BIOPOTENTIAL

ELECTRODES
Engr. Hinesh Kumar (Lecturer)

Electrodes for Biophysical Sensing

Bioelectricity is a naturally occurring

phenomenon that arises from the fact
that living organisms are compared of
ions in various different quantities.
Ionic conduction involves the migration
of ions-positively and negatively charged
molecules throughout a region.
Electronic conduction involves the flow
of electrons under the influence of an
electrical field.

Cont
Electrical
conduction
in
medical
instrument circuits is electronic.
Electrical conduction in the body is ionic.
Electrodes provide transduction between
ionic and electronic conduction.
Biopotential
electrodes function as
sensor that couple the ionic potentials
generated inside the body to an
electronic instrument.

Bioelectrodes

Bioelectrodes are a class of sensors that

transduce ionic conduction to electronic
conduction so that the signal can be processed
in electric circuits.
The usual purpose of bioelectrodes is to acquire
medically significant bioelectrica1 signals.
Such as Electrocardiographic(ECG),
Electroencephalographic (EEG), and
Electromyographic (EMG).
Bioelectrical signals are acquired from one of
three forms of electrode: Surface Electrodes,
Indwelling Electrodes, and Micro Electrodes

Electrode or Half Cell

Potential

The skin and other tissues of higher-order

organisms, such as humans, are electrolytic and
so can be modeled as an Electrolytic Solution.
Imagine a metallic electrode immersed in an
electrolytic solution.
Immediately after immersion, the electrode will
begin to discharge some metallic ions into the
solution, while some of the ions in the solution
start combining with the metallic electrodes.
A gradient charge build up, creating a potential
difference, or electrode potential and half cell
potential.

Cont

A complex phenomenon is seen at the

interface between the metallic electrode
and the electrolyte.
Ions migrate toward one side of the region
or another, forming two parallel layers of
ions of opposite charge.
This region is called the electrode double
layer and its ionic differences are the source
of the electrode or half-cell potential.

Metallic electrode
immersed in an
electrolytic
solution

Electrode Offset Potential

When two dissimilar metals immersed in a

common electrolytic solution, they both
form the Half cell potential.
The differential potential between these two
Half cell potential is called an electrode
offset potential.

Electrode or Half Cell Potential

The Half-cell potential of the electrode depends
on:
i.The

used metals,
ii.The electrolyte composition
iii.The temperature

Different material exhibits different half-cell

potentials

Polarizable and Non-Polarizable Electrode

Perfectly Polarizable Electrodes

I.

Perfectly polarizable electrodes are those in which no

actual charge crosses the electrodeelectrolyte interface
when a current is applied.
Of course, there has to be current across the interface and
the electrode behaves as though it were a capacitor

Perfectly Polarizable Electrodes or Perfectly

Reversible

II.

Perfectly non-polarizable electrodes are those in which

current passes freely across the electrodeelectrolyte
interface, requiring no energy to make the transition.
Thus, for perfectly non-polarizable electrodes there are no
over-potentials.
Electrode interface impedance is represented as a
resistor.

Medical Surface Electrodes

Surface electrodes are those that are

placed in contact with the skin of the
subject.
Also in this category are certain needle
electrodes of a sire that prevents their
being inserted in the cell.
A conductive gel or paste is used to
reduce the impedance between the
electrode and skin.

Cont

Human skin tends to have a very high

impedance compared with other voltage
sources.
Typically, normal skin impedance, as
seen by the electrode.
For sweaty skin varies from 0.5 k
For dry skin surfaces to more than 20 k
Problem skin especially, dry, scaly, or
diseased skin, may reach impedances in
the 500 k range.

Types of Biopotential Electrodes

Bioelectrical signals are acquired from one
of three forms of electrode:

Body Surface Electrodes,

Needle Electrodes
Micro Electrodes

Body Surface Electrodes

There are four different types of body
surface recording electrodes;
1.
2.
3.
4.

Column Electrodes
Suction Electrodes
Floating Electrodes
Flexible Electrodes

Column Electrodes

The electrode consists of a silver-silver

chloride metal contact button at the top of a
hollow column that is filled with a conductive
gel or paste.
This assembly is held in place by the
adhesive coated foam rubber disk
The use a gel filled or paste filled column that
holds the actual metallic electrode off the
surface reduces movement artifact.
Far this reason the column electrodes are
preferred for monitoring hospitalized patients.

Column Electrodes
Large surface: Earliest, and still used for
ECG.
Smaller diameters.
Used for ECG, EMG and EEG.
Susceptible to Motion artifacts.
Disposable foam-pad.
Very Cheap.
Used for long term recording

Figure (a): Metal-plate electrode used for application to

limbs.
Figure (b): Metal-disk electrode applied with surgical tape.

Suction Cup Electrodes

Straps or adhesives not required.
Often used for precordial (chest) ECG.
For short periods only.

Floating Electrodes

Metal disk is recessed.

Floating in the electrolyte gel.
Not directly contact with the skin.
Reduces motion artifacts.

Figure (a): Recessed electrode with top-hat structure.

Figure (b): Cross-sectional view of the reusable electrode in (a).

Flexible Electrodes
Body surface are often
irregular.
Regularly shaped rigid
electrodes may not always
work.
Special case : infants.
Material: polymer or nylon
with silver, carbon filled
silicon rubber (Mylar film).
Figure (a): Carbon-filled
silicone rubber electrode,
Figure (b): Flexible thin-film
neonatal electrode.
Figure (c): Cross-sectional
view of the thin-film electrode

Problems with Surface Electrode

1.

2.

3.

4.
5.

Several problems are associate with all

types of surface electrodes:
Adhesive will not stick for long on sweaty
or clammy skin surfaces.
Fleshy portion of chest and abdomen are
selected as electrode site.
After 8 hour change the electrode to avoid
the ischemia.
Movement Artifacts
Electrode position slips

Needle Electrode

This type of electrode is inserted into the tissue

immediately beneath the skin by puncturing the
skin at a large oblique angle (i.e.,close to
horizontal with respect to the skin surface).
The needle electrode is only used for
exceptionally poor skin, especially an
anesthetized patients, and in veterinary
situations.
Of course, infection is an issue in these cases,
so needle electrodes are either disposable (one
time use) or are resterilized in ethylene oxide
gas.

Cont
Needle and wire electrodes
for
percutaneous
measurement of
Biopotentials.

Figure:
(a) Insulated needle electrode,
(b)Coaxial needle electrode,
(c) Bipolar coaxial electrode,
(d)Fine-wire electrode connected
to hypodermic needle, before
being inserted,
(e) Cross-sectional view of skin
and muscle, showing fine-wire
electrode in place,
(f) Cross-sectional view of skin
and muscle, showing coiled
fine-wire electrode in place.

Indwelling Electrode

lndwelling electrodes are intended to be

inserted into the body.
These are not to be confused with needle
electrodes, which are intended for insertion
into the layers beneath the skin
The indwelling electrode is typically a tiny,
exposed metallic contact at the end of a long,
insulated catheter.
In one application, the electrode is threaded
through the patient's veins (usually in the
right arm) to the right side of the heart to
measure the intracardiac ECC waveform.

Cont

Certain low amplitude, high-frequency

features (such as the signal from bundle
of His) become visible only when an
indwelling electrode is used.

Fetal ECG Electrodes

Electrodes for detecting fetal
electrocardiogram during labor.

Figure (a): Suction electrode,

Figure (b): Cross-sectional view of suction electrode in place, showing penetration of
probe through epidermis,
Figure (c): Helical electrode, that is attached to fetal skin by corkscrew-type action.

EEG Electrodes

The brain produce bioelectric signals that

can be picked up through surface electrodes
attached to the scalp.
These electrodes will be connected to an
EEG amplifier that driver either an
oscilloscope or strip chart recorder.
Typical Needle electrode is used.
The disc electrode have 1cm diameter
concave disc made either of silver and gold.
The disc electrode in a place by a thick paste
that is highly conductive, or by a headband

Microelectrode

The microelectrode is an ultrafine device that is

used to measure biopotentials at the cellular
level.
In practice, the microelectrode penetrates a cell
that is immersed in an infinite fluid (such as
physiological saline), which is in turn connected
to a reference electrode.
Although several types of microelectrodes exist,
most of them are of one of two basic forms:
metallic-contact or fluid-filled.
In both cases, an exposed contact surface is
about 1to 2 um is in contact with cell.

Microelectrode used to measure the cellular

Microelectrodes

There
are
three
microelectrode.

major

types

of

Solid Metal Electrodes (Tungsten

Microelectrodes)
Glass-Metal or Supported Metal Electrodes
(metal contained within/outside glass needle)
Fluid-Filled Electrodes (with Ag-AgCl electrode
metal)

Solid Metal Electrode

Glass-Metal Electrodes

A very fine platinum or tungsten wire is slip-fit

through a 1.5 to 2 mm glass pipette.
The electrode can then be connected to one input
of the signals amplifier.
There are two subcategories of glass-metal
electrodes.
In the first type, the metallic tip is flush with the
end of the pipette taper.
In the second type, a thin layer of glass covers
the metal point.
This glass layer is so thin that it requires
measurement in angstroms (1 angstrom = 1.0

Fluid-Filled Electrodes

The fluid-filled glass microelectrode is shown in

the fig.
In this type of electrode, the glass pipette is filled
with a solution of potassium chloride (KCI), and
the large end is capped with an silver-silver
chloride (Ag-Ag Cl) plug.
The small end need not be capped because the
1m opening is small enough to contain the fluid.
The reference electrode is likewise filled with
potassium chloride (KCI), but is much larger than
the microelectrode.
A platinum plug contains fluid on the interface

Assignment

Biosensor..? Principle and how it

works ?
Advantages and Disadvantages?