Author: John Mulindi
-
Key Considerations in Respiratory Measurements & Instrumentation Involved
Airflow The airflow in the respiratory system is normally laminar. However, during heavy breathing or when there is an obstruction, the airflow may become turbulent. The airflow is laminar unless the Reynolds number of the flow becomes 50,000 or more. When the Reynolds number is small, the viscous force in the flow dominates over the…
-
Types of Recorders used In Biomedical Instrumentation
Introduction The recorder is required in any instrumentation system to record data which has been acquired. Data can be in analog or digital form hence the 2 types of recorders namely: Analog recorders can be: The graphic recorder is a device which records some physical event on chart paper with stylus as tracing which is…
-
Blood Pressure Measurement
Introduction The blood pressure is considered a good indicator of the status of the cardiovascular system. The blood pressure can be measured by: Indirect methods of Blood Pressure Measurement Examples of indirect methods of blood pressure measurement include: Sphygmomanometer In this method the occlusive cuff is inflated until the pressure exerted by the cuff on…
-
Blood Flow Measurement
Introduction Blood flow can easily be measured by using biomedical instruments. These biomedical instruments are based on several working principles namely: The magnetic and ultrasound blood flow meters actually measure the velocity of the blood stream. A transducer is used that envelope an excised blood vessel to measure the mean velocity of the blood stream.…
-
The application of Microprocessors in Medical Instrumentation
What is a Microprocessor? A microprocessor is a computer processor that incorporates the functions of a central processing unit (CPU) on a single integrated circuit (IC) or sometimes up to 8 integrated circuits. A microprocessor is programmable, multipurpose, clock-driven, register based electronic device that reads binary instructions from a storage device called memory, accepts binary…
-
Biomedical Signals Acquisition Instruments
We have different types of biomedical recorders named according to the types of bio signals they capture. Some of these instruments used to record data in biomedical measurements include: Electrocardiograph (ECG) The Electrocardiograph (ECG) is an instrument which records the electrical activity of the heart. Electrical signals from the heart characteristically precede, the normal mechanical…
-
Cardiac Monitor
Cardiac monitor is used to monitor patients with cardiac problems. This instrument finds use when monitoring important physiological parameters in the intensive care unit (ICU) like the heart rate or shape of the electrical waveform produced by the heart. This is done to observe the presence of arrhythmias or to be indicative of a serious…
-
Why Patient Monitoring Instruments are Important in Medical Care
The main objective of patient monitoring is to have a quantitative assessment of the important physiological variables of the patient during critical periods of their biological functions. In medical diagnostic and research, it is necessary to know their actual value or trend of change. Medical monitoring instruments are used for measuring continuously or at regular…
-
How a Ventilator is used to Deliver Oxygen to a Patient with a Breathing difficulty
A ventilator is used on patients who go into respiratory failure and cannot maintain breathing for some reasons. Respiratory failure occurs when the body’s metabolic needs are not met. If this is not corrected, then the patient will have laboured breathing, resulting into a cardiac arrest. When this limit is crossed or about to be…
-
Cardiac Defibrillators
Ventricular fibrillation is a serious cardiac emergency resulting from asynchronous contraction of the heart muscles. This uncoordinated movement of the ventricle walls of the heart may result from coronary occlusion, from electric shock or from abnormalities of body chemistry. Due to these irregular contractions of the muscle fibres, the ventricles simply quiver rather than pumping…