Biomedical Electronics and Instrumentation module (BE32003)

​​Biomedical instrumentation brings together engineering, electronics and physiology to measure signals from the human body and turn them into useful information. In this module, you will explore the electronic principles that underpin technologies used to monitor patients, support diagnosis and deliver treatment. 

​You will examine how physiological signals are acquired using sensors and transducers, then conditioned using circuits such as amplifiers and filters before they can be analysed or used by a medical device. You will consider biopotential measurements, biomedical signal measurement and therapeutic instrumentation, while developing an understanding of the relationship between physiology, physics and electronic system design. The module also considers why accuracy, reliability and safety are particularly important when engineering technology is used in healthcare. 

​You will apply these principles through practical electronics activities and a group project centred on the design of a patient-monitoring system. The project considers measurements including ECG, breathing rate, blood pressure and blood oxygen saturation. You will investigate the analogue signal chain from sensing through amplification and filtering, justify engineering design choices, and consider how individual subsystems work together as part of a complete instrument.  

​This combination of theory, practical work and project activity will help you develop both technical understanding and the engineering judgement needed to analyse and communicate biomedical instrumentation designs. 

​What you will learn 

​In this module, you will: 

• ​explore the fundamental principles of biomedical electronics and instrumentation  
• ​examine how physiological signals are acquired, conditioned and processed  
• ​study amplification, filtering, signal operations, signal generation and signal conversion 
• ​investigate biomedical applications including biopotential measurement, patient monitoring and therapeutic instrumentation  
• ​explore how physiology, physics and electronics interact in the design of medical devices  
• ​apply electronic design principles through practical circuit and instrumentation activities  
• ​develop a patient-monitoring system concept as part of a group engineering project 

​By the end of this module, you will be able to: 

• ​explain fundamental principles and applications of biomedical instrumentation  
• ​analyse approaches to acquiring, amplifying, filtering and processing biomedical signals  
• ​relate electronic circuit behaviour to the measurement of physiological signals  
• ​apply engineering analysis and simulation to biomedical instrumentation problems  
• ​justify design decisions for analogue biomedical electronics  
• ​communicate and defend technical design decisions within a collaborative engineering project​

Assignments / assessments

​​Group Project and Quizzes (30%) 

• ​Mini viva (10%) – group presentation and technical discussion of your patient-monitoring system.  
• ​Project report (10%) – group technical report describing and justifying your design.  
• ​In-class quizzes (5%) – short quizzes used to reinforce learning and check understanding.  
• ​Peer assessment (5%) – individual reflection on contribution to the group project 
• ​Students must achieve 30% or higher (MF3) in this component to pass the module. 

​Final exam (70%) 

• ​Written exam assessing analytical problem-solving and descriptive understanding of core concepts, methodologies, and practical applications. 
• ​Students must achieve 30% or higher (MF3) in this component to pass the module.​

Teaching methods / timetable

​​Learning sessions are covered at Northeastern University (NEU), Shenyang, China, these include:

• ​lectures  
• ​practical electronics and instrumentation activities  
• ​circuit simulation and analysis  
• ​group project sessions  
• ​collaborative design and problem-solving activities  
• ​technical discussion and presentation​