Sensors (Analogue & Digital)

There are many bodily measurements that need to be frequently recorded about a patient in hospital.

These recordings can be performed by a sensor.

Sensors are devices that detect physical, chemical and biological signals. They are measured and then processed using a computer.

Examples of where sensors are used are to monitor your temperature, blood pressure, pulse, heart rate etc.

There are two different types of sensors, analogue and digital.

Analogue sensors are used to measure analogue quantity, this means the measurements can have a wide range of values e.g. temperature, pressure, or be on a continuous scale. If an analogue sensor is connected to the computer the signals produced must be converted into a digital signal because computers work better with processing and storing digital signals.

Digital sensors can detect digital quantities. For example a switch can only turn on and off meaning they only have two positions and therefore represented as a digital quantity.