04152 - Biomedical Instrumentation

Learning outcomes

The lessons illustrate the working principle, the functional architecture and the technical features of instrumentations and devices for diagnostic use. Students will acquire the following skills: - assess the performances of a biomedical device and evaluate its costs/benefits; - define the functional and technical specifications of a device; - execute a outline plan of a device; - realize a virtual instrumentation prototype and its user interface; - carry out electrical safety tests of a biomedical device. At the end of the classes, the students will be able to look up and interpret technical papers and national/international standards of biomedical devices; the students will be also able to bring themselves up to date on the methodologies, techniques and instrumentation within the field of biomedical engineering.

Course contents

Part I

Medical devices: definition and classification. Functional architecture of biomedical instrumentations. Interconnection error. Assessment of static and dynamic performances of a system for biomedical measurements.

Part II

Frequency and amplitude characteristics of main biomedical signals. Resistive and capacitive sensors and their use in the biomedical instrumentation. Temperature measurements. Detection electronic circuits. Electrochemical potential and electrochemical sensors. Electrodes for superficial and cellular biopotential measurements. Electrode impedance. Light application in medical instrumentation. Optical sensors.

Measuring and monitoring arterial blood pressure.

Part III

Operational amplifier. Inverting, non-inverting, buffer and differential amplifiers. Common mode rejection ratio (CMRR). Input and output impedance of inverting and non-inverting amplifier. Biomedical instrumentation preamplifier: functional specifications and circuit. CMRR and input resistances of the instrumentation preamplifier. Frequency response. Diagram of analogical filters. Measurement of biopotentials. Analysis of the electroencephalograph circuits.

Part IV

Virtual instrumentation. Medical devices standards and European Directives. Failure and risk analysis. Electrical safety and reliability of biomedical instrumentations.

Laboratory experiences

Temperature measurement via thermocouple.

Strain measurement via strain-gage transducers.

Design and realization of a digital thermometer.

Readings/Bibliography

G. Avanzolini, E. Magosso, Strumentazione biomedica: progetto e impiego dei sistemi di misura, Patron Editore, Bologna, 2015.

J.G. Webster, Medical Instrumentation. Application and Design, John Wiley & Sons, 1998

E. O. Doebelin, Measurement Systems - Application and Design, McGraw-Hill, 2003

Teaching methods

The course will consist in classroom lessons, during which the teacher will explain the single subjects, and will develop exercises to help students to familiarize with circuit analysis and design, and to prepare them for the final examination. Laboratory experiences (mandatory for the students) will be performed to allow practical contents to be practised and acquired by the students.

Assessment methods

The students will be evaluated on the basis of a written examination, to test their abilities to analyze simple circuits and design a outline plan of a biomedical measurement system, and an oral examination during which students' ability to expose the course subjects organically, concisely and with property of language will be verified.

Teaching tools

Blackboard, notebook, projector, lecture notes, Biomedical Engineering Laboratory

Office hours

See the website of Cristiano Cuppini

See the website of Maria Cristina Bisi