Sample SOP – Biomedical Engineering

First Draft

Healthcare is a field which has so many research opportunity. In current world every process is going more fast and accurate with the help of technology. My dream is to apply same technology in medical for better innovation For example how artificial intelligence and machine learning help in diagnosis disease.

PROJECT 1
I along with my team am currently developing a NIVARAN (Non Invasive VitAl sign Respiratory ANalyzer) that works on the principle of biomechanics, signal processing. The aim of this system is to diagnosis the COVID19, provide fast, cost effective diagnosis and noninvasively. For example, the system would measure vital signs of body such as Lung pressure, breathing rate, Oxygen saturation, Temperature and suggest stage of COVID19 depending on the graphs and measure data. This system could also diagnosis COPD patient by measuring and displaying the real time graph of lung pressure. The biggest challenge we faced during the implementation of this project was to accurately detect COVID19 as its symptoms are not that much known that time. Apart from that design device such that test will become cost effective and no chance of contamination for other patient. Which sometimes led to ambiguity. Our aim is to have higher accuracy and less time consuming method to classify primary symptomatic patient for COVID19. Another aim is to provide rapid diagnosis. Device take hardly 4 to 5 minutes to classify person’s symptoms. We are using a machine learning algorithm to classify the symptoms. We use K means clustering for each symptoms to classify more accurately. Our system is being coded in python and we use Scikit-learn, keras, PyTorch, PyQT. This project has also been patented in an Indian Patent Office. Patent was publish on June 6th 2021, patent ID IN202021017788. We presented this device in international hackathon “Hack the crisis India”, Team got “6th rank” among 3000 team application and 15000+ students. Idea funded by the Student Startup Innovation Policy (SSIP), grant of $2100. Team got appreciation award from Alma mater for remarkable work in Lockdown. Nivaran Team also selected in TOP 30 teams in the “SAMADHAN India” Hackathon organise by the Ministry of Human Resources development. As team leader I was fortunate to present my team in all competition.

PROJECT 2
I and my team develop PRAN (Protective Respiratory Auxiliary Node) device to provide oxygen therapy to COVID patient and restore patient’s breathing cycle. Device measure the breathing and regulate the pressure from system. The system was built using Processor, Air compressor, Solenoid valve. Moreover, System also measures the SpO2, Breathing, lung pressure and exaltation of CO2. PRAN project was developed by the combine efforts of Industry and Biomedical department of L.D college of engineering. It provides me grate exposure to work in industry. Moreover, Industry provided work space and financial support of $1830 provided by college’s “Atal incubation centre” for prototype development. Patent published by Indian patent office

PROJECT 3
Apart from Project, I also develop algorithm to Enhancing Radiographic Dental Image Visualisation with Colourisation and Graphical User Interface. Algorithm was built using MATLAB, morphological operation and Pseudo colouring. Under the supervision of professor I develop an algorithm. By working on this project I learn medical processing, gray scale images, MATLAB and work with standardise datasets. These algorithm not only provide easiness to understand the complex gray scale image but these also provide smooth user interface for physician. These project is presented in Gujarat Industrial Hackathon. We publish This project as a research paper in “Journal of Image Processing & Pattern Recognition Progress Journal”

PROJECT 4
For my final year project titled eDRA (early Diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis), I headed a group of two members and worked under Assistant professor Bhavesh H Parmar. The project aimed to find ways of improvising on existing painful, time consuming and costly diagnosis method. For this, I got accustomed to working on concept and software like thermal signal processing, Biomechanics, Human anatomy and Python and used them to create a device. We analysis thermal data capture from the joint and feed them in algorithm for classification. On the basis of this analysis, device predicts stage of Arthritis. Further, we develop device mechanism in manner that it can compatible for all kind of joint. This project helped me improve my skill in biomechanics, signal processing and to achieve project grant of $700 for device development from Student Start up Innovation (SSIP) and manage to file and publish the patent.

I did an internship in Columbia Asia hospital as Biomedical engineer intern. Initially, for the first ten days we observe medical devices and senior engineer at hospital. But after that I had responsibility to check the device and report breakdown if any, calibration of medical devices. Apart from this I also fortunate to work in O. T (Operation Theater) as a biomedical engineer where we have to maintain all O. T Instrument and manage the breakdown if it occurs during the surgery.I attend two surgeries first one was bariatric surgery and the second one was angioplasty.

After My graduation in August 2020, me and my team file final patents for all three projects and submit the first examination report of one projects.

I work as Research advisor at brainaic healthcare Pvt Ltd. Brainaic healthcare is startup which provide healthcare solutions and help company to conduct research in medical devices. I mentor the company’s research team in order to better accuracy, cost effective way and clinical approval of the medical device. My role at Brainaic is to assist in the implementation of products and lead team to development of device.
Company develop the patient CO2 monitor machine, device is little futuristic because it not only the detect the current status of exhalation of CO2 but also predict for the future reading using the “Temporal Deep Learning” algorithm. If any prediction will below or high from threshold reading, device perform alarm. As my experience of Artificial Intelligence in medicine devices am leading the team.

My short-term goal is to pursue PhD in medical image processing or in medical device innovation. Where I can combine medical imaging process to Artificial Intelligence.My long-term goal is to lead medical device research to cost effective and more easy to access. After gaining considerable industry experience I would like to work as a Research and Develop head with leading companies in the medical devices manufacture. I love to solve the challenge of ensuring fast, cost effective and strengthen medical device industry.

My excellent academic record enabled me to secure admission in the Biomedical Engineering undergraduate department at L.D College of engineering. L. D College of engineering is five star college and top rank government funded college in state gujarat.The comprehensive syllabus with subjects like Human anatomy and physiology, advance engineering mathematics, Control System and Analysis, Biosensors and transducer strengthened my basic concepts related to medical image processing, diagnosis instrument, Therapeutic Techniques & Instrumentation, Virtual Biomedical Instrumentation, Biomedical Image Processing. My penchant for optimization led me to choose rehabilitation engineering as an elective subject, where I studied assistive technology, rehabilitation devices and design device which help person to be socially active. My interest in Medical image processing and artificial intelligence lead me to online course such as Programming for everybody (University of Michigan) Coursera, Sequences, Time Series and Prediction (DeepLearning.ai) Coursera, Introduction to Tensor Flow for Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Deep Learning (DeepLearning.ai) Coursera, Deep Learning for Business (Yonsei University) Coursera. These courses help me to pursue my interest in Artificial Intelligence and use this technology in medical devices.

I also wrote a review paper in which me and guide professor review all latest assistive devices for blind based on machine learning and A.I Published in Taylor and Francis journal.

I secured 3rd rank in Bachelor of Engineering, Biomedical and 1st rank in last semester. I also qualify GATE Biomedical 2021 (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering) with All India Rank 108. Simultaneously, I join FindMyTest eLearning platform. I am Biomedical branch specialist at FindMyTest. I am managing the biomedical team to develop a test series for GATE exam and help the company develop quality questions. A part from this, I also have YouTube channel in which I’m teaching medical image processing, Deep Learning in healthcare and theory as well as practical.

Awarded speaker for the “Special Moment” in IMUN (International Model United Nations) 2021 conference at United Nations. Delegate of Bangladesh at IMUN (International Model United Nations) United nation 2021. I was a delegate of Bangladesh country and organisation was UN Women. I gave a speech on the “Ensuring gender equality by alleviating discrimination against women” and also presented the solutions for UN for upcoming years.They awarded me as “Special Mention” Speaker. I have been accepted as a delegate of Harvard Project for Asian and International Relations 2021 (HPAIR). HPAIR is an internationally recognized student organization at Harvard University, offering a forum of exchange to facilitate discussion of the most important economic, political, social and healthcare issues relevant to the Asia-Pacific region. I did volunteering work in Village visit NSS (National Service Scheme). In which volunteers made the toilets in villages which empower the “Swachh Bharat Mission”. I and team leave in the village for 2-3 days. (First Year)

I am confident that my strong determination and passionate about medical devices will aid me excel in graduate school and beyond.I bring together a firm grasp of theoretical concepts of medical image processing, diagnosis and rehabilitation engineering. I also bring together professional experience and a passionate student who want to encounter real world healthcare problems.

Final Draft

It was truly a moment of great glory for our team, when we presented our ambitious project, NIVARAN (Non-Invasive VitAl sign Respiratory ANalyzer), on the Sandesh news channel. We not only earned our college’s appreciation award for remarkable work during the lockdown and got selected in the top 30 teams for the “SAMADHAN India” Hackathon, organized by the Ministry of Human Resources Development, but also gained immense satisfaction in contributing to a noble cause. Moreover, we presented this device in the prestigious international hackathon, “Hack the crisis India”, achieving the sixth rank amongst 3000 applications and 15000+ students.

Our system aimed to diagnose COVID-19 in a fast and cost-effective manner. It would assess vital body signs such as Lung pressure, breathing rate, Oxygen saturation, Body temperature, and then suggest the COVID-19 stage, based upon graphs and the measured data. Additionally, it detected COVID-19 patients by measuring and displaying the lung pressure’s real-time graph. Our primary goal was to achieve higher accuracy and a quicker method to classify primary symptomatic COVID-19 patients. The device we created took less than five minutes to classify a person’s symptoms. We used a machine-learning algorithm to classify the symptoms and K-means clustering for accurate results. Our system is coded in python and we used Scikit-learn, Keras, and PyTorch. This project is now patented (Patent ID IN202021017788, published on June 6th, 2021) in the Indian Patent Office.

Concurrently along with NIVARAN, I also worked on another purposive project, titled PRAN (Protective Respiratory Auxiliary Node), which was a device to provide oxygen therapy to COVID-19 patients to restore their breathing cycle. The appliance measures the breathing rate and regulates the pressure. Moreover, it also measures the SpO2, breathing, lung pressure, and exaltation of CO2. Developed with combined efforts of our college’s biomedical department and Keepsake engineering Pvt. Ltd., this system was built using a Processor, Air compressor, and Solenoid valves. It was an extraordinary industry exposure for me, and it also bestowed an industry-provided workspace with the financial support of $1830 to the college’s “SSIP incubation centre” for the development of a prototype. We also had this project patented (Patent ID IN202021019725, published on May 21st, 2021).

Although the two projects mentioned above form the highlight of my work in the biomedical engineering realm so far, I have also worked on other remarkable projects previously. One was developing an algorithm to Enhancing Radiographic Dental Image Visualisation with Colourisation and Graphical User Interface. The algorithm was built using MATLAB, morphological operation, and Pseudo colouring. This project was a valuable learning experience, where I grasped nuances of medical processing, grayscale images, MATLAB, and worked with standardized datasets. These algorithms make the complex grayscale image’s comprehension much easier and provide the physician with a smooth user interface. We presented this venture at Gujarat Industrial Hackathon and published it as a research paper in the “Journal of Image Processing & Pattern Recognition Progress Journal.” Additionally, I also wrote a review paper under a professor’s guidance, Published in Taylor and Francis publication, where we reviewed the latest assistive devices for the blind, based upon machine learning and A.I.

My final year project titled eDRA (early Diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis), was yet another learning experience. I lead a two-member group under Assistant professor Bhavesh H Parmar’s guidance, to explore improvisations on existing painful, time-consuming, and costly arthritis diagnosing methods. I familiarized myself working with concepts and software like thermal signal processing, Biomechanics, Human anatomy, and Python, and used them to create a device. We analyzed sensor captured thermal data from the joints and fed that data into the algorithm for classification. Based on this analysis, the device successfully predicted Arthritis’ current stage. We further developed the device mechanism, making it compatible with all joints in the human body. My key takeaways from this project were that I improved my skills in biomechanics and signal processing. We also patented this venture, with Patent ID IN 202021021772, published on August 13th, 2021.

I am currently working as Research Advisor at Brainiac Healthcare Pvt Ltd., a start-up providing healthcare solutions, and helping companies to research medical devices. Here, I mentor the company’s research team on achieving better accuracy, cost-effective ways, and assist in the products’ implementation. We are currently developing the patient CO2 monitor machine. It is a futuristic device that detects the CO2 exhalation status and predicts its future reading using the “Temporal Deep Learning” algorithm. The device alerts the user on any deviation from the threshold reading. Furthermore, I have joined the FindMyTest e-Learning platform, where I am a biomedical branch specialist, managing the biomedical team to develop a test series for GATE exams and helping the company form quality questions.

My undergraduate education has been the key to my success in all the above endeavours. The comprehensive syllabus with subjects like Human anatomy and physiology, advanced engineering mathematics, Control systems and Analysis, Biosensors, and transducer strengthened my basic concepts related to medical image processing, diagnosis instrument, Therapeutic Techniques & Instrumentation, Virtual Biomedical Instrumentation, and Biomedical Image Processing. My penchant for optimization led me to choose rehabilitation engineering as an elective subject, where I studied assistive technology, rehabilitation devices, and design devices that help a person to be socially active. My interest in medical image processing and artificial intelligence led me to take online courses like Programming for everybody (University of Michigan), Sequences, Time Series and Prediction (DeepLearning.ai), Introduction to TensorFlow for Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Deep Learning (DeepLearning.ai) on Coursera. These courses have helped me improve my Artificial Intelligence knowledge and utilize this technology in medical devices.

Extra-curricular activities have served as means to broaden my horizons beyond academics. I was chosen as a delegate in IMUN (International Model United Nations) 2021 conference at United Nations, where I delivered a speech on “Ensuring gender equality by alleviating discrimination against women”, and also received an award as “Special Moment” speaker. I am also a delegate at the Harvard Project for Asian and International Relations 2021 (HPAIR). Here, I exchange views on economic, healthcare issues relevant to the Asia-Pacific region with students worldwide.

Going forward, I want to pursue my Master’s degree to upgrade my knowledge in the Biomedical Engineering sphere. My immediate goal after completing my Master’s is to pursue a Ph.D. in medical image processing or in medical device innovation, where I can combine the medical imaging process with Artificial Intelligence. My long-term goal is to lead medical device research with respect to cost-effectiveness and accessibility. After gaining considerable industry experience, I wish to work as a Research and Development head with leading companies in medical devices manufacturing.

My inclination towards the Master’s program at Northeastern University stems from the strong and progressive curriculum, and ample research opportunities provided by this top-drawer institution, renowned for its facilities and state-of-the-art infrastructure. Given my goal to become a proficient and accomplished researcher in biomedicals, I strongly believe that the blended curriculum here, will provide the ideal springboard to achieve my career goals. I am particularly inspired by the work of Dr. Qianqian Fang in Bioimaging; it would be an honor to work with him. Besides, I look forward to actively participating in the affiliated clubs and associations’ activities, which would present a diverse and stimulating environment to help me grow scholastically and individually.

I bring to the table a firm grasp of theoretical concepts of medical image processing, diagnosis, and rehabilitation engineering and a wide range of relevant hands-on experiences. I am confident that my strong determination and passion for medical devices will aid me to excel in graduate school and beyond. I hope the Admissions Committee finds me a suitable fit for the course, and I eagerly look forward to being a part of the Spring 2022 intake.

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