Medical Instrumentation

Instrumentation
• Signal and Sensor (convert physical measurand
to electrical signal)
– Internal
• Direct (invasive) – probe into blood vessel, lung
• Radiation – infra-red, x-rays, RF (MRI)
– External – skin electrode, blood pressure (microphone
& pressure cuff)
• Signal conditioning
• Output display
• Auxiliary controls
• Modes of operation
 Peculiarities of Medical
Measurement
• Low signal amplitudes – mV, µV, < 40 kPa,
noise
• Bandwidth: dc – 20 kHz
• Variables: stochastic rather than deterministic,
require statistical processing
• Safety – electric shock, damage by invasive
sensors, ionising radiation
• Equipment damage – high voltages, corrosive
fluids
• Regulatory authorities – FDA, TGA
Sensors

• Displacement - potentiometer
Sensors

• Displacement – strain gauge

Sensors

• Displacement – strain gauge – blood

pressure monitor
Blood Pressure Sensor

• Wheatstone bridge
Air Pressure (flow) Sensor
Air Flow Sensor
Graphite Silicone Rubber
Plethysmography
Displacement Transducer

• Pressure (membrane), limb movement

 Wheatstone Bridge with Reactive
Impedance
• Reactive impedance (inductor or capacitor)
requires ac excitation source
• Response is amplitude modulated carrier with
carrier frequency = source frequency
• Output signal must be demodulated
– Phase sensitive demodulator (phase-locked loop)
– Phase insensitive demodulator (square law detector,
diode and low pass filter)
Reactive Impedance Transducer
Responses
 Displacement Transducers

• Inductive
Displacement Transducers

• Capacitive
Capacitive Transducer
Capacitive Transducer
 Temperature Sensor

• Tissue temperature – cryotherapy

• Blood temperature – heart, brain
operations, blood flow
Temperature Measurement
 Cardiac Output
(blood flow from heart)
Photon Radiation

• Temperature
Oxygen Saturation of Blood and
Pulse
Differential Absorption by Hb and
HbO2
Coherent Light from Laser

• Absorption
• Fluorescence
• Polarisation
Optical Fibre – Reagent Coupling
Operational Amplifiers

• Normal amplifying mode:

– No current flows into inputs (infinite input
impedance)
– Input terminals at same voltage
Op Amp
Inverting Operational Amplifier

• Gain = -R2/R1
Inverting Op Amp

• Gain = -Rf/Ri
Inverting Op Amp +
Offset Adjustment
Non-Inverting Amplifier and
Inverting Summer
Unity gain follower

• Buffer amplifier, high input impedance

Subtractor
Instrumentation Amplifier
single ended output
Instrumentation Amplifier
referenced output
Signal Processing System
Sampling
Aliasing
Window Comparator
Rectifier
Logarithmic Amplifier
Integrator
Differentiator
Filters
Simple Peak Detector
Practical Peak Detector
Digital Peak & Valley Detection

f (ti )
ti +1 = ti − '
f (ti )

'
f (ti )
ti +1 = ti − ''
f (ti )
Successive Approximation Peak &
Valley Detector
Phase-Sensitive Demodulation
Phase-Sensitive Demodulation
Phase-Locked Loop Demodulation