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

Upon successful completion of the course, the student should have

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

Skills

Upon successful completion of the course, the student can:

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

General competence

Upon successful completion of the course, the student should:

• understand 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.

Two external examiners will be used for the assessment.

To be eligible to write a master's thesis, all courses from the first year of the program must be successfully completed.

Knowledge

Upon successful completion of the course, the student should:

• have specialized knowledge on the specific areas of a master thesis
• understand scientific writing as a process of both constructing and communicating meaning.
• be able to explain the main stages of the writing process
• understand the role and methods of peer learning and peer review, particularly the "summarize, evaluate, suggest" structure for commenting
• understand the role of revision in writing

Skills

Upon successful completion of the course, the student can:

• clearly define and limit a problem area
• connect his/her own project to relevant literature
• plan and carry out limited research or development projects
• identify types and scopes of results which are required to ensure the claims and conclusions are scientifically valid
• reflect on the decisions made and their consequences for the project
• effectively articulate scientific problems through writing
• give and receive peer-feedback
• effectively revise writing

General competence

Upon successful completion of the course, the student can:

• apply knowledge and skills in new areas and carry out advanced projects
• carry out comprehensive independent study
• contribute to the innovation of their field
• discuss their work in an the context of interdisciplinary engineering and ethics
• apply their research and writing knowledge and skills in other contexts
• independently conceptualize, delineate, and execute other academic writing processes that result in effective discipline-appropriate texts.

The short thesis (30 ECTS) will consist of a condensed research project where focus is on identifying and investigating a problem or challenge in the specialization area and to display good scientific craftsmanship in the pursuit of an answer. Throughout the semester, a thesis is written which will be submitted at the end for assessment.

In addition to the project work, there will be a series of online, asynchronous classes during which students will be provided with a range of analytical tools and methods to help develop their writing skills. Students will also receive formative feedback on draft versions of their texts from the course instructor and their peers, with a focus on the final thesis.

The following required coursework must be approved before the student can take the exam:

1. A first draft of the Introduction and background chapters of the thesis, including an asessment of any relevant potential ethical considerations
2. a peer review of another students draft text
3. A second draft of the masters thesis
4. a Process Memo (reflection on the feedback received from the thesis supervisor(s)).

The thesis project consists of the following:

• A written Master thesis (Length: 15,000-30000 words, using one of the available document templates)
• Individual oral presentation (30 minutes)
• Submission of an artefact (either physical or digital) as part of the thesis is optional. Any artefact that has been developed by the student as part of the research project must be approved by the supervisor, the Master Thesis Coordinator must be informed, and the artefact must be made available in such a way to be inspected by the examiners. In the case of a physical artefact, video and images may be used to document its properties, eliminating the need for a physical inspection.

The master's thesis is assessed on the basis of the following criteria:

• the originality and/or relevance of the issues or research questions to the field of study
• clarity in the development of issues or research questions being addressed
• documentation and use of relevant theory and research, as well as systematic use of sources
• clarity in the relationship between issues/research questions being addressed, the method choices/methodologies employed and the resulting discussions/conclusions
• ability to collect, systematize, interpret/deconstruct and present knowledge in a clear way
• reflection on ethical issues in the research process
• written presentation (clear table of contents, accurate literature references, bibliography and appendices).

Theses are written in Norwegian or English. The oral exam can be taken in Norwegian or English, regardless of which language the thesis was written in.

The written thesis must be awarded a grade of A-E (preliminary grade) in order for a student to take the oral exam. The final grade is set after the oral exam. The grade can be adjusted up or down by one grade based on the oral exam. All exams must be passed in order to pass the course.

Students can appeal against the grade set for the written part of the exam. If the grade is changed after an appeal against the grade, and the oral exam has already been held, the oral exam must be retaken.

New/postponed exam

In case of failed exam or legal absence, the student may apply for a new or postponed exam. New or postponed exams are offered within a reasonable time span following the regular exam. The student is responsible for applying for a new/postponed exam within the time limits set by OsloMet. The Regulations for new or postponed examinations are available in Regulations relating to studies and examinations at OsloMet.

All aids are permitted, provided the rules for plagiarism and source referencing are complied with.

Grade Scale A-F.