Introduction to Biosensors and Bioinstrumentation
(ELEC 4810)
FINAL EXAMINATION
DATE: December 12, 2014
TIME: 8:30AM - 11:30AM
Venue: Rm 3007, Lift 3-4
PLEDGE OF HONOR
On my honor as a student of Hong Kong University of Science and
Technology, I have neither received aid from others nor given aid to
others while taking this exam. All of the answers represent my own work.
Signature: __________________ Date: ________________
Student Name:
Student Number:
TOTAL: 45 PTS + 5 PTS BONUS.
1. (22 pts.) Short-answering questions
(a) Derive the Goldman equation and calculate membrane’s resting potential at
room temperature based on the information in the figure below (
kT
27mV , Pk : PNa : PCl = 5 : 0.1 : 2 ).
q
(b) Explain why an action potential can be physically described as a traveling
current dipole? A large nerve fiber of 100m diameter is immersed in saline
(salt water) and an electrode is located 10 mm away from the nerve fiber.
Estimate the maximal potential signal that the electrode can pick up when an
i
action potential travels through the nerve fiber. ( 0.2, resting potential, Vr
e
-90 mV, action potential, Va 40 mV).
(c) The electrical signal from heart muscle is the ECG; the electrical signal from
skeletal muscle is the EMG. Interestingly, the ECG and EMG are very
different. The ECG is a structured, low frequency signal, while the EMG is a
stochastic, high frequency signal.
i) Briefly explain this difference, based on the different physiology of the
muscle types and signal origins.
ii) Draw the circuit used in Lab1 and Lab2 for the measurement of ECG and
EMG.
iii) Explain the function of driven right leg circuit.
(d) EEG signal measurements: (i) What is the origin of EEG signal? (ii) Why
must EEG signal be measured when subject is in relaxing state? (iii) What are
the four typical EEG waves? What are their frequency ranges?
(e) Describe the mechanisms of blood pressure measurement based on Korotkoff's
and oscillometric methods in Lab 3.
(f) An integrated pressure sensor was discussed in class and used in the
experiment of oscillometric blood pressure measurement.
i) Describe the structure and mechanism of the integrated semiconductor
pressure sensor.
ii) What are the major advantages of the sensor over other pressure sensors
discussed in the class? Is it a linear or non-linear?
iii) Describe the method to calibrate the sensor and make the pressure
measurement accurate.
2. (16 pts) Monitoring of circulation system: blood flow
a) (Bonus question) If the ultrasound source and receiver are moving along the line
connecting them at the velocities of Vs and Vr, prove the Doppler shift is
V Vr
f D s f (f and c are ultrasound frequency and speed, respectively).
c V s
b) The schematic of a Doppler ultrasonic flowmeter with one transducer as
ultrasonic transmitter and one transducer as receiver is shown in the figure
below. Suppose that the two transducers are inclined at angle and to the
axis of blood stream. Derive a formula for fd, the Doppler frequency shift.
c) If = 45 and =-45, ultrasound frequency is 7 MHz and the measured
Doppler shift is about 10 KHz, calculate the blood velocity. (Note: the
acoustic velocity in soft tissue is about 1500 m/s).
d) If the blood flow can be assumed as laminar flow and approximately described
with a parabolic blood velocity profile across the vessel,
r 2
V r Vmax 1 , r (0, r0), find the maximal, minimal and mean
r0
Doppler shift frequencies, where r0 is the radius of the blood vessel. (Assume
the size of ultrasonic beam is much larger than that of blood vessel.)
3. (12 pts.) Measurements of Respiratory System
(a) What is the primary function of the respiratory system? Describe the systemic
gas exchange (internal exchange) and pulmonary gas exchange (external
respiration).
(b) Capnometers measure CO2 in expired air and provide clinicians with a
noninvasive measure of systemic metabolism, circulation, and ventilation. The
absorption spectra of a few major gases are shown in the figure below.
i) Describe the mechanism of a capnometer based on optical absorption.
ii) Design a capnometer, sketch an expected CO2 (capnogram) waveform
measured by your capnometer and explain the waveform phases.
(c) Based on the absorption spectra of hemoglobin (Hb) and oxyhemoglobin
(HbO2) shown in figure below. Describe the mechanism of the pulse oximeter
that you built in Lab 5. Why did you use an infrared LED at 935 nm instead of
805 nm?
