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Lec 1 - Introduction To Biopotentials
Lec 1 - Introduction To Biopotentials
BME 409
TEXT :
1. Introduction to Biomedical Equipment Technology, Joseph J. Carr
& John M. Brown
2. Medical design and instrumentation by Webster
by
• 1st half
• Introduction to bio-potentials
• Measurement methods
• Traditional: ECG, EEG, EMG, EOG
• Novell: VCG
• 2nd half
• Measurement considerations
• Electronics
• Electrodes
What are bio-potentials
Bio-potential: An electric potential that is measured between points in living cells, tissues,
and organisms, and which accompanies all biochemical processes.
• Also describes the transfer of information between and within cells
Mechanism behind bio-potentials 1/2
• Concentration of potassium (K+) ions is 30-50
times higher inside as compared to outside
• Sodium ion (Na+) concentration is 10 times
higher outside the membrane than inside
Vm 70... 100 mV
• In resting state the member is permeable only
for potassium ions
Potassium flows outwards leaving an equal
number of negative ions inside
Electrostatic attraction pulls potassium and
chloride ions close to the membrane
Electric field directed inward forms
Electrostatic force vs. diffusional force
• Nernst equation:
RT ci ,k
Vk ln
zk F co,k
• Goldman-Hodgkin-Katz equation:
1. Atrial
depolarization
ECG basics
• Amplitude: 1-5 mV
• Bandwidth: 0.05-100 Hz
• Typical applications:
• Diagnosis of ischemia
• Arrhythmia
• Conduction defects
12-Lead ECG measurement
• Most widely used ECG measurement setup in clinical environment
• Signal is measured non-invasively with 9 electrodes
• Lots of measurement data and international reference databases
• Well-known measurement and diagnosis practices
• This particular method was adopted due to historical reasons, now it is already rather
obsolete
Einthoven leads: I, II & III Goldberger augmented leads: VR, VL & VF Precordial leads: V1-V6
Why is 12-lead system obsolete?
• Amplitude: 0.001-0.01 mV
• Bandwidth: 0.5-40 Hz
• Errors:
• Thermal RF noise
• 50/60 Hz power lines
• Blink artifacts and similar
• Typical applications:
• Sleep studies
• Seizure detection
• Cortical mapping
EEG measurement setup
• 10-20 Lead system is most
widely clinically accepted
• Certain physiological features
are used as reference points
• Allow localization of diagnostic
features in the vicinity of the
electrode
• Often a readily available wire or
rubber mesh is used
• Brain research utilizes even 256
or 512 channel EEG hats
Electromyography (EMG)
• Amplitude: 1-10 mV
• Bandwidth: 20-2000 Hz
• Amplitude: 0.01-0.1 mV
• Bandwidth: DC-10 Hz
R2 R4
G1 1 2 G2
R1 R3
iD R0
VCM iD R0 VCM
R2
1 2
R1
Filtering
• Filtering should be included in the front end of the InstrAmp
• Transmitters, motors etc. cause also RF interference
Small inductors
or ferrite beads
in the lead wires
block HF frequency
EM interference
Low-pass filtering
at several stages
High-pass filter is recommended to
to reject DC drifting attenuate residual
RF interference
RF filtering with
small capacitors
50 or 60 Hz Notch Filter
Determines
notch
frequency
fnotch = (1/2RC)
Twin T
Notch
notch filter tuning
Artifact Reduction
• Electrical isolation limits the possibility of passage of any leakage current from
the instrument in use to the patient
• Such passage would be harmful if not fatal!
1. Transformer
• Transformers are inherently high frequency
AC devices
• Modulation and demodulation needed
2. Optical isolation
• Optical signal is modulated in proportion to
the electric signal and transmitted to the
detector
• Typically pulse code modulated to
circumvent the inherent nonlinearity of the
LED-phototransistor combination
Defibrillation Protection
Needle electrodes
• Obviously invasive electrodes
• Used when measurements have to be taken from the organ itself
• Small signals such as motor unit potentials can be measured
• Needle is often a steel wire with hooked tip