BIOPOTENTIAL

MEASUREMENTS

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

electrode

ELECTRODE
A conductor, not necessarily metallic, through which a current
entersor leaves a nonmetallic medium, as an electrolytic cell.

It to act as a transducer between the ionic transport of

the nerve and the electron flow in copper wire.

ELECTRODE
Classified as

NONINVASIVE (skin surface)

INVASIVE (microelectronics or wire electrodes)

ELECTROLYTE/METAL ELECTRODE
INTERFACE

In order to allow the current flow between the

electrolyte,which has no free electrons, and the
electrode, which has no free cations or anions, a
chemical reaction has to occur at the interface

ECG ELECTRODES

TYPES OF NONINVASIVE
BIOPOTENTIAL ELECTRODES
Disposable Snap-type Ag/AgCl Electrode
Flexible Mylar Electrode or Sintered Ag/AgCl
electrode

DISPOSABLE SNAPTYPE AG/AGCL

ELECTRODE
the most common type of
biopotential electrode

a practical electrode that

approaches the characteristics of
a perfectly nonpolarizable
electrode

attached to the patients skin and

can be easily removed

easily fabricated in the laboratory

A typical surface Ag/AgCl electrode

FLEXIBLE MYLAR
ELECTRODE OR
SINTERED AG/AGCL
ELECTRODE
consists of an Ag lead wire
surrounded by a sintered Ag/AgCl
cylinder

formed by placing the cleaned

lead wire in a die that is then filled
with a mixture of powdered Ag and
AgCl

greater endurance than the

electrolytically deposited AgCl
electrodes, and they are best
applied when repeated usage is
necessary

TYPE OF INVASIVE
BIOPOTENTIAL ELECTRODES
Calomel Electrode
Esophageal Electrodes
Electrodes Embedded Into a Tracheal Tube

CALOMEL
ELECTRODE

perfectly nonpolarizable
electrode

works in the same way like

Ag/AgCl

the electrode is mercury

coated with calomel
(Hg2Cl2)

ESOPHAGEAL
ELECTRODES

are incorporated into an

oesophageal
stethoscope and
temperature probe

positioned near the

posterior aspect of the
left ventricle

found to be useful in
detecting atrial
arrhythmias

ELECTRODES
EMBEDDED INTO A
TRACHEAL TUBE

two electrodes
embedded into a tracheal
tube

used in Tracheal ECG

useful in diagnosing
atrial arrhythmias
especially in children

EMG ELECTRODES

ELECTROMYOGRAPHY (EMG) IS A TECHNIQUE FOR EVALUATING AND RECORDING

THE ELECTRICAL ACTIVITY PRODUCED BY SKELETAL MUSCLES. EMG IS
PERFORMED USING AN INSTRUMENT CALLED AN ELECTROMYOGRAPH, TO
PRODUCE A RECORD CALLED ANELECTROMYOGRAM.

An electromyograph detects
the
electrical
potential
generated by muscle cells
when
these
cells
are
electrically or neurologically
activated. The signals can be
analyzed to detect medical
abnormalities,
activation
level, or recruitment order or
to analyze the biomechanics
of
human
or
animal
movement.

2 KINDS OF EMG

INTRAMUSCULAR (NEEDLE
AND FINE-WIRE) EMG

SURFACE EMG

SURFACE EMG
A SURFACE ELECTRODE
MAY
BE
USED
TO
MONITOR THE GENERAL
PICTURE
OF
MUSCLE
ACTIVATION,
AS
OPPOSED
TO
THE
ACTIVITY OF ONLY A
FEW
FIBERS
AS
OBSERVED
USING
AN
INTRAMUSCULAR
EMG.
THIS
TECHNIQUE
IS
USED IN A NUMBER OF
SETTINGS; FOR EXAMPLE,
IN THE PHYSIOTHERAPY
CLINIC,
MUSCLE
ACTIVATION
IS
MONITORED
USING
SURFACE
EMG
AND
PATIENTS
HAVE
AN
AUDITORY OR VISUAL
STIMULUS TO HELP THEM
KNOW WHEN THEY ARE
ACTIVATING
THE
MUSCLE.

INTRAMUSCULAR EMG
TYPES OF EMG NEEDLE ELECTRODES:
SIMPLE NEEDLE ELECTRODES
THE SIMPLE NEEDLE ELECTRODE CONSISTS
OF A SINGLE METAL NEEDLE INSULATED ALL OVER
EXCEPT AT THE VERY TIP. WITH THIS ELECTRODE A
SEPARATE NEEDLE IS NEEDED AS A GROUND OR
REFERENCE ELECTRODE.
SINGLE CONCENTRIC ELECTRODES
SINGLE CONCENTRIC ELECTRODES CONSIST
OF AN OUTER HOLLOW METAL NEEDLE THROUGH
WHICH HAS BEEN INSERTED A WIRE THAT IS BARE
ONLY AT THE TIP. THE OUTER NEEDLE IS BARE AND
SERVES AS A GROUND OR REFERENCE ELECTRODE.
DOUBLE CONCENTRIC (BIPOLAR) ELECTRODE
THE
DOUBLE
CONCENTRIC
(BIPOLAR)
ELECTRODE IS SIMILAR TO THE SINGLE CONCENTRIC
ELECTRODES EXCEPT THAT THERE ARE TWO
RECORDING WIRES IN THE CENTER OF THE OUTER
SHELL.

ELECTRODE AND AMPLIFIER

DESIGN
Amplitudes of the EMG signal :
Surface EMG electrodes - maximum amplitude of 5 mV peak-to-peak
Indwelling electrodes amplitude of up to 10 mV
Single m.a.p. electrodes amplitude of 100 V
Noise level of the amplifier is the amplitude of the higher frequency
random signal on the output of the amplifier when the electrodes are
shorten together.

Noise level of the amplifier should not exceed 50 V, (preferably 20V).

EEG
ELECTRODES

MOST COMMONLY USED ELECTRODES:

Cup Electrodes
Subdermal Needle Electrodes

CUP ELECTRODES
Made of platinum or tin
Approximately 5-10 mm in
diameter

Filled with a conducting

electrolyte gel

Can be attached to scalp

with an adhesive tape

SUBDERMAL ELECTRODES
Basically fine platinum
or stainless-steel
needle electrodes

About 10 mm long by .5
mm wide

Inserted under the

BIOPOTENTIAL
MEASUREMENTS

MICROELECTRODES

RECAP: ELECTRODES

Electrodes couple ionic potentials generated inside the body to an electronic instrument.
Biopotential electrodes are classified either as noninvasive or invasive.

MICROELECTRODES are

Uses
potential recording

Biopotential electrodes with ultrafine tapered tip that can be inserted

into individual biological cells.

Important in recording action potentials from single cells and are

commonly used in neurophysiological studies.
current injection

introduction into the cell

of ion selective resins for
measuring potential or
determining the free
concentration of cytosolic
constituents.

The tip must be small with respect to the biological cell to avoid cell
damage at the same time sufficiently strong to penetrate the cell wall

THREE TYPICAL TYPES

Glass Micropipettes
Metal Mircoelectrodes

Solid-state Microprobes

I. GLASS MICROPIPETTES

A Photo of a Hollow Glass Capillary Tube

I. GLASS MICROPIPETTES
Heating

Electrodes

Filling of
solution

A closed electrical circuit is being

established between tAg/AgCl
wire inside the microelectrode
and the biological cell

Insert of
Ag/AgCl

Ionic Current
Flwo

Hollow glass capillary tube (1mm diameter) is

heated and softened and quickly pulled apart

2 similar electrodes produced

The larger end of the glass tube is filled with
3M KCL electrolyte solution

Ag/AgCl wire is inserted to provide electrical contact

with the electrolyte solution (ex cytoplasm of cell)

Ionic Current flow through the fluid injection at the tip

of the microelectrode.

II METAL MICROELECTRODES

Widely used in neuroscience research

and in neuro-stimulation applications

Made from small-diameter strong

metal wire (tungsten, stainless steel)

II METAL MICROELECTRODES

The tip of this microelectrode is usually sharpened down to a

diameter of a few micrometers by an electrochemical etching
process.
The wire is then insulted up to its tip.

II METAL MICROELECTRODES
Advantages:
Reduced tissue displacement and trauma, higher stimulation
specificity
Disadvantages:
There is a challenge in obtaining the high current densities
required by the small tip size while avoiding the critical values
for the onset of microelectrode degradation.
Material, frequency and geometric parameters and size crucially
affect suitability for specific neuro-stimulation applications

III SOLID STATE MICROPROBES

For multichannel recordings of biopotentials or for electrical stimulation

Of neurons in the brain or spinal cord
The probe consists of a precisely mircomachined silicon
substrate with four exposed recording sites
Advantage of the fabrication technique:
The ability to mass produce very small and high sophisticated microsensors

MANIPULATING CELL MEMBRANE

POTENTIALS
Experimental protocols often require the
manipulation of
membrane potential (for example, to test passive membrane
properties
such
as
input
resistance
by
passing
current into the cell). With two MEs in the same cell, one
electrode can be dedicated to voltage recording, the other to
current injection.

To compensate for the current loss across the capacitance to ground when E is changing
with time (CtotdE/dt) the gain of amplifier A is adjusted so that Cf (A-1)=Ctot. In this
way current is supplied to the input of the amplifier, equal and opposite to the loss through
Ctot.

Group Members:

Grio, Federico
Honor, Amethyst
Imperial, Cyndrick
Lacadin,a Kevin Roe H.
Longhas, Princess Joy
Meoza, Essale Hymn