An introductory M.Sc. course in analog circuit synthesis for microelectronic designers.
Topics include:
Active Implantable Biomedical Microsystems (AIBM) in the human body are now becoming more widely acceptable and available since the development of cardiac pacemakers. Today, miniaturized wireless implantable systems are changing the face of biomedical research and clinical practices through the development of cochlear implants, neuroprostheses, brain–computer interfaces, deep organ pressure sensors, precise drug delivery units, bioelectronic medicine and electroceuticals. With a greater life expectancy and an increasing demand for medical healthcare to guarantee a sufficient health-related quality of life, there is a greater demand on technology and electrical and biomedical engineers to develop active implantable systems for a wide variety of medical diagnostics, treatments and therapies.
This course provides a background on the application of AIBMs, an introduction to the latest techniques used and examples of existing medical devices. It can be used as a guide to the design of AIBMs and also as a reference for existing medical devices. The course is aimed at MSc students in Electrical Engineering (track Microelectronics) and in Biomedical Engineering (track Medical Devices) who have an interest in the research and design of AIBMs.
The following topics are treated:
The course addresses the impact of microtechnologies on medicine and biology.
The following topics are part of the course:
The Technical Medicine professional must be able, based on physiological and pathological insight, to apply electrical signals to influence organ (dys)function. To perform this, fundamental knowledge on the capability and limits of electrostimulation techniques is crucial. Furthermore, the Technical Medicine professional must be able to advise in the spectrum of clinical settings which type of stimulation technique is needed and must know its technical and clinical limits.
The student is familiarized with different methods by which neurophysiological signals are actively initiated, inhibited or otherwise influenced with the goal to improve the function of the central and/or peripheral nervous system. The student is also familiarized with the physics and technical aspects of electrostimulation of visceral organs.
Although the main focus of the course in on electro stimulation it also takes into account the often multi-modal and multi-disciplinary approach needed for patients who eventually need a form of neuromodulation. For a proper understanding of the effective use of electro stimulation the student also needs knowledge of (patho)physiology, the burden of the disease for the patient, the diagnostic process and alternative treatment modalities. The treatments discussed will be e.g. electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), pain modulators, deep brain stimulators, cochlear implants and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).