Engineers working in the biomedical field have a wide range of responsibilities, such as helping to introduce a new medical imaging technology or to create assiduous devices to assist someone with a disability. Many people consider what exactly constitutes biomedical engineering reasonably clear. Still, there are many differences of opinion regarding this field that can be traced to differences concerning the definition of the field. This chapter aims to provide an understanding of the ground of biomedical engineering and its relevance in quantum computing. The authors are discussing various areas of biomedical engineering where research is constantly happening. With the combination of quantum computing, biology, engineering, and computer science, researchers always strive to be the best.
Top1. Introduction
Health professionals today face many issues that are extremely important to engineers because they relate to the initial design of devices and components. Engineering practice is based on three key activities: system analysis, design, and practical implementation. These are all integral parts of engineering. There are many medically critical technological challenges in the design which can vary from large-scale complex facilities to small ones. Large-scale facilities are likes automated clinical laboratories and multistage screening facilities (i.e., testing facilities that allow for a wide range of tests) and hospital information systems. Example of small facilities includes recording electrodes and sensors that are used to monitor physiological processes. It also includes remote monitoring and telemetry complexities. Engineers working in the biomedical field have a wide range of responsibilities, such as helping to Introduce a new medical imaging technology or to create assiduous devices to assist someone with a disability. Many people consider what exactly constitutes biomedical engineering reasonably clear. Still, there are many differences of opinion regarding this field that can be traced to differences concerning the definition of the field. An activity closely related to any technology addressing fundamental research questions, bioengineering is usually used to modify animal or plant cells or parts of cells to develop new plants, animals, or microbes. Food companies, for example, have used this to improve the strains of yeast used for fermentations in the food industry. A bioengineer may enhance agriculture by adding organisms to plants capable of reducing frost damage to improve a crop's yield. The Bioengineers of the future are going to be able to have a dramatic impact on the quality of life of the human race in the coming years. Figure 1 shows different branches of biomedical engineering.
Figure 1. Branches of biomedical engineering
Top2. Bio-Medical Sensors
As part of clinical medicine and biological research, diagnostic bio instrumentation is widely used to measure several physiological factors. There are a variety of sensors and transducers that can be used to make measurements and then applied to an instrument for further processing to provide valuable diagnosis information. As part of their diagnostic medical equipment, many physician offices, hospitals, and clinical laboratories use biomedical sensors or transducers (G. Harsanyi, 2000). On one hand, they are commonly employed for the ongoing monitoring of essential physiological parameters, both invasively and non-invasively. Simultaneously, they can serve many diagnostic purposes in controlled, laboratory-based settings. Similar devices are not only restricted to medical applications but can also be used in the agricultural, bioprocessing, food processing, and environmental monitoring fields (M.R. Neuman, 1999).
The components like Sensors, electrodes, and transducers provide information for medical instruments used to diagnose medical conditions. Electrical signals are used in medical instrumentation as inputs. Biopotential electrodes acquire these signals directly by converting non-electrical physical variables like pressure, flow, or temperature or biochemical variables such as partial pressure of gases or ionic concentrations to electrical signals. The electrical properties of electrodes and transducers are grouped and referred to as “probes” when measuring biological variables. Biomedical sensors (J. Cooper et al., 2004) are considered one of the most critical components in many diagnostic applications. Sensors used in clinical laboratories are used for in vitro physiological measurements and various biochemical analyses of blood samples. These sensors can be used for many purposes depending on the specific needs. Oxygen and carbon dioxide sensors can also monitor pressure, flow, and gas concentrations.
Biomedical sensors are categorized based on the type of measurement they are designed to take. They are classified as physical, electrical, or chemical sensors. A Biosensor consists of two main components- a biological sensing element and a supporting structure.