2017-10-31
331
56 
Electronic Engineering
12. Reread the text and mark the following statements as “true”, “false” or “no information”:
| True | False | NI | ||||||||
| 1. | “Biomedical engineering does not concern the production of the equipment | |||||||||
| that is capable of making patients’ lives longer. | ||||||||||
| 2. | There is a great deal of cooperation between medical scientists, doctors and | |||||||||
| biomedical engineers. | ||||||||||
| 3. | Monitoring patients demands the most upgraded equipment. | |||||||||
| 4. | Research done by biomedical engineers contributes to designing new artificial | |||||||||
| organs and prostheses. | ||||||||||
| 5. | It is not necessary for a biomedical engineer to have a PhD degree. | |||||||||
| 6. | Future biomedical engineers do not do any academic subjects outside the | |||||||||
| scope of their major. | ||||||||||
| 7. | Hospitals welcome biomedical engineers-trainees to do internship at them. | |||||||||
| 8. | Biotransport cannot be classified as a branch of biomedical engineering. | |||||||||
| 9. | The principles of biomechanics are applicable to developing artificial limbs. | |||||||||
| 10. | Patients with serious diseases are likely to undergo rehabilitation in rehabs. |
SPECIALIST READING B: Stabilants / The Insulin Pump
13. Read the text and sort two texts out of it, rearrange the paragraphs in a logical way.
a) To solve the problem a non-toxic material that can be applied to connectors without concern about bridging between adjacent pins is needed. This material would actively enhance the conductivity of each pin and socket as well as improve the performance of the connector by reducing the noise generated within the contact means. It is Stabilant 22 that serves as the material required.
b) Such a device also makes it possible to deliver more precise amounts of insulin than can be injected using a syringe. This supports tighter control over blood sugar and Hemoglobin A1c levels, reducing the chance of long-term complications associated with diabetes. Many modern ‘smart’ pumps have a ‘bolus wizard’ which calculates how much ‘bolus’ insulin you need taking into account your expected carbohydrate intake and current blood sugars.
c) The materials can be used on virtually all low-voltage connectors or switches wherever a mechanical contact has to carry an electrical current. They are at their most valuable when used on micro-power circuits. They may be applied to socketed IC's, panel connectors, co-axial and tri-axial connectors such as BNC'S, slide and rotary switches. Stabilant has been used in biomedical electronic equipment such as ECG, respiration monitors, defibrillator infusion pumps, EEG equipment, scanners, ultra-sound equipment, recording equipment, and computers.
d) An insulin pump is a medical device used for the administration of insulin in the treatment of diabetes, also known as continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion therapy. The device includes the pump itself, a disposable reservoir for insulin (inside the pump), a disposable infusion set, including a cannula for subcutaneous insertion (under the skin) and a tubing system to interface the insulin reservoir to the cannula.
e) Using such a device is an alternative to multiple daily injections of insulin by insulin syringe (pen) and allows for intensive insulin therapy when used in conjunction with blood glucose monitoring and carb-counting. It allows the replacement of slow-acting insulin for basal needs with a continuous infusion of rapid-acting insulin.
f) With the steady increase in the level of biomedical electronic equipment sophistication there is a greater reliance on plug-in modules and the use of microprocessor control in the equipment. While the reliability of the individual components such as IC's, transistors, resistors, and capacitors has improved, the connectors used in the equipment are still the weakest link in the design.
g) The material is packaged in several basic forms: as a concentrate, as a diluted material, and in a partially filled bottle of concentrate allowing the end-user to add the solvent of his choice.
