Electronics Fundamentals & Applications in Medical Devices

The cohort is fortunate to have Paul Lum as a guest speaker in a modular series centered around electronics and sensors. Mr. Lum worked for several years in the medical field as a cardiologist and in the medical device field with Hewlett-Packard. He is also a Berkeley alumnus and is the Managing Director at the Biomolecular Nanotechnology Center in Stanley Hall.

Paul Lum gives a lecture about transistors and their applications in photoelectric sensors.

The series is designed to give each member, regardless of their previous knowledge or experience, a fundamental understanding of electronics theory and application. The topics range from passive components such as resistors, capacitors and inductors, to active components such as semiconductors, diodes, transistors, and amplifiers. The cohort will also learn how each component is used in a variety of sensors, motors, transducers, and whole-system approaches.

Matthew Chan and Priya Bhattacharjee try to get their circuit board up and running.

It’s a success! The two were able to display a custom message to share with the cohort.

Supplemental to the theoretical portion of the series, the cohort will have the opportunity to apply their knowledge in hands-on sessions with Sparkfun Inventor’s Kits and Vernier Technology sensors. The sessions were designed to incrementally build on circuit and coding fundamentals, with each module growing in complexity and showcasing a variety of applications, from generating popular melodies with buzzers to playing Simon Says with buttons and LEDs. With this series, the protégés will enter the fall Senior Capstone Design course with a better understanding of electronics and their applications in the medical device field.

Resistive buttons and LEDs can be hooked up and programmed for simple switches and user interfaces or to emulate a game of Simon Says. This is one sample of a seemingly endless pool of electronics applications.