NTU Live it Up #2: Smart Vital Sign Monitoring Workshop

The interdisciplinary field of Bioengineering combines the quantitative approach of engineering with a deep understanding of biological systems to solve complex problems in fields ranging from Medicine to Manufacturing. As part of Project BioLogical’s coverage of NTU’s Live it Up! event conducted from 14 - 16 August, I was privileged to attend an engaging workshop on smart vital sign monitoring conducted by Dr Ong Chi Wei, a lecturer at the NTU School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology.

The purpose of the workshop was to introduce participants to the possibility of using robotics to help with the movement of individuals with neuromuscular disorders.

Electrical signals are generated during muscle movement as cholinergic neurons fire action potentials to stimulate the contraction of muscle fibres. They can be measured using electromyography (EMG), and are an important vital sign indicating normal muscle function. Indeed, abnormalities can be used to diagnose neuromuscular conditions such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, characterised by the death of motor neurons, and cerebral palsy, caused by abnormal development of parts of the brain that control movement and balance. In the past, needle electrodes were inserted into muscles to detect these signals. As you might imagine, this was a painful process. Today, the procedure utilises silver chloride electrodes, making it non-invasive and painless.

After setting the biological context, Dr Ong then introduced us to Arduino, a platform for controlling electronics. Arduino is a versatile tool for executing a diverse range of tasks. It has both hardware and software components. We made use of the popular Arduino Uno circuit board, and the online integrated development environment. There, code can be written in C or C++ and loaded onto the Arduino board. The Arduino board works by following the program, controlling outputs such as motors, speakers and LED lights based on inputs from sensors that gather information about the environment.

By connecting an EMG sensor and a robotic claw to the Arduino board, muscle contractions can be translated into claw movements. This means that with just a few electrodes pasted on your forearm, you can control the robotic claw simply by flexing your arm. I used the robotic claw to pick up and stack cups in a competition against other participants, and had so much fun that I forgot about my job of taking photos!

Although this demonstration is rather simplified, this technology can have profound impacts in a wide variety of applications in medicine and geriatrics. For instance, EMG-controlled exoskeletons assist elderly patients with weak muscles to walk more steadily, reducing the risk of falls and maintaining independence. Similarly, EMG signals from residual muscles in amputees can be used to control myoelectric prosthetic limbs, enabling more natural wrist and elbow movements.

So, what do you get from the marriage of Biology and Engineering? The answer is a supernova of innovative solutions tackling a wide range of real-world problems. My key takeaway from this workshop is that today’s problems increasingly require an interdisciplinary approach, requiring expertise from different domains. This allows for the development of the most optimal solutions, drastically increasing the quality of life for patients and ordinary people like you and I.