Bio-signals

Origin of Bio-potentials

Bioelectric phenomena

Goals
Monitoring and Recording many forms of
bioelectric phenomena
ECG (Electrocardiography)
EMG (Electromyography)
EEG (Electroencephalography)
ENG (electroneurography)

Bio-potentials

Certain systems of the body create their own

"monitoring" signals, which convey useful
.information regarding the functions they represent
These signals are the Bio-potentials BP
associated with the conduction along the sensory
and motor nervous system, muscular contractions,
. brain activity, heart contractions, etc
These potentials are a result of the electrochemical
activity occurring in certain classes of cells within the
.body Excitable Cells
Measurements of these Bio-potentials can provide
clinicians with invaluable diagnostic information

Cell Membrane Potentials

Cell membranes in general, and membranes of nerve cells

in particular, maintain a small voltage or "potential" across
.the membrane in its normal or resting state
In the rest state, the inside of the nerve cell membrane is
negative with respect to the outside (typically about -70
.millivolts)
The voltage arises from differences in concentration of the
+. electrolyte ions K+ and Na
There is a process which utilizes ATP to pump out three Na+
ions and pump in two K+ ions. The collective action of these
mechanisms leaves the interior of the membrane about -70
.mV with respect to the outside
If the equilibrium of the nerve cell is disturbed by the arrival
of a suitable stimulus dynamic changes in the
membrane potential in response to the stimulus is called an
. Action Potential
After the action potential the mechanisms described above
.bring the cell membrane back to its resting state

Excitable
Cells
Excitable cells are a class of cells that produce

bioelectric potentials as a result of electrochemical

.activity

At any given time, these cells can exist in one of

.two states, resting and active
Chemical and electrical stimuli can force an
.excitable cell from the resting to the active state
While there are numerous ionic species present
both inside and outside the cell, only three ions (for
which the cell membrane in its resting state is
permeable) play a key role in the behavior of these
.-cells: K+, Na+ and Cl

Active
State
If adequately stimulated, either electrically or

chemically, the excitable cell will enter into the active

. state

The transmembrane potential varies with time and

position within the cell in this state, and is called an
.action potential
The following sequence of events occurs when the
: cell enters the active state
The chemical or electrical stimuli increases the
.permeability of the membrane to Na
Na rushes into the cell due to the large concentration
.gradient

Active State (cont.)

These positively charged ions entering the cell cause the

transmembrane potential to become less negative, and
eventually slightly positive. This change is often referred
.to as a depolarization
A short time ( tenths of microseconds) later the
membranes permeability to K increases, which results in
.an outflow of K
The outflow of K causes the transmembrane potential to
decrease. This decrease in potential causes the
membranes permeability to both Na, and eventually K,
to decrease to their resting levels
There is only a relatively small (immeasurable) net flow
of ions across the membrane during an action potential.
The Na-K pump restores the concentrations (pumps Na
.out and K in) of the ions to their resting levels

The result of the transition from the

resting to the active state is the Action
Potential
In response to the appropriate stimulus, the cell
membrane of a nerve cell goes through a sequence
of
depolarization from its rest state to the active state
followed by
. Repolarization to the rest state once again
The cell membrane actually reverses its normal
polarity for a brief period before reestablishing the
. rest potential
The action potential sequence is essential for neural
communication. The simplest action in response to
thought requires many such action potentials for its
communication and performance

The different phases a cell

membrane

:The
process
several
steps
A stimulus
is receivedinvolves
by the dendrites
of a nerve cell.
This .1

causes the Na+ channels to open. If the opening is sufficient to

drive the interior potential from -70 mV up to -55 mV, the process
. continues
Having reached the action threshold, more Na+ channels
(sometimes called voltage-gated channels) open The Na+
influx drives the interior of the cell membrane up to about +30
. mV. The process to this point is called DEPOLARIZATION
The Na+ channels close and the K+ channels open. Having both
Na+ and K+ channels open at the same time would drive the
system toward neutrality and prevent the creation of the action
. potential
With the K+ channels open, the membrane begins to
. REPOLARIZE back toward its rest potential
The repolarization typically overshoots the rest potential to about
-90 mV. This is called hyperpolarization. Hyperpolarization
prevents the neuron from receiving another stimulus during this
. time
After hyperpolarization, the Na+/K+ pumps eventually bring the
.membrane back to its resting state of -70 mV

.2

.3

.4
.5

.6

Absolute & Relative Refractory Period

ARP & RRP
During the initial portion of the Action potential
membrane does not respond Absolute
refractory period
During the Relative Refractory Period RRP the
action potential takes action
The refractory period limits the frequency of a
repetitive excitation procedure
e.g. ARP=1ms

upper limit of repetitive discharge

< 1000 impulses/s

Absolute & Relative Refractory Period

ARP & RRP (cont.)
Nernst equil. Pot for Na

v: action pot.

Nernst equil. Pot for K

?How the action is recorded

The tip is
moved to until
the resting pot.
is recorded
A short time
later an
electrical
stimulus is
delivered for
the period L
until recording

Bioelectric Signal Measurement

Bioelectric measurements