Wednesday, April 4, 2007

Animal experiments, ethics and regulations


As a Biomedical Engineer, one may be involved up to certain levels in some animal experiments .This involvement can alter based on the nature of project. some may only work with data already obtained from in vivo or in vitro tests while others may have be in direct contact with animals.

I won't go through the question of if we have the right to perform animal experiments and to which extent. Here, I will consider readers, already in some degree of contact with animals and animal experiments.

In Switzerland, the animal experiments are allowed but under strict laws and regulation : Formative courses are done and regulations are checked continuously; research project which develop and use alternative methods to animal experiments are encouraged;principle of RRR (Reduction, Replacement and Refinement) are getting more and more recognized and so on.
However, I believe that finally, it is every single scientist that should be aware of ethics in this issue. This is not a simple subjects and there are several debates on it. I would suggest to keep your sensibility on the subject and Respect some ethical issues and while respecting animals.

for further information , check out:

Monday, April 2, 2007

Complex Biomedical Devices and Immunoresponse of the body

One of the basic requirements of materials used in medical devices is their biocompatibiliy. They should not raise severe immunoresponses that can be hazardous for the patient or may alter the functionality of the device.

Biomedical devices are becoming more and more complex containing different combinations of drugs, biological and instrumental components. Recent studies shows while the effect of each combination may be known, the presence of them together, may lead to some unexpected complications.
Looking for more simple explanations?
Take a look at the following link of The Georgia Institute of Technology ,