EG 2401 Engineering Professionalism

INTERIM REPORT
Project 2: Medical Technologies

2014/2015

Submitted By:
Kenneth Goh Zhong Jing
A0097821X
Tsang Xian Jun Timothy
A0097872L
Tan Yen Kheng
A0081111

Tutorial 406
Group 3

18 September 2014

National University of Singapore

Scope of Project
Our project would raise the issues of ethical dilemmas involving medical technologies. The
project would focus on the areas of implantable cardiac devices, human cloning, and genetic
engineering. Present ethical issues involving the said areas would be discussed and evaluated,
along with the impact that these medical technologies have future generations of mankind.
Project Progress
1. Implantable cardiac devices
Implantable cardiac devices, such as the cardiac pacemaker and the implantable cardioverterdefibrillator (ICD) are commonly used to treat irregular heartbeats by making use of
electrical pulses which are delivered to the heart. For this topic, our group would focus on the
ethical issues regarding the deactivation of these devices in patients with terminal illnesses.
As the use of cardiac devices becomes increasingly common in old age patients in recent
years, there is also an increasing number of terminally ill patients who are implanted with
them. When a terminally ill patient ceases to have a reasonable quality of life and experiences
prolonged suffering, he or his family members may request for the deactivation of the cardiac
device, in view that the deactivation would shorten the duration of his suffering by hastening
the onset of death. Three resulting scenarios would consequently arise:
1. Deactivation has no evident ramifications to the patient can be observed
2. Deactivation results in a swift and immediate death of the patient
3. Deactivation results in new complications which ultimately accelerates the onset of death
In cases 2 and 3, there would be several ethical implications presented which would have to
be considered. The major ethical dilemma to be considered is that the deactivation is akin to
medically-induced suicide, or euthanasia. This is largely due to the fact that the physician had
purposefully intervened to result in the intentional death of the patient, and hence breaking
the Hippocratic Oath. In addition, we would also discuss several case studies to further
illustrate the ethical implications present. In particular, one case study is regarding the
deactivation of the cardiac device in a comatose man which ultimately resulted in his demise
within 24 hours of the deactivation.
2. Human Cloning
Cloning is done in two ways, embryo splitting and cell mass division. It is first interesting to
note that cloning does not produce an identical copy of an individual person. It produces an
identical genotype. Clones therefore are very much their own individual person, much like
twins are uniquely different people. The development of a persons character, likes and
dislikes are influenced by time and space.
Some of the more common arguments are as follows:
"WHO considers the use of cloning for the replication of human individuals tobe
ethically unacceptable as it would violate some of the basic principles which govern
medically assisted procreation. These include respect for the dignity of the human
being and protection of the security of human genetic material". Dr Hiroshi
Nakajima, Director General, World Health Organisation

serious violation of fundamental human rights and is contrary to the principle of

equality of human beings as it permits a eugenic and racist selection of the human
race, it offends against human dignity and it requires experimentation on humans
The European Parliament
"each individual has a right to his or her own genetic identity The European
Parliament
Essentially, very vague arguments are presented based on human rights or basic principles.
Greater explanation is needed to define and justify these rights and principles. Principle of
human dignity and individuality is contradicted by the birth of natural twins.
It is argued that the use of embryo splitting would allow for the ascertaining of the health and
genetic, yet the destruction of one embryo would be for the sake of another. However it is
practiced in the United Kingdom that spare embryos are stored for future use of the mother or
disposal at her direction.
The argument can be made for cloning from the moral principle of doing good. We can
argue from the principle of Utilitarianism that it benefits humanity to make use of embryos
for research or therapy. Other arguments on the ethical issues with regards to cloning are
discussed with regards to genetic variability, genetic identity, parenting rights, the ability to
study genetic diseases and procreative autonomy.
3. Genetic Engineering
The topic of genetic engineering goes into the topic of human enhancement, the ability to
create a better human being, to alter the human DNA at the embryonic stage such that we
create said human being with more desirable traits, such as height, physical features,
removing potential hereditary diseases, enhancing physical performances, and many other
benefits. Potentially parents are able to have what is called designer babies.
Many people would instinctively say that this would be morally impermissible that it
would amount to playing God. Yet some people who have objections against genetic
engineering have no such objections to genetic planning which seek to achieve the same
desired results. To be clearer on the difference, an example of genetic planning would be akin
to a woman selecting a sperm donor based on the donors traits that are desirable, whereas,
genetic engineering has to do with the alteration of the human DNA directly.
We will discuss the ethical implications of genetic engineering in regards to the following:
1. Genetic Engineering will cause harm to the offspring themselves: By choosing to alter
their natural genetic makeup, we are saying that we do not accept the child as he or
she is supposed to be.
2. Genetic Engineering cause harm to society: Genetic Engineering will limit the
diversity of the human race if we were given the ability to choose traits. Why would
not all people choose the best of everything for their children.
3. Issue of identity: Is it possible to change an early stage embryo so drastically that we
actually destroy it and replace it with a new individual?