Biomedical assistive technologies

Assistive technologies are complex technical solutions that make life easier for people with special needs, higher demands on nursing care and the elderly in order to achieve the highest possible autonomy in their daily lives. Another area is guided therapeutic solutions applied to the home environment, which make it possible to slow down the development of the manifestations of chronic diseases. An integral part of a comprehensive system of assistive technologies are smart home systems, technical means to promote healthy lifestyles and health protection in the home. These can be both a means of increasing autonomy and independence and a means of increasing the comfort of the smart home user.

Students will receive in the course of their studies:

• Basic knowledge and skills in medicine, patient care, ethics and communication in health and social services.
• Basic knowledge and skills related to electrical engineering, electronics and software applied in the form of biomedical sensors, medical diagnostic and therapeutic technology, embedded sensing and automation systems, telecommunications technology, programming and basic informatics, digital and biomedical signal processing and user-computer interfaces.

Students can:

• Apply knowledge during product development and system integration, as well as understand complex network technical relationships and resolve unforeseen issues
• Apply existing supporting technologies, sensors and actuators and furthermore independently implement software components for practical and simple integration of specific hardware controls
• Test, assess and improve system safety, security and reliability
• Plan and implement a practical smart home environment using state-of-the-art tools that take into account relevant standards
• Create specifications and implement comprehensive solutions for assistive technologies and resources to support healthy lifestyles
• Integrate and test systems that were previously operated separately in a smart home environment, taking into account current standards, guidelines and legal and ethical considerations
• To develop, apply and manage information technology resources in the field of social care in order to improve the quality of care, its systematisation, organisation and cost-effectiveness, as well as in the field of promoting healthy lifestyles.

Graduates of the study programme have knowledge in the areas of assistive technologies, smart home systems, remote controlled rehabilitation, technical means to support a healthy lifestyle and partly in nursing. They are familiar with the application area and are therefore able to adapt technical solutions to the requirements of the consumers of these services. They are able to implement solutions in the field of electronics and information and communication technologies in direct contact with their users and can thus work in a wide range of professional fields. They find employment in the electrical and electronics industry, in information and communication technologies and in health and social services.

The study is designed as a three-year course. During each academic year, the student must obtain a minimum of 60 ECTS credits, for a total of 180 credits over the course of the study.

The study load is evenly distributed, during each semester the student receives approximately 30 ECTS credits (depending on the semester) in compulsory and optional courses. In the last semesters, the study load is reduced to allow the student to devote sufficient time to his/her final thesis.

Students must take 32 credits of elective courses during their studies, which corresponds to one semester of study in total. The choice takes place at the earliest in the third semester of study. There are a total of 26 courses, totalling 105 credits, from which to choose. The subjects are divided into 3 main areas in which the student can deepen his/her knowledge and skills. These are biomedical technology, computer science and telecommunications technology. The student can choose subjects from one area or in any combination as per his/her preference.

During the three years of study, the student will graduate:

• subjects of common electrical engineering basis
• compulsory courses in the fields of biomedical engineering, telecommunications technology and informatics.
• professional medical subjects, the teaching of which is provided by the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Ostrava
• professional courses in the field of social work, which are taught by the Faculty of Social Studies of the University of Ostrava.
• The Contextual Guided Practice is also compulsory, which is in the range of 100 teaching hours and is implemented either at social service providers or at technology companies dealing with assistive technologies and telemedicine.

The Biomedical Assistive Technology study programme has a broad professional scope and thanks to the high level of elective courses, the student can decide on his/her future study focus during the course of his/her studies. Thus, after completing the Bachelor's degree, the student can apply for the Master's degree in Computer Science, Telecommunication Technology and Biomedical Engineering. It is also possible for the student to study a follow-up Master's programme in Behavioural Health, Sport and Technology, which is sponsored by the University of Ostrava, with the participation of the teachers of the Biomedical Assistive Technology programme.