Medical Devices and Professional Skills module (ME42001)

Medical Devices and Professional Skills develops your understanding of the systems, processes, and professional responsibilities involved in medical device design and clinical engineering. You will explore how biomedical instruments measure physiological signals, how sensors and signal conditioning are used in clinical measurement, and how device performance is evaluated in a healthcare setting. You will also consider the safety, quality, ethical, and regulatory context in which medical devices are developed and used.

The module connects technical biomedical engineering principles with professional practice. You will look at measurement systems used for blood pressure, blood flow, pulse oximetry, respiratory performance, patient monitoring, medical imaging, and clinical laboratory instrumentation. You will also examine risk management, quality systems, design controls, standards, and safety issues including electrical safety, biological hazards, and radiation protection.

Teaching combines lectures, tutorials, laboratory experimentation, and applied clinical engineering scenarios. The module is designed to help you link theory to practical decisions about device performance, patient safety, clinical relevance, and professional judgement.

What you will learn

In this module, you will:

• explore the principles behind biomedical sensors, signal conditioning, and measurement systems
• study physiological measurement techniques including blood pressure, blood flow, pulse oximetry, and respiratory performance
• consider medical imaging, patient monitoring, and clinical laboratory instrumentation
• evaluate how safety, ethics, standards, and regulation shape medical device design and use
• build understanding of risk management, reliability, quality systems, and design controls
• apply technical knowledge to realistic clinical measurement and device performance scenarios

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

• explain how key biomedical sensors and instrumentation systems operate
• specify and design measurement systems that interact safely with the human body
• interpret device performance information and justify practical clinical engineering decisions
• propose realistic solutions to clinical measurement problems
• understand the regulatory, safety, quality, and professional context of medical device development and use

Assignments / assessments

You will be assessed through an interim viva/interview and a class test. You will need to achieve at least 30% in each assessment component to pass the module overall.

Interim assessment: viva/interview (60%)

• You will be assigned a scenario linked to a specific type of medical device, such as an infusion device, patient monitor, or defibrillator.
• You will explain preventive maintenance, performance verification, interpretation of test results, safety, tolerances, and clinical implications during an individual interview-style viva.

Class test (40%)

• The class test assesses theoretical knowledge and the application of principles linked to medical device performance, safety standards, clinical relevance, and professional skills.
• Mock multiple-choice and short-answer questions will be made available on My Dundee.

Teaching methods / timetable

Teaching is face to face and combines technical theory with applied clinical engineering examples. You will learn through:

• lectures, which introduce biomedical instrumentation, clinical measurement, safety, regulation, and professional practice
• tutorials and scenario-based discussions, which help you apply technical principles to realistic medical device contexts
• laboratory experimentation, where you engage with measurement systems, performance checks, and practical constraints
• guided independent study, including preparation for the viva/interview and class test
• learning materials and practice questions provided through MyDundee

The module normally runs in Semester 2. The detailed weekly timetable and any specific laboratory arrangements will be confirmed through the University timetable and My Dundee