22/12/2015

SensorWorkshopatITP::Reports/EKG

SensorWorkshopatITP
Reports/EKG

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SimpleElectrocardiogramReport

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Introduction...

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Anelectrocardiogramisadevicethatmeasureselectricvoltagegeneratedinsidetheheart,atechnique

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developedbyDr.WillemEinthoven.Theheartactuallyhasanumberofspecialized"pacemaker"cells
thatproduceanelectricalchargethattravelsthroughtheheart'sfourchambers(rightandleftatriaand

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ventricles).TherateoftheheartbeatissetbytheSinoatrialNode(SA)whichislocatedintherightatrium.
Whenitpulsesitcausesbothatriatocontract,causingbloodtofillbothventricles.Theelectricalpulse
travelsfromthetopoftheheartdownwardstowardstheAtrioventricularnode(AV)whereitbranchesout
totheleftandrightventricles.Astheimpulsecontinues,theventriclescontractwhiletheatriareset
themselves,gettingreadyforthenextbeat.

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Thepathoftheheart'svoltagecanbedescribedinalinearpatternasshownusingan
electrocardiogram.Thesewaveshaveparticularcharacteristicsthatcorrespondtothecontractionand
expansionofthechambersoftheheart.ThefirstsignificantpartofthewaveislabeledPand
correspondstothedepolarization(orcontraction)oftheAtria.Thegroupofeventsthatfollowarereferred
toastheQRScomplexwhichcorrespondstotheventriculardepolarization.Thisisthewherethepeak
voltageoccursastheventriclesfireandpushbloodthroughoutthebodythroughthepulmonaryarteryto
thelungsandthenthroughtheaortatothebody.ThelaststageinthepatternistheTwave,somethingof
adenumontastheventriclesrepolarizeandresetthemselvesforthenextbeat.

EKG/ECGdescription(RamseyECG1CElectrocardiogramHeartMonitor)
ThereareanumberofEKGkitsavailablefortheDIYenthusiast,it'saverycommoncircuitproject.I
decidedtoworkwithakitavailablethroughRamseyElectronicsasawaytofamiliarizemyselfwiththe
circuitdesign.Thekitcosts44.95andcomeswithapacketofelectrodesandallthenecessaryparts.
ramseykit

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ForcompletedEKGboardsthereareanumberofoptions,thoughitseemsasthoughagoodchoice
wouldbetheseheartratemonitorsfromPolar
Electricalcharacteristics
ThecoreofanEKGcircuitiswhat'sknownasadifferentialamplifier.Adifferentialamplifiermultipliesthe
differencebetweentwoinputs.Thisisaparticularlyusefulcircuittousewhendealingwithnoisysignals
thatneedtobeamplified.ThesignalsanEKGisreadingareextremelylowvoltageandwillbedestroyed
bystaticandsurfacenoiseontheskin.Adifferentialamplifierwilleliminateallthecommonnoise
betweenthetwoinputsandgiveyouanamplifieddifferencebetweenthetwocommonvoltages.

IntheRamseyKit,anLM324,singlesupplydualopampisused.Theseareveryusefulopamps,
specificallyduetothefactthattheyaresinglesupplyeliminatingtheneedforavoltagedividercircuit.
datasheet
Beyondthispartofthecircuit,thekeytobuildinganEKGisthefilteringstage.Ramseydesignedaseries
oflowpassfilterstoeliminateasmuchhighfrequencynoiseusingafewcombinationsofresistorsand
capacitors.Theboardispoweredbya9voltbattery.Itisessentialthatahomemadeekgkitoperateson
batteriesasrunningACcurrentthroughyourbodycouldbefatal.
ElectrodesandElectrodePlacement
Theelectrodesaretheinputdevicethatreadtheheart'selectricalsignals.Thereareanumberofoptions
forelectrodeplacement,butthesimpleststandardconfigurationdescribesatrianglewiththeheartatthe
center.Inotherwords,electrode1placedattheleftwrist,electrode2attherightwristandelectrode3
(ground)attheleftankle.

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Theseelectrodesareallattachedtoastereo1/8"plug...twowires(electrodes1and2)areconnectedto
theinsideofthejackandasinglegroundwire(electrode3)connectedtotheoutsideofthejack.These
wirescanthenbesolderedtotheendsofelectrodesortheelectrodescanbeconnectedusingaligator
clips.
anotheroptionforelectrodeplacementwouldinvolveplacingelectrodes1and2attheleftandright
partsoftheupperchest.

TheaboveillustrationcomesfromaScientificAmericanarticlethatdescribesinverygooddetailhowto
buildanother,evenmoresimpleEKGusinganamplifierICavailablefromAnalogDevices,AD624AD.
Seebelowformoredetail.
SAarticle
Ramseyincludesasetofsomewhatlacklusterelectrodeswiththeirkit.Ifoundthemtoloosetheir
adhesivenessratherquickly.
Thereareotheroptionsforpurchasingelectrodesthataremorereliable.DiscountDisposablesoffersa
numberofoptions,specificallytheTD429HReusableEEGElectrodewhichI'vealsousedforEEG

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monitoring.Anotheroptionistheelectrodestore.Ialsousedsome"superiorsilver"reusableself
adheringelectrodeswithpermagel,purchasedfrommedicalsupplygroup.com,whichIfeltgavemethe
bestresults.
MicrocontrollerConnections
TryTomIgoe'speakdetectioncodeorasimpleADCin
TheRamseyECGfeaturesahandy"monitorout"1/8"jack.Usingamono1/8"plugwiredwiththe
ground,again,ontheoutsideandthepowerontheinsideoftheplug,theoutputcaneasilyconnecttoan
analoginputofamicrocontroller.

ApplicationNotes
here'savideooftheekg'soutputonanoscilliscope:
TheEKGhasaveryniceaudiooutputfeaturethatIfoundusefultorecordthesoundofmyheartbeat:
whichIthenusedassourcematerialforashortmusicalsketch

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