every effort to integrate these new technologies while upholding safety requirements.

Conclusion

By integrating the engineering sciences with the biological sciences and clinical practice, biomedical engineering is a subject that increases knowledge in engineering, biology, and medicine while also enhancing human health.

To help you ace the interview, here are the finest biomedical engineering interview questions, ranging from simple to complex. See Hashdork’s Interview Series for help with interview preparation.