Biomedical Measurement Systems

Biomedical measurements are carried out for essentially two purposes: To obtain data about some physiological or biomechanical event or process for diagnostic or research purposes.
EMG measurement to determine if co-contraction in a muscle pair is occurring, indicating a pathological condition EMG measurement to understand the action of the locomotor muscle in walking

To provide sensory data as an element in a closed loop biomedical control system.

Use of an EMG signal to control the application of FES in a Drop Foot Stimulator.

Measurement Systems Elements

Measurement systems can be considered to have three basic constituent elements:

Measured Value Transducer/ sensor

Signal Signal

Modified signal Display Element/data Acquisition Element

Conditioner

Measurment Systems
There are three approaches to the implementation of a biomedical instrumentation system incorporating the three elements discussed: Hard-wired instrumentation system Microprocessor-based instrumentation system PC-based instrumentation system

Hardwired Measurement System

In a hard-wired measurement system, the function of the system is determined by the wiring of the system there is no software aspects to these instruments. Thew

Transducer/Sensing Element
Measured value Transducer/ Sensor Signal Signal Conditioner Modified Signal Display Element/Data Acquisition Element

The sensing element or as it is frequently called, the transducer, is the first element. This produces a signal which is related to the physical quantity being measured. Usually this signal is an electrical signal and the transducer is then referred to as a sensor.

Transducer Element
For example, one example of a light sensor uses a resistor, whose resistance changes with light intensity, as a transducer. This device is called a LDR or light dependent resistor A LDR experiences a resistance change when the incident light changes - the higher the light intensity, the lower the resistance of the LDR device. Sensing elements or sensors take information about he instrumentation system to detect changes in light intensity.

Transducer Element - LDR

Light Dependent Resistors Quantelec MPY54C569 OPT149 Cadmium sulphide photoconductive cell in epoxy coated package. Peak Response: 550 nm Resistance (10 lux) 20 kW100 kW Resistance (1000 lux): 50 W-2 kW Dark Resistance: 20 MW (min.) Power Disssipation (max) @ 30 C: 60mW 200V Vmax (DC/AC peak):

Signal Conditioner
Measured value Transducer/ Sensor signal Signal Conditioner Modified signal Display Element/Data Acquisition Element

The second element in our system is a signal conditioner or signal converter or signal processor. This takes the signal from the sensing element and converts it into a form which is suitable for use by the display/data acquisition part of a measurement system or in the case of a control system, for combining with the reference signal

Signal Conditioner
An example of a signal conditioner might be an amplifier which takes a small signal from the sensing element and provides it with sufficient power to activate the display or results in a voltage which will have a low sensitivity to noise. In the case of the LDR - the resistance change produced as a consequence of a change in light intensity may be converted to a voltage change using a buffered voltage divider circuit. The voltage output from the buffered voltage divider circuit can be input directly to the input of a data acquisition unit.

Display Element
Measured value Transducer/ Signal signal Signal conditioner Modified Signal Display Element Data Acquisition

The display or data acquisition element is where the output from the measuring system is displayed or acquired for a PC-based or microprocessor based instrument

Display Element
In the case of a LDR-based light intensity measurement system - the output may be displayed as a voltage on voltmeter, at its simplest. The display / data acquisition element takes the information from the signal conditioning block and presents it in a form which enables an observer to recognise it or a software-based instrument to process it.

Measurement System
Light Intensity Change resistance element Resistance Change Resistance to voltage converter Voltage Change Display Acquisition

The various parts of a LDR-based light intensity measurement system are shown above.

Measurement system
Digital Control Circuit Interrupt Input strobe Parallel Input Port Micro Computer Timer

Sensor

Instrumentation Amplifier Filter s/11 A/D

Bridge

Display Control

D/A

Parallel Input Port

Output strobe