Biomedical Engineering Introduction Biomedical Engineering Introduction

Introduction to
Biomedical Engineering
Introduction to
Contents
Biomedical Engineering
• What is biomedical engineering?
• Medical devices
• Some characteristics of BME
• Relationship of biomedical engineering with other disciplines
• Medical terminology

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Biomedical Engineering Introduction Biomedical Engineering Introduction

Introduction to
What is biomedical engineering:
Biomedical Engineering
Contents • well-
well-established multi-
multi- and cross-
cross-disciplinary
field
• What is biomedical engineering?
• Terminology, definitions A loose definition:
• History of biomedical engineering
• Sub-branches of BME • the application of engineering techniques and
analyses to problem-solving in medicine and the
biomedical sciences

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Medical engineering (medical engineer)

What is biomedical engineering: • uses engineering concepts and technology to
development of
• instrumentation,
1. Diversity in the terminology • diagnostic and therapeutic devices,
• artificial organs, and
• other medical devices needed in health care and
• (bio)medical engineering, in hospitals
• bioengineering, biotechnology • role
• clinical (medical) engineering • examine some portion of biology and medicine to
• medical technology. identify areas in which advanced technology might
• health care technology be advantageous

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Clinical engineering (clinical engineer) Clinical engineering

• uses engineering, management concept, and • responsible for

technology • equipment effectiveness and
• to improve health care in hospitals • electrical safety in medical instrumentation
- better patient care systems and power supply
at minimum costs
thought the application of technology • constrained by regulations
• medical, federal, state, local, governmental,
• role is to to provide services directly hospital
- related to patient care together
- with other health care professionals
- problems originated from clinical environment

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Bioengineering (bioengineer) Bioengineering

• basic research-oriented activity closely related to • It advances fundamental concepts;

• biotechnology and - creates knowledge from the molecular to the organ
• genetic engineering systems levels;
- modification of animal or plant cells to improve - develops innovative biologics, materials,
plants or animals processes, implants, devices, and informatics
to develop new micro-organisms approaches
• Bioengineering integrates
- physical, for the
- chemical, - prevention,
- mathematical, and - diagnosis, and
- computational sciences and - treatment of disease,
- engineering principles
- for patient rehabilitation, and for improving health
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Biomedical Engineering (BME) Biomedical Engineering (BME)

(biomedical engineer)
• a growing and expanding interdisciplinary
• a relatively new field in engineering when profession
compared with classical engineering disciplines:
• concerned with the application of
• USA: in late 1950s • engineering,
• FINLAND: in beginning of 1970s • mathematics,
• TUT: 1976 • computers, and
• science methodologies

to the analysis of biological and physiological

problems
to produce technological advances in health care

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Biomedical Engineering (BME) Biomedical Engineering (BME)

Definition 1: Definition2:

“Biomedical engineering is a discipline that
• advances knowledge in engineering, biology and medicine,
• and improves human health through cross-disciplinary activities
that integrate the engineering sciences with the biomedical
sciences and clinical practice.”
“The use of engineering technology, instrumentation and methods
to solve medical problems, such as improving our understanding
of physiology and the manufacture of artificial limbs and organs.”

It includes:
1. The acquisition of new knowledge and understanding of living
systems through the innovative and substantive application of
experimental and analytical techniques based on the
engineering sciences.
2. The development of new devices, algorithms, processes and
systems that advance biology and medicine and improve
medical practice and health care delivery.
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Biomedical engineers Biomedical Engineering (BME)

• apply different engineering principles Biomedical engineers
- electrical and electronics
- instrumentation, bioamplifiers • to understand,
- mechanical, modify, or
- artificial limbs, prostheses control
- physical biologic systems
- diagnostic imaging and therapeutic devices
- chemical, - Application of
- biosensors, chemical analysers • engineering system analysis
- optical, • physiologic modeling,
- fiber optics, optical measurements • simulation, and
- computer science • control
- computational medicine, signal and image analysis,
information systems
- material science
- implanted devices, artificial tissues
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Biomedical Engineering (BME) Biomedical Engineering (BME)

Biomedical engineers Biomedical engineers

• design and manufacture • assist in the diagnosis and

products that can treatment of patients
- monitor physiologic functions or
- display anatomic detail - Computer analysis of
patient-related data
- clinical decision making
- Detection, measurement, and
- medical. informatics
monitoring of physiologic signals
- artificial intelligence
- biosensors
- biomedical instrumentation
- Medical imaging

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Biomedical Engineering (BME)

What is biomedical engineering:
2. History
Biomedical engineers
Important milestones in the
• supervise biomedical equipment maintenance technicians, development of medical instruments:
• investigate medical equipment failure,
• advise hospitals about purchasing and installing new equipment
Thermometer
1603, Galileo
1625, body temperature measurement
Optical lens
1666, Newton
1850-, ophthalmoscope, Helmholtz
Stethoscope
1819, hollow tube
1851, binaural stethoscope
Hypodermic syringe
1853, Wood
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X-ray
1895, Roentgen Electrocardiograph
1896, in diagnosis and therapy 1887, Waller, capillary meter
1903, Einthoven,
Radioactivity galvanometer 1928, vacuum tube
1896, Curie
1903, in therapy Electroencephalograph
1924, Berger

pH electrode
1906, Cremer

X-ray image of hand, 1896

X-ray image of thorax after 20.min
expose, 1897
Early X-ray machine
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Electrical surgical unit, 1928

Electrical heart defibrillator
Cyclotron, artificial radionuclides 1956, Zoll
1936, Lawrence 1980, implanted
Implanted electrical heart pacemaker
Assisting ventilator 1960, Greatbatch
1928, "iron lung"
1945, positive pressure Heart valves, 1975

Ultrasonic imaging Cardiac catheter, 1975

pulse-echo, 1947
Doppler, 1950s Arteficial kidney (dialysis), 1960
Computed tomography
1969, Cormack, Hounsfield Artificial heart, 1984
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
NRM, Bloch, Purcell, 1946
MRI, 1982

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Nobel prizes What is biomedical engineering:

related to physics and engineering in medicine 3. Some sub-branches of BME

• Röntgen, 1901, x-rays Biomechanics

• Becquerel and Curies, 1903, radioactivity
• Einthoven,1924, electrocardiogram - application of classical
• Compton, 1927, scattering mechanics to biological or
• Lawrence, 1939, cyclotron medical problems
• Bloch and Purcell, 1952, NNR - study of movement of
• Schocley, Bardeen and Brattain, 1956, transistor biologic solids,
• Yalow, 1977, radioimmunoassay fluids and
• Cormack and Hounsfield, 1979, CT viscoelastic materials,
• Lauterbur and Mansfield, 2003, MRI muscle forces
- design of artificial limbs
• Nobel prizes in the field of Bioelectromagnetism
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Biomaterials: Biomedical sensors

- study of both living tissue and - physical measurements,
artificial synthetic biomaterials - biopotential electrodes,
(polymers, metals, ceramics, - electrochemical sensors,
composites) - optical sensors,
used to replace part of - bioanalytic sensors
a living system or to function
in intimate contact with
living tissue (implants)
- biomaterials:
- nontoxic,
- non-carcinogenic
- chemically inert
- stable
- mechanically strong

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Bioelectric phenomena: Biomedical signal processing and analysis

- origin in nerve and muscle cells - collection and analysis of data from patients
- generation in nerves, brain, heart, skeletal muscles - bioelectric, physical, chemical signals
- analysis, - online (embedded) and offline processing and analysis
- modelling,
- recording and
- diagnosis

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Medical imaging and image processing: Medical instruments and devices:

- provision of graphic display of anatomic detail and
physiological functions of the body - design of medical instruments and devices to monitor
- medical imaging methods and devices and measure biological functions
- physical phenomena + detectors + electronic data processing - application of electronics and
+ graphic display = image measurement techniques to
- x-ray, gamma photons, MRI, Ultrasound develop devices used in diagnosis
and treatment of disease
- biopotential amplifiers
- patient monitors
- electrosurgical devices

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Biotechnology Cell and tissue engineering:

- technology at cellular level - utilization of anatomy, biochemistry and mechanics of cellular
and subcellular structures to understand disease processes and
to be able to intervene at very specific sites.
- design, construction, modification, growth and
maintenance of living tissue (bioartificial tissue and alteration
of cell growth and function)

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Prostheses and artificial organs Rehabilitation engineering:

- design and development of devices for replacement of - application of science and technology to
damaged body parts improve the quality of life for individuals with
- artificial heart, physical and cognitive impairments (handicaps)
- circulatory assist devices,
- cardiac valve prostheses,
- artificial lung and blood-gas exchange devices,
- artificial kidney, pancreas

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Physiologic modelling, simulation and control Clinical engineering:

- use of computer simulation to help understand physiological
relationships and organ function, to predict the behavior of a system
of interests (human body, particular organs or organ systems and
medical devices)
- developing of theoretical (computational, analytical, conceptual
etc) models
- medical engineering in hospitals, management
and assessment of medical technology, safety
and management of medical equipment, product
development

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Medical informatics: Bioinformatics

- hospital information systems, computer-based patient - The application of information technology to
records, computer networks in hospitals, artificial problem areas in healthcare systems, as well as
knowledge-based medical decision making genomics, proteomics, and mathematical
modelling.

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Multidisciplinary nature of BME

- combines several areas of engineering, science and Introduction to
medicine
Biomedical Engineering
• Medical devices
• Diagnostic devices
• Therapeutic devices
• Assisting or rehabilitative devices

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Medical devices 1. Diagnostic devices

Medical devices can be grouped according to the three • most common devices to help physician to make the
areas of medicine: diagnosis of the patient.

• Diagnosis • types of diagnostic devices

• diagnostic devices
• recording and monitoring devices
• Therapy
• therapeutic devices • measurement and analysis devices
• application of energy
• imaging devices
• Rehabilitation
• Application of Assisting orthotic-prosthetic
devices
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1. Diagnostic devices Examples of devices that amplify the human senses

• importance of diagnostic devices • hearing: stethoscope
• enhance and extent the five human senses to • collects feeble sounds made by some internal
improve to collect data from the patient for organs and present these sounds to physician's ear:
diagnosis - heart sounds
- movement of the air in airways
• the perception of the physician can be improved - flow of blood in measurement of blood pressure
by diagnostic instrumentation in many ways: - movement of joints

- amplify human senses

- place the observer's senses in inaccessible
environments
- provide new senses
Analysis of lung sounds by
a computer.
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Examples of devices that amplify the human senses Examples of devices that place the observer's senses
in inaccessible environments
• vision: microscopes
• endoscopes
Electron microscope • optical instruments allow peering inside the organs
and seeing the function of inner organs in their
relatively inaccessible locations

- ophthalmoscope: eye
- bronchoscope: wall of respiratory tract
- gastroscope: gastrointestinal tract

Transmission electron micrographs: a capillary and a neuron

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• modern imaging methods: visualize the organs

• translumination for visualization:

- X-ray+photographic plate or fluorescence screen

- reflection of low-energy ultrasound:

- piezoelectric transducer
Gastroscope image
• emission of energy:
- thermography,
- magnetic resonance,
- radioactive isotopes

Endoscopic video system

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A digital x-ray unit

Medical ultrasound unit

An 3D ultrasound image from a fetus.

An x-ray image

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Thermal imaging unit

MRI camera

Thermographic image of an expecting mother and leg circulation

MR-image from a fetus
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Examples of devices that provide new senses

• many transducers that convert the 'biological'

energy to physical form

• biopotential electrodes:
ion concentration => electricity
ECG, EEG, ENMG
A 2-head gamma camera.
• chemical electrodes:
chemical energy => electrical form
- pH,
- partial pressures of blood gases

Radio isotope images (SPECT) from brains

Noninvasive measurement of
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2. Therapeutic devices Examples of devices used to treat disorders

• object of therapeutic devices: • drug administration with hypodermic syring

• deliver physical substances to the body to treat
disease • chemotherapeutic agents, radiopharmaceutical,
• substances: contrast media in radiography
• voltage, current
• pressure
• flow
• force
• ultrasound
• electromagnetic radiation
• heat
• categories
• devices used to treat disorders
• devices to assist or control the physiological
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Examples of devices used to treat disorders • physical energy

• electromagnetic and ionizing radiation
• physical devices and energy - X-ray,
• electric current - gamma radiation,
- pacemakers to pace the heart - electron, neutron radiation: cancer therapy
- cardiac defibrillator to arrest the
cardiac fibrillation
- electric shock through the head
as a therapy in psychiatric disorders
- electrical surgery
- catheter ablation with radio-
frequency current
- electrical nervestimulators

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• physical energy • physical energy

• ultraviolet radiation: • ultrasound:

germicidal (bacteria killing) and sun-tanning properties - low-intensity: produce heat and alter metabolism
- focused high-intensity: lithotripsy in breaking the stones in
• high-intensity coherent beam of laser kidneys
- laser surgery
- ophthalmology: repairing of detached retina
and other eye surgery
- fiber-optic endoscope in the coagulation of
bleeding

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Examples of assisting devices Examples of assisting devices

• heart-lung machine: • mechanical cardiac devices:

• replace the pumping of the heart and gas-exchange of the lungs • heart valves
• ventilators: left ventricular assisting device
• assist the breathing total artificial heart
• artificial kidneys, dialyser,
• replaces the ion fluid
balance function of kidneys

A ventilator Artificial heart valves Left ventricular Jarvik-7 total artificial heart
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Examples of assisting devices Examples of permanently implanted therapeutic

devices
• automatic control devices
• diagnostic and therapeutic devices • automatic
are joined in a closed-loop feedback system • closed-loop feedback from physiological function
- EMG => respirator
- EMG => prosthesis movement
• need for a suitable implantable transducer to sense the
events being measured or controlled

• automatic cardiac pacemaker

• antitachycardia devices: implanted defibrillator
• auditory prosthesis
• implanted bone-growth stimulator
Servo control of prosthesis by • implanted drug-dispensing devices
means of force or EMG

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3. Assistive or rehabilitative devices

• object of rehabilitative devices

• to assist individuals with a disability

• the disability can be connected to the troubles to

- perform activities of daily living
- limitations in mobility
- communications disorders and
Cardiac pacemaker - sensory disabilities

Automate implantable
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3. Assistive or rehabilitative devices A. Examples of orthotic devices:

• types of rehabilitative devices • hearing and seeing aids

• locomotion aids
• orthopedic devices • motor nerve stimulators
- An orthopedic device is an appliance that
aids an existing function

• prosthetic devices
- A prosthesis provides a substitute

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B. Examples of prosthetic devices: Introduction to

• artificial organs (heart, kidney) Biomedical Engineering
• artificial limbs
• wheelchair Contents
• cochlear implant
• artificial eye

• Some characteristics of BME

Cochlear implant Artificial eye 71 72

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Some characteristics of BME Some characteristics of BME

• methods and devices are used to solve medical problems • deals with biological tissues, organs and organ
• problems are systems and their properties and functions
• difficult • bio-phenomena:
• diverse
• complex
• solution alternatives are • bioelectricity
• limited • biochemistry
• not general but rather tailored (specific) • biomechanics
• biophysics
⇒ we must know
• requires their deep
• what we are measuring or studying • understanding
• what we are treating • analysis
• which methodologies are available and applicable
• etc.

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Some characteristics of BME Some characteristics of BME

• accessibility of data is limited, • devices and systems affect the living body
• interface between tissue and instrumentation is needed ⇒
• safety and performance requirements are emphasized
• procedures:
• non-invasive • patient safety (electrical, chemical, …)
• biocombatibility of materials
• reliability level must be very high
• regulations and surveillance
• minimally invasive

• invasive

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Some characteristics of BME Some characteristics of BME

• hostile and demanding environment • analytical approach in the R&D

• living body is very hostile (for implants)

• sterility and safety requirements are emphasized

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Some characteristics of BME Introduction to

Biomedical Engineering
• characteristics of medical data
Contents
• confidentiality
• diverseness
• Relationship of biomedical engineering with other
disciplines

• Relationship with Medicine

• Relationship with Physics
• Relationship with other fields of engineering

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Relationship of BME with other • intersections between engineering disciplines

disciplines
• electrical, mechanical, chemical,…
1. Relationship with Medicine
with each discipline in medicine
O Biomedical Engineering =
• cardiology, pathology, neurology, …

application of
engineering science and technology or biology

or biochemistry, pharmacology,
to problems arising in medicine and biology.
molecular biology, cell biology, …

is a potential (but not necessary active) area of

BME application
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Physiological measurements • important physiological parameters recorded:

• important application of medical devices • parameters related to cardiovascular dynamics:

• physiological measurements and recordings - blood pressure
- blood flow
• important for biomedical engineer - blood volumes, cardiac output
• to understand the technology used in these • biopotentials:
recordings but also - electrocardiogram (ECG),
• the basic principles and methods of the - electroencephalogram (EEG),
- electromyogram (EMG)
physiological recordings
• respiratory parameters:
• medical fields where physiological recordings play - lung volumes and capacities,
- air flow
an important role
• blood gases:
- clinical physiology
- pressures of blood gases
- clinical neurophysiology - oxygen saturation
- cardiology - pH and other ions
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2. Relationship with Physics

• biophysics
• Biomedical engineering is closely related to physical
• more related to (cell) biology
sciences
• medical physics • studies the processes in biology and medicine
• applies physics in medicine utilizing physics and engineering
• physical background of medical imaging methods
used in radiology and nuclear medicine: • physical methods are applied
- the production and safety issues of ionizing - for molecules, cells, tissues, organs, body
radiation, - to solve biologic problems,
- interaction of the radiation with matter, - biologic events are described using the
• the physics of magnetic resonance phenomenon and concept of physics and analogues, and
ultrasonics etc. - the effects of physical factors on biologic
processes is examined
• physical background of radiotherapy
- use of ionizing radiation to treat cancer
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• biophysics 3. Relationship with other fields of

engineering
• core concepts
• changes in state of the systems (P,V,T) • biomedical engineering applies principles and methods
• concentrations, osmolarities from engineering, science and technology
• activities
• internal energy, spontaneous processes • closely related to many fields of engineering,
• (electro)chemical equilibrium • chemistry
• enzyme reactions • computer science
• diffusion • electrical engineering
- electronics, electromagnetic fields, signal and systems
• permeability
analysis
• viscosity • mathematics, statistics
• measurement and control engineering
• mechanical engineering
• material science
• physics etc.
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Introduction to Medical Terminology

Biomedical Engineering • Importance of common language
• essential for a meaningful communication,
Contents especially between people representing
different disciplines, like medicine and
engineering.
• Medical terminology
• Physicians language is often regarded as
obscure

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Medical Terminology
• Examples:

• Medical terms are international, derived from the “Pericarditis“

Greek and Latin! prefix: peri- = “surrounding”
root: cardi = “heart”
• understanding on construction of the medical terms suffix: -itis = “inflammation”
= an inflammation of the area surrounding the
root (word base) heart, or an inflammation of the outer layer of
prefixes the heart, anatomically known as the pericardium
suffixes
linking or combining vowels “Phonocardiography“
phono = sound;
cardi = heart;
graph = write
= graphic recording of heart sounds
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Some common prefixes: para- beside, faulty paralysis

patho- disease pathology
a(n)- without,not anemia, anesthesia per- through peroral,
anti- against antibiotic percutaneous
bi-,di- double,two bipolar, dipolar peri- around pericardium,
dys- bad,faulty dysfunction peritoneum
endo- within,inward endoscope, endocardium poly- many polyarthritis
epi- outside epicardium retro- backward retrograde
extra- outside extrasystole sub- under subcutaneous, subacute
hemi- half hemisphere
hyper- abnormally high hypertrophy, hypertension
hypo- abnormally low hypothermia, hypoxia
inter- between intercellular, intercostal,
intra- within intracellular, intravascular

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Some common suffixes: Terms for indicating location, direction

-esthesia feeling anesthesia superior - inferior

-genesis origination neurogenetic distal - proximal
-ia abnormal state claustrophobia medial - lateral
-pathy disease myopathy anterior (ventral) - posterior (dorsal)
-plegia paralysis hemiplegia superficial - deep
-scope viewing microscope, endoscope afferent - efferent
-trophy development hypertrophy descending - ascending
frontal - horizontal (transverse) - sagittal
internal - external
dexter - sinister

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Examples of some medical and clinical Examples of some medical and clinical
abbreviations abbreviations

AP anteroposterior MRI magnetic resonance imaging

AV atrio-ventricular NMR nuclear magnetic resonance
BP Blood pressure PA posteroanterior
CO Cardiac output RAO right anterior oblique
CT computed tomography RR Riva-Rocci, blood pressure
ECG electrocardiogram, -graph, -graphy SA Sinuatrial
EMG electromyogram VF, VT ventricular fibrillation, tachycardia
ERG electroretinogram
FVC forced vital capacity
GI gastrointestinal
GSR galvanic skin resistance
HVL half value layer
ICU intensive care unit
I.V. intravenous
LAO left anterior oblique
LV left ventricular
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