Since its foundation in the year 1971 the Helmholtz - Institute for Biomedical Engineering as an institute of RWTH Aachen University has been acting as a bridge between the faculties of natural sciences and engineering and the medical disciplines. In 2002 the Institute was restructured fundamentally and set up as a faculty spanning consortium. The new Helmholtz – Institute for Biomedical Engineering is now being sustained by the Faculty of Mathematics, Computer Sciences and Natural Sciences, the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology and the Faculty of Medicine. The aim of the Helmholtz-Institute is a close linkage between interdisciplinary basic research and application oriented research in the field of biomedical engineering. The common intention of all initiated projects, activities and tasks is the development and enhancement of new biomedical technologies. The application of new methods should contribute to the best possible medical therapy of patients and their rehabilitation.