High Quality Recording of the Surface Ecg. Design Considerations for a Modular Body Potential Mapping System
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HIGH QUALITY RECORDING OF THE SURFACE ECG. DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS FOR A MODULAR BODY POTENTIAL MAPPING SYSTEM Jizeng SHEN A Thesis submitted to the University of New South Wales as a requirement for the Degree of Master of Engineering August, 1993 Supervisor: Associate Professor Branko Celler UNIVERSIT Y OF UX>.\I. 2 M" .Y W UBRAR IBS. Certificate of Originality I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, it contains no material previously published or written by another person nor material which to a substantial extent has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma of the university or other institute of higher learning, except where due acknowledgement is made in the text. ‘oh&VA l 2^VV Jizeng Shen -ii- Acknowledgments Although completing this thesis was my own work, I would like to thank many people who helped me in the development of the thesis. Among those I wish to single out are Keith Smith and Kagay Lim, who assisted me in both the hardware design and software development. Then I would like to thank my family, who have suffered long to support me in this process. Finally, I'm deeply indebted to my supervisor, Associate Professor Branko Celler, who gave me a great source of motivation and guidance to make this thesis a success. Abstract This report describes the design of an isolated instrumentation amplifier, developed to be used in a multichannel electrocardiogram (ECG) recording system, such as large body surface mapping system (256 channels), and a flexible interface to communicate between the recording system and the IBM PC host. After discussing the specific properties of ECG preamplifier, the difficulties of meeting the demands of high common-mode rejection ratio (CMRR) with a design based on the classical instrumentation amplifier using three operational amplifiers are reviewed. An analysis of the total CMRR for four cascaded stages preamplifier circuit is earned out and the effects of unmatched operational amplifiers as input stage on CMRR are measured and compared by using different operational amplifiers. The difficulty in achieving the required high CMRR and medical level isolation using commercially available operational amplifiers and optocouplers to build an isolated differential amplifier was discussed. A novel interface to link a multiple ECG body potential system based on the STEbus to a host PC for data analysis and display is also proposed. CONTENTS Introduction.................................................................... 1 CHAPTER 1 - The Main Concept Of The Electrocardiograph................................... 3 1.1 Background........................................................................................................ 3 1.2 Lead Systems..................................................................................................... 6 1.2.1 Bipolar Limb Leads............................................................................. 6 1.2.2 Unipolar Limb Leads........................................................................... 8 1.2.3 Augmented Unipolar Limb Leads...................................................... 10 1.2.4 Unipolar Pericardial Leads................................................................ 12 1.2.5 Frank Lead System..................... 13 1.3 Interference And Reduction......................................................................... 16 1.3.1 Electrode Effects............................................................................... 16 1.3.2 Electromagnetic Effects............... 18 1.3.3 Magnetic Fields................................................................................. 19 1.3.4 Electric Fields.................................................................................... 20 1.3.5 Influence of Common-mode Voltage................................................ 23 1.3.6 Reduction of Common-mode Voltage.............................................. 25 1.4 Safely and Performance Standards............................................................. 31 CHAPTER 2 - Preamplifier Consideration............................ 42 2.1 Design Specification...................................................................................... 42 2.1.1 Input protection circuit...................................................................... 42 2.1.2 Signal Buffering................................................................................ 43 2.1.3 Driven Right Leg Circuit................................................................... 43 2.1.4 Instrumentation Amplifiers................................................................ 44 2.1.5 Isolation circuit................................................................................. 48 2.2 Defibrillation Protection Circuit................................................................. 49 2.3 Front End Amplifier...................................................................................... 51 2.3.1 Circuit Gain Calculation.................................................................... 52 2.3.2 Circuit Transfer Function.................................................................. 54 2.3.3 The Common-mode Rejection Ratio Analysis.................................. 56 2.4 An Improved Front End Amplifier............................................................. 63 2.4.1 Introduction........................................................................................ 63 2.4.2 Circuit Transfer Function.................................................................. 67 2.4.3 Common-mode Rejection Ratio Calculation..................................... 69 2.4.4 Experimental Results And Discussion.............................................. 78 CHAPTER 3 - Isolation Consideration................................... 84 3.1 Introduction..................................................................................................... 84 3.1.1 Use of Digital Optocoupler................................................................ 84 3.1.2 Linear Optical Isolation Methods...................................................... 86 3.1.3 Bipolar Input Photovoltaic Isolation Amplifier................................. 95 3.2 An Isolated Front End Amplifier.............................................................. 102 CHAPTER 4 - Design Details and Validation of Performance........................... 106 4.1 Design Details.............................................................................................. 106 4.1.1 Devices Selection............................................................................ 106 4.1.2 Design of The Bipolar Photovoltaic Isolation Circuit.................... 107 4.2 Testing Results.............................................................................................. Ill -vi- 4.2.1 Common Mode Rejection Ratio of Isolation Preamplifier.................. Ill 4.2.2 Preamplifier Frequency Response...................................................... 113 4.2.3 50Hz Interference................................................................................ 114 4.2.4 Driven Right Leg................................................................................. 116 CHAPTER 5 - Interface Requirements for Body Potential System............................................ 118 5.1 Data Acquisition........................................................................................... 118 5.2 Standard Bus Considerations.................................................................... 121 5.3 The Host Computer In The System.......................................................... 126 5.4 The Bridge..................................................................................................... 126 5.5 Programmable Input and Output Device............................................... 132 Conclusions........................................................................ 137 References.......................................................................... 140 Appendix............................................................................. 147 -vii- INTRODUCTION Introduction The recording of an electrocardiogram is a routine medical examination on -the. which diagnosis of normal or abnormal function ofAheart is based. This might suggest an easy and straightforward relationship between the surface ECG signal and the heart's basic electrical activity and consequently a high accuracy of the diagnostic information derived from the recorded signals. Traditionally electrocardiograms were recorded by standard 12-lead measuring system. However, in present ECG research recording systems with a large number of measuring channels are often required. For example, a body surface mapping system may use as many as 256 channels. Since the development of the microcomputer, the possibility of real time acquisition and the processing of the large amount of data gathered has emerged. However, The proper measurement and amplification of ECG signals in the analogue front end present some specific problems. General amplifier design techniques are well developed and extensively described in the literature. But in the design of multi-channel ECG amplifier much attention should be paid to two requirements to be simultaneously fulfilled, interference rejection and patient safety. This thesis details the hardware design and analysis of 8 channel# isolation preamplifier which can be used as 8-channel module in the 256 channels body mapping