The Biomedical Engineering Laboratory was set-up with the support of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under the Cohesion Policy Programme 2007-2013, as part of the project 'Strengthening of Analytical Chemistry, Biomedical Engineering and Electromagnetics RTDI Facilities' which provided a grant of over EUR 500,000 to acquire new state-of-the-art equipment. The Laboratory is equipped with a variety of biomedical data acquisition devices that, in most cases, allow access to the data in real-time and in an on-line manner thus allowing researchers to acquire the data into their own systems and process the data in an on-line manner with user-developed processing algorithms opening up the possibility for real-time feedback and algorithm integration into the existing devices. The technical accessibility of the devices in this Laboratory makes it possible to investigate new methods for clinical data acquisition and analysis and for the development of new medical devices. Six of the major biomedical data acquisition devices are described here below. A Vicon Motion Analysis System that has the capability of tracking a person, animal or object in a three-dimensional volume has been installed in the Laboratory. The system incorporates a three-axis force plate, essential to obtain the kinetics of a moving entity, as is required, for example, in clinical gait analysis. A wireless electromyogram (EMG) system is also integrated into the system thus allowing multi-modal human motion analysis. Body pressure measurement studies may be carried out using the Tekscan Body Pressure Measurement System. The system is equipped to measure seat and back pressure, foot and in-shoe pressure and hand-grip pressure. Application peripheral interface software allows on-line access to the body pressure measurement data acquired. The Ultrasonix Diagnostic Ultrasound installed in the Laboratory goes beyond the diagnostic function by providing a research function opening up access to developments in new ultrasound scanning protocols, new diagnostic and measuring software tools and new ultrasound signal and image analysis. The Flir Thermal Camera with a sensitivity of 0.02 degrees Kelvin allows thermal imaging with very high radiometric temperature sensitivity. Subsurface phenomena that result in a small change in surface temperature may be detected and imaged by this thermal imager. The application of thermal imaging to biomedical and clinical situations is growing rapidly. Temperature levels and gradients in living systems may now be explored with this equipment and will allow novel clinical applications to be developed. Bio-potential measurements and studies may be carried out using the G-tec bio-potential acquisition device is used to acquire bio-potentials such as the electrocardiogram (ECG) or the electroencephalogram (EEG). The Department of Systems and Control Engineering has a long standing research history concerning EEG for the development of new brain disease biomarkers, for the localisation of brain activity and for the development of brain-computer interfaces. This equipment is now making it possible for our researchers to design our own experimental protocols and acquire our own EEG data, opening new avenues for exploration. A variety of biomedical data may be acquired using the Biopac Biomedical Data Acquistion system. This system integrates the acquisition of various multi-modal biomedical data from body thermometers, tri-axial accelerometers, goniometers and torsiometers, skin conductance measurement device, pulse oximeter, bio-impedance measurement system, hand dynamometer and non-invasive blood measurement device. The Biomedical Engineering Laboratory also houses a hyperspectral camera, a robotic manipulator, a haptic feedback system, processing and interfacing boards, and software and hardware computing facilities.
Access to the Biomedical Engineering Lab
In order to obtain access to the Biomedical Engineering Laboratory you may send an email to the functional mailbox biomedical-sce.eng@um.edu.mt who will contact you back to obtain further information on the requested access.
Contact address
Biomedical Engineering Laboratory
Room 211
Engineering Building
University of Malta
Msida MSD 2080
