ACIT4720 Medical sensors and actuators Course description

The digitalization of medical and health care systems depends on medical devices with perception (i.e., sensing) and control (i.e., actuation) capabilities. To do their work, sensors and actuators require a transduction mechanism, such as that often provided by a mechanical element in the physical sensors. Generally stated, the transduction mechanism converts nonelectrical parameters to electrical ones in a calibrated way. This course covers the definitions and structure of the sensors and actuators with a focus on medical and health care applications. In addition, the course introduces analytical methods and tools for multivariate calibration and evaluation of sensors and actuators.

No formal requirements over and above the admission requirements.

The student should have the following outcomes upon completing the course:

Knowledge

• have specialized knowledge to differentiate technologies used for sensors and actuators in medical and health care applications.
• have an advanced technical understanding of the transduction mechanisms and sensory schemes.
• have a good understanding about building a sensor and actuator in specific cases involving medical and health care applications.

Skills

• can categorize sensors and actuators based on their applications.
• can calibrate optical and electrical spectra using multivariate calibration.
• can analyze the performance of sensors and actuators.

General competence

• understands the role of sensors and actuators in medical devices.
• can explain and discus challenges related to sensors and actuators that are applied medical and health care applications to experts and non-experts alike.
• can design a system that is based on sensors and actuators with a specific transduction mechanism.

Lectures and practical semester exercise. The students work both individually and in groups. The groups normally comprise 3-4 students. The student will supplement the lectures and lab with their own reading.

Practical training

Practical semester exercise.

The subject of the course is mandatory for all candidates within the specialization Information, Library and Archival studies. The candidates are encouraged to complete the course early their studies.

No prerequisites.

Knowledge

The candidate has in-depth knowledge of

• the development and institutionalization of library and information science as a field of research
• an understanding of the concept of information and the relationship between information, knowlege and culture.
• the intellectual foundation for and theoretical perspective of the field's core areas
• the academic/professional debate about what  the platform of library and information science consists of

Skills

The candidate is able to

• place his/her dissertation project in a library and information science theory and research tradition
• communicate with researchers in the field and other students across sub- academic areas that the candidates chose to specialize in
• reflectively discuss the relationship between library and information science as an area of research and practice

The subject consists of seminars, lectures and independent studies. The pedagogical approach involves active participation in seminars/lectures, presentation of one's own work, commenting on presentations from the other students.

The candidate shall write an essay of approximately 2.500 - 3.500 words  The essay shall be handed in no later than 2 months after the subject is concluded.

If an essay is considered not passed, the candidate may submit a revised essay once within a specified time.