Biopotentials

Renu John
Department of Biomedical Engineering
 BIOPOTENTIALS

Electrocardiogram (ECG) , EKG

Elecrtoencephalogram (EEG)
Electroneurogram (ENG)
Electromyogram (EMG)
Electroretinogram (ERG)
Electrooculogram (EOG)
Bioelectric Potential: Origin: Biochemical Activity of excitable cells in systems
Eg Nerve cell, Muscle cell

Resting State: Individual cell maintains a steady potential difference between internal
and external environments (-40 to -90 mv)

ACTIVE STATE: Ability to conduct an action potential when adequately stimulated

 BIOPOTENTIALS

Electrocardiogram (ECG) , EKG

Electroencephalogram (EEG)
Electroneurogram (ENG)
Electromyogram (EMG)
Electroretinogram (ERG)

Bioelectric Potential: Origin: Biochemical Activity of excitable cells in systems

Eg Nerve cell, Muscle cell

Resting State: Individual cell maintains a steady potential difference between internal
and external environments (-40 to -90 mv)

ACTIVE STATE: Ability to conduct an action potential when adequately stimulated

Origin of Biopotentials
 Resting Potential

An Electronic stimulator
gives a short pulse to the
axon
Recording a carried out
downstream of this axon
using a micropipette
 Cell membrane

Size 7-10 nm
Hydrophilic heads
Hydrophobic tails
 Mechanism behind Biopotentials

Impermeable to intracellular proteins and

organic anions ( A-)
Permeable to K+ ions
In resting state, membrane is slightly
permeable to Na+ and freely permeable to K+
and Cl-

http://www.bem.fi/book/02/02.htm
 K+ internal medium: 140 mmol/liter
K+ external medium : 2.5 mmol/liter

Concentration gradient promotes diffusion across the membrane

Creates a potential ( interior of cell membrane becomes negative and exterior
becomes Positive)
Outside
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Membrane
-- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Inside

NERNST EQUATION

R- Universal Gas const

T- Absolute Temperature
F- Faraday’s const
n- valancy
[K ]o, [K]i represents the outside and inside concentration of K
The steady state ionic imbalance is maintained by active transport of ionic species
outside and inside the media through the mechanism Sodium Potassium Pump
At the expense of energy from ATP.
Na K pump
Na out: Kin =3:2

Factors affecting the ion flow

1. Diffusion gradients
2. Inwardly directed electric field
3. Membrane structure (availability of pores)
4. Active transport of ions against the electrochemical gradient
 Action Potential
Depolarization
Depends on voltage and time-dependent nature of membrane permeabilities
When membrane stimulation exceeds a threshold level of about 20 mV, the membrane slightly
depolarizes :
1. Sodium and potassium ionic permeabilities of the membrane change
2. Membrane permeability to Na is increased
3. Sodium ion permeability increases very rapidly at first, allowing sodium ions to flow
from outside to inside, making the inside more positive ( increasing depolarization)

During the initial portion of the action

potential, the membrane cannot respond
to another stimulus.
This time interval is referred to as Absolute
refractory period

This puts an upper limit to the frequency

at which a membrane can be discharged
 Cell membrane equivalent circuit

Skeletal muscle fiber

membrane
Membrane capacitance Cm
g Na and gK, gcl
Im transmembrane current
Vo transmembrane potential

Figure 4.3 Diagram of network equivalent circuit of a small length (Dz) of a cylindrical cell
(unmyelinated nerve fiber or skeletal muscle fiber). The membrane proper is characterized by
specific membrane capacitance Cm (mF/cm2) and specific membrane conductances gNa, gK, and gCl
in mS/cm2 (millisiemens/cm2). Here an average specific leakage conductance is included that
corresponds to ionic current from sources other than Na+ and K+ (e.g., Cl-). This term is usually
neglected. The cell cytoplasm is considered simply resistive, as is the external bathing medium; these
media may thus be characterized by the resistance per unit length ri, and ro (W/cm), respectively.
Here im is the transmembrane current per unit length (A/cm), and vi and v° are the internal and
external potentials at point z, respectively. Transmembrane potential at each point in z is given by
vm = vi – v°. (Modified from A. L. Hodgkin and A. F. Huxley, “A Quantitative Description of
Membrane Current and Its Application to Conduction and Excitation in Nerve,” Journal of
Physiology, 1952, 117, p. 501.)
 Charge distribution in the vicinity of the active region of an unmyelinated fiber
conducting an impulse

Local circuit current flow in the myelinated nerve fiber

Electrocardiogram
(ECG)
Heart Anatomy
Myocardial cells
Dipole field of the Heart when R wave is
maximal
Einthoven’s Triangle

Unipolar Leads
 Right Arm
Left Arm

Potential appearing in one electrode across a reference electrode Left Leg

RA-WT: VR
LA-WT:VL Lead I Vector 00
LL-WT: VF Lead II Vector 600
Lead III Vector 1200
 Augmented Leads aVR , aVL
One Resistance shunts the measuring lead to the central terminal

aVR aVL
Remove the connection of measuring lead to
the central terminal
 Augmented Lead aVF

aVF
All six vectors are equally placed 30o apart
Frontal plane summary
Electrode position – horizontal plane
Precordial Leads
Electrode positions
ECG INTERPRETATION
ECG components
ECG INTERPRETATION
Figure 4.26 Electrogenesis of cortical field potentials for a net excitatory input to the
apical dendritic tree of a typical pyramidal cell. For the case of a net inhibitory input,
polarity is reversed and the apical region becomes a source (+). Current flow to and from
active fluctuating synaptic knobs on the dendrites produces wave-like activity.
Figure 4.27 (a) Different types of normal EEG waves, (b) Replacement of alpha rhythm by
an asynchronous discharge when patient opens eyes, (c) Representative abnormal EEG
waveforms in different types of epilepsy. (From A. C. Guyton, Structure and Function of
the Nervous System, 2nd ed., Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders, 1972; used with permission.)
Figure 4.27 (a) Different types of normal EEG waves, (b) Replacement of alpha rhythm by
an asynchronous discharge when patient opens eyes, (c) Representative abnormal EEG
waveforms in different types of epilepsy. (From A. C. Guyton, Structure and Function of
the Nervous System, 2nd ed., Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders, 1972; used with permission.)
Figure 4.28 The 10–20 electrode system This system is recommended by the
International Federation of EEG Societies. (From H. H. Jasper, “The Ten–Twenty Electrode
System of the International Federation in Electroencephalography and Clinical
Neurophysiology,” EEG Journal, 1958, 10 (Appendix), 371–375.)
Figure 4.29 The electroencephalographic changes that occur as a human subject goes to
sleep The calibration marks on the right represent 50 mV. (From H. H. Jasper,
“Electrocephalography,” in Epilepsy and Cerebral Localization, edited by W. G. Penfield
and T. C. Erickson. Springfield, 111.: Charles C. Thomas, 1941.)
Explain the subthreshold-membrane potential changes that would occur in the
immediate vicinity of each of two extracellular stimulating electrodes placed at the
outer-membrane surface of an excitable cell. Assume that membrane potential is
determined by impaling the cell with a micropipet at various points in the vicinity of
the stimulating electrodes and recording the potential with respect to an indifferent
extracellular electrode.
Consider a quadriplegic patient with paralyzed extremities as shown. Suggest a scheme
for using the EMG from an auxiliary intact muscle (for example, the left trapezius
muscle) to aid in the control of stimulation of the paralyzed limb. (The motor nerve
supply to the trapezius muscle is assumed to lie above the site of spinal-cord lesion and
is therefore under volitional control. Draw a block diagram of the suggested control
system. Label the anatomical structures serving as the plant (or controlled system), the
controller, the feedback pathway, the actuator, and so forth. [Hint: The EMG signal is
usually amplified, rectified, and low-pass-filtered before it is used to modulate a
stimulator.