BIO ELECTRIC SIGNALS

ACTION POTENTIAL:
The potential generated by the executable membrane of a nerve or muscle
cell.

1. ELECTRO RETINO GRAM: (ERG) – The potential generated by the

retina.
-For clinical use, a cornea electrode is employed.
-The indifference electrode is placed on the earlobe, or the temple or the
fore head.
-Voltage level of the ERG is 0.5µV to 1 µV in clinical application,
bandwidth 0.2 to200 Hz.
Processing technique applied to ERG is mainly synchronized averaging.

2. ELECTRO-OCULOGRAM(EOG):
- is the recording of the steady corneal – retinal potential.
 -This potential has been used to measure eye position, the signal is
measured by pairs of surface electrodes placed to the left and right of the
eyes and above and below the eyes.
- Amplitude, levels are 1 µV to 5 µV.
-Bandwidth dc to 100 Hz.

3. ELECTROENCEPHALAOGRAM (EEG):

- Electrical activity of the Brain

Recording can be done at
a) depth recording by needle electrodes
b) Electrodes placed on the exposed surface
- Electroencephalaogram
c) From the scalp by means of electrodes.

Investigation of electrical activity is done by

a) Spontaneous activity recording

 b)Evoked potential by audio click, flash light of stimulus

Bandwidth range of scalp EEG dc to 100 Hz α β

Amplitude 2 to 100 µV

δ θ α β

0.5Hz 4 Hz 8Hz 13Hz 22 Hz

Delta waves: (δ) appears in young children, deep sleep and in brain diseases.
In the alert adult, delta activity is considered abnormal.
Theta Waves (θ): Found in normal adult cases in alert state. It occurs mainly
in the temporal and central areas and is more common in children
Alpha waves: (α) the source of the alpha activity is believed to be in the
occipital lobes. It is common in normal cases, be seen when the subject is
awake with closed eyes, under condition off relaxation.
Beta waves (β): it is found in normal subject mainly from the pre central
regions.

Evoked Potential:

VEP visual – occipital - 1 to 2 µV

- 1 to 300 Hz.
Duration – 200ms
Commonly used for multiple sclerosis (optic nerve)

SEP – Somotosensory – sensory cortex – 2 to 3000Hz

25 – 50 ms
- to Study dorsal column pathway between the peripheral nerve fibers
and cortex
AEP – Auditory – vertex- about 0.5 µV
100 to 3000Hz

is divided into

First potential – latency ms

Early potential – 8 ms
Middle Potential - 8 ms to 50 ms
Late potential – 50 ms – 500 ms

To study the hearing deficiencies

4. ELECTRO MYO GRAPHY (EMG):

It is the recording of electrical potential generated by the muscle.(MUAP)

a)Single fiber electromyography (SFEMG)

 Duration 1 msec. Amp few mV

Band width 500 Hz – 10 KHz

- To study neuromuscular malfunctions.

BIOMEDICAL SIGNAL PROCESSING

- Characteristics of some dynamic Bio- Medical signals

Sl.no Signal Types Amplitude Level Frequency

Range/
Band width
1 BIO ELECTRIC SIGNALS

A).Action potential 100m V (Typical) 2 kHz

B).Electroneurogram(ENG) 5 µV to10 mV 1 kHz

C) Electroretinogram 0.5 µV to1 mV 0.2 – 200 Hz
(ERG)

D) Electro-oculogram(EOG) 10 µV to5 mV DC- 100Hz

δ wave 0.5Hz
E) 2 to100 µV - 4 Hz
Electroencephalogram(EEG) θ wave 4 Hz
- 8Hz
α wave 8Hz
- 13Hz
β wave 13Hz
22 Hz
F)Evoked Potentials
- Visual evoked potential 1 – 20 µV 1-300Hz
(VEP) (Duration : 200
msec)

- Somatosensory evoked (Duration : Cortical 3-3000Hz

potential (SEP,SSEP) – 25 to 50 msec:
Subcortical:about200
msec)
 Auditatory evoked potential AEP divided into 100-3000Hz
(AEP) first potential
(about a msec)
Early potential – 8
ms
Middle Potential - 8
ms to 50 ms
Late potential – 50
ms – 500 ms

Sl.no Signal Types Amplitude Frequency

Level Range/
Band width
G) Electromyography(EMG) Few 500Hz- 10KHz
mV(Duration
- Single fiber electromyography :1 msec)
(SFEMG)
-Motor unit action 100 µV – 2 5Hz- 10KHz
potentials(MUAP) mV
 Duration 2 –
10msec
Surface 50 µV – 5 2Hz- 500Hz
electromyography(SEMG) mV
H)Electrocardiography(ECG,EKG) Few mV 0.05-100Hz
I)Electrogastrography (EGG) Few mV 0.01 – 0.5Hz
J) Galvanic Skin Reflex (GSR) Few mV DC – 5Hz
2 IMPEDANCE A change of Excitation
A) Impedence 0.16 % in frequency is 50
Plethysmography resistance kHz.
(Peripheral Volume Pulse)
C)Rheoencephalagraphy 100Ω 1-500kHz
(Brain)
D)Impedence Pneumography 20 Ω 50-600kHz
(Chest)
E) Impedence Oculography
(Eye)
F) Electroglottography
(Neck)
3 ACOUSTICAL SIGNALS 20-1000Hz
A) Phonocardiography
 (PCG)
B)Auscultation(sound heard 20-2kHz
over chest)
C)Voice
D) Korotkoff Sounds
4 MECHANICAL SIGNALS Dc – 50 Hz
A)Pressure Signals
B)Apexcardiography(for Dc – 40 Hz
pericardium movements)
C) Pneumotachography(flow Dc – 40 Hz
rate for respirator)
D)Dye and thermal Dilution

E)Fetal Movements
5 BIOMAGNETIC SIGNALS
A)Magneto
encephalography(MEG)
B) Magnetocardiography(MCG)
C) Magnetopneumography
(MPG)
6 BIOCHEMICAL SIGNALS
(pO2,pCO2 measurements)