Biomedical Electronics

Subject description

Biomedical signal acquisition: conditioning of bioelectric and other signals; signal isolation, preamplifiers; noise sources and measures to limit their contribution to signal contamination; small signal acquisition; instrumentation amplifiers; active and passive filters; frequency bands of typical biomedical signals; filtering of biomedical signals; pulse and waveform generators for electrical stimulation of tissues.

Biomedical instrumentation for signal acquisition: ECG, EMG, EEG. Electrical stimulation of excitable tissues, heart pacemakers, cardioverters, defibrillators, functional electrical stimulation. Electrosurgical devices. Electromagnetic compatibility and safety of electrical medical devices (sources of danger (electrical hazards), safety measures, leakage currents, safety-related markings on equipment, safety testing, safety and other standards).

The subject is taught in programs

Objectives and competences

To learn about specific electronic circuits and elements typically encountered in medical instruments used in clinical and research environment. To gain practical experience from using the instruments and from building and testing a biopotential amplifier or electrical stimulator or some other device.

To build awareness of the need for safe design, operation and use of biomedical devices from the patient's and the operator's point of view. To gain elementary knowledge about standards and measures needed to protect against electrical hazards in medical environment.

Teaching and learning methods

Lectures, individual practical lab assignments, one major project assignment (planning, designing, building and evaluation of a biopotential amplifier or some other device to acquire a specific biomedical signal), self

study. This course should be taken together with the course Measurements and Sensors in Biomedicine (both courses run in parallel and share some of the lab work and the project).

Expected study results

After successful completion of the course, students shoud be able to:

– Describe the purpose and function of electronic medical devices typical for clinical or research environment.

– Explain the function of specific electric circuits commonly encountered in measurement, diagnostic or therapeutic medical instruments.

– Explain physiological background of effects of electric currents on humans.

– Explain various aspects related to electrical hazards and safety assurance requirements for use of electrical medical devices.

– Use selected biomedical devices in practical application.

– Build a bioamplifier (or some other medical device) for safe acquisition of an electrophysiological signal.

– Quantify the performance of electrical medical device.

– Design a simple electrical medical device for measurement of selected physical quantity.

– Build and test a simple electrical medical device.

Basic sources and literature

David Prutchi, Michael Norris: Design and Development of Medical Electronic Instrumentation: A Practical Perspective of the Design, Construction, and Test of Medical Devices. Wiley-Interscience, 2004
N. Leitgeb: Safety of electromedical devices. Springer, 2010.
J.D. Bronzino (editor): The biomedical engineering handbook (3rd ed.). CRC Press, 2006.
J. G. Webster (editor): Medical Instrumentation Application and Design (4th edition). Wiley, 2008.
Alojz Kralj (editor): Osnove medicinske elektrotehnike. Dopisna delavska univerza Univerzum, Ljubljana, 1983.
A. Šantić: Biomedicinska elektronika, Školska knjiga Zagreb, 1994.