Biomedical transducers

By David Talam.
 Biomedical transducers
• A transducer is a device that converts a
quantity from the measured object into an
electrical signal.
• Biomedical transducers are transducers
with specific uses in biomedical
applications: physiological measurement,
patient monitoring, health care.
• Measurement quantities: physical and
chemical quantities that reflect the
physiological functions in a living body.
• Examples: blood composition -
determined from a sample extracted
from the body real-time and continuous
measurements - transducer is attached
to the body
• Pressure
• Fluid flow rate
• temperature
 ELECTRODE TRANSDUCERS
• Couples voltage on the surface of
body to an electronic instrument.
• Surface potentials on the body range
from:
–Skull 1µV
–to 1mV across the arms
–to 0.1v on exposed viscera
 Classification of Biomedical Sensors
• Biomedical sensors can be classified according to
how they are used with respect to the biological
system:
• 1. Noninvasive biomedical sensors do not even
contact the biological system being measured.
Sensors of radiant heat or sound energy coming
from an organism are examples of noncontacting
sensors. Noninvasive sensors can also be placed
on the body surface like Skin surface
thermometers, biopotential electrodes, and
strain gauges placed on the skin.
• 2. Indwelling sensors (minimally invasive
sensors) :are those that can be placed into a
natural body cavity that communicates with
the outside. Examples: oral–rectal
thermometers, intrauterine pressure
transducers, and stomach pH sensors.
• 3. Invasive sensors: are those that need to be
surgically placed and that require some tissue
damage associated with their installation.
 Surface electrodes
• Most of bioelectric potentials strive to
measure noninvasively, e.g. from the surface
of the body, by placing electrodes on the skin
• Electrical characteristics of different tissues
–specific conductivity (specific resistance)
–specific dielectric constant
• Using a model of the interface for
better understanding of the interface
Electrode -tissue
• •Passive electrical characteristics of
the skin-electrode interface strive to
express by ideal electric components
with intent parameters
• –Resistance
• –Capacity
Equivalent circuit of the skinelectrode

Electrode –skin intarface and its

simplified electrical circuit
• Rp=ρd/A
• Ρ = 1/µqn
• Cp = εA/d
• Rp-resistance between the electrode
and the well conductive layer of tissue
(virtual electrode)
• d-skin thickness
• A-electrode surface
• ρ-specific resistance
• Cp-capacity between the electrode and
• ε-dielectric constant of the skin
• μ -charge mobility
• q-charge
• n -number of electrons in volume
unit
• Z= Rs +Rd/(1+j2∏fCdRd)
• Impedance is a function of frequency
Half cell potential
• e- moving in opposite to current in
electrode
• Cations c+ moving in same direction
of current
• Anions A- moving in opposite to
current in electrolyte
–Electrode consists metallic atom c
–Electrolyte consists cations c+& A-
Two reactions takes place oxidation
• Because oxidation and reduction
reactions half cell potential exits
between electrode and electrolyte
Thermal transducers -Thermistors
• Types
• NTC -Negative Temperature Coefficient,
used mostly in temperature sensing
• PTC -Positive Temperature Coefficient,
used mostly in electric current control
• The dependence of the resistance on
temperature can be approximated by
following equation
• R is the resistance of thermistor at the
temperature T (in K)
• R0 is the resistance at given temperature T0 (in
K)
• β is the material specific-constant
Thermistor packaging
Temperature- resistance curves
 Thermistors – Temperature
Measurement With A Wheatstone
Bridge
A

Vs B
C

D
• VOUT = (R2/R1+R2 – RT/R3+RT)VS
• RT =R2R3/R1
• SR = - VS /2RT
• where SR is the sensitivity
wheatstone bridge
 STRAIN GAUGES
• A strain gauge, a device whose
electrical resistance varies in
proportion to the amount of strain in
the device. The most widely used
gage is the bonded metallic strain
gauge.
• Strain S is given by: S = ∆l/l
• The gauge factor G is given by:
G = (∆R/R) /S

∆R/R = G∆l/l
• Modulus elasticity
–Pressure required to double the
length of a bar
–M = f/A (N/m2)
Strain gauge in a wheatstone bridge:
Strain gauge resistance ∆Rx + Rx
Vout =(R1/R1+ Rx + ∆Rx -R2/R2+R3) Vo
• And from previous equation,
– ∆Rx = (GΔl/l) Rx
• Sensitivity of strain gauge:
– Sg = Δ Vout/Δl
Differential capacitive transducer
• Used to produce an appreciable
imbalance in a bridge circuit.
• Consists of two capacitors placed
back to back sharing common plate.
• Motion of common plate due to a
displacement of a body to which it is
attached
–This causes decrease in one
Differential capacitor transducer
• C1 = Є A/d-x
• C2 = Є A/d+x
where A is the capacitor area and Є is the dielectric
constant.
Differential capacitor in a bridge
• The voltage output VOUT is
• The above equation can be modified to
give
– VOUT = (d+x/2d – C3/C4+C3)Va
• The sensitivity of differential transducer
sx is the change in output voltage, ΔVOUT
divided by the change in displacement.
• Sx = d VOUT/dx =Va/2d
• Differential capacitor is perfectly
linear and is very sensitive to
displacements
• Applications
–Pressure transducer to measure
pressure
 INDUCTIVE TRANSDUCERS
An LVDT is a Linear Position Sensor
With a Proportional Analog Output.
An LVDT has 2 Elements, a Moving
Core and a Stationary Coil Assembly
• Changes in the applied pressure
move the transformer core or ferrous
material such that the top inductor
increases by ∆L
• And the lower inductor decreases by
the same amount.
• Reduces to
• VOUT = (-∆L/2L)Va
• In LVDT pressure p, is proportional
to the change in the inductance.
• VOUT = k1pVa/2L
LVDT
LVDT equivalent circuit
• Sensitivity of the transducer S1 =dVOUT/dp
• Therefore
• S1 = K1Va/2L
 TROUBLESHOOTING
• Done on component level
• Methods
– Inspection
– Operator report
– Voltage and resistance measurement
• Faults
– Wear and abuse mostly
– Poor sensitivity