Biomedical Electronics

Course
WEEK 1: LECTURE 1
BIOMEDICAL SENSORS

8 FEBRUARY 2025
PROF. AMIRA SALAH ASHOUR

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Course Motivation
Overview on the biomedical sensors & instrumentation electronics

Role of electronics & medical devices in biomedical field

Role of signal/image processing in medical devices

Introduce methods for acquiring biological/physiological information

Improvement of the bio-technology for healthcare

General tips in the maintenance of the medical devices

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 Course Aim
The aims of this course are to:
• Study the principles of biosignal capturing systems.
• Understand the types of the sensors in the medical devices.
• Evaluate the performance of biosensor.
• Understand the concept of medical devices
• Learn the main components and electronic circuits of the different
biosignal acquisition devices and imaging modalities.
• Define the principles the ECG, EEG, EMG, X-ray, CT, and US.
• Study the role of signal and image processing.
• Understand the maintenance requirements of medical devices.

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Course Contents
Week Topics
Definition of biosignal
Types of biosignals and their capturing devices and biosensors
1, 2 Components of the biomedical system, different sensors in medical devices
Sensor's characteristics, types of noise and artifacts
Role of medical signal processing and their systems
Heart conduction system
3, 4, 5, 6 ECG signal: principles, components and circuit of ECG
EEG/ EMG electrical circuits
Midterm Exam
Monitoring systems
7, 8, 9, 10
Different medical modalities and imaging concept
Image formation in X-ray, CT, US
Medical Equipment Maintenance
11,12 Mini-project or PPT discussion (groups of 10 students per group based on the students’ list in
order of their names)

13, 14, 15 Exams 4

References
Husar, P., & Gašpar, G. (2023). Electrical Biosignals in Biomedical
Engineering. Springer Berlin.

Ferozi, F., Chakrabarty, K., & Nassif, S. (Eds.). (2020). Intelligent

internet of things: From device to fog and cloud. Springer Nature.

Iniewski, K. (Ed.). (2018). Electronics for radiation detection. CRC

Press.

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Biomedical electronics & Devices: Role

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Biomedical Data: Types

Biomedical Information

Biomedical signals Biomedical images Biomedical videos

Time varying Single value,

MRI, CT, US, fMRI, Endoscopy,
signals, ECG, temperature,
EMG, EEG pressure PET endoscopy capsule

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 Electrocardiogram (ECG): It is the electrical activity of the
heart
Electroencephalogram (EEG): It is the electrical activity of the
brain
Electromyogram (EMG): It is the electrical activity of the
muscles
Electrogastogram (EGG): It is the electrical activity of the
1 stomach
Biomedical Signals Phonocardiogram (PCG): It is the audio recording of the
heart’s mechanical activity
Carotid pulse (CP): It is the pressure of the carotid artery
Electroretinogram (ERG): It is the electrical activity of the
retina
Electrooculogram (EOG): It is the electrical activity of the
eye’s muscles
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 The various image modalities are widely used in the
biomedical field:
• X-ray
• Ultrasound (US) (includes 2D and 3D techniques)
• Computed tomography (CT)
2 • Magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)
Biomedical Images • Functional magnetic resonance (fMRI)
• Positron emission tomography (PET)
• Cellular imaging such as fluorescence tagging and
cellular MRI

Modalities refers to the medical devices or sensors that can capture information including
signals, images, and videos.
 Endoscopy

Endoscopy is a nonsurgical procedure used to examine a person's digestive

tract.

It is a flexible tube with a light and attached camera to view pictures of

3 digestive tract on a color TV monitor.
Biomedical videos
During an upper endoscopy, an endoscope is easily passed through
(Endoscopy) the mouth and throat and into the esophagus, allowing the physician to
view the esophagus, stomach, and upper part of the small intestine.
Similarly, endoscopes can be passed into the large intestine (colonoscopy).

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) combines upper endoscopy and ultrasound

examination to obtain images and information about various parts of the
digestive tract.
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3- Biomedical videos (Wireless capsule endoscopy)
▪ A large capsule-larger than the largest pill-is
swallowed by the patient.
▪ The capsule contains one or two video chips
(cameras), a light bulb, a battery, and a radio
transmitter.
▪ As the capsule travels through the esophagus,
stomach, and small intestine, it takes photographs
rapidly.
▪ The images are transmitted by the radio transmitter
to a small receiver that is worn on the waist of the
patient who is undergoing the capsule endoscopy.
▪ At the end of the procedure, approximately 8 hours
later, the photographs are downloaded from the
receiver into a computer, and the images are
reviewed by a physician.
▪ The capsule is flushed away. There is no need to
retrieve the capsule.
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Biomedical Signals

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What is a biomedical signal (biological/biosignal)?
•Any signal transduced from a biological or medical source is called a biosignal.
•It is the signal that can be measured and monitored from a living system (biological beings).
•It conveys information about the state or behavior of that system (health status of the
individual).
•Its source could be at the molecular level, cell level, systemic or organ level.
•Interpretation of these signals has a significant value for diagnosticians, clinicians and
researchers.
•Examples:
• Voltage record by an electrode placed on the scalp.
• Electrocardiogram (ECG), or electrical activity from the heart.
• Electroencephalogram (EEG), or electrical activity from the brain.

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 Biomedical signals
• Human body is made up of several systems, e.g, respiratory, cardiovascular, nervous system, etc. that carry on
many physiological processes.
• Each physiological process is associated with certain type of signals referred as biomedical signals that reflect their
nature and activities.
•Examples of biomedical signals:
o Bioelectrical signals e.g. potentials, currents (EEG, ECG, EOG, EMG)
o Non-electrical signals:
◦ Biomechanical signals:
◦ Circulatory system (blood pressure, heart sound, blood flow velocity).
◦ Respiratory system (respiratory pressure, gas-flow rate, lung volume, gas concentration).
◦ Acoustic signals from a heart valve or a breathing process.

◦ Biochemical signals e.g. hormones.

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Examples
of
Biosignals

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Characteristics of biosignals
➢Deterministic : can be described by mathematical functions or rules
◦ Periodic: its wave shape is repeated periodically, e.g., blood pressure (has dominant
periodic function).
◦ Quasi-periodic: its wave shape is repeated almost periodically, e.g., ECG.
◦ Transient: wave shape occurs only once, e.g., cell response.

➢Stochastic (random): Contain uncertainty in the parameters that describe them. Therefore,
cannot be precisely described by mathematical functions.
◦ Often analyzed using statistical techniques with probability distributions.
◦ Or simple statistical measures such as the mean and standard deviation.
◦ Example: EMG (electromyogram)
◦ Stationary: statistical properties do not change in time.
◦ Non-stationary: statistical properties change during time.
Note: Most of the biosignals are non-stationary.
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 Categories of biomedical signals
Categories of biomedical signals

Depending on number of points Depending on potential

Event-related potential,
Time varying signals, Single value signals, Action potential signals, EGG,PCG, CP, VMG, VAG,
ECG, EEG, EMG temperature, pressure ECG, EEG, EMG,ENG oto-acoustic emission,
speech signals

Vibromyogram (VMG)- muscles

Vibroarthrogram (VAG)- joints

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Biosignals depend on potential: Action-potential

▪A short-term change in the electrical potential on

the surface of a cell (e.g. a nerve cell or muscle cell)
in response to an internal stimulation, and then
leads to the transmission of an electrical impulse
(nerve impulse) that travels across the cell
membrane.
▪For example, due to the blood flow in the heart, the
natural electrical signals in the heart cells change
based on the ECG signal mechanism>> thus, the ECG
occurs due to action potential for blood flow.
Biosignals depend on potential: Event-Related Potential
(ERPs)
▪The ERPs measure cognitive processes in the real
time.
▪The ERPs are electrical brain potentials related to
an event of some sort, usually external stimulus
perception and evaluation.

▪This changes occur due to specific action (such as

thinking, sleeping, etc.) leading to Voltage changes in
the EEG signal across the scalp and time-locked to a
particular stimulus.
 Classification of biosignals
The variety of biosignals is nearly unlimited.
So, a unique classification of biosignals is impossible.
There are at least three ways of defining their (overlapping) strategic classification.

Existence Dynamic nature Origin

Permanent (ECG) Quasi static (body temp.) Electric, Magnetic, Mechanic

Induced (electro-plethysogram Dynamic (hear beat-to-beat change) Optic, Chemical, Acoustic

to measures changes in volume
in different parts of the body)

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1- The existence of the biosignal
a) Permanent biosignals:
•Exist without any artificial impact, trigger, or excitation from outside the body.
•Available at any time.
•The source of the biosignal is already inside the body.

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1-The existence of the biosignal (contd.)
b) Induced biosignals:
•Biosignals that are artificially triggered, excited, or
induced.
•Exist roughly for the duration of the excitation.
•As soon as the artificial impact is over, the induced
biosignal decays with a certain time constant determined
by the body properties.
•The interaction of the tissue with the induced stimulus,
irrespective of the stimulus nature, is then recorded as an
induced biosignal.
•Example, electric plethysmography, in which an artificial
current is induced in the tissue and a voltage (measured)
along the current path reflects tissue impedance changes.

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2- The Dynamic nature of the biosignals

a) (Quasi) Static biosignals:

•Carry information in its steady state level which may exhibit relatively slow changes over
time.
•The core body temperature would be a (quasi) static biosignal, exhibiting relatively slow
circadian changes over 24 h.
As shown in figure, it increases during the morning hours and decreases before the onset of
sleep.
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2-The Dynamic nature of the biosignals (contd.)

b) Dynamic biosignals:
•Yield extensive changes in the time domain, with dynamic processes conveying the
physiological information of interest.
•The instantaneous beat-to-beat changes of the heart rate would constitute a highly
dynamic biosignal.
•The course of the heart rate, reveals respiratory related oscillation, i.e., an increase
during inspiration and a corresponding decrease during expiration.

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3-The origin of the biosignal

a) Electric biosignals:
Comprise, for instance electrocardiogram (ECG), electroencephalogram (EEG), which reflects
electrical activity of neurons in the brain, or electromyogram (EMG), which reflects electrical
activation of muscles.

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3-The origin of the biosignal (contd.)

b)Magnetic biosignals:
•Reflect a magnetic field induced by usually nonstationary currents which convey physiological
information.
•The figure shows a magnetocardiogram reading of magnetic fields emitted by currents
during electrical heart excitation.

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 3-The origin of the biosignal (contd.)

c)Mechanical biosignals:
•Reflect, for instance, body deformations or local body skin vibrations that present
physiological data.
•An example is given by mechanorespirogram, showing a respiratory cycle from abdominal
circumference changes.

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3-The origin of the biosignal (contd.)

d)Optical biosignals:
•Benefit from light absorption and scattering, which are related to propagation volume and
medium, both changing in a physiologically relevant way.
•An artificial light is used within the scope of induced biosignals.
•As shown, cardiac pulsations with a clinically relevant time course can be clearly recognized in an
optoplethysmogram

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3-The origin of the biosignal (contd.)

e) Acoustic biosignals:
•Remain for the assessment of diverse body sounds, ranging from cardiac sounds to snoring
sounds to swallowing sounds.
•A phonocardiogram shown, mirrors cardiac activity.
•It is comprised of two discernable heart sounds corresponding to two consecutive heart valve
closures.
•The oscillation amplitude and frequency indicate the closure strength and the valve’s stiffness,
respectively.
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3-The origin of the biosignal (contd.)

f) Chemical biosignals:
•Reflect chemical composition and its temporal changes in body solids, liquids, and gases.
•The figure shows a typical course of cortisol (stress hormone) over 24 h in humans, with a peak
during the morning hours to prepare the body for awakening.

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3-The origin of the biosignal (contd.)

g) Thermal biosignals:
•Assess highly heterogeneous mechanisms of heat loss and heat absorption in the body.
•For instance, body core temperature constitutes a thermal biosignal.

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 Self-evaluation
Define the biosignal?
Compare between sensor, transducer and probe in the medical devices?
What is the function of the biosensor?
What are the different origins of the medical signals?- provide different examples
Draw the block diagram of the general biomedical system?
What are the differences between the deterministic and random signals?
What are the components of the endoscopy capsule?
Why the microcontrollers may be used in the biomedical devices?
Classify the biosignals in terms of the dynamic nature.

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Any Questions!!

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