| CODE | MPH5002 | ||||||
| TITLE | Clinical Medical Devices and Protection from Physical Agents | ||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | ||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | ||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 5 | ||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Medical Physics | ||||||
| DESCRIPTION | The study-unit will help students acquire the basic knowledge and skills necessary to act as experts regarding the clinical use of Medical Devices and regarding risks from associated Physical Agents (particularly though not exclusively ionising radiation). Following the unit students will also be able to protect themselves from Physical Agents (particularly ionising radiation). Study-unit Aims: This unit will demonstrate how Medical Physicists contribute to maintaining and improving the quality, safety and cost-effectiveness of healthcare services through patient-oriented activities requiring expert action, involvement or advice regarding the specification, selection, acceptance testing, commissioning, quality assurance including quality control, and optimised clinical use of the Medical Devices and regarding risks from associated Physical Agents (particularly though not exclusively ionising radiation). The scope includes risks to volunteers in biomedical research, workers and public (when associated with patient safety and including carers and comforters). The term ‘Physical Agents’ refers to not only ionising radiation but also non-ionising radiations, static magnetic fields, ultrasound and any other physical agent associated with medical devices. It will also ensure that students are capable of protecting themselves from Physical Agents (particularly ionising radiation). Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: 1. Scan the range of medical devices used in contemporary healthcare and associated biophysics including: overview of commonly used medical devices, overview of the various biomedical imaging modalities, basics of physiological measurement devices, overview of therapeutic devices, associated physiological physics; 2. Utilize accurate medical device terminology; 3. Demonstrate understanding of the following areas of medical physics: a. properties, measurement, instrumentation and interaction with matter of ionising and non-ionising radiations, b. medical instrumentation and electronics, c. associated mathematics and statistics; 4. Explain the principles of medical device management including planning, evaluation of clinical needs, preparation of technical specifications for tender purposes, evaluation of tendered devices, procurement, acceptance testing, commissioning, constancy testing, maintenance, decommissioning and service contract management; 5. Explain the principles of service quality development as applied to the use of medical devices and protection from physical agents; 6. Understand relevant international, European and national legislation, standards and documentation regarding medical devices and risk from associated physical agents (including a particular emphasis on ionizing radiation); 7. Describe the principles of dosimetry and radiation protection from physical agents with respect to patient / occupational / public risks; 8. Understand how the principles of medical instrumentation, electronics, and signal / image processing are utilized in the solution of clinical problems; 9. Explain the effects of physical agents on the workings of medical devices (e.g. electromagnetic compatibility); 10. Describe and discuss the basic principles of medical device design and development; 11. Explain the principles of ICT standards systems used in medicine (e.g., DICOM); 12. Describe procedures for the handling of adverse incidents related to medical devices and physical agents; 13. Explain how to protect oneself from physical agents (particularly ionizing radiation); 14. Describe principles of pedagogy to be used in medical device and physical agents education and training to other healthcare professionals. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: 1. Demonstrate skill in mathematical techniques used in medical physics; 2. Demonstrate skill in the use of statistical techniques used in data handling in medical physics; 3. Demonstrate skill in medical physics software (e.g., ImageJ). Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main texts: - Brown BH, Smallwood RH et al. Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering. IoP Publishing. - Knoll GF. Radiation Detection and Measurement, Wiley. - Del Guerra A. Ionizing Radiation Detectors for Medical Imaging. World Scientific. - Jacobson B, Murray A. Medical Devices: Use an Safety. Churchill Livingston. Supplementary reading: - Deska-Pagana K, Pagana TJ. Mosby's Manual of Diagnostic and Laboratory Tests. Mosby. - Fries R. Reliable design of Medical devices. Taylor and Francis. - Prutchi D, Norris M. Design and development of medical electronic instrumentation. wiley. - King PH, Fries RC. Design of biomedical devices and systems. Marcel Dekker. - Enderle J, Blanchard S, Bronzino J. Introduction to Biomedical Engineering. Academic press. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Independent Study | ||||||
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| LECTURER/S | Maria Busuttil Mona Lisa Camilleri Carmel J. Caruana |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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