BIOPOTENTIAL AMPLIFIER

PROF MOHAMED EL-BRAWANY

1 Prof Mohamed El-Brawany 07-Dec-21

 The basic requirements of a biopotential amplifier

• The physiological process to be monitored should not be influenced in

any way by the amplifier
• The measured signal should not be distorted
• The amplifier should provide the best possible separation of signal and
interferences
• The amplifier has to offer protection of the patient from any hazard of
electrical shock
• The amplifier itself has to be protected against damages that might
result from high input voltages as they occur during the application of
defibrillators or electrosurgical instrumentation

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Basic Features of Biopotential Amplifier

 Purpose:
 To provide voltage and/or current gain to increase the amplitude of weak
electric signals of biological origin
 Features:
 High input impedance (minimize the loading effects of the amplifier inputs)
 Protection circuitry (limit the possibility of introducing dangerous micro-shocks
or macro-shocks at the input terminals of the amplifier)
 Low output impedance (low with respect to the load being driven)
 Adequate output current (to supply the power needed to drive the load)
 Basic Features of Biopotential Amplifier… cont.

 Features
 Bandlimited frequency response (match the frequency response of the signal
being measured to eliminate out-of-band noise)
 Quick calibration (include a signal source and a number of selectable fixed
gains settings)
 High common-mode rejection for differential amplifiers (common mode
signals are frequently larger than the biopotentials being measured)
 Additional specific requirements for each application

4 Prof Mohamed El-Brawany 07-Dec-21

 Voltage and Frequency Range for Biopotentials

EOG = Electrooculogram ECG = ElectroCardiogram

EEG = ElectroEncephalogram ECG = ElectroMyogram

5
 Biopotential amplifier Schematic

 Electrodes connect the patient to

a preamplifier
 HPF removes dc and low
frequency
 Isolation amplifier provides
 electrical safety to the patient
 Prevents ground loops

 Reduction of interference signals

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 Differential Amplifier

v3

v4

• The one-op-amp differential amplifier is quite

satisfactory for low-resistance sources, such as
strain-gage Wheatstone bridges.
• What about High resistance sources?
7 Prof Mohamed El-Brawany 07-Dec-21
 High Resistance sources problem

Solves Low Zi problem --- Solves low Zi problem and add gain
but common mode signa; is also amplified

9 Prof Mohamed El-Brawany 07-Dec-21

Three Op-Amps Differential Amplifier

This figure shows a one-op-amp differential

amplifier (right side), but it has low input
impedance. The left side shows how two
additional op amps can provide high input
impedance and gain,
ECG
Cardiac Conduction System
 Sinoatrial (SA) node
 Pacemaker cells
 Internodal tracts
 Transport to AV node
 Bachman’s Bundle
 Right atrium to left atrium
 Atrioventricular (AV) node
 Time delay
 Bundle of His
 Transport from atria to ventricles
 Bundle branches
 Distribution within ventricles
 Purkinje network
 End fibers to muscle units
The conduction System

 The electrical impulse starts in the

SA node (The heart`s pacemaker),
causing the atria to contract.
 The impulse triggers the AV node ,
stimulating contraction of the
ventricles.
 Heart rate is the number of heart
beats per minute ( 70-75
beats/min)
Body Surface Cardiac Potentials

 Points A and B are arbitrary

observation points on the torso,
 RAB is the resistance between
them, and
 RT1 , RT2 are lumped thoracic
medium resistances.
 The bipolar ECG scalar lead
voltage is A - B, where these
voltages are both measured with
respect to an indifferent
reference potential.
 Cardiac Rhythms

 Heart rate is about 70 beats per minute (bpm)

 Bradycardia: slower than normal
 Tachycardia: higher than normal

18 Prof Mohamed El-Brawany 07-Dec-21

Premature Ventricular Contraction (PVC)

 Normal ECG followed by an ectopic beat.

 An irritable focus, or ectopic pacemaker, within the ventricle or
specialized conduction system may discharge, producing an extra beat,
or extrasystole, that interrupts the normal rhythm.
 This extrasystole is also referred to as a premature ventricular
contraction (PVC).
Tachycardia

 Paroxysmal tachycardia (a)

 An ectopic focus may repetitively discharge at
a rapid regular rate for minutes, hours, or
even days.
 Atrial flutter (b)
 The atria begin a very rapid, perfectly
regular "flapping" movement, beating at rates
of 200 to 300 beats/min; rapid P waves.
Vector ECG – Dipole Moment

 The heart is represented as an electric dipole.

 A simple model of the electrical activity of the heart.
 Dipole moment (M): a vector directed from the
negative charge to the positive charge.
 At each instant in time, the dipole moment has a
specific amplitude and angle.

Rough sketch of the dipole field of the heart when the R wave is
maximal. The dipole consists of the points of equal positive and
negative charge separated from one another and denoted by the
dipole moment vector M.
Frontal-Plane Vector ECG

 Three lead vectors in the frontal plane

 Generate by three electrodes (left arm, right arm, and left
leg)
 Right leg is for grounding
 Eindhoven’s triangle
 Lead I (LA to RA)

 Lead II (LL to RA)

 Lead III (LL to LA)

 By Kirchhoff’s voltage law, the sum of the voltages on Lead I

and III is equal to the voltage on Lead II.
Wilson’s Central Terminal

 An equivalent reference electrode

 The average of the voltages on the three limb electrodes
 Minimize loading:
 Use three equal-valued resistors ( > 5 MW )

 Or use voltage followers and smaller matched

resistors. – VR + + VL –

 Resulting electrode voltages are VL, VR, and VF

+ VF –
Augmented Leads

 aVL, aVR, aVF

 Remove the connection between the limb being
measured and Wilson’s terminal (R/2).
 Results in a 50% increase in signal amplitude.
 Task : Prove this result

 Note that the angles between the lead vectors III,

aVF, II, -aVR, I, and aVL are all 30º.
-aVR
Prove aVR is 50% greater than VR

(a) aVR (b) VR (c) Simplified circuit of (b)

Transverse-Plane Vector ECG

(a) Positions of precordial leads on the chest wall.

(b) Directions of precordial lead vectors in the transverse plane.

Precordial chest leads are used to record the voltage difference between
these electrodes and Wilson’s Central Terminal.
 Standard ECG

 Has twelve leads

 I, II, III, aVL, aVR, aVF, V1, V2, V3, V4, V5, V6
 Rhythm strip (Lead II)

V4

II
 Right leg
electrode

Electrocardiograph
Driven
Sensing Lead-fail right leg ADC Memory
electrodes detect
 Sensing electrodes circuit

 Lead fail detect

 Amplifier protection circuit Amplifier
Lead Isolation Driver Recorder-
protection Preamplifier
selector circuit amplifier printer
 Lead selector circuit

 Auto calibration
 Preamplifier Isolated
Auto Baseline
power
 Baseline restoration calibration restoration
supply

 Driven right leg circuit

Parallel circuits for simultaneous recordings from different leads
 Isolation circuit
 ADC & Memory system
 Driver amplifier Microcomputer
Operator
 Recorder-printer display

 Microcomputer Control
program
 Control software Keyboard

 Specifications ECG analysis

program
Table 6.1
Table 6.1
Table 6.1
Frequent Problems

 Frequency distortion
 High-frequency loss rounds the sharp edges of the QRS complex.
 Low-frequency loss can distort the baseline (no longer horizontal) or cause monophasic waveforms
to appear biphasic.
 Saturation/cutoff distortion
 Combination of input amplitude & offset voltage drives amplifier into saturation
 Positive case: clips off the top of the R wave
 Negative case: clips off the Q, S, P and T waves
 Ground loops
 Patients are connected to multiple pieces of equipment; each has a ground (power line or common
room ground wire)
 If more that one instrument has a ground electrode connected to the patient, a ground loop exists.
Power line ground can be different for each item of equipment, sending current through the patient
and introducing common-mode noise.
 Open lead wires
 Can be detected by impedance monitoring.
Artifacts

 Unwanted voltage transients

 Patient movement

 Electrical stimulation signals, like

defibrillation
 Amplifier saturates Artifacts from large electric
transients (e.g defibrillator, serious
 First-order recovery to baseline
motion, large static charge)
 Recovery time set by low-frequency corner
of the bandpass amplifier
Example

An electrocardiograph has a broad frequency response so that its amplifier has a first-
order time constant of 16 s. The electrocardiograph amplifier has a broad dynamic
range of input voltages, but any input voltage greater than 2mV will be out the range
of its display and cut off.

While recording the ECG of a patient, a transient occurs that has an amplitude of 10
mV, and this causes the ECG to fall out of the range of the instrument’s display. If the
ECG R wave has an amplitude of 1 mV, how long will it take for the entire signal to be
visible on the display?
Power-Line Coupling

 Small parasitic capacitors connect the power line to the RA and

LA leads, and the grounded instrument case
Power line 120 V
 Small ac displacement currents Id1 and Id2 are generated
 The body impedance is about 500 W and can be neglected C2 C1 C3

vA - vB = id1 Z1 - id2 Z2 Z1 Id1

A
 If Id1 and Id2 are approximately equal: Z2
Id2
vA - vB = id1 (Z1 - Z2) = (6 nA) (20 K W) = 120 µV B Electro-
cardiograph
 Remedies G
 Shield electrodes & connect to electrocardiograph
(grounding tree) to reduce id
ZG Id1+ Id2
 Reduce or match the electrode skin impedances (minimize
Z1 - Z2 )
Power-Line Coupling

 Power line is coupled into the body Power line 120 V

Cb
 Small ac displacement current Idb is generated, idb
which produces a common mode voltage
vcm = idb ZG = (0.2 µA) (50 K W)
= 10 mV Electrocardiograph
 At the amplifier inputs: ucm
Z1
A
vA - vB = vcm (Z2 – Z1)/ Zin ucm
Zin
= (10 mV) (20 KW / 5 MW)
B
= 40 µV Z2
Zin
 Remedies:
 Reduce or match the electrode skin impedances
ucm G
(minimize Z2 – Z1 )
 Increase Zin ZG idb
Magnetic Field Coupling

 Sources
 Power lines

 Transformers and ballasts in

fluorescent lights
 Remedies
 Shielding

 Route leads away from potential

sources
 Reduce the effective area of the
single-turn coil (twist the lead wires)
Other Noise Sources

 Electromagnetic radiation
 Patient leads become antennas, especially if detached.
 Sources
 Radio and Television
 Radar
 Research equipment
 Electrosurgical devices
 Arching fluorescent lights (needing replacement)
 Remedy
 Employ capacitors shunting the inputs to ground (eg., 200 pF).
 Do not lower the input impedance of the amplifier.
Amplifier Protection
 Electrostatic discharge
 High voltages due to electrosurgical equipment
 Leads shorted to high voltage by hospital personnel

Remedy
 Voltage limiting devices on each input lead are used to
protect the equipment

(a) Current–voltage characteristics of a voltage-limiting device.

(b) Parallel silicon-diode voltage-limiting circuit.
(c) Back-to-back silicon zener-diode voltage-limiting circuit.
(d) Gas-discharge tube (neon light) voltage-limiting circuit element.
Common Mode Reduction Circuit
id Driven Right Leg Circuit
 Patient is not grounded
 Common mode voltage is sensed by two - v3
averaging resistors (Ra) + Ra
 Resistor output is inverted, amplified, and fed-
back to the right leg vcm
- Ra
 Negative feedback drives the common mode + v4 Rf
to a low value vcm Common
-mode Ro
 Body displacement current flows to the RL
gain is
Auxiliary -
inverting OpAmp RRL unity op amp +

 Provides safety: if the OpAmp saturates, an

alarm sounds; Ro limits current out of the
feedback OpAmp.
Example: RRL=100 K W , Rf =5M W and Ra = 25KW

Equivalent circuit of driven-right-leg system

 An Example of ECG Amplifier
 Gain: 800 for bias compensation

 DC stage: G=25 (input Low

pass
signals can be 300 mV)
 AC coupled band-pass
stage: G=32
 With µA 776 OpAmps
 CMRR: 86 dB at 100 Hz

 Noise: 40 mV p-p

 Frequency response
 .05 to 150 Hz

 Flat over 4 - 40 Hz Common-mode adjustment

Coupling capacitor (high pass)
 Lead-Failure Alarm

100 - 200 mA
through the patient
Amplifiers for other Biopotentials

 EMG
 EEG
 Glass micropipette Amp
Amplifiers for other Biopotentials

 Voltage and frequency ranges

of some common biopotential
signals; dc potentials include
intracellular voltages as well as
voltages measured from
several points on the body.
 AAP is the axon action
potential.

Common Biopotential Signals

Electromyograph EMG
 Muscles
 Smooth
 Cardiac and Internal organs

 Skeletal
 Function: Generate Force
 Excitable

 Contractible
 Skeletal Muscles

Fibers
(10 mm to 80 m m Dia.)

Myofibrils
(100-1000th)

Myosin (1500 ) Actins (3000)

Skeletal Muscles

Myofiber: Smallest complete contractile system.

 Motor Unit AP

60 Prof Mohamed El-Brawany 07-Dec-21

Motor Unit AP
Muscle motor unit action potentials during
progressively more powerful
contractions.
c) In the interference (response) pattern,
individual units can no longer be clearly
distinguished.
(d) Interference pattern during very strong
muscular contraction.

Time scale is 10 ms per dot.

EMG Amplifier Vs ECG Amplifier

 EMG signals
 Frequency: 25 Hz to several kHz.
 Amplitudes 100 µV to 90 mV, depending on the type of signal and
electrodes used.
 Thus EMG amplifiers must have a wider frequency response than ECG
amplifiers,
 They do not have to cover so low a frequency range as the ECGs.
 EMG Amplifier: Electrodes
 Skin-surface electrodes:
 signals peak amplitudes are of the order of 100 µV to 1 mV.
 Electrode impedance is relatively low, ranging from about 200 to 5000 ohm,

 The amplifier must have somewhat higher gain than the ECG amplifier, and

 Its input characteristics should be almost the same as those of the ECG amplifier.

 Intramuscular needle electrodes are used:

 The EMG signals can be an order of magnitude stronger, (ie less gain)
 Surface area of the EMG needle electrode is much less than that of the
surface electrode,
◼ Its source impedance is higher.
◼ Therefore, a higher amplifier input impedance is desirable
63 Prof Mohamed El-Brawany 07-Dec-21
Basics and Design concepts: power source
 For safety
 Use signal Isolation

 Use electrical power isolation method if power source is included, or

 Use two 9V batteries for power supply

Basics and Design concepts: Electrodes
 Amplitude : 100uV to 90 mV when muscle contract.
 These voltages are greatly attenuated by internal tissue and the skin, and
they are weak but measurable at the surface of the skin.
 Typical surface EMG signals for large muscles, such as the
bicep, are around 1‐2 mV in amplitude.
 To observe an EMG we need 3 EMG surface electrodes.
 Two electrodes on the muscle of interest.

 The 3rd electrode can be stuck to the bone in elbow of the same arm
and that is connected to Reference in the EMG circuit.
Basics and Design concepts: Amp and Filters
 Frequencies: 25 Hz (or lower) up to 1 kHz (or higher).
 The usable energy of EMG signal is dominant between 50-150 Hz.
 DC offset or Bias problem
 Bias Adjustment
 HPF
 The dominant common mode voltage signals on our bodies is usually a
50/60‐ Hz sine wave that is capacitively coupled to us
 Reject this signal by using differential amplifier with high common‐mode
rejection
Basics and Design concepts : Envelope Detection

Add a circuit that will give us a “running average” of the amplitude of the
EMG signal:
 Calculate the amplitude of this signal by rectifying it
 However, diodes need approximately 700 mV of forward bias before they begin
conducting, and our signals (after amplification) are less than this.
 We must use a “precision rectifier” circuit,
 Smooth the rectified signal to generate an “envelope” of the signal
Basics and Design concepts: Block Diagram
Basics and Design concepts: Precision Rectifier
70 Prof Mohamed El-Brawany 07-Dec-21
Basics and Design concepts: Envelope Detection

 Add a low‐pass filter to the rectifier,

 Select R3 , R4 and C to achieve a proper gain, and
cut-off frequency
 Test the circuit by measuring typical voltage levels
from your envelope signal for
 no muscle contraction,
 weak muscle contraction, and

 strong muscle contraction.

 Example
 A typical EMG waveform
measured over the bicep is
shown below during a brief
muscle contraction

time scale is 200 ms/division

72 Prof Mohamed El-Brawany 07-Dec-21

 Example cont…

73 Prof Mohamed El-Brawany 07-Dec-21

 Muscle Strength :LED Bar-Graph Display
 Muscle strength indicator using four LEDs

74 Prof Mohamed El-Brawany 07-Dec-21

 Muscle Strength :Voltage-Controlled Oscillator for
Audio Output
You should hear a steady tone whose pitch
increases as you contract your muscle.

75 Prof Mohamed El-Brawany 07-Dec-21

 Glass Micropipette Amplifier

77 Prof Mohamed El-Brawany 07-Dec-21

 Glass Micropipette A B Rt
A
Membrane
Internal and
A To amplifier B Rma Cma electrode action 0 Cd = Ct
potential
Electrolyte Ema Emp
in Em
Glass
micropipet B
Rt (c)
Cd Cmb Rmb Em = Ej + Et + Ema- Emb
Internal Stem
electrode Ej
Emb
Environmental Et Rt = all the series resistance lumped
fluid Ri Re together (ranges from 1 to 100 MW)
Taper Reference (b) Emp Reference
Tip Cd electrode electrode
Cell + + + Ct = total distributed capacitance
membrane + - + +
- - - -+
- -- + lumped together (total is tens of pF)
+- N -+
+- Cytoplasm -+
Rt = electrolyte resistance in shank & tip
+ - N = Nucleus - +
+- - - - - -+ - Cd = capacitance from micropipet Em = all the dc potentials lumped
(a) + + + + + electrolyte to environmental fluid
Cell membrane together
Ej = liquid-liquid junction potential
between micropipet electrolyte & Behaves like a low-pass filter.
Electrode with its tip placed within a cell, intracellular fluid
showing the origin of distributed capacitance. Et = tip potential generated by the thin
glass membrane at micropipet tip
Ri = intracellular fluid resistance
Emp = cell membrane potential
Re = extracellular fluid resistance
Glass Micropipette Amplifier

 detect potentials on the order of 50 to 100 mV

 small size and small effective surface-contact area give them a very high
source impedance
 their geometry results in a large shunting capacitance
 Glass Micropipette amplifiers must have:
Rt
 extremely high input impedance Membrane A
and
 compensate for the high shunt capacitance action 0 Cd = Ct
potential
(use +ve feedback scheme in Biopotential Amp) Emp
Em
 Wide band (usually from DC – 10 KHz) B

 Low to moderate gain.

Em = Ej + Et + Ema- Emb
 Negative-Input-Capacitance Amplifier: operation

The total circuit capacitance:

(a) Basic arrangement for negative-input-capacitance amplifier. Basic

which is zero when amplifier is on the right-hand side; equivalent source with lumped
series resistance Rs and shunt capacitance Cs is on the left,
(b) Equivalent circuit of basic negative-input-capacitance amplifier.
Negative-Input-Capacitance Amplifier: Drawbacks

 Cs can not be zero for all frequencies.

 +ve feedback is subjected to oscillation or even instability.

 Amp tends to be noisy

 Questions…

82 Prof Mohamed El-Brawany 07-Dec-21