SCHOOL OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING

Lab 1A - Biomedical Instrumentation's

REPORT
Đỗ Thanh Nhân

Instructor: Dr. Nguyen Thanh Qua

Team member: Đỗ Thanh Nhân BEBEIU22247

Nguyễn Ngọc Mĩ Phương [insert ID 2]
Nguyễn Thị Hoa [insert ID 3]
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Ho Chi Minh City

[01/ 2023]
 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY HCMC

INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY
 HCMC International University – School of Biomedical Engineering

TABLE OF CONTENTS
List of Figures ..............................................................................................................................................1
List of Tables ...............................................................................................................................................2
I. Introduction..............................................................................................................................................3
1. Application...........................................................................................................................................3
2. How to use...........................................................................................................................................3
II. Working Principles...................................................................................................................................4
III. Block diagram.........................................................................................................................................5
IV. Disassemble sequence............................................................................................................................6
V. Experiment..............................................................................................................................................7
VI. Further information................................................................................................................................7
VII. References.............................................................................................................................................8
 HCMC International University – School of Biomedical Engineering

List of Figures
(Please note the page number of figures (pictures) that you use in your report. Titles for figures appear directly
below the figures)

Figure 1: The block diagram of manual ECG............................................................................................x

Figure 2: The block diagram of semi-automatic ECG...............................................................................x
Figure 3: The disassemble sequence of automatic ECG.........................................................................x

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List of Tables
(Please note the page number of tables that you use in your report. Titles for tables appear directly above the
table)

Table 1: Results comparison between three types of blood pressure monitor.........................................x

Table 2: Mechanisms comparison between three types of blood pressure monitor................................x
Table 3: The disassemble steps of automatic blood pressure monitor......................................................x

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I. Introduction
1. Application
ECG is the English acronym for Electrocardiogram, also known as electrocardiogram.
An ECG is a curve that records the variations in electrical currents produced by the heart
during contractions. An ECG can measure the heart's speed and rhythm as well as provide
indirect evidence of blood flow to the heart.
The ECG has the functions to record electrical impulses, which are generated by the heart
and sent to the heart muscle to make the heart contract.
An ECG helps find the cause of symptoms such as palpitations or chest pain. Heart
abnormalities that may be detected include:
- Arrhythmia: very fast, very slow, or irregular heartbeat. There are many different types of
arrhythmia with characteristic ECG patterns.
- Heart attack (myocardial infarction), recent or has happened in the past. A heart attack
causes damage to the heart muscle and leaves a scar. These lesions of the heart can be
detected by abnormal ECG patterns.
- Enlarged heart (enlarged heart). Basically, this disease produces impulses that are larger
than normal.
2. How to use
An electrocardiogram is performed by a technician or nurse, while the results are read by a
general practitioner or cardiologist.

- The patient lies supine on the examination table, pulling clothes to expose the chest,
wrists, and ankles.

- Use a cotton swab to clean the skin area where the electrode will be attached if necessary.

- Locate and place the electrodes on the chest, wrists, ankles on both sides. The electrode is
connected by wire to the ECG machine. The ECG signal is displayed on the screen as wavy
lines.

- Record abnormal ECG waves for several tens of seconds.

- Remove all electrodes and finish the electrocardiogram.

During the ECG measurement, you need to lie still and relax. Stress or movement can alter
results. An electrocardiogram is painless and does not present any complications. You may
feel cold when the electrode is applied to your skin. A rare number of people may
experience irritation at the electrode site.

Before the ECG, do not exercise or smoke to avoid causing false results.

If the results of the electrocardiogram are abnormal, your doctor may order additional tests
to diagnose or rule out certain causes of heart abnormalities.

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In addition to a regular ECG, you may need a 24-hour Holter if your doctor suspects an
arrhythmia or myocardial ischemia. A portable electrocardiogram device will be attached to
the body to monitor the heart rate continuously for 24 hours.
II. Working Principles
Working principle of electrocardiogram machine:

Figure 2.1
1.It works on the principle that muscle contraction generates a small electrical current that
can be detected and measured through appropriately placed electrodes on the body.

2.For a resting electrocardiogram, a person is placed at rest and electrodes are placed on the
arms, legs, and six locations on the chest over the heart area. Electrodes are attached to the
person's skin with the help of a special jelly.

3.The electrode receives the currents and transmits them to the amplifier inside the ECG
machine. The electrocardiogram then amplifies the currents and records them on a piece of
paper as a wavy line.
4.In an electrocardiogram, a sensitive lever tracks changes in electrical current across a
moving sheet of paper.
5.Modern electrocardiogram recorders can also be connected to an oscilloscope, a device
that displays electrical currents on a screen.

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III. Block diagram

Figure 3.1
1. Electrodes:We know the main ECG electrodes used for ECG recording are five. By placing these
electrodes at the appropriate parts of the body.
2. Lead selector:  As told earlier each pair of lead conveys certain information. So for the appropriate
waveform or view we have to select an appropriate lead pair. The lead pair can be selected by a lead
selector switch which can be switched to different lead pairs according to the type of waveform needed.
3.Pre-amplifier: The ECG signal is having very weak amplitude levels. So it is necessary that for proper
analysis and plotting purpose , the waveform is to be amplified. The pre-amplifier used here will be an
operational amplifier or instrumentation amplifier with high gain. They have High CMRR and extremely
high input impedance.
4. Driver:  We use a driver motor of suitable specification to drive the paper roller. Normally the ECG
waveform is to be plotted on a moving chart paper to find out the irregularities (if there is ) in the
P,Q,R,S,T and U regions of the ECG waveform .So the paper movement and the moving speed can be
controlled by the driver motor, which supplies the trigger the roller.
5. PMMC Galvanometer: PMMC (Permanent Magnet Moving Coil) galvanometer is a special type of
device, where the deflection of the coil depends on the amplitude and the polarity of the signal applied
to its input. The writing tip of the hot tip pen is connected to the chart paper. So the pen will be at rest
in the center of its travel when no current flows in the coil. So the direction of deflection in the coil and
the amount of deflections is determined by the amplitude and polarity of the ECG waveform.
6. Hot - tip stylus and stylus heater:  In most common ECG recording techniques, we use hot tip stylus
for thermal writing. It is because, we normally use thermal recorders for the plotting of waveforms. The
stylus is kept hot always by the stylus heater power supply. The writing tip is a stylus heated by a
resistance wire.
7. Recorders : As discussed now, usually we use thermal recorders for the representation of ECG
waveform. The paper used in thermal recorders is of special material which turns black when heated.
The hot tip of the stylus will turn the white paper black whenever it touches. The tip of the stylus moves
in accordance with the movement of the coil which in turn is proportional to the amplitude and polarity

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of the ECG waveform. Since the tip of the stylus is in contact with the thermal chart recorder, a clear
representation of the ECG waveform is obtained.

IV. Disassemble sequence

Figure 4.1

Figure 4.2

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V. Experiment

Figure 5.1
Actually, we have 2 results for two groups, but our team lost the second one so I use the same
result with Group 4 .
VI. Further information
1. The method to read the result.
Frequency: When starting to learn how to read an electrocardiogram, it is necessary to determine the
frequency of the heart. Usually the image on the ECG heart rate results will be read by the machine in the
last box of paper. You just need to look at the HR (heart beat) section, the results will show for example:
HR 90 ck/min.
Heart Rate: The next step in taking an EKG reading is to determine if the heartbeat is regular or irregular.
Is this a fast beat or a slow beat? This item you will also be read by the machine in the result sheet. If the
heart rhythm is normal (i.e. sinus rhythm is emitted and there is no abnormality) the result is normal. And
if there is an arrhythmia (fast, sometimes slow), it will have the word arrhythmia. You can of course
verify this in lead II of the ECG. By monitoring the P waves, if they are evenly spaced, and the frequency
is below 100k/p then the heart rate is normal. If the rate is greater than 100 beats/min, it is tachycardia.
Next you can monitor the ST segment, if ST elevation or depression, this will be a sign of myocardial
ischemia. Are the T waves flattened or retrograde to the QRS complex? If present, this is also a sign of
myocardial ischemia.
2. The algorithm to calculate the result.

Figure 6.1
Peak detector The Peak detector algorithm is applied directly to the ECG data. It uses a 167 ms window,

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divided in three 55.6 ms segments. This limits our maximum detectable beat frequency to 360 BPM. It
scans the whole range looking for the maximum value. If the maximum value is on the central segment
and is higher than a threshold, the position is marked as a beat and its amplitude is saved as the new
threshold. At each new possible beat, the threshold is updated, using a linear decay between the
previous beat amplitude and the current window maximum, at a variable rate of:

The threshold may only decrease unless it is set by a new beat detection.  Fig. 1 above shows an
example, in which an extra beat is detected due to a high P wave and a rising baseline.
3. The important rate that you need to consider: electrocardiogram axis angle and blood pressure

VII. References
1. https://healthvietnam.vn/thu-vien/tai-lieu-tieng-viet/chan-doan-hinh-anh/dien-tam-do-mot-so-luu-y-
va-chia-se
2. https://healthvietnam.vn/thu-vien/tai-lieu-tieng-viet/chan-doan-hinh-anh/cac-buoc-can-ban-doc-
dien-tim
3. https://www.onlinebiologynotes.com/electrocardiogram-ecg-working-principle-normal-ecg-wave-
application-of-ecg/
4. https://umcclinic.com.vn/dien-tam-do-ecg-de-lam-gi

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