While biomedical engineers have participated in research studies that focus on understanding aspects particular to women's health since the 1950s, the depth and breadth of the research have increased significantly in the last 15-20 years. It has been increasingly clear that engineers can lend important knowledge and analysis to address questions that are key to understanding physiology and pathophysiology related to women's health. This historical survey identifies some of the earliest contributions of engineers to exploring aspects of women's health, from the behaviour of key tissues, to issues of reproduction and breast cancer. In addition, some of the more recent work in each area is identified and areas deserving additional attention are described. The interdisciplinary nature of this area of engineering, along with the growing interest within the field of biomedical engineering, promise to bring exciting new discoveries and expand knowledge that will positively impact women's health in the near future.

中文翻译：

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工程与妇女健康：起步缓慢，但势头强劲。

自1950年代以来，虽然生物医学工程师参加了专注于理解妇女健康特有方面的研究，但在过去15至20年中，研究的深度和广度已大大增加。越来越明显的是，工程师可以提供重要的知识和分析来解决对于理解与妇女健康相关的生理学和病理生理学至关重要的问题。这项历史调查确定了工程师在探索女性健康方面的一些早期贡献，从关键组织的行为到生殖和乳腺癌的问题。此外，还确定了每个领域中的一些最新工作，并描述了值得进一步关注的领域。该工程领域的跨学科性质，