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Measurement of skin-electrode impedance for a 12-lead electrocardiogram

Conference Paper · October 2005

DOI: 10.1109/ICEEE.2005.1529606 · Source: IEEE Xplore

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2nd International Conference on Electrical and Electronics Engineering (ICEEE) and XI Conference on Electrical Engineering (CIE 2005)
Mexico City, Mexico. September 7-9, 2005

Measurement of Skin-Electrode Impedance for a 12-lead Electrocardiogram

Israel Zepeda-Carapia, Agustín Márquez-Espinoza, Carlos Alvarado-Serrano
Bioelectronics Section, Department of Electrical Engineering, CINVESTAV-IPN, Mexico D.F., Mexico
E-mail: izepeda@mail.cinvestav.mx

Abstract — In electrocardiographic recording one of the The impedance measurements for each skin-electrode
main sources of error is an imperfect mechanical contact in the interface were made according to reported by Spach et al.
skin-electrode interface because it causes high impedances that [2] and Bergey et al. [6] as shown in Fig. 1.
can contribute to distortion in the ECG. We measured contact
impedance to determine the corresponding values to a reliable
contact in this interface in 10 electrodes of the standard 12-lead
ECG of 5 normal subjects from 1 Hz to 50 kHz. An impedance
decrease for increasing frequency and a wider dispersion in
low frequencies was observed. In the ECG frequency range
maximum contact impedances varied from 20 kΩ in 50 Hz and
100 Hz to 75 kΩ in 1 Hz. Because we are interested in analyze
ECG low frequency waves, we will use the range of impedance
values in 5 Hz for each electrode to detect a poor electrode
placement in the 12-lead ECG recording.

Keywords — skin–electrode interface, bioimpedance, ECG

I. INTRODUCTION

One of the main sources of error in ECG recording is a
imperfect mechanical contact in the skin-electrode interface
(also known as the contact impedance) because causes high
and unpredictable impedances that can contribute to
distortion in the ECG. [1]. To reduce errors of the variability
of this contact impedance it has suggested the use of buffer
amplifiers in each electrode [2].
Nevertheless, if there is a severe unbalance in the skin-
electrode interface impedances of two electrodes caused by
a poor contact, in the ECG differential amplifier used the
interference common-mode voltage will be higher at one
input that at the other, then a fraction of the common-mode
voltage will be converted in differential voltage and cause
distortion in the ECG [2,3,4].
Therefore, to reduce errors of this source in the ECG
recording, we measured the skin-electrode contact
impedance in 10 electrodes of the standard 12-lead ECG of
5 normal subjects in the frequency range of 1 Hz a 50 kHz
to determine the range of impedance values corresponding
to a reliable contact in this interface.
II. METHODOLOGY
The study group was 5 normal subjects: 4 men and 1
woman, aged 20–30 years. Electrodes of Ag/AgCl Kendall
Medi-Trace 200 with conductive adhesive hydrogel were
used, with an area of contact of 3. 8 cm2. Skin was cleaned
with alcohol. The placement of the electrodes was in
agreement with the modified 12-lead ECG for exercise
proposed by Mason and Likar [5].
Fig. 1. Test circuit for impedance measurement of
the skin-electrode interface of B.
In this method a sinusoidal signal is applied among the
electrodes A and B through a resistor in series R, then the
current that crosses the electrode B, can be calculated for:
V
ib = a −b (1)
R
Then, any voltage that appears among the electrodes B
and C is due to the impedance ZB that is the impedance of
the union of the electrode B with the skin. Consequently:
Vb −c
ZB = (2)
ib
The developed system is shown in Fig. 2. It consists of
an sinusoidal oscillator Wien-bridge designed to different
frequencies, from 1 Hz to 50 kHz with a maximum of 1
Vpp, where the injected current is proportional to the
selected resistor with a maximum of 600 µA. The contact
impedance to several frequencies was obtained varying the
injected current to obtain a better noise-signal ratio, this is,
in frequencies < 1kHz the currents range was of 40 µA to 75
µA, and in frequencies > 1 kHz the currents range was of
280 µA to 600 µA.
Initially a sinusoidal current was injected in RA and RL
positions to measure contact impedance in the electrodes:
LA, LL, V1, V2, V3, V4, V5 y V6. Afterwards sinusoidal
current was injected in LA and LL to measure contact
impedance in the electrodes RA and RL.

IEEE Catalog Number: 05EX1097

ISBN: 0-7803-9230-2 193
0-7803-9230-2/05/$20.00 ©2005 IEEE.
 Bridge Wien Instrumentation 80
Oscillator Amplifier
70

60

Impedance (kΩ)
50

40

30

20

10

RA RL LA LL V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6
Position
Fig. 2. Block diagram of the impedance measurement system
of skin-electrode interfaces for a 12-lead ECG. Fig. 4. Impedance of the skin-electrode interface
for each position to 5 Hz.
Voltage in points B and C for each position was
buffered with the instrumentation amplifier AD620 (G=10, Fig. 5 shows the contact impedance values to 10 Hz, the
CMRR=100 dB), and was measured with an oscilloscope maximum value decreased to 24 kΩ in V3 with a minimum
Instex GOS-622G (Input impedance: 1MΩ // 25 pF). of 307 Ω in LA and there is a less dispersion in values with
respect to 5 Hz contact impedance. The contact impedance
IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
values for 50 Hz are shown in the Fig. 6 and they are very
similar that values to 100 Hz shown in the Fig. 7.
The contact impedance in the frequencies of 1Hz, 5 Hz,
10 Hz, 50 Hz and 100 Hz of 5 normal subjects are shown in
the figures 3,4,5,6 and 7 respectively. Fig. 3 shows the
There is a less dispersion of values with respect to 10
contact impedance values to 1 Hz and there is a wider Hz contact impedance because to 50 Hz the maximum value
dispersion of values, with a maximum of 75 kȍ in V3 and a
decreased to 20 kΩ in V6, and a minimum of 266 Ω in LA,
minimum of 173 ȍ in RA. Fig. 4 shows the contact
impedance values to 5 Hz and with respect to the 1 Hz in 100 Hz the highest impedance was of 20 kΩ in RL, and
contact impedance there is a less dispersion of values, the the lowest of 263 Ω in LA.
maximum value decreased to 35 kȍ in V3, V4, V5 and V6,
and in LA a minimum of 250 Ω.

80 80

70
70

60
60
Impedance (kΩ)
Impedance (kΩ)

50
50

40
40

30
30

20 20

10
10

RA RL LA LL V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6
RA RL LA LL V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6
Position
Position

Fig. 5. Impedance of the skin-electrode interface

Fig. 3. Impedance of the skin-electrode interface
for each position to 10 Hz.
for each position to 1 Hz.

IEEE Catalog Number: 05EX1097

ISBN: 0-7803-9230-2 194
 In agreement with other studies, there was a decrease in
80
skin-electrode impedance with increasing frequency because
70 there is a capacitive component involved corresponding to
the epidermal layer, a wider dispersion in low frequencies
60 and a smaller dispersion in high frequencies [1-3].
Impedance(kΩ)

50
An recent study showed that the dc electrode impedance
40 was not a viable predictive tool in detecting a poor electrode
placement and the need to replace it, but the ac electrode
30 impedance may be a feasible alternative [7].
20
Therefore, to determine possible distortions in ECG low
10 frequency waves like T and P waves due to a poor electrode
placement in the 12-lead ECG recording, we will use the
RA RL LA LL V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 range of contact impedance values in 5 Hz found for each
Position electrode position [8]. This system can be used in a previous
stage of a 12-lead electrocardiograph.
Fig. 6. Impedance of the skin-electrode interface
for each position to 50 Hz. ACKNOWLEDGMENT
80
This work has been partially funded by a scholarship
70 from the CONACYT (México) to Israel Zepeda and Agustín
Márquez. The authors are grateful to the volunteers.
60
Impedance (kΩ)

50 REFERENCES

40 [1] A. Berson, H. Pipberger, “Skin–electrode impedance problems

in electrocardiography,” Am. Heart J., vol. 76, no. 4, pp. 514–
30 525, October 1968.
[2] M. S. Spach, R. C. Barr, J. W. Havstad, E. C. Long, “Skin-
20 electrode impedance and its effect on recording cardiac
potentials,” Circulation, vol. 34, 1966, pp. 649 – 656.
10
[3] J. Rosell, J. Colominas, P. Riu, R. Pallás–Areny, and J. G.
Webster, “Skin impedance from 1 Hz to 1 MHz,” IEEE Trans.
Biomed. Eng., vol. 35, no. 8, pp. 649 – 651, August 1988.
RA RL LA LL V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 [4] J. G. Webster, Medical Instrumentation, Application and
Position Design, Ed. John Wiley & Sons, 1988, pp. 233–258.
[5] R. Mason, I. Likar “A new system of multiple-lead exercise
Fig. 7. Impedance of the skin-electrode interface electrocardiography,” Am. Heart J., vol. 71, no. 2, pp. 196–205,
for each position to 100 Hz. February 1966.
[6] G. E. Bergey, R. D. Squires, W. C. Sipple, “Electrocardiogram
recording with pasteless electrodes,” IEEE Trans. Biomed. Eng.,
The contact impedance values in frequencies higher vol. 18, no. 3, pp. 206 – 211, May. 1971.
than 1 kHz decreased and they have a smaller dispersion [7] S. R. Wiese, P. Anheier, R. D. Connemara, A. T. Mollner, T. F.
that to low frequencies. To 1 kHz, mean is 1020 Ω (values Neils, J. A. Kahn, J. G. Webster, “Electrocardiographic motion
artifact versus electrode impedance,” IEEE Trans. Biomed.
between 200 Ω and 2 kΩ); to 10 kHz, mean is 262 Ω (values Eng., vol. 52 no. 1, pp. 136–139, Jan. 2005.
between 200 Ω and 400Ω); and to 50 kHz, mean is 184 Ω [8] N.V. Thakor, J.G. Webster, W.J. Tompkins, “Estimation of QRS
complex power spectra for design of a QRS filter,” IEEE Trans.
(values between 150 Ω and 250 Ω). Biomed. Eng., vol. 31, pp. 702–706, 1984.

IEEE Catalog Number: 05EX1097

ISBN: 0-7803-9230-2 195

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