Capacitive ECG system with direct access to standard leads and body surface potential mapping

Capacitive electrodes provide the same access to the human electrocardiogram (ECG) as galvanic electrodes, but without the need of direct electrical skin contact and even through layers of clothing. Thus, potential artifacts as a result of poor electrode contact to the skin are avoided and preparation time is significantly reduced. Our system integrates such capacitive electrodes in a 15 sensor array, which is combined with a Tablet PC. This integrated lightweight ECG system (cECG) is easy to place on the chest wall and allows for simultaneous recordings of 14 ECG channels, even if the patient is slightly dressed, e.g., with a t-shirt. In this paper, we present preliminary results on the performance of the cECG regarding the capability of recording body surface potential maps (BSPMs) and obtaining reconstructed standard ECG leads including Einthoven, Goldberger and, with some limitations, Wilson leads. All signals were measured having the subject lie in a supine position and wear a cotton shirt. Signal quality and diagnostic ECG information of the extracted leads are compared with standard ECG measurements. The results show a very close correlation between both types of ECG measurements. It is concluded that the cECG lends itself to rapid screening in clinically unstable patients.