Bio-potential amplifier for potential gradient measurements

Abstract

This work proposes a bio-potential amplifier suitable for measurements from an electric potential gradient sensor, in electro-encephalography (EEG). The sensor is an array made by three electrodes placed on the vertices of an equilateral triangle of reduced size. Measuring the gradient requires small separation between electrodes hence, very low amplitude signals, of a few μV, are obtained. Therefore, it is important to minimize amplifier noise and electromagnetic interference effects. In the proposed scheme, the first stage is a passive and balanced ac-coupling network adapted to the gradient configuration and the second stage is an 80 dB gain amplifier. The implementation requires a reduced number of components. Therefore, the circuit can be mounted just above the electrodes (active electrodes). The proposed amplifier was built and tested. It achieves a CMRR of 125dB at 50 Hz and an equivalent input noise voltage of 0,3μV RMS in the band 0.5 - 500 Hz. Finally, some preliminary results in the detection of occipital alpha rhythm are presented.