BME-6401

BIOINSTRUMENTATION

Course Conducted by:

Dr. Muhammad Muinul Islam
 Transducer
 Transducer– a device that converts a primary
form of energy into a corresponding signal with a
different energy form.
Primary Energy Forms: mechanical, thermal,
electromagnetic, optical, chemical, etc.
e.g.: Calling bell, motor, dynamo etc.

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 sensor
 Sensor- is a device that detects a change in a
physical stimulus or parameter and turns it into a
signal which can be measured or recorded.
○ e.g., thermometer, load cell, strain gauge, thermistor,
etc

An electrical out put is desirable from a sensor

○ Because electrical signal processing is comparatively
easier and flexible

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Actuator or output
transducer
 A device that converts an electrical signal
into a physical or chemical quantity.
 e.g., Loud speaker, Electric motor, Electroactive polymer Piezoelectric
actuator

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 Instrumentation Systems
 Typically sensor system– convert desired parameter
into electrically measurable signal
 General Instrumentation system-Any instrumentation
system can be described as having three fundamental components:
1. Sensor/ transducer: sense “real world” parameter and
converted into a suitable signal
2. Signal conditioning or processing: converts the
sensed signal into an analog or digital electrical value
3. Display and/or storage device.

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Block diagram Instrumentation Systems

System Boundary

Input Output
Sensor Processor Actuator
Signal Signal
(input transducer) (output transducer)

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Biomedical Instrumentation
• Although all these components of the
instrumentation system are important, the
sensor serves a special function in that it
interfaces the instrument with the system being
measured.

• In the case of biomedical instrumentation, a

biomedical sensor is the interface between the
electronic instrument and the biological system.

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Important Concerns
• There are some general concerns that are
important for any sensor in an instrumentation
system especially for biomedical sensors:
1. The sensor can affect the system, for that
sensors must be designed to minimize their
interaction with the biological host.
 It is important that the presence of the sensor does not
affect the variable being measured in the vicinity of the
sensor via interaction between the sensor and the biologic
system. This may change the quantity being sensed in the
vicinity.
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Important Concerns
2. The biological system can affect the
performance of the sensor.
 The foreign body reaction might cause the host’s
system to attempt to break down the materials of the
sensor in order to remove it. This may, in fact, degrade
the sensor package so that it can no longer perform in
an adequate manner. So the material of package must
be proper.

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Important Concerns
3. Sensors that are implanted in the body are
not accessible for calibration. Thus, they must
have extremely stable characteristics so that
frequent calibrations are not necessary

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 Classification of Biomedical
Sensors
• Biomedical sensors can be classified according to
how they are used/placed 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.

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 Classification of Biomedical
Sensors
2. Indwelling sensors (minimally invasive
sensors) :
 Can be placed into a natural body cavity that
communicates with the outside.
 Examples: oral–rectal thermometers, intrauterine
pressure transducers, stomach pH sensors etc.

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 Classification of Biomedical
Sensors
3. Invasive sensors:
 That need to be surgically placed and that require
some tissue damage associated with their
installation.

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 Classification of Biomedical
Sensors
 We can also classify sensors in terms of the
quantities that they measure:

 1. Physical sensors: are used in measuring

physical quantities such as displacement,
pressure, and flow.

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 Classification of Biomedical
Sensors
2. Chemical sensors: are used to determine
the concentration of chemical substances
within the host. A sub-group of the chemical
sensors that are concerned with sensing the
presence and the concentration of biochemical
materials in the host.

3. Bio-analytical sensors or biosensors:

used to measure some internal quantities like
enzymes.
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 CLASSIFICATION OF SENSING DEVICES

Table : Classification of sensors by signal form.

Form of Signal Measurands
Thermal Temperature, heat, heat flow, entropy, heat capacity.
Gamma rays, X-rays, ultra-violet, visible, infra red,
micro-waves, radio waves.
Radiation
Displacement, velocity, acceleration, force, torque,
pressure, mass, flow, acoustic wavelength and
Mechanical
amplitude.
Magnetic field, flux, magnetic moment,
magnetisation, magnetic permeability.
Magnetic Humidity, pH level and ions, concentration of gases,
vapours and odours, toxic and flammable materials,
Chemical pollutants.

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 CLASSIFICATION OF SENSING DEVICES
(cont……)

Table : Classification of sensors by signal form.

Form of Signal Measurands

Biological Sugars, proteins, hormones, antigens.

Charge, current, voltage, resistance, conductance,
capacitance, inductance, dielectric permittivity,
polarisation, frequency.
Electrical

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 CLASSIFICATION OF SENSING DEVICES
(cont……)

Table : Classification of the human senses .

Human Signal Measurand Sensing Analogue Device
Sense Device
Sight Radiant Intensity and Rods and Photographic
wavelength cones in film,
of light retina photodiode,
Hearing Mechanical Intensity and Cochlea in Phototransistor
frequency of inner ear Microphone
sound
Smell Chemical Odorants Olfactory
receptor Electronic nose
cells in nose

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 CLASSIFICATION OF SENSING DEVICES
(cont……)
Table : Classification of the human senses .
Human Signal Measurand Sensing Analogue Device
Sense Device
Touch Mechanical Pressure, Nerves Potentiometers
force and LVDTs
(simple touch),
optical gauging
and tactical
arrays (complex
touch)
Taste Biological Proteins Taste buds
in tongue

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 CLASSIFICATION OF SENSING DEVICES
(cont……)
Table : Classification of some common actuators.
Function Actuator Signal Principle
Display Light emitting Radiant Current generation of photons
diode Radiant Fluorescent screen
Visual display Radiant Transmittance of polarized
unit molecular Crystals
Liquid crystal
display
Mechanical Generation of sound
Radiant Generation of radio
Loudspeaker
Transmit wave
Aerial
Mechanical Generation of motion

Electric motor

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 CLASSIFICATION OF SENSING DEVICES
(cont……)

Table : Classification of some common actuators.

Function Actuator Signal Principle
Record Thermal printer Thermal Ink is melted
Magnetic recording Magnetic Magnetization of thin
head films on computer
disc
Laser Radiant Ablation of material
on optical disc

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BASIC REQUIREMENTS OF A
TRANSDUCER
 The main function of a transducer is to
respond only for the measurement under
specified limits for which it is designed. It is,
therefore, necessary to know the relationship
between the input and output quantities and
it should be fixed. Transducers should meet
the following basic requirements.

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Basic Requirements Of a Transducer
(cont’d)
Ruggedness. It should be capable of withstanding
overload and some safety arrangement should be
provided for overload protection.
Linearity. Its input-output characteristics should be
linear and it should produce these characteristics in
symmetrical way.
Repeatability. It should reproduce same output signal
when the same input signal is applied again and again
under fixed environmental conditions e.g.
temperature, pressure, humidity etc.

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Basic Requirements Of a Transducer
(cont’d)
 High Output Signal Quality. The quality of output signal
should be good i.e. the ratio of the signal to the noise
should be high and the amplitude of the output signal
should be enough.
 High Reliability and Stability. It should give minimum
error in measurement for temperature variations,
vibrations and other various changes in surroundings.
 Good Dynamic Response. Its output should be faithful
to input when taken as a function of time. The effect is
analyzed as the frequency response.

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Basic Requirements Of a Transducer
(cont’d)
 No Hysteretic. It should not give any
hysteretic during measurement while input
signal is varied from its low value to high
value and vice-versa.
 Residual Deformation. There should be no
deformation on removal of local after long
period of application.

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Selection Of Transducers
 In a measurement system the transducer (or
a combination of transducers) is the input
element with the critical function of
transforming some physical quantity to a
proportional electrical signal. So selection of
an appropriate transducer is most important
for having accurate results.

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Selection Of Transducers(cont’d)
 The first step in the selection procedure is to clearly
define the nature of quantity under measurement
(measurand) and know the range of magnitudes and
frequencies that the measurand is expected to
exhibit.
 Next step will be to examine the available transducer
principles for measurement of desired quantity. The
type of transducer selected must be compatible with
the type and range of the quantity to be measured
and the output device.

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Selection Of Transducers(cont’d)
 In case one or more transducer principles are
capable of generating a satisfactory signal,
decision is to be taken whether to employ a
commercially available transducer or build a
suitable transducer.
 If the transducers are available in the market at a
suitable price, the choice will probably be to
purchase one of them, otherwise own transducer
will have to be designed, built and calibrated.

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Selection Of Transducers(cont’d)
The points to be considered in determining a transducer
suitable for a specific measurement are as follows:
Range. The range of the transducer should be large enough to
encompass all the expected magnitudes of the measurand.
Sensitivity. The transducer should give a sufficient output
signal per unit of measured input in order to yield meaningful
data.
Electrical Output Characteristics. The electrical
characteristics-the output im­pedance, the frequency response,
and the response time of the transducer output signal should
be compatible with the recording device and the rest of the
measuring system equipment.

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Selection Of Transducers(cont’d)
 Physical Environment. The transducer
selected should be able to withstand the
environmental conditions to which it is likely to
be subjected while carrying out
measurements and tests.
 Such parameters are temperature,
acceleration, shock and vibration, moisture,
and corrosive chemicals might damage some
transducers but not others.

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Selection Of Transducers(cont’d)
 Errors. The errors inherent in the operation of
the transducer itself, or those errors caused by
environmental conditions of the measurement,
should be small enough or controllable enough
that they allow meaningful data to be taken.
 However the total measurement error in a
transducer-activated system may be reduced
to fall within the required accuracy range by
adopting the following techniques.

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Errors(cont’d)
Calibrating the transducer output against some known standards
while in use under actual test conditions. This calibration should
be performed regularly as the measurement proceeds.
Continuous monitoring of variations in the environmental
conditions of the transducer and correcting the data accordingly.
Controlling the measurement environment artificially in order
to reduce possible transducer errors. Artificial environmental
control includes the enclosing of the transducer in a temperature-
controlled housing and isolating the device from external shocks
and vibrations.
 

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 Any Question??

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