03.

Biosignal Measurement

EB2101- Dasar Teknik Biomedis

Program Studi Teknik Biomedis - Sekolah Teknik Elektro & Informatika
Institut Teknologi Bandung
General Biosignal Instrumentation System
 Biosignal Characteristics

• Biopotential (electric) and non-biopotential signals

Outline

• Biopotentials
• Introduction to biopotentials
• Common biopotentials
• ECG, EEG, EMG, EOG
• Electrical Measurements
• Measurement considerations
• Noise
• Safety considerations
• Electrodes
Biopotential
Signals
What are biopotentials
Biopotential: 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 biopotentials
• 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
• 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:

RT PK ci , K  PNaci , Na  PCl ci ,Cl

Vm   ln Vm  70...  100 mV
zk F PK ci , K  PNaci , Na  PCl ci ,Cl
Mechanism behind biopotentials

• When membrane stimulation exceeds a threshold level of about 20 mV, so

called action potential occurs:
1. Sodium and potassium ionic permeabilities of the membrane change
2. Sodium ion permeability increases very rapidly at first, allowing sodium ions
to flow from outside to inside, making the inside more positive
3. The more slowly increasing potassium ion permeability allows potassium
ions to flow from inside to outside, thus returning membrane potential to its
resting value
4. While at rest, the Na-K pump restores the ion concentrations to their original
values
• The number of ions flowing through an open channel >106/sec

• Body is an inhomogeneous volume conductor and these ion fluxes create

measurable potentials on body surface
Mechanism behind biopotentials
Mechanism behind biopotentials
Electrocardiography (ECG)
• Measures the electric activity of the heart
• Well known and traditional, first measurements by
Augustus Waller using capillary electrometer (1887)
• Very widely used method in clinical environment
• Very high diagnostic value

2. Ventricular 3. Ventricular repolarization

depolarization

1. Atrial
depolarization
ECG basics
• Measures the electrical activity of the
heart

• Amplitude: 1-5 mV
• Bandwidth: 0.05-100 Hz

• Errors:
• Motion artifacts
• 50/60 Hz powerline interference

• 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
• 3 orthogonal leads (R, L, F) and 6 precordial leads (V1-V6)
• Lots of measurement data and international reference databases
• Well-known measurement and diagnosis practices

Einthoven leads: I, II & III Goldberger augmented leads: VR, VL & VF Precordial leads: V1-V6
Electroencephalography (EEG)
• Measures the brain’s electric
activity from the scalp
• Measured signal results from
the activity of billions of neurons

• 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)
• Measures the electric activity of active muscle fiber groups
• Electrodes are always connected very close to the muscle
group being measured
• Needle electrodes is used to measure individual muscle fibers

• Amplitude: 1-10 mV
• Bandwidth: 20-2000 Hz

• Errors:
• 50/60 Hz
• RF interference

• Applications:
• muscle function,
• neuromuscular disease,
• prosthesis
EMG measurement setup

back front
BF: biceps femoris
LG: lateral gastrocnemius
TA: tibialis anterior
RF: rectus femoris
Electrooculography (EOG)
• Electric potentials are created as a result of the movement of the eyeballs
• Potential varies in proportion to the amplitude of the movement

• Amplitude: 0.01-0.1 mV
• Bandwidth: DC-10 Hz

• Errors:
• skin potential
• motion

• Applications:
• eyeball position,
• sleep state,
• vestibulo-ocular reflex
 Biosignal
Measurements

SQUID = Superconducting Quantum Interference Device

Biopotential signals vs noise
The biopotential amplifier

• Small amplitudes, low frequencies, environmental and biological sources

of interference etc.
• Essential requirements for measurement equipment:
• High amplification
• High differential gain, low common mode gain  high CMRR
• High input impedance
• Low Noise
• Stability against temperature and voltage fluctuations
• Electrical safety, isolation and defibrillation protection
Power Line Interference
ECG with Power Line Interference
Artifacts
• Baseline “drift”
• Electrode offset (potential changes because of electrode-skin contact)
• Respiratory activities
• Movement artifacts
• Baseline drift can be removed by discharging the high-pass capacitor in the
amplifier to restore the baseline

Electrode offset

Movement artifacts

Respiratory artifacts
ECG with Respiratory Artifact
Safety Issues

• Leakage current
• Microshock & macroshock
• Electrical & optical isolation
• Common ground
• High-voltage protection (defibrillator)
Leakage Current: micro-shock & macro-shock
Macroshock Threshold
Macro-shock
Micro-shock
Electrodes – Basics
• High-quality biopotential measurements require
• Good amplifier design
• Use of good electrodes and their proper placement on the patient
• Good laboratory and clinical practices
• Electrodes should be chosen according to the application
• Basic electrode structure includes:
• The body and casing
• Electrode made of high-conductivity material
• Wire connector
• Cavity or similar for electrolytic gel
• Adhesive rim