Bioinstrumentation creates devices to measure physiological levels and keep patients alive. It includes biomedical optics, sensors, and pumps, and is studied by those with degrees in biomedical engineering, optics, or biology. The field has seen growth, with universities offering degrees and the National Institute of Health having a dedicated laboratory. Biotools include defibrillators, ultrasound technology, and pacemakers.
Bioinstrumentation is a field of study that focuses on creating devices that measure physiological levels, such as blood pressure or brain waves, as well as devices that can help keep a patient alive. Examples of biotools include electrical sensors, respirators, and ultrasound equipment. Typically, those working in the field have degrees in biomedical engineering, optics or biology.
Medicine has always relied on the most advanced technologies of the moment. Such technologies can range from simple heart monitors to artificial organs. The need for better and more accurate devices has seen the study of bioinstrumentation boom, with colleges and universities now offering bachelor’s degrees in the field. In the United States, the National Institute of Health also has a laboratory dedicated to the development of biosensors and bioinstruments.
One of the largest subfields of bioinstrumentation is biomedical optics. This field includes developing ways to perform noninvasive surgeries that don’t require cutting a patient with surgical tools. For example, the development of laser-assisted eye surgery in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) is one of the most commonly noted advances in laser microsurgery. LASIK allows doctors to correct a wide range of eye problems, including nearsightedness and astigmatism. Biomedical optics also includes the creation of more advanced imaging machinery, such as scanning devices and computed tomography (CAT) microscopes.
Another major field of bioinstrumentation is the creation of sensors. These devices are designed to observe different aspects of physiology, such as temperature, blood flow rate and electrical activity in the brain. One specific sensor is an electromyography, which measures the electrical activity in the muscles. If electrical feedback from an EMG sensor deviates from normal levels, it could indicate medical problems such as carpal tunnel syndrome, myopathy, or muscular dystrophy.
Bioinstruments can also be used to measure specific biomarkers in the body. Blood sensors can identify levels of carbon dioxide, electrolytes and glucose, among other chemicals. They can also be used to measure the hydrogen potency (pH) of the blood, alerting doctors if the blood becomes too alkaline or too acidic, which can cause adverse complications, especially to the bones. There are other tools that can be used to test genetic testing.
Other forms of biotools include pumps used to deliver drugs, such as insulin or anesthesia. The list also includes defibrillators, ultrasound technology and respirators. Bioinstrumentation also creates machines to help boost physiological systems, such as pacemakers and hearing aids.
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