Components of bio-medical

instrument system
Half cell potential (or) Electrode
potential:
• Voltage developed at an electrode – electrolyte
interface
• The passage of ions from the metal into the
solution
• The combination of metallic ions in solution
with electrons in the metal to form atoms of
the metal.
• Electrical double layer
Half cell potential (or) Electrode
potential:
Perfectly polarised electrodes:
• Electrodes in which no net transfer of charge
occurs across the metal electrolyte interface
Perfectly Non-polarised electrodes:
• Unhindered exchange of charge occurs
Half cell potential (or) Electrode
potential:

Ehc = half cell potential

Cd = electrode capacitance
Rd = leakage resistance
Rs = series electrolyte and skin resistance
Half cell potential :
Z = Rs + Rd / (1+j2ΠfRdCd)
Nernst equation:
Ehc = -2.303 RT/nF (log10 C1f1 / C2f2)
Where,
C = concentration,
f = activity coefficients
R = gas constant = 8.314 kJ/k mol/ K
T = absolute temperature in Kelvin
F = no. of coulombs transferred (or) Faraday constant =
96500 columbs
n = valency of the ion
Purpose of the electrode paste:
Dry outer skin is highly non-conductive
Washed throughly
Rubbed briskly to remove some of outer cells
Coated with consuctive paste – electrode paste
(reduces the impedance and reduces artifacts)
Electrode is applied
ECG : R: 100 kΩ to 10kΩ
C: 0.01 μF to 0.1 μF
Electrode material:
To reduce polarisation effect, the electrodes are
coated.
Reduces noise voltage
Increases stability

Silver coated with silver chloride (widely used) :

Half cell potential : 2.5 mV
Electrodes:
• Types:
»3 types
• Micro electrode
• Depth & needle electrodes
• Surface electrodes
Micro electrodes: Intra cellular electrodes
• Used to measure the potential near or within
cell
• Features:
Smaller dimension (0.5 to 5 microns)
• Types:
»Metallic
»Non metallic (Micropipet)
Metal microelectrode:
• Formed by electrolytically etching the tip of
fine Tungsten or stainless steel
• Electropointing
• Coated with insulating material
• Chloriding the tip : reduce the impedance
Metal electrode:
Metal electrode – electrical equivalent:
Equivalent:
• EA – metal electrode-electrolyte potential at
the microelectrode tip
• EB – Reference electrode – electrolyte
potential
• EC – variable cell membrane potential
• RA – resistance of connecting wire
• RB – resistance of wire connected to reference
electrode
Contd.

• Impedance of microelectrode is inversely

proportional to the area of the tip & frequency.
• Zin of the amplifier should be high : if not,
behaves like a high pass filter
Micropipet (Non metallic electrode):
• 1 micrometre
• Filled with electrolyte 3 M KCL
Micropipet – electrical equivalent:
Equivalent:
• EA – metal electrode-electrolyte potential at the
microelectrode tip
• EB – Reference electrode – electrolyte potential
• EC – variable cell membrane potential
• ED – potential existing at the tip due to different
electrolytes present in the pipet and the cell
• RA – resistance of connecting wire
• RB – resistance of wire connected to reference
electrode
• RT – resistance of electrolyte filled
Depth & needle electrode:
Depth electrode:
 Used to study the electrical activity of
the neurons in superficial layers of the
brain & also the oxygen tension
 Bundle of Teflon insulated platinum
(90%) & Iridium (10%) alloy wires
 End of supporting wire is rounded
 Active area : 0.5 mm2
Depth electrode:
Needle electrode:
• Electroneurography
• Resembles medicine dropper or hypodermic
needle
• Bend at one end and is inserted through the
lumen and is advanced into the muscle
• Needle is withdrawn and the bent wire is
resting inside the muscle
Needle electrode:
Surface electrodes:
• Larger area electrodes : ECG potentials
• Smaller area electrodes: EEG & EMG potentials
• Types:
» Metal plate electrodes
» Suction cup electrode
» Adhesive tape electrode
» Multipoint electrode
» Floating electrode
Metal plate electrodes:
• Rectangular (3.5 cm x 5 cm) & circular ( 4.75
diameter) in shape
• German silver, nickel silver, nickel plated steel
• ECG measurements
Suction Cup electrode:
• Flat surfaces of the body and to regions where
the underlying tissue is soft
• Physically large but only rim (smaller area) is
in contact to the skin
Adhesive tape electrode:
• The pressure of the surface electrode against
the skin may squeeze the electrode paste out
• So, this type of electrodes are used
• Light metallic screen backed by a pad for
electrode paste
Multipoint electrode:
• ECG measurement
• Nearly 1000 fine active contact points
Floating electrode:
• Metal does not contact the subject directly but
via electrolytic bridge
• Also called as liquid junction electrode
• Movement artifact is eliminated
Distortion in signals:
• Ag-Agcl electrode uses shielded cable to
reduce interference
• Johnson noise (random movement of charge
carriers) or ohmic noise ( ohmic component of
the electrode impedance) : micro electrodes
• Movement artifacts : equal half cell potential
and high impedance will minimize the artifacts
(floating electrodes)
• Distortion : movement of low current density
Chemical Electrodes:
• Used to measure :
Hydrogen electrode
Practical reference electrode
»pH electrode
»pCO2 electrode
»pO2 electrode
Hydrogen electrode:
• Reference electrode (potential = 0)
• Used to measure pH of body fluids
• Platinum is electrolytically coated with finely
divided platinum to increase the surface area
• This electrode with absorbed hydrogen is
inserted into a catheter and is placed in
pulmonary artery
• Monitored with a fluoroscope
Drawback of hydrogen electrode:
• Not sufficiently stable to serve as a reference
electrode
• During measurement hydrogen gas should be
supplied
• So, calomel & silver – silver chloride
electrodes are used
Practical reference electrode:
• Ag-AgCl : smaller & stable half cell potential
• Ag-AgCl is kept at the central position and
potassium chloride solution is filled around the
electrode
• Calomel or mercurous chloride electrode is
another popular reference electrode
pH electrode:
• pH = log10 1/[H+]
= - log10 [H+]
7 → neutral solution
<7 → acidic solution
>7 → basic solution
Human blood is slightly basic; venous blood :
7.35 & atrial :7.40
Contd..
pH electrode:
Contd..
• Spherical bulb : 0.5 cm in diameter
• Permits the passage of only hydrogen ions in the
form of H3O+
• Inside the glass bulb silver-silver chloride non
polarisable electrode is immersed in chloride
buffer solution usually of pH = 1
• Other side is glass bulb is exposed to the solution
of unknown pH
• Adv: independent of oxidation – reduction
potentials
pCO2 electrode:
• Standard glass pH electrode covered with
rubber membrane permeable to CO2
• Between the glass and membrane, water is
there
• pH is measured and interpreted in terms of
pCO2 on the basis of the linear relationship
between log pCO2 and pH of the solution
pO2 electrode:
• Piece of platinum wire embedded in an insulating
glass holder
• Other end is exposed to electrolyte where oxygen
is allowed to diffuse through the membrane
• Ag-AgCl : reference electrode
• 0.7 V is applied between platinum(-ve) and
reference electrode(+ve)
• Reduction takes place at the platinum wire
pO2 electrode: Clark electrode