There are two written assignments for this class.
The mid-term paper will report on a current medical problem or challenge that can be explained in terms of a technical shortcoming. This should be a comprehensive review of the medical issues, the impact both on individual patients and on society, the current standard of care, and a description of the requirements for a technical solution (what would the technology need to do, what are the physical constraints, in what environment does it need to function, how much can it cost, etc).
The second paper will report on solutions to the topic of the first paper that are currently under investigation. This will be a review of the literature, a comprehensive explanation of the fundamental principles, and a critique (feasibility, practicality, clinical acceptability, economic viability, etc.). In this second paper, it would be highly desirable to propose a new solution. The topic of the papers must be distinct from that of the student's thesis research.