Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
2.1b
Chapter 2.1b
Introduction to computing
Stanley M. Dunn, Alkis Constantinides, and Prabhas Moghe
2.1b.1 Introduction
2.1b.2 The role of computers
in biomedical engineering
The computer is a ubiquitous tool for all engineering
disciplines, and biomedical engineering is no exception.
In biomedical engineering, computers are used to control
instrumentation and data collection, analyze images,
simulate models, and perform statistical analysis, among
many other tasks. Biomedical engineers with good com-
puting skills will be able to apply their expertise to any
problem in this diverse field.
In this chapter, we will introduce the core areas of
computing: programming languages and program design,
data structures, and the analysis of algorithms. There are
many MATLAB examples that illustrate how to develop
a computer programusing good programdesign principles.
The sphygmomanometer, a device for measuring blood
pressure (BP), is one example of biomedical in-
strumentation that is available to the general consumer
because of the widespread use of computers in medical
devices.
The computer allows a consumer to operate the
device by providing the:
1.
primary user interface
2.
primary control for the overall system
3.
data storage for the system
4.
primary signal processing functions for the system
5.
safe and reliable operation of the overall system,
including cuff inflation
The computer program in the BP monitor must do all of
these functions and execute them correctly each and
every time the monitor is used. The biomedical engineer
who writes the computer programmust keep in mind the
following criteria:
1.
The program must be correct and operate the same
way each and every time.
2.
The users must have the confidence that all
measurements are equally reliable.
3.
The monitor must be easy to use.
The sphygmomanometer for home use (Fig. 2.1b-1) is
only one example of the impact that computers have had
in biomedical engineering; other examples include
medical imaging, especially computed tomography (CT)
and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); bioinformatics;
hemodynamic and other simulation; and high-resolution
microscopy.
The material in this chapter will enable the student to
accomplish the following:
Identify functions performed by computers in
biomedical engineering applications
Differentiate between imperative, functional, and
object-oriented programming languages
Identify the common data structures used in
computer programming languages
Describe how numbers are represented in computer
programming languages
Describe a computer algorithm and its role in
biomedical engineering applications
Identify a block-structured programming language
and describe good programming practice
Write example computer programs in MATLAB
