Medical Electronics

Introduction to Biomedical Instrumentation

Prof. Hossam El-Din Moustafa
Mansoura University, Egypt
 BIOMEDICAL INSTRUMENTATION 1,2

o What is a biomedical instrumentation?

o Sources of biomedical signals
o Classification of biomedical instrumentation
o General block diagram of biomedical instrumentation
o Design factor of a biomedical instrumentation
o Difficulties faces measurements in a living systems
1 R. Anandanatarajan, “Biomedical Instrumentation and Measurements,” PHI Learning, Delhi, 2013.
2 M. Singh, “Introduction to biomedical instrumentation, 2nd Edition,” PHI Learning, Delhi, 2014.
12/31/2021 2
SOURCES OF BIOMEDICAL SIGNALS
Biomedical signal: the signals used to extract information of biological system

o Example 1: a simple wrist pulse of (1) Bioelectric signals

a person
o Example 2: complex ultrasound
signal of an internal tissue (2) Biomechanical signals
(3) Bio-magnetic signal
Sources
(4) Biochemical signals
(5) Bio-optical signals
12/31/2021 3
CLASSIFICATION OF BIOMEDICAL INSTRUMENTATIONS
oBased on utility:
1. Diagnostic: for diagnosis of diseases
2. Therapeutic: for treatment of diseases

oBased on type of analysis:

1. In Vivo: measurements are made on the living organism, e.g., measurement of pH of the
blood in its stream
2. In Vitro: if the measurements are made outside the human body by taking samples (urine,
blood, tissue) from the body, e.g., measurement of pH of the blood in a blood sample
Blood pH: The acidity of blood. The pH of any fluid is the measure of the hydrogen ion (H-) concentration.
 A pH of 7 is neutral. The lower the pH, the more acidic the blood.
 The normal blood pH is tightly regulated between 7.35 and 7.45.

12/31/2021 4
CLASSIFICATION OF BIOMEDICAL INSTRUMENTATIONS (CONT’D)

o Sensor or actuators
1. Sensor: detects the biochemical or bioelectrical or
biophysical parameters
2. Actuators: delivers and/or controls biochemical or
bioelectrical or biophysical parameters (e.g., insulin delivery
pump)

12/31/2021 5
CLASSIFICATION OF BIOMEDICAL INSTRUMENTATIONS (CONT’D)

o Direct or indirect measurement:

1. Direct: the instrumentation directly measures a physiological
parameter (e.g., give a direct reading for the average volume of
blood flow in the artery)
2. Indirect measurement: : the instrumentation measures parameter
related to the physiological parameter of interest Indirectly.
o E.g., ECG (electrocardiogram) recording at the body surface is
related to the electric signal on the heart but not a direct
measurement of the propagation waveform
12/31/2021 6
CLASSIFICATION OF BIOMEDICAL INSTRUMENTATIONS (CONT’D)
oInvasive or noninvasive measurement
1. Invasive: measurements involve tools that break the skin or
physically enter the body, e.g., blood samples and biopsy

2. Non-Invasive: measurements that do not involve tools that

break the skin or physically enter the body, e.g., imaging
systems, MRI or ultrasound measuring the internal deformation
and forces without contact with the tissue

12/31/2021 7
CLASSIFICATION OF BIOMEDICAL INSTRUMENTATIONS (CONT’D)
oContact type or remote type measurements
1. Contact type: measurement type is attached to the body,
e.g., strain gauge sensor attached to a muscle fiber to
record deformation and forces on the muscle

2. Remote type: measurements without contact to the body,

e.g., MRI measurements

12/31/2021 8
CLASSIFICATION OF BIOMEDICAL INSTRUMENTATIONS (CONT’D)
oStatic or real-time measurements
1. Static: read a static measurement, e.g., temporal average
of physiological parameters

2. Real time: measure a time response faster than or equal

the physiological time constants of the sensed parameters,
e.g., a real time Doppler ultrasound system can measure
changes in the arterial blood velocity over the cardiac
cycle
12/31/2021 9
GENERAL BLOCK DIAGRAM OF BIOMEDICAL INSTRUMENTATION*
(6) Feedback Controller

(1) Stimulus
(3) Transducer
(5)
Transducer (4) Signal Processing,
Conditioning Display,
Equipment data
Transducer recording
(2) Man/Subject

* It is not essential to have all this elements in this order, but any biomedical system
should contain at least a part of these elements
12/31/2021 10
(1) STIMULUS
oMeasurements to external stimulation is required in some
applications
oThe instrumentation is used to generate such stimulus (e.g.,
flash of light, tone, tactile, or a direct electrical stimulation
of some part of the nervous system) to the subject

12/31/2021 11
(2) SUBJECT/MAN
oThe human body on which the measurement is made
oAny biomedical instrumentation must work on a human subject
 Q: What are the physiological systems that constitute the human body?

12/31/2021 12
SYSTEMS OF HUMAN BODY
Regulatory System (Neuro-
(a)
Skeletal System (e)
endocrine ‫)الغدد الصماء‬

(b) Circulatory System (f) Reproductive System

(c) Respiratory System (g) Muscular System

(d)
Digestive System (h) Excretory Systems

12/31/2021 13
(3) SENSOR/TRANSDUCER
o Sensor: to sense the parameter to be Sensors
measured quantitatively Actuators

o A sensor is called transducer if it converts Physical Electrical Input

the measured parameter into another form parameter
of energy
o Transducer: a device that converts a form of
energy to another form of energy Electrical Output Physical Output
o A transducer in a biomedical instrumentation
converts temperature, flow, or other
variables of interest in human body into
electrical signals

12/31/2021 14
 TRANSDUCER VS. SENSOR (CONT’D)*
o Transducer
– a device that converts a primary form of energy into a corresponding signal with a
different energy form
• Primary Energy Forms: mechanical, thermal, electromagnetic, optical, chemical, etc.
– take form of a sensor or an actuator
o Sensor (e.g., thermometer)
– a device that detects/measures a signal or stimulus
– acquires information from the “real world” sensor intelligent
real
o Actuator (e.g., heater) world
feedback
actuator system
– a device that generates a signal or stimulus

* http://www.egr.msu.edu/classes/ece480/capstone/480-sensors.ppt
12/31/2021 15
 COMMONLY DETECTABLE PHENOMENA
o Chemical
o Electric
o Electromagnetic
o Heat/Temperature
o Magnetic
o Mechanical motion (displacement, velocity, acceleration, etc.)
o Optical
o Radioactivity
12/31/2021 16
 COMMONLY MEASURED QUANTITIES
Stimulus Quantity

Acoustic Wave (amplitude, phase, polarization), Spectrum, Wave

Velocity
Biological & Chemical Fluid Concentrations (Gas or Liquid)

Electric Charge, Voltage, Current, Electric Field (amplitude, phase,

polarization), Conductivity, Permittivity

Magnetic Magnetic Field (amplitude, phase, polarization), Flux,

Permeability

Optical Refractive Index, Reflectivity, Absorption

Thermal Temperature, Flux, Specific Heat, Thermal Conductivity

Mechanical Position, Velocity, Acceleration, Force, Strain, Stress,

12/31/2021 Pressure, Torque 17
 TRANSDUCER VS. SENSOR

Digital thermometer is a sensor and a transducer A mercury thermometer is a sensor but not a
transducer
12/31/2021 18
 TRANSDUCER VS. SENSOR (CONT’D)

Digital Tonometer: converts the intra-ocular pressure of Tonometer: converts the intra-ocular pressure of
the eye into an electrical signal (a reading) the eye into angular deflection of the needle
12/31/2021 19
 TRANSDUCER TYPES*
o Conventional Transducers
large, but generally reliable, based on older technology
– thermocouple: temperature difference
– compass (magnetic): direction
o Microelectronic Sensors
millimeter sized, highly sensitive, less robust
– photodiode/phototransistor: photon energy (light)
• infrared detectors, proximity/intrusion alarms
– piezoresisitve pressure sensor: air/fluid pressure
– microaccelerometers: vibration, ∆-velocity (car crash)
– chemical senors: O2, CO2, Cl, Nitrates (explosives)
– DNA arrays: match DNA sequences
* http://www.egr.msu.edu/classes/ece480/capstone/480-sensors.ppt
12/31/2021 20
 EXAMPLE: BIOCHEMICAL SENSOR
Any device that uses specific
biochemical reactions to detect
chemical compounds in biological
samples.

http:/12/31/2021
/ www.bibalex.org/ supercourse/ supercoursePPT/ 3 6 0 1 1 -3 7 0 0 1/ 3 6 4 2 1 .ppt 21
 COMPONENTS BIOCHEMICAL SENSOR

http:/12/31/2021
/ www.bibalex.org/ supercourse/ supercoursePPT/ 3 6 0 1 1 -3 7 0 0 1/ 3 6 4 2 1 .ppt 22
 (4) SIGNAL CONDITIONING EQUIPMENT
The output of the sensor:
o Is very weak it needs to be amplified
o Is non linear it needs to be linearized
o Contains noise need to be filtered
o Analog need to be converted to digital (ADC) for convenient display

Signal conditioning equipment perform the task

of amplification, linearization, filtering, ADC, etc.

12/31/2021 23
 (5) PROCESSING, DATA DISPLAY, AND RECORDING
o The conditioned signal is then displayed, recorded, or further
processed in data processor
 Example: in simple thermometer, the signal is displayed on an LCD (liquid
crystal display)
o A sophisticated ECG machine the signal is recorded on a paper
for further consultation by physician
 in additional, a data processor interprets it as normal or abnormal, and
suggests possible defects in the heart by interpreting this signal

12/31/2021 24
 DESIGN FACTORS OF BIOMEDICAL INSTRUMENTATION
o Range: amplitude and frequency of input over which the device is
expected to operate
o Sensitivity=change of output signal (response)/change of input
signal (quantity being measures): slope of calibration curve (gain), if
the instrument is linear the gain is constant
o Resolution: the minimum variation that can be read accurately (often
determined by the ADC characteristics, e.g., a one decimal place
thermometer has a resolution of 0.1 degree)
12/31/2021 25
 DESIGN FACTORS OF BIOMEDICAL INSTRUMENTATION (CONT’D)
o Linearity: if the instrument has a constant gain (sensitivity) for the entire
range of measurements
o Hysteresis: the non coincidence of loading (input is increasing) and
nonloading (input is decreasing) curves
o Flat frequency response: if sensitivity or gin is equal for the entire range
of frequencies
o Accuracy: the ability of the instrument to measure values close to true one
error=(true value-measure value)/True value
Accuracy=1-|error|.
12/31/2021 26
 DESIGN FACTORS OF BIOMEDICAL INSTRUMENTATION (CONT’D)
o Reproducibility: the ability of the instrument to give the same
output for equal inputs applied at different time instants
o Drift: is the primacy limit on reproducibility, e.g., if the drift is 2%
per annum, then the results will not vary more than 2% over on
year for the same input
o Zero (offset) drift: output for zero change in input
o Signal to noise ratio: the ratio between the output magnitude of
the instrument and noise level

12/31/2021 27
DIFFICULTIES FACED IN MEASURING A LIVING SYSTEM

(a) Difficulties in assessing of Side effects of transducer

(e)
biological variables on the measurement

(b) Stochastic nature of

variables (f) Artifacts

(c) Unknown inter-relations (g) Energy limitations

(d) Interaction among

physiological subsystems
(h) Safety considerations

12/31/2021 28
 Thank You 

12/31/2021 29