Instrumentation &

Measurements course

f.m@cantab.net
Cambridge Uni, UK
Basic Architecture of a Sensing

2
 Is your cell phone a sensor?
• What can you sense using your phone?

3
 Pulse Oximetry

• Principle of operation -1
 Physics (Beer-Lambert law)

• Beer ’s law:
– The concentration of a liquid is exponentially related
to the intensity of light that will pass through it.

• Lambert’s Law:
– The distance of light travelled through the liquid is
exponentially related to the intensity of light that
will pass through it.

• Oxygenated hemoglobin absorbs a different

wavelength of light than does deoxygenated blood
 The 3Qs of Measurement
• Are we measuring the “right” thing?
• Are we measuring only the “right” thing?
• Are we measuring it right?

6
Basics of Instrumentation:
Case Study of Oximeter
Q 1: Is this continuous time or discrete-time? How?
Q 2: What is the time period here?
Q 3: Can we decompose the signal waveform into two waveforms?
Q 3: Can we decompose the signal waveform into two waveforms?
 Points on wave form
• Where on the curve is light:
– Most absorbed?
– Least absorbed?
Points on wave form
What factors interfere with
Oxi-metering?
 What factors interfere with
Oxi-metering?
• Light – bright light (such as the operating theatre light or
sunlight) directly on the probe may affect the reading.
• Shivering – movement may make it difficult for the
probe to pick up a signal.
• Pulse volume – the oximeter only detects pulsatile flow.
When the blood pressure is low, the pulse may be very
weak and the oximeter may not be able to detect a
signal
• If the patient is very cold and peripherally
vasoconstricted, signal wont be detected
 Case Investigate: The mysterious case of Air
Con
• Due to transformer failure at 12 midnight, Ali and Akbar decided
to sleep in their car with air con turned on.
• Aslam advised them not to; as in the past, some people were
known to faint in their cars due to lack of oxygen & poor
ventilation
• Ali proposed that he could wear a portable oxymeter with alarm
set on in case SpO2 level drops to 93% or below. This would
eliminate the odds of such an incident.
• Result: After 9 hours, both Ali/Akbar were
found fainted. They were rushed
to hospital. However the oxymeter
showed 96% SpO2 levels
WHAT WENT WRONG?
Possibilities?
 Take Away !!

• Carbon monoxide poisoning may give a falsely high

saturation reading.

• Carbon monoxide binds very well to haemoglobin

and displaces oxygen to form a bright red compound
called carboxyhaemoglobin.
What happens if we increase LED intensity?
What happens if we increase LED intensity?