Course aims:

Description of the basic concepts of human body functioning and the general mechanisms of disease
Integration of basic concepts into applied situations relevant to the human body to explain signs and symptoms
Identification of nursing needs imposed by the presence of signs and symptoms of disease

Course Entry Requirements:

Solid knowledge of anatomy and physics

Course contents:

Lectures

1. Introduction to Biophysics: evolution of medical physics and biophysics; objectives of biophysics and medical physics; classification of biophysics domains; the role of medical biophysics in nurse training; examples from medical practice – 4h
2. Physical and biophysical foundations of medical imaging: physical classification of medical imaging; ultrasound in medicine (generation and detection; medical applications); X-rays in medicine; Magnetic Resonance Imaging – 4h
3. Systems theory in biology and medicine; biosystems from a thermodynamic perspective; definition and classification of biosystems; examples from cell to organism; general characteristics of biosystems; thermodynamic principles applied to biosystems; current trends – 4h
4. Model systems and modeling in research and medical practice; definitions; the Hodgkin–Huxley model; classes of models with medical applications; bionic and medical cybernetic models; prosthetic modeling, current trends; biotechnology, biosensors – 4h
5. Physical and biophysical methods in medicine: classification of methods and techniques; general methods (scientific observation, experiment); separation and analytical methods; physical principles of key methods with medical applications (electrokinetic methods, centrifugation, chromatography, lyophilization, optical methods, spectroscopic and spectrometric methods, conductometry; optical and electron microscopy and related techniques). Elements of cellular biophysics: membrane fluidity (microviscosity) as a complex biophysical parameter (particular biophysical properties of membrane components, liquid crystal concept, mathematical relation, modulators, determination, relation to pathology). Biophysical bases and physical laws of intermolecular interactions in transport systems and intercellular communication – 4h

Teaching methods:

Lecture, conversation, exemplification.

Learning outcomes:

Mastery of the physical principles underlying methods used in medicine; understanding the biophysical aspects of processes and structures in the body and the action of physical factors on the organism.

Acquiring and understanding the use of a range of instruments employed in the clinical laboratory and the errors related to sample preparation; studying selected physiological processes using biological or physical models or other experimental methods.

Learning outcomes verification and assessment criteria:

Knowledge volume – written paper – 30% Scientific rigor of language – written paper – 10% Content organization – written paper – 10% Creativity – written paper – 10%

Recommended reading:

Aurengo A., Grémy F., Petitclerc T, Biophysique. Médecine, Sciences Flammarion, Paris, 1997, -.
Dimoftache C., Herman S, Principii de Biofizică Umană, Carol Davila University Press, Bucharest, 2003, -.
Duncan G., hysics in the Life Sciences. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford, -, 1990, -.
Herman S., Aparatura medicală. Principiile fizice ale aparaturii medicale moderne, Teora, Bucharest, 2000, -.
Pascu M., Rusu V., Vasile C, IR Spectrometry in Medicine and Pharmacy, BIT, -, 2003, -.