585.795.81 - Projects in Medical Sensors and Devices

Expanded Course Description

EP courses that include optional or required in-person components in the United States are only available to students who already hold an immigration status that independently permits study. Students should not enter the United States in visitor status (B-1/B-2) or under the Visa Waiver Program to complete required academic coursework or residencies. Alternatives to the required in-person components are available to international students to complete their course requirements.

Course Structure

Virtual Live course (required synchronous lectures and pre-lab discussions and sessions, which will be recorded and posted for students to review in case they cannot join live). There will also be in-person laboratory sessions on the Homewood campus of JHU.

The course will be structured to have 5 online and remote tutorial sessions on each of the five projects as well as in-person laboratory work. The students will do pre-labs and then work on the laboratory exercises and subsequently on two projects. They will continue to do remote project development and do the demonstrations. The course is designed for students who want hands-on experience with the fundamentals of creating a biomedical device based on essential sensors and electronics (accompanied by practical microcontrollers and software).

More advanced students or those with very special project interest should approach the instructors to sign up for an Independent Study.

Course Topics

Five ideas are presented. The students will take one idea to completion:

1. Build a biomedical signal amplifier in one laboratory to record own electrocardiogram. Then, advanced students will be challenged to develop an abnormal heart rhythm monitoring device using a microcontroller.
2. Students will design a and Electromyogram measurement circuit and develop interfaces to measure force. Advanced students will develop a classifier to control a virtual prosthesis hand.
3. Students will design a touch or force sensor and a measurement circuit in another laboratory. Advanced students will mount this sensor on their feet to detect footstep and assess gait and are challenged to develop an algorithm to detect falls (a serious problem with the elderly).
4. Develop a gaming solution for people with disability (e.g., paralyzed). The basic project will be to experiment with sensors to detect movements (e.g. foot, head or eye) that can serve as an alternative sensor to a gaming interface like a mouse or a joystick.
5. The fifth hands-on project option will challenge students with the problem of detecting sleep apnea (e.g. cessation of breathing attributed to sudden infant death syndrome).

Course Goals

This course aims to provide practical, hands-on design experience to complement the pedagogical lecture-based online learning. Students with limited experience will design basic sensors and device solutions with practical biomedical use. Experienced students will utilize their basic knowledge of biomedical sensors, electronics, and measurements to design and build practical medical devices.

Student Coursework Requirements

Lectures (online) will introduce the format of the course, answer student questions, go over the syllabus will cover all fundamentals of medical sensors and instrumentation, especially relevant for the proposed labs and projects

Pre-Labs and Q&A to the students. The goal is to prepare for the labs the following week 

Hands-on Lab work - onsite  The extra day of lab is optional/as needed for the students who do not finish the hands-on labs on the first day

Project mentoring - online...students work on project remotely

Grading Policy

Course evaluation - 25% each

Online quiz (2; multiple choice)

Pre-labs (4); Lab report (1)

Project progress (weekly, 3)

Final project and demonstration

Academic Policies

Deadlines for Adding, Dropping, and Withdrawing from Courses

Students may add a course up to one week after the start of the term for that particular course. Students may drop courses according to the drop deadlines outlined in the EP academic calendar. Between the 6th week of the class and prior to the final withdrawal deadline, a student may withdraw from a course with a W on their academic record. A record of the course will remain on the academic record with a W appearing in the grade column to indicate that the student registered and withdrew from the course. 

Academic Misconduct Policy

All students are required to read, know, and comply with the Johns Hopkins University Krieger School of Arts and Sciences (KSAS) / Whiting School of Engineering (WSE) Procedures for Handling Allegations of Misconduct by Full-Time and Part-Time Graduate Students. This policy prohibits academic misconduct, including but not limited to the following: cheating or facilitating cheating; plagiarism; reuse of assignments; unauthorized collaboration; alteration of graded assignments; and unfair competition. Course materials (old assignments, texts, or examinations, etc.) should not be shared unless authorized by the course instructor. Any questions related to this policy should be directed to EP’s academic integrity officer at ep-academic-integrity@jhu.edu.

Students with Disabilities - Accommodations and Accessibility

Johns Hopkins University values diversity and inclusion. We are committed to providing welcoming, equitable, and accessible educational experiences for all students. Our courses are designed with a proactive approach to accessibility to minimize the need for disability disclosure and accommodation requests, but we recognize that you may need additional support. Students with disabilities (including those with psychological conditions, medical conditions, and temporary disabilities) can request accommodations for this course by providing an Accommodation Letter issued by Student Disability Services (SDS). Please request accommodations for this course as early as possible to provide time for effective communication and arrangements.  For further information or to start the process of requesting accommodations, please contact EP Student Disability Services at ep-disability-svcs@jhu.edu. 

Student Conduct Code

The fundamental purpose of the JHU regulation of student conduct is to promote and to protect the health, safety, welfare, property, and rights of all members of the University community as well as to promote the orderly operation of the University and to safeguard its property and facilities. As members of the University community, students accept certain responsibilities which support the educational mission and create an environment in which all students are afforded the same opportunity to succeed academically. For a full description of the code please visit the Student Conduct Code website.

Classroom Climate

JHU is committed to creating a classroom environment that values the diversity of experiences and perspectives that all students bring. Everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect. Fostering an inclusive climate is important. Research and experience show that students who interact with peers who are different from themselves learn new things and experience tangible educational outcomes. At no time in this learning process should someone be singled out or treated unequally on the basis of any seen or unseen part of their identity. If you have concerns in this course about harassment, discrimination, or any unequal treatment, or if you seek accommodations or resources, please reach out to the course instructor directly. Reporting will never impact your course grade. You may also share concerns with your program chair, the Assistant Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, or the Office of Institutional Equity. In handling reports, people will protect your privacy as much as possible, but faculty and staff are required to officially report information for some cases (e.g. sexual harassment).

Course Auditing

When a student enrolls in an EP course with “audit” status, the student must reach an understanding with the instructor as to what is required to earn the “audit.” If the student does not meet those expectations, the instructor must notify the EP Registration Team (EP-Registration@exchange.johnshopkins.edu) in order for the student to be retroactively dropped or withdrawn from the course (depending on when the "audit" was requested and in accordance with EP registration deadlines). All lecture content will remain accessible to auditing students, but access to all other course material is left to the discretion of the instructor.