Biomedical Instrumentation

Michael R. Neuman, PhD, MD

Memphis Joint Program in Biomedical
Engineering
E-mail: mneuman@memphis.edu
Orhan Soykan, PhD
Medtronic, Inc. and Michigan Tech
E-mail: osoykan@mtu.edu
Heidi Niska, BSEE
Graduate student, Michigan Tech
E-mail: hmniska@mtu.edu
 General Information on the
Course
• Instructors
• Textbook: J. Webster, Medical
Instrumentation: Application and Design
• Lab: No lab this and next week! (Withhold Cheers!)
• Recitation sessions
• Office hours
 Instrumentation

Devices that can be used to make a

measurement and give
quantititave (or sometimes
qualititative) results
Biomedical Instrumentation

Devices that can be used to make

measurements of biologic or
medical quantities and give
quantititave (or sometimes
qualititative) results
 Examples of Familiar
Biomedical Instrumentation

Clinical Thermometer
Stethoscope
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
 Future Biomedical Instrument

• Tricorder (Star Trek)

• Completely non-invasive
• Internal and external measurements
• Imaging
• Internal intelligence to make
diagnosis and suggest therapy
Home Glucose Monitoring

• Requires blood sample (<10µL)

• Must use microlancet
• Colorimetric or electrochemical
determination
• Newer units have software
instructions and memory
 Basic Biomedical
Instrument

Physiologic Display
Sensor Processor Observer
System Storage
 Fundamental Rules of
Biomedical Instrumentation

• Minimum disturbance to physiologic

system
• Sensor must be at physiologic variable
value
• Maintain simplicity
 Important Instrumentation Terms
Sensitivity - Change in output as a function of a
change in input
Stability - Consistency in output for a constant input
Specificity - Ability to distinguish desired variable
from other competing variables
Accuracy - Difference between true value and
measured value divided by the true value
Precision - Number of distinguishable alternatives
from which a given result is selected
Resolution - Smallest increment that can be
measured with certainty
Reproducibility - Same output for the same input
 Transfer Characteristic

Signal In Ui(t)
(Physiologic Variable) Operation, f Signal Out Uo(t)

Uo(t) = f(Ui(t))
Uo(t)

Ui(t)
Instrument
Output

For an instrument with a linear transfer

characteristic, the sensitivity is the
slope of this curve

Variable Measured

Sensitivity - Change in output as a function of a

change in input
Variable

Time

Stability - Consistency in output

for a constant input
Instrument
Output

Variable Measured

Specificity - Ability to distinguish desired

variable from other competing variables
Instrument
Output

Variable Measured

Accuracy - Difference between true value

and measured value divided by the true value
Instrument
Output

Variable Measured
Precision - Number of distinguishable
alternatives from which a given result is selected.
In other words: the smallest change in a variable
that can be correctly measured
Instrument
Output

Variable Measured

Resolution - Smallest increment that

can be measured with certainty
Instrument
Output
Calibration 1
Calibration 2

Calibration 3

Variable Measured

Reproducibility - Same output for the same input

 Basic Biomedical
Instrument

Physiologic Display
Sensor Processor Observer
System Storage
 Possible Types of Transducers
Electrical
Mechanical

Thermal

Optical

Chemical

Acoustic
Hydraulic
 Possible Types of Transducers
Electrical
Mechanical

Thermal

ker
ea
e
on

Sp
ph
Optical
ud
cro

Lo
Mi

Chemical

Acoustic
Hydraulic
 Types of Sensors

• Physical

• Chemical

• Bioanalytical
 Types of Sensors
• Physical
• Strain gauge • Velocimeter
• Accelerometer • Thermistor
• Load cell (force) • Metal resistance thermometer
• Pressure sensor • Flow sensor
• Chemical
• Oxygen electrode • Ion-selective electrode
• Glass electrode (pH) • CO2 sensor
• Bioanalytical
• Glucose sensor
• Lactate sensor And so on …….
 Single Conversion Sensor

Physiologic Electrical
Sensor
Variable Signal

Body Electrical
Thermistor
Temperature Resistance

Partial Pressure Clark Electrical

Of Oxygen Electrode Current
 Multiple Conversion Sensor

Physiologic Intermediate Electrical

Variable Sensor
Variable Signal

Blood Diaphragm Displacement Electrical

Pressure Displacement Sensor Signal

Serum Hydrogen H2O2 Electrical

Glucose Peroxide Sensor Signal
Thin-Film Gold Temperature Sensor

Nasal Oral/Nasal In place on an infant

R = R0 (1 + α (T − T0 ))
R0 is the resistance at temperature T0
α Is the temperature coefficient of
resistance
Thermistor (Temperature Sensor)
Semiconductor
Oxides

Lead Wires
Insulation
  1 1 
R = R0 exp β  −  
• High sensitivity   T T0  
• Inexpensive
• Non-linear R0 is the resistance at absolute
• Moderate stability temperature T0
β Is a constant
Capacitance Force Sensor
Force
A

A
C =ε
d
ε is the dielectric constant
 Capacitance Force Sensor

Cut-away structure Micrograph of thick- Assembled

of 64-element force film silicone sensor
sensor dielectric strips
 Ion-Selective Electrodes

Ion-Selective Hydrogel Ion-Selective

Hydrogel Membrane Inner Solution Membrane
Inner Solution Reference Electrode
Thick-film
Wall
Substrate
Substrate

Single thin-film basis Ion-selective electrodes on

ion-selective electrode a ceramic substrate
with the inner chamber
defined by 100 µm thick
glaze films.