Virtual instruments in undergraduate biomedical engineering laboratories

It is anticipated that many undergraduate biomedical engineering (BME) students will seek jobs in industry following graduation. Therefore, it is imperative that BME programs establish a learning environment that exposes students to modem tools and equipment that best prepare them for an industrial setting. BME laboratory courses using PC-based virtual instruments can prepare students for real-world experience with minimal cost and risk. This article details various approaches for incorporating undergraduate BME laboratories in the curriculum and the use of virtual instruments. In particular, we discuss the motivations for and approaches to implementing virtual instruments and also describe a number of virtual instrument applications.