BME 324

BIOMEDICAL SENSORS
AND TRANSDUCER

Assoc. Prof. Gökhan ERTAŞ

Dept. of Biomedical Engineering

BME 324
Instructor
Gökhan ERTAŞ, Dept. of Biomedical Engineering
e-mail: gokhan.ertas@yeditepe.edu.tr
Assistant

Text Book
� Aston R. 1990. Principles of Biomedical
Instrumentation and Measurement. Merril
Publishing Company.

� Webster JG. 2010. Medical Instrumentation. John

Wiley.
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BME 324
Grading
Midterm 35%
Final 45%
Presentation 20%

Attendance
Minimum 80%

Additional Remarks
� No make-up exams will be allowed without an official
university excuse (An official university excuse is a documented
excuse of absence due to medical issues or family death).

� Students who miss a class are completely responsible for

obtaining the material they missed. 3/34

COURSE OUTLİNE
� Week 1-2 Sensors, transducers and actuators. Instrument Model.
� Week 3 Classification of sensors and transducers.
� Week 4 Characteristics of sensors and transducers.
� Week 5 Principles of measurement. Error. Accuracy.
� Week 6-7 Displacement sensors: Resistive, capacitive, inductive and
piezoelectric sensors. Wheatstone Bridge.
� Week 8 Midterm
� Week 9-10 Displacement sensors: Resistive, capacitive, inductive and
piezoelectric sensors. Wheatstone Bridge.
� Week 11 Temperature sensors: Thermistors and thermocouples.
� Week 12 Electromagnetic radiation sensors: Thermal and photon
detectors.
� Week 13 Biological and chemical sensors.
� Week 14-15 The basis of biosensor design. Analysis and selection of
transduction mechanisms. 4/34

2
 � Ready

� Steady

� Go...

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SENSOR
A sensor is a technological device or biological
organ that senses a signal or physical
condition and chemical compounds.

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SENSE
Main senses of human
1. Sight
2. Taste
3. Smell
4. Touch
5. Hearing

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1668 Gérard de Lairesse - Allegory of the Five Senses

TRANSDUCER
A transducer is a device that converts one form
of energy to another.

Examples to energy forms:

1.Electrical

2.Mechanical

3.Electromagnetic (including light)

4.Chemical

5.Acoustic

6.Thermal energy
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ACTUATOR
An actuator is a device that converts an
electrical signal to a physical output.

Examples to physical output:

1.Mechanical

2.Electromagnetic (including light)

3.Acoustic

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SENSOR/ACTUATOR = TRANSDUCER
Both sensors and actuators are sometimes named
as Transducers since they are equipped with some
circuitry that converts energy of one kind into energy of
another kind.

Example: A microphone converts sound waves into

electrical signals for the amplifier to amplify while a
loudspeaker converts the electrical signals back
into sound waves.

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INPUT DEVICE
"Input devices" are the sensors/transducers
that sense a signal or sense + convert one type of energy
or quantity into an electrical analog signal.

The simplest of all sensors is the switch/pushbutton.

The most common forms of transducers are those

that detect
1.Temperature

2.Light

3.Position

4.Velocity.
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OUTPUT DEVICE
"Output device" devices are commonly Actuators/
Transducers.

Lamps, LEDs are

the simplest of all actuators.

Loudspeakers and buzzers

are the common actuators used
to produce an output sound, note or alarm.

Lineear actuator and actuator wires 12/34

are among the advanced actuators

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LINEAR ACTUATOR
A linear actuator creates
motion in a straight
line, as contrasted with
circular motion of a
conventional electric
motor.

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ACTUATOR WIRE
An actuator wire is asmall
diameter wire which
contracts like muscle
when electrically driven.

Smaller than motors or solenoids,

cheaper and generally easier to use.

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INPUT/OUTPUT DEVICES

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INSTRUMENT MODEL

The physical measurement variable, X is obtained

from the measurand and related to the measurand
in some KNOWN way.

For example, the mass of an object is often

measured by the process of weighing, where
⚫ Measurand = mass
⚫ Physical measurement variable = downward force
the mass exerts in the Earth’s gravitational field.
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INSTRUMENT MODEL

There are many possible physical measurement

variables:

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INSTRUMENT MODEL

Sensor generates the signal variable, S

that can be processed / transmitted /
displayed

There are many possible signal variables:

In electrical circuits, voltage is a

common signal variable.
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INSTRUMENT MODEL

The signal is usually transmitted to a display (or

recording device) where the measurement can be read by
a human observer.
⚫ There are many types of display devices, ranging from
simple scales and dial gages to sophisticated computer
display systems.

�Theobserved output from the display is the

measurement M. 19/34

If the signal output from the sensor is small, it is

necessary to amplify the sensor output!

If the signal output from the sensor is noisy, it is

necessary to filter the sensor output!

The control system is usually a microprocessor or a

microcontroller. 20/34

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INSTRUMENT MODEL

The relationship between the physical measurement

variable, X and the signal variable, S is provided by
performing calibration.

A sensor is calibrated by applying a number of KNOWN

X and recording S at the output of the sensor.

The relation determined can be linear or

non-linear (ie. Exponential)
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INSTRUMENT MODEL

In case of linear relationship.

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S

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INSTRUMENT MODEL
The sensor has a linear response for
values of the physical input less
than X0.

The sensitivity of the device is

determined by the slope of the
calibration curve.
� For values of X greater than X0, the calibration curve
becomes less sensitive until it reaches a limiting value of
the output signal.
� This behavior is referred to as saturation, and the sensor cannot
be used for measurements greater than its saturation value.
� The difference between the smallest and largest physical inputs
that can reliably be measured by an instrument determines the
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dynamic range of the device.

INSTRUMENT MODEL ACTUAL CASE

Interfering inputs, Y
Those that the sensor to respond as the linear
superposition with the physical variable, X.

Modifying inputs, Z
Those that change the behavior of the sensor and
hence the calibration curve. 24/34

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INTERFERING INPUT

� The interfering input Y causes the sensor to

respond in the same manner as the linear
superposition of Y and X.

� The measured signal output, S is therefore a

combination of X and Y:

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INTERFERING INPUT EXAMPLE

Fetal Electrocardiogram (FECG)

�Interfering input:
Maternal ECG

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MODIFYING INPUT

The modifying input Z changes the behavior of the

sensor and hence the calibration curve.
� For various values of Z, slope of
the calibration curve changes.

� Changing Z will result in a

change of the apparent
measurement even if 27/34

X remains constant.

MODIFYING INPUT EXAMPLE

Humidity Sensor

Modifying input: Environment temperature

�Temperature compensation must be performed to get

accurate result and to get the sensor used in wide
temperature range environments.

Humidity
Sensor

⚫ The temperature should be

measured as close as possible
to the humidity sensor’s
active area. Temperature
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Sensor

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INSTRUMENT MODEL - NOISE

Noise: Random signal that carries no useful information

(Random unwanted signal).

Transmission
Enviromental Noise
Noise Sensor
Noise
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INSTRUMENT MODEL - NOISE

Random interfering inputs will result in noise from
the measurement environment (Enviromental Noise).
⚫ Example: Background noise received by a microphone.

To minimize this noise source,

1) It is common to acquire multiple measurements and
then calculate the average of the measurement results.
2) Signal averaging can also be performed.

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INSTRUMENT MODEL - NOISE
If a measurement (x) with enviromental noise is repeated
a large number of times, it will exhibit a Gaussian
distribution:

⚫ The distribution is centered on the true value (mean, µ)

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⚫ Standard deviation, σ indicates the width of the distribution.

INSTRUMENT MODEL - NOISE

Sensor noise is introduced within the sensor.
⚫ Example: Thermal noise within an infrared sensor.

⚫ Random motion of electrons, due to temperature, appear as

voltage signals.

⚫ To minimize this noise source, it is common to cool the

sensor.

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INSTRUMENT MODEL - NOISE
� Transmision noise is introduced in the transmission
path between the sensor and the display (or amplifier).

⚫ Example: 50 Hz interference from the electric power grid.

� If the transmission path is not well

grounded this might cause the
wiring to act as a receiving
antenna.

⚫ To minimize this noise source, it is

common to perform 50Hz filtering.

� ECG with 50Hz noise

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� ECG after filtering

SENSOR FUSION

� Two or more sensors are used to observe the

environment and their output signals are combined in
some manner (typically in a processor) to provide a
single enhanced measurement. 34/34

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