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Bioelectric amplifiers

Andreas Neubauer I Slide 30 I 03.11.2016

Single ended amplifier

• Components:
• R1: allows flow of bias current
• R2: balances R1: to avoid
voltage between (+) and (-)
• R1 defines maximum input
impedance
• C acts with R1 as high pass
filter and blocks DC currents
Brown, Medical Physics
arising from polarization
potentials (AC coupling)

• Source impedance, arising from electrodes, must be high compared to

the input impedance
• AC coupling leads to additional attenuation
• External signals can couple to the wire of the input electrode

Andreas Neubauer I Slide 31 I 03.11.2016

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Single ended amplifier

Example:
• Source impedance: 10 Ω
• Input impedance: 1 Ω
⇒ 1% signal loss
• Calculation of the signal loss Brown, Medical Physics

• For C = 1 µF and R1 1 MΩ the

attenuation is approx. 1.25%
1 1
• Single ended amplifiers are not
1 1 suitable for recording small
; bioelectric signals
1 ⇒ interference from external
1
fields
1

Andreas Neubauer I Slide 32 I 03.11.2016

Single ended amplifier

Example:
• Source impedance: 10 Ω
• Input impedance: 1 Ω
⇒ 1% signal loss
• Calculation of the signal loss Brown, Medical Physics

• For C = 1 µF and R1 1 MΩ the

attenuation is approx. 1.25%
1 1
• Single ended amplifiers are not
1 1 suitable for recording small
; bioelectric signals
1 ⇒ interference from external
1
fields
1

Andreas Neubauer I Slide 33 I 03.11.2016

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Differential amplifier • Signal of interest is

connected between (+) and
(-)
• External electric field
reduces difference between
(+) and (-) to zero
• Imperfection of the amplifier
is given by the common
Brown, Medical Physics mode rejection ratio
(CMRR)

Andreas Neubauer I Slide 34 I 03.11.2016

Differential amplifier

Example
• 100
• Signal of interest: 100 V
• Goal: Reduce the interfering signal ( ) to 1%

!"# $ %#&'() &(#'

100

!"# $ &(#' 100

100
+ 10 + 10/
20 + log 100 $1
+ 10/0

Andreas Neubauer I Slide 35 I 03.11.2016

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Some considerations when amplifiers are used

Andreas Neubauer I Slide 36 I 03.11.2016

Biomagnetism

Andreas Neubauer I Slide 37 I 03.11.2016

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Magnetic fields produced by current flow

André-Marie Ampère
1775 - 1836

Andreas Neubauer I Slide 38 I 03.11.2016

Magnetic fields produced by current flow

• Magnetic flux density at point 2 in a piece of wire $%2:

34
$1 #8$%2 + 29
056 7
• : permeability of free space, 4; + 10/< =/?
• Magnetic field: @ 1/
• Magnetic flux density at the center of a plain circular coil:
5C B34
1 A 5CD
$% E /2
• Magnetic flux density produced of Earth
magnetic field: 5 + 10/G H

Tipler, Physics for scientists

Andreas Neubauer I Slide 39 I 03.11.2016

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Magnetocardiogram (MCG) signals

Andreas Neubauer I Slide 40 I 03.11.2016

How can one reduce the complexity of this problem?

Brown, Medical Physics

• Some assumptions:
• tissue surrounding the heart is homogeneous and infinite in extent
• assume a value for the potential across the heart and calculate the
current to produce this potential

Andreas Neubauer I Slide 41 I 03.11.2016

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Some calculations

Andreas Neubauer I Slide 42 I 03.11.2016

Magnetic flux density of this simple model

Biomagnetic Signal Signal strength (pT)

Magnetocardiogram (MCG) 50
Fetal MCG 1-10
Magnetoencephalogram (MEG) 1
Evoked fields 0.1
Magnetomyogram 10
Magneto-oculogram 10
Earth‘s field 50 ×106
Brown, Medical Physics

Andreas Neubauer I Slide 43 I 03.11.2016

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Coil detectors

http://www.kreynet.de/asc/squids.html

Andreas Neubauer I Slide 44 I 03.11.2016

Interference and gradiometers

Brown, Medical Physics

Andreas Neubauer I Slide 45 I 03.11.2016

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Hall-effect magnetometer
• Hall-effect on charged
moving particles leads
to a potential difference
in a semiconductor
• Range : 10 μH JK 1 H

Tipler, Physics for scientists

Andreas Neubauer I Slide 46 I 03.11.2016

Flux-gate magnetometer

http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/

• Detects magnetic fields

due to change in
saturation
magnetization
• Range ≈ 4 pT

Andreas Neubauer I Slide 47 I 03.11.2016

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Flux-gate magnetometer
Consider two signals identical in time domain

FT

FT
Andreas Neubauer I Slide 48 I 03.11.2016

Superconducting quantum interference devices

(SQUIDs)

Brown, Medical Physics

• Output depends periodically on the external magnetic flux inside the

SQUID ring
• Feedback is proportional to the magnetic field
• Noise level < 5 LH / @M
• for 100 @M Bandwidth => 5 + 10/ 0 H 0.05 OH

Andreas Neubauer I Slide 49 I 03.11.2016

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Superconducting quantum interference devices

(SQUIDs)

Brown, Medical Physics

• Output depends periodically on the external magnetic flux inside the

SQUID ring
• Feedback is proportional to the magnetic field
• Noise level < 5 LH / @M
• for 100 @M Bandwidth => 5 + 10/ 0 H 0.05 OH
https://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3003837

Andreas Neubauer I Slide 50 I 03.11.2016

Transducers

Andreas Neubauer I Slide 51 I 03.11.2016

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What are transducers?

• Reminder:
Electrodes can be
regarded as
transducers
• Basically:
Transducers convert
parameters (blood
pressure,
temperature) into an
observable signal

Andreas Neubauer I Slide 52 I 03.11.2016

Pressure transducer – quite simple

• Converting blood
pressure to
mechanical and
acoustical
• Basically:
Transducers convert
parameters (blood
pressure,
temperature) into an
observable signal

Andreas Neubauer I Slide 53 I 03.11.2016

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Temperature transducers
• Measurement of body temperature is quite easy
• Core temperature range: 37.0 ° – 37.5 °
• Temperature at extremities ≈ 32 °
• Measurement of the core temperature can be
challenging
⇒ Put an electrical thermometer into the
patients mouth if a single measurement is
needed

Long term measurements require more sophisticated temperature

transducers!

Andreas Neubauer I Slide 54 I 03.11.2016

Thermistor
• Thermistors are semiconductor devices with
temperature sensitive resistance
• Approx. change in resistance: 5% O °
• Can be placed at the end of a hypodermic needle
• Temperature dependence of resistance: T ( /U
• T: %#%J('W ; (, Y: K'%J('J%; J: H O (J"
8C/^9
• Z"JO"J [K)J(& \ ] U 8C_^9

Brown, Medical Physics

Andreas Neubauer I Slide 55 I 03.11.2016

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Thermocouple

• Underlying effect: Seebeck effect

⇒ If two different conductors are connected,
electrons will be exchanged
⇒ Potential between H and H
⇒ Diffusion is temperature dependent
• Linear relationship between potential and
temperature
• More accurate than a thermistor
• Requires a reference junction
• Accuracy can be better than 0.01 °
Brown, Medical Physics

Andreas Neubauer I Slide 56 I 03.11.2016

Displacement transducers
• Electrical resistance with sliding contact
• Electrical output is proportional to change in position
• Linear variable differential transformer
• Transformer with movable core
• Capacitive transducers
• Capacitor with variable plate distance
• Optical transducers
• Variable interference pattern
• Digital transducers
• Produce pulse outputs corresponding to each increment of motion

Andreas Neubauer I Slide 57 I 03.11.2016

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Oxygenation of blood

• Partial pressure of Z `aD : Normal air contains approx. 21% Z and the
pressure is about 101.3 `(
⇒ `aD 0.21 + 101.3 `( 21.3 `(
• Water content of whole blood approx. 850 &/)
• If blood at 37 ° is equilibrated with air in a test tube, the air becomes
saturated with water vapor `cD a 6.25 `(
⇒ ` aD efg
0.21 + 101.3 – 6.25 `( 20.0 `( ` aD hijjk

• Normal values: 10.7 – 12.0 `( arterial blood

5.3 – 6.7 `( venous blood

Andreas Neubauer I Slide 58 I 03.11.2016

Gas sensitive probes

• Gas sensitive probes produce an (electrical) output proportional to

the partial pressure of a specific gas
• Usage in blood/respiratory gas analysis
• Constraints in design: Work with very small samples

Reduction reaction at Pt wire:

Z 2@ Z 4 / 4Z@ /
electrical current proportional to
the amount of Z
normally in the order of 10 '?
Brown, Medical Physics

Andreas Neubauer I Slide 59 I 03.11.2016

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pH electrodes
• O@ value: Measure of @ _ concentration; O@ ] log @_
• Neutral fluids have a O@ value of 7
• Lower O@ values indicate increasing acidity
• O@l6 m6 \n Un o p 7.4; O@q\r 6 s mr p 1.5

• Glass electrodes provide the easiest way to

measure O@
• @_ ions can diffuse through the glass
• Reference electrode in the fluid is necessary
• Mostly combined in single probe

Brown, Medical Physics

Andreas Neubauer I Slide 60 I 03.11.2016

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