Two-electrode-pair electrocardiogram with no common ground between two pairs

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Medical Devices
• Physiological Monitoring

Background:

• Conventional electrocardiogram (ECG) systems utilize three electrodes, including a reference electrode, which can lead to interconnected amplifier grounds across the body.
• This interconnection poses an inconvenience and potential limitations in certain applications, particularly for portable or wireless monitoring.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and validate a simplified two-electrode ECG measurement method.
• To eliminate the need for a dedicated reference electrode, thereby reducing system complexity and potential grounding issues.
• To facilitate the development of more convenient and portable ECG devices.

Main Methods:

• A novel two-electrode configuration was implemented, replacing the traditional reference electrode with common electrodes.
• Independent power supplies and unconnected grounds were utilized for the amplifier circuits to prevent signal interference.
• Electrophysiological signals were detected by the two electrodes, passed through isolation amplifiers, and then processed by an instrumentation amplifier filter to generate ECG waveforms.

Main Results:

• The proposed two-electrode method successfully generated ECG signal waveforms corresponding to Leads I to III.
• The generated Lead I waveforms closely resembled those obtained using conventional reference electrodes.
• The experimental setup demonstrated the feasibility of acquiring ECG signals without a dedicated reference electrode.

Conclusions:

• The developed two-electrode ECG measurement technique effectively captures cardiac electrical activity.
• This method offers a viable alternative to traditional three-electrode systems, simplifying hardware requirements.
• The approach paves the way for the creation of advanced wireless and portable ECG devices, enhancing patient mobility and monitoring accessibility.