The aim of the course is to analyze and review the physical and chemical fundamental principles of the sensors and technologies used in biomedical sensors and instrumentation. The characteristics and technical features of different families of sensors and the main methods for their conditioning are shown. Clinical instrumentation is also analyzed and reviewed, with particular attention to clinical laboratory measurements, imaging systems and monitoring equipment.

The course will allow the student to:

a) know the physical and chemical fundamental principles and the technologies used in biomedical sensors and instrumentation;

b) know the principal methods for sensor conditioning;

c) be able to determine which sensors, transducers and measurement instruments are more suitable for a given biomedical application;

d) evaluate the characteristics and technical features of a sensor or an instrument;

e) be able to implement a simple biomedical measurement device including a sensor, a front-end circuit, an interface with a PC, a software for virtual instrumentation.

Sensors and Instrumentation technologies.

Biomedical sensors: classification.

Principles of measurement: photoelectric, termoresistive, termoelectric, piezoelectric, pyroelectric, piezoresistive, magnetic, radiation-induced effects;  adsorbance and absorbance of chemical species.

Technologies: semiconductors, ceramics, polymeric films, optical fibres.

Structures: impedance (resistive and capacitive sensors of light, force, position, acceleration, magnetic field), diode (photodiodes), transistor (MOSFET, ISFET), self generating (piezoelectric, pyroelectric and electrochemical sensors), optical fibers (step index, graded index, core- e cladding-based sesnors, interferometric sensors).

Applications in medicine and biology of electromagnetic, thermic, mechanical,  chemical, radiation and optical sensors.

Technology of electronic instrumentation. Structure of a measurement system. Interface with the sensor, signal conditioning, A/D conversion.

Clinical Instrumentation. 

Clinical laboratory measurements Spectrometric instruments (absorption, fluorescence, optical emission spectrometry; UV, visible, NIR, IR and Raman spectrometry; NMR; mass spectrometry). Separation instruments (chromatography, electrophoresis). Imaging instruments (optical, confocal and atomic force microscopy). Electrochemical instruments (Potentiometry, Voltammetry, Conductimetry).

Imaging systems Endoscopy. Computed Radiography. Computed Tomography. Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Nuclear Medicine (Scintigraphy, PET, SPECT). Medical Ultrasonography. 

Monitoring equipment Monitors for anaesthesia and critical care medicine. Invasive and noninvasive hemodynamic monitoring  (blood pressure, blood flow and volume, cardiac output). Respiratory monitoring (airflow, lung volumes and pressure, gas concentration and transport). Monitoring of motor and nervous system, digestive and excretory system. 

LAB ACTIVITIES

A series of Lab activities constitutes a part of the Course.
Students, divided into groups of 4-6 people, will have to develop a project (under the guidance of the Tutors)
The groups will have to design a system composed by
- a simple circuit for the analog conditioning of a given sensor (e.g. potentiometer, NTC, strain-gauge, pressure sensor, photodiode, etc.. )
- an Arduino-based platform for A/D convertion and communication with a PC
- a SW application, developed in Processing, for data acquisition and processing (virtual-instrumentation)

Students are required to know the basic principles of electronics.

The final exam is constituted by a final report and demo of the lab’s project (max grade 4/30), a written test (max grade 27/30) and a final oral exam.

The oral exam can be taken only if the written exam’s grade is at least 18/27 and the final evaluation of the lab’s project is at least 1.5/4.

The final grade will be assigned at the end of the oral exam.