Fundamental principles of fluid, heat, and mass transfer with particular emphasis on physiological and biomedical systems.
Prerequisites: BMED 2210 and MATH 2551 (or MATH 2401) and MATH 2552 (or MATH 2403) and CS 1371 and PHYS 2211
Credit Hours: 3
Average GPA: 2.85
Biotransport looks at the biomedical approach to understanding the movement of mass, fluid or heat in physical systems. Fluid dynamics is one part of what you study here, and blood vessel flow is the perfect example of this. Mass transfer is important in areas such as drug delivery and nutrient delivery to tissue-engineered constructs. Heat transfer is important in areas such as cryoprotection of tissues. You must apply fluid dynamics principles, such as Reynolds Transport Theorem and Navier-Stokes to solve problems concerning drug delivery, blood vessel transport, etc. The class is taught in a Problem-Solving Studio (PSS) setting, similar to that of BMED 2210. This involves working collaboratively on problems with classmates, applying the concepts you’ve learned about in lecture, and tackling difficult problems while engaging with the TAs and professors in class.
The tip: This is a fast-paced class so practice, practice, practice! Do the frequent homework, go to every PSS and/or PLUS session, attend office hours, and form study groups. Remember that mass and heat transfer are similar and draw parallels to help in faster understanding.
Recall: Differential Equations, Multivariable Calculus, BMED 3100, and BMED 2210.
Spend your time.., Doing all the problems you can get your hands on, including homework, sample questions from lecture, and recitation. Understand all of the problems and approaches very well. Utilize both TA and professor office hours. Read the notes before class to make sure you get the most out of lecture.
Take Home: Understanding of fluid dynamic and mass transport problems as they relate to bodily functions.