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Nov 30, 1529
Amputations to Prostetics
First used in 1529, amputees were use throughout World War 1 and World War 2 to stop infectious diseases from spreading to the rest of the body. From this, the idea fro prosthetics was brought about as a way to give amputees a chance at a more normal life after their service in the military. -
Washington's Teeth
You may already be familiar with this, but a large step for biomedical engineering s well as dental construction was George Washington's four set of dentures he had. Each set fit perfectly in his mouth and was made of something entirely different than the others: ivory, gold, lead, and human and animal teeth. -
First Stethoscope
In 1816, physician Rene Laennec was weary of putting his ear to a woman's bare back to examine her. Alternatively, he rolled up a piece of paper and listened through one side while having th other side press up against her back. -
Electrophysiology
An early landmark in electrophysiology occurred in 1848 when DuBois Reymond published the widely recognized Ueber die tierische Elektrizitaet. -
X Ray Discovery
In 1895, Wilhelm Roentgen accidentally discovered that a cathode-ray tube could make a sheet of paper coated with barium platinocyanide glow, even when the tube and the paper were in separate rooms. He came to the conclusion that this meant that the tube was somehow emitting some kind of penetrating rays. Research started to develop around the tissue-penetrating and tissue-destroying properties of X-rays. This research was the basis for what is used now for the modern array of medical imaging. -
Training
Between World War I and World War II a number of laboratories undertook research in biophysics and biomedical engineering. Only one offered formal training: the Oswalt Institute for Physics in Medicine, established in 1921 in Frankfurt, Germany. -
X-Rays on Plants
X-rays were first used to deliberately mutate plants in 1927. Scientists used the harmful rays to see the negative effects radiation has on not only the plant but also its offspring, opening the door for genetic mutation. -
Biophysical Society
Following the second world war, in 1943, a biophysical society was formed in Germany. It's main purpose was to combine medicine engineering and biology to help create tools and accelerate medical advancements. -
U.S. Conference
Under the sponsorship of the American Institute of Engineering, the Instrument Society of America, and the Institute of Radio Engineers, the first conference of engineering in medicine and biology convened in the United States. -
Egyptian Mummies
In 1956, two artificial toes believed to have belonged to Egyptian mummies were dated back to 1265 B.C. -
Genetic Engineering
Genetic engineering has been used to produce proteins derived from humans and other sources in organisms that normally cannot synthesize these proteins. Human insulin-synthesising bacteria were developed in 1979 and were first used as a treatment in 1982. In 1988 the first human antibodies were produced in plants. In 2000 Vitamin A-enriched golden rice, was the first food with increased nutrient value -
First Electron Micrscope
The first version of the electron microscope was constructed by both Reinhold Rudenberg and Siemens Schuckertwerke in 1986. It has since been copied and remodeled in order to keep up with the high demands of today's frequently changing societal needs. -
Wooden Prosthetic Discovered
In 2000, German archeologists uncovered a 3,000-year-old mummy from Thebes with a wooden prosthetic tied to its foot to serve as a big toe. -
Promotion of Biomedical Engineering
Even though there are events that helped create the field of biomedical engineering, it still is a recently newly developed field. With that, President Clinton helped launch the relatively new field into full effect when he signed a bill allowing for the creation of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering at the NIH. -
Technology Used Today
First debuted in 2009 and still in use today, bioartificial livers constructed from hollow fibre reactors and pig liver cells are routinely used to support failing livers in human patients.