Building Bridges to Healthcare with Hands-on Electronics Kits for Biomed

For years, Dr. Brian Bell, Biomedical Engineering Technology Faculty at St. Petersburg College, worked with students in engineering technology applied to healthcare. The field of study is called biomedical engineering technology. Recently, he has implemented new hands-on labs using electronics kits designed for students to learn how to:

• Build biomedical devices
• Test electronic circuits for healthcare environments
• Learn about the applications of healthcare technology

Dr. Bell says, “these hands-on projects are the best way students are exploring technology, manufacturing, and engineering of healthcare devices”

First, students learn to the correct way to solder using video training https://youtu.be/6zKaAvYJZvA. Next students apply the concepts learned of heat, corrosion, and thermal conductivity to create a good solder joint.

St. Pete College students soldering their ECG Reader kit are able to learn a skill as they assemble a device that measures their hearts electrical activity. Finally, once students build and assemble their kit, they are able to analyze their own hearts electrocardiograph.

What students learn

 St. Pete College students learn about electrocardiography (ECG and by using the free educational resources from HTM workshop they learn how to connect patients to an electrocardiogram, set patient alarms, and identify common ECG artifacts. 

Students then have to answer questions about the electronics and the healthcare side of technology such as:

• Describe one type of digital filter used in patient monitors and why.
• Calculate the gain of the TLC272 by measuring the change in voltage between pins 1 and 6 on the chip.

In addition to building their own electrocardiography devices students get to create their own ECG simulator to test patient monitors and build on their electrical safety testing knowledge.

ECG Reader device assembled and connected to the computer. SPC students analyzing their own heart rate and simulated ECG waveforms using their assembled ECG Reader kit.

“The ECG Simulator project was an excellent addition to the course” – Biomed Student

More information on the hands-on lab kits developed by Dr. Bell can be found at HTM-Workshop.com.