Numerous biomedical engineering activities for medical device development have faced challenges in electrical power consumption and its system delivery. The purpose of this research is to identify a subtype of cyborgs called “Electrodependent patients” (people who relied on electricity dependent equipment to live at home) studying its legal implication in Argentina. The first phase of the project involves the patients´ behaving in the field of law. We also use bioengineering, history, philosophy and sociology to validate answers. The final phase involves the individual analysis of right holders, its benefit and regulated entities. By identifying Electrodependent patients as a subtype of patients, we will eliminate the assumption that all patients have the same characteristics. This will allow more individual consideration of people who relied on electricity dependent equipment and may direct future research on the Economic Analysis of Law field.

We present an alternative analysis for the energy optimization and system stability in servomotors that drive biomechanical prostheses using a LQR (Linear Quadratic Regulator) controller. The model is designed in the state space, and we use the Lyapunov Function as a parameter of the system stability. From the observation of the dynamical response and transition of the system variables, angular position, angular velocity and armature current of the model, we found that the use of LQR with its respective controlling action generates in the system a convergence to an equilibrium point xe in less than 3 seconds, ensuring stability with a shorter trajectory.

La evaluación de tecnología sanitaria, la difusión de las innovaciones y su transferencia, los factores que conllevan a una rápida aceptación de las mismas y el rol que cumple la tecnología en la sociedad delimitan el campo de los fenómenos ciencia, técnica y salud. Su reconocimiento en los sistemas jurídicos a través de la instauración de un proceso para la incorporación de las mismas dentro de las esferas del Estado, más precisamente, en sus sistemas sanitarios, cuenta con cuatro etapas, a saber, a) planificación, b) evaluación, c) adquisición y, d) gestión. En este trabajo, desarrollamos los orígenes del segundo y tercer proceso, lo que en doctrina internacional y las prácticas de los gobiernos se denomina “evaluación de tecnologías sanitarias e incorporación” de éstas a los sistemas de salud, ya que consideramos que estudiar estos fenómenos desde su perspectiva histórica y legal, coadyuvaría a un mejor desempeño de nuestros Estados en pos del bienestar general y las inversiones que se realicen al respecto, determinando qué órgano es el competente para realizarlo

Si partimos del concepto básico, el Derecho no es otra cosa que la plasmación escrita de una realidad social, y como tal, esa realidad es cambiante. Si ratificamos –lo dicho por Nino– que el Derecho es como el aire porque está en todas partes, no queda duda alguna que la Tecnología Médica como tal no está exenta de regulaciones jurídicas

We describe an experimental and educational tool based on the design and development of a robotic arm controlled by EMG surface signals, captured at the biceps brachii muscle and digitally processed. We present the hardware design for the biosignal pre-processing and describe the post-processing and the microcontroller for three servomotors. The design has been used in classroom to promote and integrate different BME curriculum knowledge.

Through the modern control theory it is possible to face any problem situation using state equations without considering mathematical rules used from recursive algorithms. The simplification of the various developments will be reflected with new findings, giving values to new concepts such as controllability and stability. This paper seeks to find new work items of the servomotor system by using a regulator, allowing a more controllable and stable performance. The servomotor presented here is designed to generate joint movements of a robotic arm designed for movement rehabilitation of a patient.

Herein we present a basic model for understanding the regulation of the energy supply to the servomotor, that could be used in a prosthetic arm. The results indicate that the use of this tool improves performance provided that the parameters are adjusted for each particular case.

Los modelos aqui presentados analizan las condiciones de control y estabilidad de dos sistemas dinamicos de distinta naturaleza, uno electrico y otro biomedico. Los modelos son desarrollados en el espacio de estados, lo que aporta nuevas respuestas al analisis de sistemas.

We describe the dynamics of the cardiovascular system by finding the input-output relationships in the state space of a functional cardiac model, based on state equations and observability criteria of control theory. The unit step response of the multiple-input multiple-output system model illustrates the damping effect of the arterial wall to the pulsatility of the heart. Our results show that hypertensive patients exhibit a lower inertia of the blood flow.

Modern control theory allows the representation of cardiac dynamics in the state-space, describing the operation of the vascular systems in terms of the cushioning effect of the arterial wall facing compliance changes. In this paper we use state equations to modeling the effect of the compliance variations on the arterial wall. The characteristics of the dynamics and of the calculated parameters of the model allow the distinction of hypertensive and normotensive subjects, in accordance to real clinical data.

The accreditation criteria for engineering programs require that the curriculum introduce students to the ethical, social, economics and safety issues arising from the practice of engineering. This paper presents the assessment of moral judgment of biomedical engineering, dentistry and biochemistry students through the standardized Defining Issues Test (DIT). Results show that college students, as most active members of society, remain at a stage of moral development where morality is still predominantly dictated by outside forces. It is expected that after formal Ethics studies, students will score higher in the last stages of moral development, where laws are regarded as social contracts and moral reasoning is based on universal ethical principles.

All engineering programs must demonstrate that their students attain an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility. BM engineers are expected to be introduced to ethics at the beginning of their career. The ethical issues to be included in the curriculum and their extent still represent a challenge in Biomedical Engineering education. In this paper we present the outline of an Ethics program of study for engineering students. We discuss some of the topics that must integrate the courses on the foundations and on the practice of Ethics, as Biomedical Engineering schools must prepare professionals able to perform their duties under strong moral standards.

We propose in this paper a method for the elimination of noise in biosignals, based on Lyapunov's algebraic equation of stability for linear systems. The biosignals used were extracted from the MIT-BIH cardiac Arrhythmia Database. We corrupted these electro-cardiographic signals by adding randomly generated gaussian noise signals of different amplitudes. The method herein presented cancels noise within reasonable effectiveness and represents an alternative to other source separation algorithms.

This paper discusses some guidelines for use with the accepted fundamental canons of ethics for engineers. We present some rules of practice and professional obligations emerging from these canons. Basic recommendations for engineers dissenting on ethical grounds are also presented. Ethical issues relating to Biomedical Engineering research are illustrated. We mention some cases that could be used to further understanding the ethical implications of biomedical engineering practice.

We propose in this paper a method for the elimination of noise in biosignals, based on Lyapunov’s algebraic equation of stability for linear systems. The biosignals used were extracted from the MIT-BIH cardiac Arrhythmia Database. We corrupted these electro-cardiographic signals by adding randomly generated gaussian noise signals of different amplitudes. The method herein presented cancels noise within reasonable effectiveness and represents an alternative to other source separation algorithms.

This paper presents a method for blind source separation (BSS) of electrocardiographic signals disturbed by noise, using the Lyapunov stability conditions for linear time invariant systems. We used records from the MIT Arrhythmia Database and in-vivo records from cardiac voluntary patients to test our signal extraction method. We quantitatively assessed the performance of our separation procedure. The method presented here compares favorably to other BSS algorithms.