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BBM322- Biomedical instrumentation II

Chapter 3: Flow and Temperature Sensors

Prepared by:
Pr. Noman AL Naggar- Professor in biomedical engineering
Department of Biomedical Engineering UST-Sana’a
noman_qaed@yahoo.com
Modified by:
Dr. Nasr Kaid AL Awdi- PhD in Biomedical Engineering,
Tlemcen University, Algeria.
Department of Biomedical Engineering UST-Aden
Nasralawdi@gmail.com
 BBM322- Biomedical instrumentation II
Chapter 3: Flow and Temperature Sensors
Outline
1. Flow sensor
1.1. Air Flow- Spirometer
1.2. Blood flow - Blood flowmeters
2. Temperature Sensor :
1. Thermo resistance -Thermistors
2. Thermoelectric – Thermocouples
3. Solid State PN Junctions
4- Other Temperature Sensors- Fiber Optic
3. The modern type sensor
Slide-2
 1. Flow Sensors
 Flow : the motion of a fluid or gas
(1) Blood flowmeters :
- Ultrasonic (Doppler, transit time)
- Electromagnetic
(2) Gas flowmeters :
- Pneumotachometer
- Spirometer

 Flow rate :
(1) mass flow rate : mass transferred per unit of time (ex: g/sec)
(2) volumetric flow rate : volume of material transferred per unit of time
(ex: cc/sec)
(3) Total flow or flow volume : integration of flow rate

3
 1. Flow Sensors
1.1. Air flow:
Spirometer: measure the volumes of gases
breathed in or out the lung.

Types of spirometer:
A. volume-displacement spirometers
• Conventional spirometers provide a direct
measure of respired volume from the Piston
(rolling sealed)
• Generally, volume spirometers are simple to
use, accurate, reliable, and easy to maintain
and provide a clear and permanent record of
the test.
• They are, however, less portable than flow
spirometers

4
 1. Flow Sensors
B. flow-sensing spirometers
• Flow spirometers generally utilize a sensor that measures flow as the primary
signal and calculate volumes by electronic (analog) or numerical (digital)
integration of the flow signal.
• The most commonly use flow sensors detect and measure flow from the
pressure drop a cross a resistance (e.g. Fleisch-pneumotach), or cooling of a
heated wire (Hot-wire anemometer).
Fleish pneumotachometer:
The measuring process-by Fleisch-pneumotach
• The breath is passed through a short tube (Fleisch tube) in which there is a
fine mesh which presents a small resistance to the flow.
• The mesh obstruction provides some resistance to the air flow and therefore
generates pressure drop across the mesh. 5
 1. Flow Sensors
Fleish pneumotachometer continue…….
• The resulting pressure drop across the
mesh is in proportion to the flow rate.
• The pressure drop is very small (e.g.
2mmHg) and so the measuring circuit
must be of high quality and produce
very little drift with time.
• The resistance to flow presented by
the screen produces a differential
Flow rate ∝ ΔP
pressure which is proportional to the Pressure is measured at both sides of the
resistive screen
airflow through the device.
6
 1. Flow Sensors
Spirometer continue…..
Spirometers can be used to measure several
parameters:
• FVC (Forced Vital Capacity):
The volume of air that can be exhaled
after full inspiration. VC

• FEV1 (Forced Expiratory Volume in

1s):
The maximum volume of air that can be FVC
TV
forcibly exhaled in the first second
during an FVC.
• PEF (Peak Expiratory Flow): TLC

The maximum flow (or speed) achieved

during the maximally forced expiration
initiated at full inspiration. REV
• Additional parameters such as tidal
volume, inspiratory reserve volume
and total lung capacity.

7
1. Flow Sensors
Spirometer: block diagram of a spirometer.

8
 1. Flow Sensors
1.2. Blood flow
1.2.1. Electromagnetic Blood Flowmeter
:Faraday's
• Principle of electromagnetic
induction can be applied to any
electrical conductor (including blood)
which moves through a magnetic
field.
• This probe applies an alternating
magnetic field (typically at 400Hz)
across the vessel and detects the
voltage induced by the flow via small
electrodes (microvolt region) in
where
contact with the vessel.
B: magnetic flux density (T)
L: length between electrodes (m)
u: instantaneous velocity of blood (m/s)
9
 1. Flow Sensors
1.2.1. Electromagnetic Blood Flowmeter:
Apply a uniform magnetic field B
across blood vessel

If velocity of blood flow is ʋ, F is force

experienced by charged particles in
blood
This force causes movement of charges
⇒ distribution of charges generates an
electric field E

For charged particles, there is a second

force qE, at equilibrium:

10
 1. Flow Sensors
1.2.2.Ultrasonic Blood Flowmeter
1. Transit time methods in which the blood
velocity is calculated from the time taken
to cross the vessel oblique to the direction
of flow.
2. The most practical form of ultrasonic
blood flowmeter is the continuous wave
Doppler system with the Doppler-shifted
Transit Time
components being fed to a zero-crossing
detector.
3. Forward and reverse flow is represented
by the Doppler- shifted components
above and below the ultrasonic frequency. 11
1. Flow Sensors

12
 2. Temperature Sensors
Temperature Sensor Options- 3 Common Types:
1. Resistance based on
a. Resistance Temperature Devices (RTDs)
b. Thermistors
2. Thermoelectric – Thermocouples
3. Solid State PN Junctions
Other Temperature Sensors- Fiber Optic, Digital Thermal Sensor
2.1. Resistance based on
a) RTDs
RTDs are made of materials whose resistance changes in accordance with
temperature .
• Metals such as platinum, nickel and copper are commonly used.
• positive temperature coefficients (PTC)

A commercial Thermo Works

RTD probe
Slide-13
 2. Temperature Sensors
2.1. Resistance based on
b).Thermistors :
(“thermally sensitive resistor”):
Semiconductor; the resistance is a function of temperature,
• Negative Temperature Coefficient (NTC) device will decrease its
resistance with an increase in temperature, most commonly used.
• Thermistors are made from semiconductor material, not metals.
• Often composite of a ceramic and a metallic oxide (Mn, Co, Cu or Fe)

Where:
RT is the resistance at temperature T,
R0 is the resistance at a reference temperature,
T0 the reference temperature,.
β is a material-specific constant.
Both temperatures are expressed in degrees and Kelvin
Slide-14
 2. Temperature Sensors
2.1. Resistance based on
b).Thermistors
Most thermistors have nonlinear curve
when plotted over a wide range but
can assume linearity if within a
limited range

Thermistors characteristics :
- have high sensitivity (<<1°C)
- range is not as great as thermocouples
(-50°C – 100°C), but, suitable for
biological/physiological measurements
- need calibration (R vs. temperature curve)
- can also be made very small Slide-15
 2. Temperature Sensors
2.2. Thermoelectric – Thermocouples:
• Two different metal wires welded together,
where 2 dissimilar conductor joined together
at 1 end.
• The work functions of the 2 materials are
different, thus a potential is generated when
junction is heated (roughly linear over wide
range)
• Based on the Seebeck effect(1821):
- Dissimilar metals at diff. temps.  signal
- Thermal to electrical.
- An electromotive force (emf) exists across
the junction and is temperature dependent.
- If we use two such junctions, one is at a
known temperature and the other is at the
sample
Slide-16
 2. Temperature Sensors
2.2. Thermoelectric – Thermocouples:
A thermocouple measuring circuit with a heat source, cold
junction and a measuring instrument

Slide-17
 2. Temperature Sensors

2.3. Solid State PN Temperature Transducers. IC

BJT = Bipolar Junction Transistor

+
Transistor rely on the free VCB +
travel of electrons through I -
crystalline solids called V
B +
semiconductors. CE
Transistors usually are V -
configured as an amplifier or a BE -
switch. I
E
B = Base
C = Collector
E = Emitter
IE = I B + I C
18
 2. Temperature Sensors
2.3. Solid State PN Temperature Transducers.
BJT = Bipolar Junction Transistor
Solid State PN Junction Diode:
The base emitter voltage of a transistor is proportional to temperature.
For a differential pair the output voltage is: VCC
 
+

 KT ln  I C1   + +
 I  VCB
VBE    C2 
- Ic1 Ic2 VCB
q + +
K = Boltzman’s Constant = 1.38 x10-23J/K V DV V
T = Temperature in Kelvin - -
BE BE
IC1 = Collector current of BJT 1 mA cc cc
BE

IC2 = Collector current of BJT 2 mA s1 s2

q = Coulomb’s charge = 1.6 x10 -19 VEE-
coulombs/electron
19
 2. Temperature Sensors
2.3. Solid State PN Temperature Transducers: Example of
temperature transducer
Find the output voltage of a temperature transducer in the
previous slide if IC1 = 2mA;
IC2 = 1mA and the temperature is 37o C
  
 KT ln  I C1  
  I 
 C2 
VBE 
q

1.38 *10  23
J /K 37  273K ln  12mA
mA 

VBE   
1.6 *10 19 Coulombs
VBE  0.0185V
20
 2. Temperature Sensors
Other Temperature Sensors- Fiber Optic
Fiber-optic temperature sensor probe consists of a gallium arsenide (GaAs)
crystal and a dielectric mirror on one end of an optical fiber and a stainless
steel connector at the other end.
• Sensor operation
• Small prism-shaped sample of single-crystal GaAs attached to ends of
two optical fibers
• Light energy absorbed by the GaAs crystal depends on temperature
• Percentage of received vs. transmitted energy is a function of
temperature
• Can be made small enough for biological implantation

Figure - Details of the fiber/sensor arrangement for the GaAs semiconductor temperature probe. Slide-21
 Review
1. What are two types of sensors?
2. List 5 categories of error
3. How do we quantify sensors?
4. What is an electrode?
5. What is a transducer?
6. What is a Wheatstone Bridge? How do you derive the output
voltage
7. Find resistance of a metallic bar for a given length and area
8. How does resistance change in tension and in compression and
how do you calculate resistance
 Review
1. How do you find resistance change in piezoresistive device?
2. How do you determine gauge factor?
3. What is the definition of a strain gauge and what is difference
between bonded and unbonded strain gauge?
4. Determine the output potential given a transducer’s sensitivity.
5. What are inductance, capacitance, and temperature
transducers?
6. How do you calculate the temperature for a solid state PN
Junction Diode?
3.The modern type sensor: Touch Screen

1. Resistive touchscreen
2. Capacitive touchscreen
3. Infrared touchscreen
4. Surface acoustic wave (SAW)
touchscreen
5. Strain gauge touchscreen
6. Optical imaging touchscreen
7. Dispersive signal technology
touchscreen
 3.The modern type sensor: Touch Screen
Resistive touchscreen
Structure:
Resistive touch screens consist of
a glass or acrylic panel that is
coated with electrically
conductive and resistive layers
made with indium tin oxide
(ITO).
The thin layers are separated by
invisible spacers.
3.The modern type sensor: Touch Screen
wire resistive touchscreen
3.The modern type sensor: Touch Screen
Capacitive touchscreen (projected)
3.The modern type sensor: Touch Screen
Capacitive touchscreen
 Touch Screen

3.The modern type sensor: Touch Screen

Capacitive:
Available for multitouch
Not pressure sensitive, only
available with fingers
Less accurate
Resistive:
pressure sensitive, available
with fingers, pens, and so on.
More accurate

Hard to support multitouch,

Resistive + Capacitive : such as zoom in and zoom out
Galaxy Note in your iphone and ipad
7-inch HTC Flyer
References
1. John G. Webster, Medical Instrumentation: Application and Design
2. Brian R. Eggins, Chemical sensors and biosensors.
3. Gábor Harsányi , Sensors in Biomedical Applications: Fundamentals,
Technology & Applications.
4. http://www.diabetesmonitor.com/meters.htm#fcnim
5. Electra Gizeli & Christopher R. Lowe, Biomolecular sensors, edited by
6. James A. Smith, Biomedical Sensors,
7. Joseph Carr and John Brown, Introduction to Biomedical Equipment
Technology ,Chapter 6

Slide-30