Data acquisition and processing systems in biomedicine

Course annotation

Data acquisition and processing systems in biomedicine (4 European Credits)

Taught by: Assoc. Prof. Mikhail Svetlik, Assoc. Prof. Ivan Tolmachev

The course is focused on developing the skills for design and implementation of  medical and technical complexes based on physics approaches and interdisciplinary synthesis of knowledge and skills.

The module covers the following topics:

• Classification of the instrumental methods of diagnosis and treatment.
• Instrumental methods of functional diagnostics, biomedical signals.
• Safety requirements for physics treatments, biological protection, security of physics methods of exposure, biological effects of physics fields.
• Instrumental methods of medical visualization, laboratory diagnostics.
• Data features and principles of interaction with the medical equipment device interfaces.
• Structural and functional brain visualization, medical visualization, anatomical, histological medical visualization.
• Electrophysiological methods: Electroencephalography (EEG) and evoked potentials (EP).
• The use of physics fields for therapeutic purposes.
• Organization of interaction between medical equipment and PC, technical implementation of diagnostic and treatment facilities.
• Exploiting of medical diagnostic systems, physics and technical parameters of diagnostic systems, technical inspection and verification.

Learning objectives:

As a result of the course, a student must:

• know: the principles of construction of modern medical diagnostic systems, methods and technologies of processing and visualization of medical signals;
• be able to: apply the appropriate areas of physics for the development and operation of medical facilities for diagnosis and treatment, use software tools for visualization of biomedical signals;
• master: interdisciplinary knowledge synthesis techniques, skills of operating computerized systems for medical diagnosis and treatment, skills for analysing the obtained data.

Content of the module

The course examines the application of physics methods for solving medical diagnostic issues in modern medicine. Medical and technical solutions in modern medical equipment. Interdisciplinary design principles, basic types of medical equipment. Physics principles classification, application area classification, biological hazards classification. Physics basis of electrophysiology, registration of biopotentials, functional diagnostics automated systems. Methods of processing time series. Physics basis of radiological investigations. X-ray detection digital technology. Magnetic resonance studies, physics principles of image obtaining. Ultrasonic medical diagnostic studies. Computer tomography of the head, magnetic resonance tomography, functional magnetic resonance tomography, positron emission tomography, single photon emission computed tomography. PACS systems (Picture Archiving and Communication Systems), DICOM standard (Digital Image and Communication in Medicine). Medical visualization features. Image processing techniques in the frequency and spatial domain, 3-d reconstruction. Histological images characteristics. Histological images classification. Image segmentation. Physico-chemical basis of laboratory diagnosis, physics methods of biological fluids, automated clinical laboratory diagnostic systems. Application of electromagnetic fields for the medicinal purposes. Ultrasonic medical devices, the physics basis of therapeutic effects. X-ray studies security, biological effects of the radiation exposure. Absorption of electromagnetic radiation by biological tissues, the maximum allowable values. Requirements for the safety of diagnostic and treatment equipment, definition of safe variables influences. Organization of PC interaction with medical equipment, the establishment of data collection programs. Methodological aspects of building complexes for diagnostic data, their accumulation and structuring. Construction principles of modern medical diagnostic equipment. Medico-technical requirements for metrological characteristics, providing a defined safety level of treatment modalities and diagnostic studies. Formation of medical and technical requirements for medical-diagnostic complex based on physics approaches, definition of metrological characteristics and compliance with security settings based on objective measurement procedures.

Overview of task and lectures

The course consists of 9 lectures of 2 hours and practical classes totaling  18 hours.

Topics of the lectures:

1.   Introduction in data acquisition and processing systems in biomedicine.  The review of instrumental methods.  Diagnostic instrumental methods. Instrumental methods of treatment.

2.   Types of biomedical signals. Passive biomedical signals. The review of functional diagnostics methods.

3.   Direct methods of functional diagnostics.  Indirect methods of functional diagnostics.

4.   Electrophysiological methods: electroencephalography (EEG) and evoked potentials (EP).

5.   Medical imaging techniques: Ultrasound. Medical imaging techniques: CT.  Medical imaging techniques: MRI.

6.   Structural and functional neuroimaging.  Anatomical medical imaging. Histological medical imaging.

7.   The review of laboratory diagnostic methods. Instrumental methods of blood analysis.

8.   Protection of biological objects. Safety of physics methods. Biological effects of the physics fields. The use of the physics fields for therapeutic purposes.

9.   Technical realization of medical diagnostic systems. Exploitation of medical diagnostic systems. Physics and technical parameters of diagnostic systems, technical inspection and verification.

Practical classes involve seminars and testing, as well as laboratory lectures and practical exercises using computers with specialized software for the students.

Topics of seminars:

1.   Classification of medical equipment based on physical principles.

2.   Functional diagnostics methods. Ultrasound diagnostics.

3.   X-ray computed tomography. Magnetic resonance imaging.

4.   Instrumental methods of Laboratory diagnosis. Instrumental methods of blood analysis.

5.   Physics and technical parameters of diagnostic systems, technical inspection and verification.

Topics of laboratory works:

1.   Medical equipment for functional diagnostics. Digital processing of electrophysiological signals. EEG and evoked potentials.

2.   Center of pressure movement tracking, multiparametric assessment of postural tests.

3.   Oculometry, the use of virtual reality systems to assess the interaction of visual and vestibular analyzers.

4.   Physical fields for medical purposes. Design of therapeutic and diagnostic systems.

Position within the programme

This is a unique course of the programme that reviews medical equipment, the principles of its operation, opportunities for expanding the standard set of diagnostic capabilities and automatic measurement means. The knowledge and skills are important in the biomedical sphere and for physicians in their practice.

Teaching format

Structure

The course is scheduled for semesters 1. The total complexity of the course is 4 credits / 144 hours, including 36 hours in the classroom. The first semester involves 9 lectures of 2 hours,  5 seminars of 2 hours, and 4 laboratory works of 2 hours for a period of 8 weeks. Lectures and seminars are conducted in a multimedia auditorium, equipped with technical means for video conferencing, as well as presentation and interactive equipment. Students’ practical classes take place in a computer lab with specialized software.

Grading

The form of final assessment is an exam which is the result of the satisfactory performance of practical tasks and tests that take place within the course.

Main literature

1.  Henry J.B. Clinical diagnosis and management by Laboratory Methods. — Philadelphia, PA: Saunders, 1991. – 682 p.

2.   Ravel R. Clinical Laboratory Medicine. –  Chicago, 1989. –  692 p.

3.   S. Webb. The Physics of Medical Imaging. – Taylor & Francis Ltd, 2012. – 864 p.

4.  Andrew Webb. Introduction to Medical Imaging: Physics, Engineering and Clinical Applications. – CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS.  – 402 p.

5.   Herman Cember, Thomas E. Johnson, Introduction to Health Physics. – McGraw-Hill Medical. – 352 p.

6.   Paul Davidovits, Physics in Biology and Medicine. – Academic Press Inc. – 864 p