CHAPTER II

CIRCUIT SYSTEM ANALYSIS FOR ACQUISITION OF ECG

SIGNAL

Around the globe many deaths are being reported every year due to poor
health monitoring system in rural areas and un-affordability by the people in the
semi-rural areas. This chapter presents analysis of the developed real-time, low cost
acquisition and monitoring system in ORCAD 16.3 software and gives the detailed
analysis and explanation of the hardware circuit used to effectively acquire real-time
noise-free ECG signals. The system includes instrumentation amplifier, DC
restoration circuit, integrator, right leg driven amplifier and notch filter. It is adjunct
to the doctors for the diagnosis purpose. Further it can be interfaced to a computer
using sound port as a serial interface between circuit and PC for analysis in terms of
features extraction. The system does not require DAQ card because the amplified and
filtered signal can be directly interfaced with laptop/PC through sound port hence
making it economical. Further the various digital filter techniques can be developed
in MATLAB to improve the quality of the acquired bio-signal. A lot of efforts are
required to acquire real time ECG signal, which is time consuming and involve
complexity.

2.1 INTRODUCTION

Worldwide, cardiovascular disease and strokes are the leading causes of

death and diability for adults over 60 years of age. In 2005, World Health
Organisation (WHO) estimated that 20 % of global deaths were due to cardiovascular

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diseases. In another report of WHO, it estimates the number of death from heart
attacks and strokes in India will increase to 70 lakhs per by 2020 in era
industrialization and changing lifestyles.An electrocardiogram (ECG) is an electrical
activity of a heart measuring the direction of electrical current discharged by the heart
and is obtained by placing electrodes on the skin. It was developed by William
Einthoven in 1901, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1924. It
plays an important role in the prevention, finding the abnormality of patients and free
of heart disease. ECG mainly consists of two phases: depolarisation is mechanical
contraction of the heart chamber i.e. either atrium or ventricle and repolarisation is the
mechanical relaxation of the heart chamber. The traditional ECG measurement device
is expensive and bulky and it is complicated for self-examination especially in real-
time scenario. Also they lack the ability to provide a high-scale analysis, simulations
and computations at the patient’s location. Any faulty diagnoses may cause a risk to
the patient’s health. Biomedical signals such as ECG, EMG and EEG are very
important in biomedical signal processing and need real-time monitoring. So a
computer-based system plays an important role for the various measurements and
tests, with a better performance and lower cost. Different researchers have made
attempts to design real-time acquisition of biomedical signals using different methods.
Kumar et al. (2006); Borromeo et al. (2007); Bansal et al. (2008); Al-Jobouri and Al-
Ani(2008); Sharma et al. (2012);Jha et al. (2014); Wang and Zhigang (2012); Boev et
al. (2011); Agarwal et al. (2010); Vidwan et al. (2012); Tsai et al. (2012); Bhat et al.
(2013); Gao et al. (2012); Chattopadhyay (2013); Jegan and Anusuya (2013); Al-
Busaid and Khriji (2014); Athiya et al. (2012); designed and developed hardware on
modern technologies to meet the demand. The ECG is the only useful analytic tool
that is immediately available to assess the probability of cardiac events. It is also
helpful in telemedicine and home care. Keeping in mind the growing concern of
health world over, daily health monitoring by handy devices has become a
requirement. A simple, comfortable and user friendly solution for acquisition,
processing and transmitting the information from patient to the remote cardiologist for
diagnosis is therefore an important issue for research. This chapter is analyzing a
developed real-time acquisition and monitoring system in ORCAD 16.3 software. The
designed circuit has advantage of add on twin-T network notch filter to remove 50 Hz
interference and gives good simulated results, which is knowledge gap of the study.
The analyzed circuit is battery operated; handy and low power consumption meets the

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need of continuous work. Biological signals ECG, EMG etc. can also be faithfully
acquired using this designed circuit.

2.2 METHODS AND MATERIALS

This section elaborates the methods and materials required to acquire and filter
out the ECG signal (Bhogeshwar et al. 2015). A functional block diagram of a real
time, portable acquisition of biomedical signal circuit is shown in Figure 2.1.

Figure 2.1 Functional block diagram (Bansal et al. 2010; Bansal 2013)

The system consists of instrumentation amplifier, DC restoration circuit, right leg

drive amplifier and notch filter. The whole system is developed using two TL-084-C
Texas Instruments quad JFET (Junction gate Field Effect Transistor) operational
amplifier having large CMRR of 100 dB and adjustable gain up to 500. Input voltage
is taken from 12 V batteries to avoid the use of 220 V supply. Various modules of the
entire system have been analysed separately by taking 1.2 mV and 1 mV signals of
frequency 100 Hz as input using ORCAD software. It is used for electronic design
automation. Design engineers manufacture printed circuit boards using ORCAD
software to create electronic schematics. The acquired ECG signal is a weak signal
and it is in the range of 1 to 2 mV. So amplification of this weak signal is necessary.
This weak signal is fed to ECG amplifier and then filter circuit to remove high and
low frequency component. Notch filter is connected at the output of filter to remove

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50 Hz power line interference. The work flow graph for ORCAD implementation of
real time acquisition of biomedical signal system is shown in Figure 2.2.

Take 1.2mV and 1mV signal of frequency

100Hz as inputs at RA and LA
respectively in acquisition circuit

ORCAD implementation of
Instrumentation amplifier

D.C. restoration circuit

Integrator

Right leg driven circuit

Notch filter

Acquired signal

Figure 2.2 Work flow graph for ORCAD implementation

2.3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The entire system is analyzed using ORCAD software 16.3. For simulation
1.2mV and 1mV of frequency 100Hz signals are used as inputs at RA (Right Arm) &
LA (Left Arm) respectively.

Figure 2.3 ORCAD implementation of real time acquisition of biomedical signal

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Each section gives the explanation of hardware and simulation results for weak signal
having the similar features of the ECG signal. Implementation of real time acquisition
of biomedical signal in ORCAD is shown in Figure 2.3.

2.3.1 Instrumentation Amplifier

The instrumentation amplifier basically consists of buffering amplifiers

and a basic differential amplifier formed by U1A (A1), U1B (A2) and U1C (A2).
ORCAD implementation of Instrumentation amplifier is shown in Figure 2.3. RA and
LA input in ORCAD is set to 1.2 mv, 1mv peak value respectively and frequency of
100 Hz as shown in Figure 2.4 (a) and (b). The gain of the differential amplifier is
decided by factor R7 / R5, which restricts the high gain value. This limitation is
overcome by using buffer between each signal input terminal and differential
amplifier. The differential amplifier makes it possible to employ the sensors in the
measurement system. A sensor produces an electrical signal between its terminal and
differential amplifier senses the signal by directly measuring the difference between
the two terminals of the sensors. Ag-AgCl three lead electrodes can be is used to pick
up the ECG signal from LA, RA and RL (Right Leg).

Figure 2.4a Input signals (1.2mv, 100Hz) Figure 2.4b Input signals (1mv, 100Hz)

Figure 2.5 Output of U1A & U1B

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The buffer A1 and A2 provide the gain and isolate the sensor resistance and the circuit
resistances from each other. The output of U1A and U1B is shown in Figure 2.5.
The instrumentation amplifier offers amplification of the difference between
the two inputs and rejects the common mode signal at the inputs. A single resistor R25
= 5.5 K is used to control the gain. In the buffer circuit, feedback resistors R2 and R2
of 25k are shunted by capacitor C2 and C2 of 68nf so that gain at low frequency is
limited to avoid any saturation problem. This parallel combination dissipates the
power. The operational amplifier amplifies both AC and DC signals, when the signal
contains a DC off-set, it becomes necessary to use an AC amplifier along with a
coupling capacitor between any two stages. In present work coupling capacitor C1 and
C4 of 10µf is used to block the DC signal. It has high impedance at low frequency and
at lower cutoff frequency is normally fixed to be one tenth of the resistance connected
in series. The differential amplifier is used for precise amplification of low level
output signal of the sensors as it has very low dc offset, low drift, low noise, very high
open-loop gain, very high common-mode rejection ratio, and very high impedances.
Since the biomedical signals are easily affected by noise interference, this amplifier is
battery powered for electrical isolation and could be used as the building block of any
portable system. Theoretical instrumentation amplifier gain is calculated without
capacitor is explained below:
Vout (A 3 ) R 7 2R 2
Gain of stage 1(A1A2A2) = = (1  )(V1  V2 ) (2.1)
Vin R5 R 25

Where R7=25K, R5=25K and R25 = 5.5 K

By using variable resistor R25 = 5.5 K The gain of instrumentation amplifier can be
varied.
Therefore, by keeping values in Eqn. 2.1 get Vout  10(V1  V2 ) (2.2)
We get the output of Instrumentation amplifier VA is 6.75µV peak to peak due to
negative feedback and capacitor effect as shown in Figure2.6.
R7
Differential amplifier Gain= 1
R5
Gain of stage 2=1 (2.3)
Gain Av=10*1=10 (Using Eqns2.2 &2.3) (2.4)

Gain in (dB) = 20*log10 Av =20dB

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 Chapter -II Circuit System Analysis for Acquisition of ECG Signal

Figure 2.6 Simulation result of instrumentation amplifier

2.3.2 D.C. Restoration Circuit

An amplifier U2C (A4) in Figure 2.3 helps in DC restoration and avoids

drift due to electrode and skin. In DC restoration resistor R12 of 2.2MΩ is used to
program DC restoration bandwidth corner frequency such as 2.2MΩ, 218K, 80K and
capacitor 1µf.In stage 2, Amplifier A4 (U2C) as shown in Figure 2.1 has a gain
without capacitor is

Vo (A 4 ) R10 25K
 1  1  50 (2.5)
Vi R8 510

U2C (A4) is set to gain 50 helps in DC restoration and avoid drift due to electrode and
skin, so it gives Total Gain Av = 10*50=500 (54 dB) (Using Eqns 2.4 & 2.5)
We get simulated amplified signal VB=225µV as shown in Figure 2.7.

Figure 2.7 Simulation result of D.C.restoration circuit

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2.3.3 Integrator Filter

The filter, which limits the bandwidth to reject interfering signals and
noises. When measures the ECG signal, lots of noise and interferences are induced,
such as DC potentials arising at the electrode-skin interface, amplifier offset
potentials, radio frequencies (RF) interference, muscle signal interference, and power
line interference at 50 Hz. Moreover, high-pass filter is recommended to be used in
the early stages of circuit, because the DC potential must be blocked well before the
ECG signal is amplified greatly to prevent the amplifier from saturation. An
Integrator filter U2C (A5) shown in Figure 2.3 is put in feedback and eliminate DC
offset. An operational amplifier U2C (A5) has time constant of RC for three modes
given in Table 2.1 and get simulated output -2.2mv peak to peak as shown in Figure
2.8.

Table 2.1 Modes of operation

Modes R C T=RC Cutoff Frequency

Diagnostic mode 2.2M 1µf 2.2s 0.05Hz

Monitor mode 218K 1µf 0.218s 0.5Hz

Quick restore 80K 1µf 0.08s 2Hz

Figure 2.8 Output of integrator

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2.3.4 Right Leg Drive Amplifier

In this system, a right leg driven circuit is used as the patient is not
grounded at all. Instead, the right leg electrode is connected to the output of an op
amp U6C (A6) shown in Figure 2.3. The common mode voltage on the body is sensed
by the two averaging resistors R22 and R22 of 20k is inverted, amplified and fed back
to the right leg. This negative feedback drives the common mode voltage to a low
level. It can also provide electric safety to patient, because the op amp will saturate
when an abnormally high voltage appears between the patient and ground. The
displacement current of the body flows to the op-amp output circuit. Resistor R20 of
290K has been included to limit the DC output current of the right leg driven circuit to
10µA in order to protect the patient from amplifier faults. We get simulated output
VD shown in Figure 2.9.

Figure 2.9 Output of right leg drive amplifier

2.3.5 Notch Filter

Notch filters used in communication and biomedical application to

eliminate undesired frequency. Before processing of the amplified signal by
instrumentation amplifier to establish the diagnostic values, their signal-to noise ratio
must be improved. A narrowband notch filter is designed to remove the contamination
of 50Hz interference from power lines as shown in Figure 2.10. Amplification and
filtering part connected by capacitor 4.7µf and resistor 100k to chop off the dc
component. The Notch filter constitutes a Twin-T network cascaded with the voltage

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follower. The twin - T network can be modified as equivalent delta network shown in
Figure 2.10.
42. 4K 42. 4
R R

C C

1n 1n

v1 v2
R/2 2C
21. 2k 150n

Figure 2.10 Twin–T Network

Impedances Z1, Z2 and Z3are given (Salivahanan and Bhaskararan, 2008)

sCR  1 2R sCR  1
Z1=Z3= , Z2= 2 2 2
2sC (s C R  1)

V2 s 2C2 R 2  1

V1 s 2 C 2 R 2  4sCR  1

By substituting s = jw we get the notch-out frequencyf0 at which the maximum

attenuation occurs.
1
f0  Where R15=42.2K and C2=75nf (2.6)
2R 15C 2
We get, f0=50 Hz (Using Eqn. 2.6)
The transfer function of the Notch filter is given by
2
G
S  2
V
H(S) = 0  C
2
Vi (s) G G
S2     4(1  K )S 
C C
R 18
K Where R19=4.7K, R18=100K
R 19  R 18
K=0.955
1
G Where R1 =42.2K
R1
Upper angular lower half frequencies are


fH= f0 1  4(1  K)2  2(1  K)  (2.7)

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
fL= f0 1  4(1  K)2  2(1  K)  (2.8)

The 2dB bandwidth is B  f H  f L  4 * 1  K  * f 0

f0
We get, B=8.48227 Hz and Q= =6 (Using Eqn. 2.7 & 2.8)
B
This designed Notch filter is verified in ORCAD as shown in Figure 2.11.The
optimized circuit is used along with tested amplifier to obtain an improved ECG
signal. 50Hz notched frequency shown in Figure2.12 and get amplified output 200µv-
240µv at VC shown in Figure 2.13.

U1A V3

11
TL084 12v
2 -12.00V

V-
R1 R2 -
1
OUT
42.4k 42.4k 3
V
C1 + 4 V2
V
OUTPUT
V+ R4
150n 8.988uV 12v
4.7k

U1B
11

32.11uV
V6 0V R3 17.98uV TL084
1Vac C2 21.2k C3 6 12.00V
V-

- R5
0Vdc 17.49uV
7 100k
75n 75n OUT
-12.00V
V4 5
4 + 31.62uV
17.49uV 12v V+

V5
12.00V
12v

Figure 2.11 ORCAD implementation

0V
of Notch Filter

Figure 2.12 Simulation result of Notch Filter

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Figure 2.13 Output of Notch filter

2.4 CONCLUSIONS

A bio-signal processing is now a comparatively new field of research. The

designed system results in a simple solution for low power bio-potential amplifiers,
resulting in low power consumption and well suited for battery powered amplifiers.
The developed prototype is tested by simulating in ORCAD software and given
satisfactory simulated results. Further one can develop the circuit for real time
acquisition of ECG signal. Such low cost effective systems are medical necessity for
cardiac patients located in remote areas. This method is complex and time consuming.
Therefore, main focus of the research is on ECG signal stored in the database. Present
research work is carried out using ECG signal sample from MIT-BIH Arrhythmia
database, rather than the acquired signal to save the time which is discussed in the
next chapter.

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