BI2SW1: Biomedical Sensors and Wearable Technology

Module code: BI2SW1

Module provider: School of Biological Sciences

Credits: 20

Level: Level 2 (Intermediate)

When you'll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Eur Ing Professor Simon Sherratt, email: r.s.sherratt@reading.ac.uk

Module co-convenor: Dr Evangelos Delivopoulos, email: e.delivopoulos@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: No

Last updated: 21 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

Sensors have important biomedical applications in the monitoring of physiological parameters, in the control of assistive technologies, and as the basis of many diagnostic and medical imaging systems. This module will cover the different types of sensors used for biomedical application areas, their characteristics and principles of operation. You will also learn how sensors can be combined with embedded processors – small computer systems that are often hidden from the user – to produce wearable sensors for medical and healthcare applications. By the end of the module, you will be able to choose appropriate sensors and transducers for a given application and be able to calculate how the output signals they produce are related to the quantities they are sensing. You will also be able to interface sensors to a embedded microprocessor, and program the processor to perform a typical task for a wearable healthcare device. The module consists of lectures reinforced by laboratory practicals.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to: 

1. Choose appropriate sensors and transducers for a given application
2. Explain the principles of sensor and transducer operation
3. Calculate how the output signals produced by sensors and transducers are related to the quantities they are sensing
4. Describe the building blocks of wearable technology, the selection of suitable core technologies and the overall architecture of such systems
5. Discuss logic families, I/O standards, bus systems and memories
6. Write code to run on wearable devices

Module content

Classification of Sensors and transducers, examples. Transducer parameters. Transducer bridges. Displacement transducers. Accelerometers. Gyroscopes. Magnetometer, Temperature transducers. Phototransducers. Fibre optic sensors for biomedical applications. Patch clamps. Multielectrode arrays. Flexible electrodes. Functionalized biosensors. ECG and PPT. Respiration measurement. Pulse oximetry. Blood pressure measurement.  

Wearable technology. Typical embedded CPU architectures, I/O (GPIO, interrupts), timers, peripheral interfaces (I2C, SPI). Memories (SRAM, FLASH, ROM). Interfacing digital sensors. Battery powered considerations. Real-Time Operating Systems (tasks, priorities), and software constructs for concurrent programming (semaphores, events).

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

The module will be delivered through a combination of lectures and associated laboratory practicals. Laboratory practicals are used to reinforce the relevant lectures.

Study hours

At least 40 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Students will be given oral feedback as their sensor labs progress.

General oral feedback, help and advice will be given during the timetabled lab sessions.

Reassessment

Additional costs