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Biomedical Instrumentation Projects

The medical field uses a multitude of medical devices or instruments to facilitate patient care, as well as biomedical research. Devices such as pacemakers, ultrasound machines, EKGs and blood pressure devices are just a few of the devices that are used in the biomedical field. There are different projects students can conduct with biomedical instruments in order to obtain a better understanding of biomedical technology.

Home-made Stethoscope
- Create a home-made stethoscope for a biomedical science project. This project will illustrate how sound waves can travel in small enclosed spaces and be amplified for the user to hear. Cut a piece of garden hose about 1.5 feet long, leaving two open ends. Securely connect a funnel to each end of the garden hose. Put one of the funnel over your heart and the other funnel over your ear. Listen for your heart beat and count the beats per minute. Create a poster presentation on background information on stethoscopes to accompany your home-made instrument.
Blood Pressure Project
- Conduct a biomedical instrument project on blood pressure. Measure the effect of caffeine on blood pressure in individuals. Find at least three individual volunteers that want to participate in your study. In the morning, take the initial blood pressure of each individual using a blood pressure device. Record your results. Have one person sit out and serve as the control. Give the other individuals a can of soda containing caffeine. The individuals should drink the soda within five minutes. Wait one hour and re-test the individuals' blood pressure. Record results. Calculate the change in blood pressure. Subtract the final minus the initial blood pressure. Compare the blood pressure changes of each individual. Put the results in a computer spreadsheet and prepare a bar graph to compare blood pressures changes.
Drug Delivery Device Project
- Complete a project on drug delivery devices used in the biomedical field. Drug delivery devices can be constructed from three layers of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The purpose of this project is to investigate the effects of different products on the assemblages of the layers of the PDMS. Take the three layers of PDMS and immerse the structures into hydrochloric acid. The hydrochloric acid should cause the PDMS structures to bond. Put the structures together and bake in an incubator. Conduct a hydropressure test to determine the bonding strength of the PDMS layers. Run water through the tubes and look for leakage. Take three more layers of PDMS and expose to oxygen plasma. Repeat the steps for putting together layers, baking in incubator and hydro-pressure test. Compare results between two products. Indicate which product held the layers together better. Remember to use safety precautions when handling chemicals in the laboratory.
EKG project
- Investigate how an EKG works for your biomedical project. Purchase a Electrocardiogram Heart Monitor Kit. The kits come equipped with instructions and directions to perform EKGs on individuals. Find some volunteers to participate in your study. Use the EKG kit to determine the cardiogram change as they eat a candy item or fruit item. Take the initial EKG before the individuals eat anything. Perform this early in the morning. Have at least two individuals eat a candy item and two individuals eat a piece of fruit. Wait one hour and take the EKG again. Compare results before and after eating between individuals. Input results into a spreadsheet and prepare a line graph with each individual before and after result.

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