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1.4. Biomedical sensor’s application
In biomedical field, main applications of biomedical sensor are as follows:
1. Detecting the information of clinical chemistry. In the field of medical clinic and basic
research, the biology’s information needs to be detected to ensure the present state of given
biology. For example, before operating on a patient, a doctor needs to know the body
temperature and blood pressure. Under this condition, clinic thermometer and blood
sensor has to be employed to help doctor quickly detect body temperature and blood
pressure of patient.
2. Continuously monitoring some parameters of biology outside and inside. In biomedical
field, heart frequency has to be monitored continuously by heart sound sensor for a few
days after operation. In military, some viruses need to be found by biosensor to hold back
the attacking from enemy.
3. Control. In medicine, people usually utilize some parameter detected by biomedical
sensor to control or adjust physiological course of body. In the food industry, biomedical
sensor could be utilized to measure some enzyme and its concentration to control the
process of fabricating food and to analyze the nutritional ingredient of food. In military,
biomedical sensor could be employed to detect the situation of battle field to adjust the
strategy of spying or attacking enemy.
Of course, biomedical sensor such as PH sensor could be also employed to detect our atmos‐
phere and condition to improve our living situation.
2. Biomedical sensors
2.1. Biomedical sensor classification
Many different kinds of sensors can be used in biomedical application. According to the
sensing principle in biomedical application, biomedical sensors can be classified into physical
sensors and chemical sensors, seen in table 1.
It’s possible to categorize all sensors as being physical or chemical. In the case of physical
sensors, quantities such as geometric, mechanical, thermal, and hydraulic variables are
measured. In biomedical applications these variables can include things such as muscle
displacement, blood pressure, core body temperature, blood flow, cerebrospinal fluid pres‐
sure, and bone growth velocity. Two types of physical sensors deserve special mention with
regard to their biomedical application: sensors of electrical phenomena in the body, usually
known as electrodes, play a special role as a result of their diagnostic therapeutic applications.
The most familiar of these are sensors used to pick up the electrocardiogram, an electrical signal
produced by the heart. The other type of physical sensor that finds many applications in
biology and medicine is optical sensor. These sensors can utilize light to collect information,
and, in the case of fiber optic sensors, light is the signal transmission medium as well.
Biomedical Sensor, Device and Measurement Systems
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/59941
183

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The second major classification of sensing device is chemical sensors. In this case sensors are
concerned with the chemical quantities such as identifying the presence of chemical composite,
detecting the concentration of various chemical species, and monitoring the chemical activities
in the body for diagnostic and therapeutic application. A wide variety of chemical sensors are
classified in many ways. Chemical sensors are used to detect chemical components being
measured and chemical composition measured in the gas phase. Electrochemical sensors are
utilized to measure chemical concentration, or more precisely, activities based on chemical
reactions that interact with electrical systems. Photometric chemical sensors are optical devices
that detect chemical concentrations based on changes in light transmission, reflection or color.
Other types of physical chemical sensors such as the mass spectrometer utilize various physical
methods to detect and quantify chemicals associated with biologic systems.