Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 638

Proceedings of the 2021 International Conference on Public Art and

Human Development (ICPAHD 2021)

Research on Bio-amplifier for ECG Recording

Qingjun Zhu1*
1
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, 5500 Wabash AVE, Terre Haute, IN, USA, 47803
*Corresponding author’s e-mail: Zhuq1@rose-hulman.edu

ABSTRACT
The emergence and functions of biological amplifiers not only enrich the medical equipment market, but more
importantly, it provides more treatment opportunities for patients and medical staff. Biological amplifiers have been
widely used in electrocardiogram (ECG) medical equipment. Doctors have obtained more comprehensive, detailed, and
accurate data and diagrams with the enhanced functions of ECG to facilitate more feasible and safer treatment plans.
Therefore, through the literature review method, this paper studies the enhanced functions of bio-amplifier on ECG. In
the study of two ECG Bio-amplifiers, the paper first finds that the use of bio-amplifier on ECG plays a function in
improving the accuracy of cardiac indicators. Secondly, this paper finds that ECG Isolation Amplifier improves the
stability of ECG by limiting the current, so its safety is guaranteed. For doctors who use defibrillation to save patients'
lives, ECG equipment improves the benefits of saving heart disease patients through high reliability. Moreover, ECG
Instrumentation Bio-amplifier resists electromagnetic effects from other electronic devices by high common-mode
rejection, which reduces doctors’ concerns about data errors.

Keywords: Medical Equipment, ECG, bio-amplifiers, Isolation & Instrumentation Amplifier

1. INTRODUCTION Figure 1 below, ECG is a program that analyzes the heart

of a patient.
In medical equipment, bio-amplifiers, which are
closely related to ECG functions and characteristics,
have always played an important role. Therefore, it is
significant to study the different needs of ECG-based
bio-amplifiers in specific medical situations aiming at the
requirements of different medical conditions for different
medical equipment. This research is dedicated to
describing two different types of bio-amplifiers based on
ECG and observing their functions in different medical
places, which will provide a further theoretical basis for
future research on the requirements of different medical
equipment in various medical conditions.

2. INTRODUCTION TO BIO-AMPLIFIER Figure 1 Electrocardiogram (ECG)

Before studying the Bio-amplifiers based on ECG, it As the control program is displayed on the
is necessary to define and describe ECG. ECG is the microcomputer, a patient's heartbeat and other indicators
abbreviation of electrocardiogram, it is a kind of are presented. An operator can display physiological
biomedical equipment used to display clinical patients' indicators such as heartbeat by operating the keyboard on
heartbeat speed, rhythm, and the time and intensity of the microcomputer. Therefore, the microcomputer plays
electrical impulses moving within the heart. Therefore, an indispensable role in displaying ECG. By operating
the main function of ECG is to present the biological the microcomputer, the lead selector determines which
indicators related to a patient's heart. Usually, ECG is electrodes are required for a specific lead, and the
displayed through a microcomputer device. As shown in operator automatically controls the microcomputer to
connect them to the rest of the circuit[1]. Therefore, the

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 Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 638

microcomputer is mainly responsible for the ECG This type of amplifier is generally used in input-stage
display of cardiac indicators. In biomedicine, ECG medical amplifiers. When measuring the voltage
monitors the patient's heart while displaying the patient's difference between two bioelectronics, a differential
heart indicators. Therefore, another medical instrument, amplifier is used (See Figure 2 below). It is usually
Cardiac monitors, is closely related to ECG. As it is applied to collect the voltage from the arm to the leg and
argued, "Clinical applications of continuous monitoring the heart, and the voltage from the scalp to the brain. The
of the ECG and heart rate are made possible by cardiac differential amplifier can resist common-mode
monitor"[2]. With the support of these medical devices, interference signals, and it has good stability and
ECG can quickly and accurately display the versatility[3]. The second type is the operational
physiological indicators of the heart of a patient. amplifier, which is a high gain differential amplifier (See
Therefore, one of the advantages of ECG is that it can Figure 3 below). An operational amplifier is usually
help a doctor and a patient quickly display abnormalities unstable and difficult to control due to its high gain, and
about a patient's heart. With the support of sophisticated it includes inverting amplifier and a non-inverting
instruments such as the microcomputer and cardiac amplifier. The third type is instrumentation amplifier.
monitor, abnormal indicators related to the heart can be This amplifier is similar to the differential amplifier, but
quickly displayed. It not only achieved rapid and it is a differential amplifier with an additional input
effective success in the development of biomedicine, but buffer stage. This makes it easy to match with the
it also helped doctors shorten the time in diagnosis and preceding stage[3]. In addition to similar high gain
treatment. characteristics, the instrumentation amplifier also has
high input resistance and low bias voltage characteristics.
Bio-amplifier is an amplifier applied to biomedicine.
Another type of amplifier is the isolation amplifier (See
Generally, the amplitude and frequency of biological
Figure 4 below). When using current-driven medical
electronic signals in the human body are low, so a single
equipment, safety is the most important for patients.
device such as a microcomputer and a heart detector
"Isolation amplifiers can be used to break ground loops,
cannot accurately capture the signal. Therefore, “the
eliminate source ground connections, and provide
outputs from these amplifiers are used for further
isolation protection to patient and electronic
analysis and they appear as ECG, EMG, or any
equipment"[3]. It can be found that the main function of
bioelectric waveforms” [3]. Bio-amplifier is a signal
the Isolation amplifier is to protect the patient from all
amplifier used to enhance electronic signal reception and
possible hazards of electric shock. Besides, another
analysis [10]. One type of Bio-amplifier is the
function of the Isolation amplifier is that it can remove
differential amplifier.
noise.

Figure 2- Differential amplifier Figure 3- Operational amplifier

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 Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 638

Figure 4- Isolation amplifier

3. BIO-AMPLIFIER IN ECG rejection and input impedance, another bio-amplifier that

ECG needs is an instrumentation amplifier.
In the use of ECG, Bio-amplifier is indispensable
because it provides a higher level of biological electronic 4. FIRST TYPE BIO-AMPLIFIER: ECG
signal detection and reception. As discussed earlier, Bio- ISOLATION AMPLIFIER
amplifier is a signal enhancer. After being applied to the
ECG, the physiological indicators related to the patient's Isolation amplifiers are usually applied in ECG to
heart can be quickly and accurately displayed by the capture signals. In this process, the signals generated by
microcomputer. Therefore, the processing steps of ECG leads are sent to the electrosurgery filter, which can
are very critical, especially when it involves choosing reduce the interference between electrosurgery and
which type of Bio-amplifier. radiofrequency. This is a process of isolation amplifiers
to remove noise and reduce interference signals.
In the signal processing of ECG, the first step is to Secondly, the isolation amplifier can withstand excessive
amplify the signals of the patient's heart. These signals voltage and protect the voltage during defibrillation. In
are biological electronic signals of the human body to this process, due to the high impedance of the isolation
display indicators of the heart. For example, the heartbeat amplifier, it can reduce the current by lowering the
speed, rhyme, frequency, and other signals need to be voltage. This is also the main reason for the high stability
displayed on the microcomputer through the Bio- of the isolation amplifier. As demonstrated in the
amplifier. However, since the bioelectronic signals that description of the isolation amplifier, one of its functions
originate from the human skin are also detected by ECG is to protect patients and devices from the hazards of
at the same time after Bio-amplifier amplifies the electric shocks. As the isolation amplifier goes to the lead
biological electronic signals, the interference noise needs selector switch, it selects the required configuration and
to be removed so that the captured signals are from the then the lead selection output enters the DC amplifier[3].
heart area. Normally, the noise removed is above 23 Hz Subsequently, after the adjustment of the transformer, the
to get the frequencies near the heart [4]. The third step is current decreases and remains stable. The ECG signal is
to apply bias for single-supply operation and enhance output by the synchronous modulator and displayed by
common-mode rejection. The main purpose of this step the microcomputer.
is to resist common-mode interference signals. The
function of removing interferences of the bio-amplifier is During the process of the isolation amplifier, it can be
demonstrated in this step. The last step is to compensate found that it has several main advantages in ECG. Firstly,
the DC offset. As mentioned earlier, the bio-amplifier is the isolation amplifier removes ripple noise. For ECG,
driven by an electric current, so the electric current may this will help reduce the interference of noise on heart-
cause an electric shock to the equipment and the patient. related indicators. Secondly, the isolation amplifier is
Therefore, this step is to offset the damage of biological also pretty. As it is pointed out, “The isolation stage
electrons to ECG. serves the galvanic decoupling of the patient from the
measuring equipment and provides safety from electrical
It can be found from the signal processing of ECG hazard”[6]. Third, the isolation amplifier has a strong
that it also determines the choice of bio-amplifier. anti-magnetic ability[7]. In other words, in ECG, due to
Although the functions of bio-amplifiers are diverse, in the isolation amplifier, it is hardly affected by mobile
the use of ECG, a special function is to remove noise. By phones, computers, or other magnetic objects. Finally,
reviewing the discussion of different types of bio- due to the high impedance of the isolation amplifier and
amplifiers, it can be found that the isolation bio-amplifier the reduction of the current to the transformer, the
has the function of removing noise[5]. Secondly, to make isolation amplifier has high gain stability.
ECG signal processing have higher common-mode

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 Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 638

5. SECOND TYPE BIO-AMPLIFIER: ECG reduction and portability, it is widely accepted in ECG
INSTRUMENTATION BIO-AMPLIFIER medical equipment.

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