Today, the practical applications for
Wheatstone Bridge circuits have emerged into
medicine and are still used for many biomedical
devices to include but not limited to:
✔Strain gauge circuits
✔ CT/MR - table positioning, accurate movement
of the CT/MR scanning devices as well as equal
patient weigt distrobution. High accuracy is
required to perform imaging functions while
preventing over-travel of the patient into the
CT/MR scanning areas.
✔ Infusion pumps/Syringe pumps - monitors and
controls the amount of fluid flow of intravenous
medication that was to be received via the
✔Transducers (i.e. pressure circuits)
tubing.
✔ Mammography - monitors the amount of
physical force that is applied to the patients
breast by the bucky when attempting to take an
image.
✔ Conventional radiography - monitors the
amount of x-ray dose received to the pressure
transducer (i.e. AEC cells) and the patient.
References:
1. BMETWiki. "Wheatstone Bridge." Accessdate
7/25/2015.
http://bmet.wikia.com/wiki/Wheatstone_Bridge
2. AZoSensors. "Advantages of Applying Strain
Gauges in Medical Equipm ent." 11 June 2013.
http://www.azosensors.com/Article.aspx?
✔ Weighing scales/Patient lifts - with the
incorporation of a load cell into the bottom metal ArticleID=187
plates these scales routinely require re-zeroing
which uses the above circuit.
Illustrations:
✔ Remote robotic surgeries - used so physicians
Allaboutcircuits. "Quarter-bridge strain gauage
are able to precisely measure both depth of
force and drill bit rotational force during remote circuit with temperature compensation." Ch 9.
Accessdate 6/29/2015.
hip surgeries
http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/textbook/direct✔ Dialysis machines - ensures uniform fluid flow current/chpt-9/strain-gauges/
and circulation of proper rate, proportion and
frequency according to the parameters set by its
accompanying electronic controller and strain
gauage sensing device.
✔ Ventilator HF testers (e.g. Fluke Biomedical
VT Plus) - ensures uniform gas flow (i.e I:E,
PEEP, TV, fIO2, SIMV, AC, etc...) on ventilator
test equipment for biomedical equipment
technicians routine testing and calibrations.
✔ Pressure Meter (e.g. Fluke Biomedical DPM
Plus)- ensures uniform negative and positive
pressure Oxygen and air flow (i.e. mmHg,
cmH20, inH20, PSI, etc...) test measurements.
✔Vital signs simulators