ELEC3802 - Fundamentals of Biomedical Engineering

Lecturer: Dr Peter Nickolls

This unit assumes a knowledge of basic principles in physics, mathematics, circuit theory and electronics. In particular, some understanding of the following is required: Thevenins and Nortons theorems, filtering, bipolar and field effect transistors, and operational amplifiers.

The following topics are covered. Biology of the heart, circulatory and respiratory systems, physiology of nerve and muscle cells, fundamental organization of the brain and spinal cord. Medical instrumentation. ElectroCardioGram and automated diagnosis. Heart pacemakers and defibrillators. Hearing and the bionic ear. Sleep apnoea and its treatment using respirators.

This unit is descriptive and does not require detailed knowledge of electronics or mathematics, but does require an understanding of some key aspects of mathematical and electronic theory. The unit concentrates on some of the practical applications of biomedical engineering to patient diagnosis and treatment.