Localized Driven-Ground ECG Electrodes for Motion-Artifact Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wearable cardiac monitoring devices face challenges in maintaining continuous use due to noise interference from long ground loops and motion artifacts, which degrade the quality of electrocardiogram (ECG) signals, posing risks for patients with heart conditions.
Innovation Solution
The ambulatory cardiac device employs localized active ECG electrodes with integrated local biasing substrates and circuitry to provide a local biasing signal, reducing noise by minimizing ground loop size and incorporating signal processing to improve the ECG signal-to-noise ratio.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If long ground loops are used to connect ECG electrodes to the monitoring device, then the device can be worn continuously during daily activities, but noise interference increases and degrades ECG signal quality
Solution Approach 1:
The ground connection is segmented from a single long ground loop into multiple local driven ground electrodes distributed at each ECG sensing electrode location. Each local driven ground creates a small local ground loop instead of one long ground loop, reducing noise interference while maintaining continuous monitoring capability.
Solution Approach 2:
Local biasing circuitry acts as an intermediary between the ECG electrode substrate and the patient's body, providing local driven ground signals that eliminate the need for long ground loops. This intermediary component reduces noise by creating localized reference potentials at each sensing site.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If localized active ECG electrodes with local biasing substrates are used, then noise is reduced by minimizing ground loop size, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ECG electrode substrate, local biasing substrate, and local biasing circuitry are merged into a single integrated electrode assembly. This combining of multiple functions into one unified structure reduces overall device complexity while still providing localized driven ground capability to minimize noise.
Solution Approach 2:
Each active ECG electrode is designed as a multi-functional unit that simultaneously performs ECG signal sensing and local driven ground generation. This universal electrode design eliminates the need for separate ground electrodes and complex wiring, simplifying the overall device structure.
3Measurement precision
If local biasing circuitry is integrated at each ECG electrode, then ECG signal-to-noise ratio is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The biasing voltage parameter is locally generated and adjusted at each electrode site through integrated biasing circuitry. This allows optimization of the driven ground signal characteristics for each specific sensing location, improving ECG signal quality while using standardized circuit designs that facilitate manufacturing.
Data Source
AI summary
An ambulatory cardiac device for improving a signal to noise profile of an electrocardiogram (ECG) signal of a patient is provided. The ambulatory cardiac device includes a plurality of active ECG electrodes disposed in a plurality of locations about a patient. Each active electrode can include an ECG electrode substrate configured to be in physical contact with skin of the patient, a local biasing substrate proximate to the ECG electrode substrate and configured to be in physical contact with the skin of the patient, and local biasing circuitry configured to provide a local biasing signal into a body of the patient via the local biasing substrate.