Textbook

BME313 Virtual Bioinstrumentation

Instructor: Wei

Basic concepts of Biomedical Instrumentation

Generalized composition of biomedical
instrumentation.
Constraints of biomedical measurement
Inferences and compensation techniques
Static system characteristics
Dynamic system characteristics

BME313 Virtual Bioinstrumentation

Instructor: Wei

Generalized Composition of Biomedical

Instrumentation
Measurand:
Physical quantity measured by the instrument

Sensor:
A device that converts measurand to electric signal

Signal Conditioning:
Amplification, filtering, etc

Analysis and Display:

Digitizing, analysis of electric signals. Output Result

Auxiliary Elements:
Calibration
BME313 Virtual Bioinstrumentation

Instructor: Wei

Generalized Composition of Biomedical

Instrumentation
Sensor

Analyzing and
Display

Signal Conditioning

Digitizing

BME313 Virtual Bioinstrumentation

Instructor: Wei

Constraints of Biomedical Measurement

Low magnitude of biological signals
Access constraint
Invasive measurement vs. non-invasive
measurement.

Stochastic physical quantity

Safety issues
Limitation of external applied signal
Electrical safety
BME313 Virtual Bioinstrumentation

Instructor: Wei

Inferences and Compensation Techniques

Any measurement
includes signal and noise.
Signal sources: ECG.
EEG, blood pressure,
temperature
Noise sources
External: 60 Hz, radio
frequency (RF),
magnetic
Internal: muscle noise,
motion artifact

BME313 Virtual Bioinstrumentation

Instructor: Wei

Inferences and Compensation Techniques

Inherent insensitivity:
The twisted wires has the property to minimize the induced noise current
by the surrounding electro-magnetic field. The induced electric currents in
the neighboring twist (loop) cancel each other.

BME313 Virtual Bioinstrumentation

Instructor: Wei

Inferences and Compensation Techniques

Negative feedback
x xd H f y
xd

y Gd x n

Gd

Hf

y Gd ( xd H f y ) n
Gd X d
n
y

1 Gd H f 1 Gd H f

Negative feedback can reduce the

noise created inside the system

BME313 Virtual Bioinstrumentation

Instructor: Wei

Inferences and Compensation Techniques

Signal filtering:
Filtering can separate noise from the desired
signal using their distinct property. E.g.
separate high frequency noise from low
frequency signal.

Opposing inputs:
If noise is known, it can be removed from the
signal by subtracting the noise from the signal

BME313 Virtual Bioinstrumentation

Instructor: Wei

Static System Characteristics

Accuracy:
The difference between the true value and the
measured value divided by the true value.

x
.

x
x

BME313 Virtual Bioinstrumentation

Instructor: Wei

Static System Characteristics

Precision:
A measurement expresses the number of
distinguishable alternatives from which a
given result is selected.
xxxxx

BME313 Virtual Bioinstrumentation

Instructor: Wei

Static System Characteristics

Static sensitivity

BME313 Virtual Bioinstrumentation

Instructor: Wei

Static System Characteristics

Resolution
The smallest incremental quantity that can be
measured with certainty.

Reproducibility
The ability of an instrument to give the same
output for equal inputs applied over some
period of time

Input ranges
Input impedance
BME313 Virtual Bioinstrumentation

Instructor: Wei

Static System Characteristics

Linearity:

x1

Linear
System

y1

x2

Linear
System

y2

x1 + x2

kx1

BME313 Virtual Bioinstrumentation

Linear
System

y1 + y2

Linear
System

ky1

Instructor: Wei

Dynamic System Characteristics

General description of a linear system
dny
dy
d mx
dx
an n ... a1
a0 y (t ) bm m ... b1 b0 x(t )
dt
dt
dt
dt

Transfer function in frequency domain

Y ( j ) bm ( j ) m ... b1 ( j ) b0
H ( j

X ( j ) an ( j ) n ... a1 ( j ) a0
N is usually called the order of the system.

BME313 Virtual Bioinstrumentation

Instructor: Wei

Dynamic System Characteristics

Zero order system:
Time-domain
a0 y (t ) b0 x(t )

Transfer Function
b0
H ( j )
a0
Example
Linear potentiometer

BME313 Virtual Bioinstrumentation

Instructor: Wei

Dynamic System Characteristics

First order system:
Time-domain
dy (t )
a1
a0 y (t ) b0 x(t )
dt

Transfer Function
K
1 j
b
a
K 0 ; 1
a0
a0
H ( j )

Example

RC filter
BME313 Virtual Bioinstrumentation

Instructor: Wei

Dynamic System Characteristics

Second order system:
Time-domain
d 2 y (t )
dy (t )
a2

a
a0 y (t ) b0 x(t )
1
2
dt
dt

Static sensitivity

Undamped natural frequency

a0
n
a2

Transfer Function
H ( j )

K
j
j 2
1 2
( )
n
n

b0
a0

Damping ratio

Example

a1
2 a0 a 2

Spring scale
BME313 Virtual Bioinstrumentation

Instructor: Wei

Dynamic System Characteristics

Second order system

BME313 Virtual Bioinstrumentation

Instructor: Wei

Dynamic System Characteristics

Second order system
Overdamped:
>1

Critically damped:
=1

Underdamped:
<1

1 2 n

BME313 Virtual Bioinstrumentation

Instructor: Wei

Homework
Problem 1.8, Page 41
Due date: Sept. 8

Please refer to Example 1.1 on page 30.

BME313 Virtual Bioinstrumentation

Instructor: Wei

END

BME313 Virtual Bioinstrumentation

Instructor: Wei