PREFACE >T»he period between 1960 and 1970 can be called the initiation of the ·*• A g e of Space. W e witnessed space spectaculars that climaxed with the landing of an American astronaut on the lunar surface. Equally pos sible is that we w i l l look back and call the 1970s the initiation of the Age of M a n . W e w i l l have witnessed spectaculars i n environment, medi cine, and the interaction between man and his environment. A large part of the Age of M a n w i l l belong to a new breed of professional—the bio medical engineer. As a new profession, engineering i n medicine is becoming more of a pronounced theme in today's academic and industrial society. Initial emphasis has been placed on the advancements that can result from the engineers technical development ability. Already significant develop ments have resulted from applying quantitative engineering to the prin ciples of physics. The development of sophisticated electronic monitoring equipment, biomedical instrumentation, and the optimum design of cer tain artificial devices are examples of areas generally associated with biomedical engineering. Yet a field of engineering that perhaps offers more potential signifi cance to medical and biological evolution than all others is that of fundamental, quantitative systems analysis of basic physicochemical bio logical processes. Likewise, overall design, development, and practical applied engineering i n medicine and biology are confronted frequently with the need for a physicochemical systems approach. Therefore qualitative and quantitative analysis of medical and bio logical processes requires cognition i n terms of not only physics and mathematics but also chemistry. The uniqueness of chemical engineering as compared with other engineering disciplines (raison dette) is that in addition to mathematics, chemical engineering is based on two funda mental sciences—chemistry and physics. O f equal importance is that a chemical engineer is systems oriented instead of object oriented. Consequently, the philosophy of chemical engineering combined with biological training is singularly adaptable today for a comprehensive investigation of fundamental biological processes heretofore impossible to analyze. Whether such development w i l l occur remains to be seen. If developed, whether it w i l l be in the name of chemical engineering or a new branch of biomedical engineering depends on the biological flexi-
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bility of chemical engineering. It is said that chemical engineering would never have developed into a profession had mechanical engineers been willing to study chemistry. The theme of the papers contained herein is closely allied to the systems analysis concept of chemical engineering i n medicine. The papers are divided sequentially into four categories—general, engineering pedi atrics, physiological control, and biochemical sensors. E a c h category emphasizes the diverse type of basic investigation and developmental design that is possible from an overall analysis using mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology with the philosophy of chemical engineering. DANIEL
Ruston, Louisiana August 1972
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