SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ENHANCING AND SEPARATING BIOPOTENTIAL SIGNALS

摘要

Disclosed is an electrode array (i.e., "sensor") and a method for separating near and far-field signals. In one embodiment a horizontal array is used, and in an alternate embodiment a vertical array is used. The electrode array consists of two well-separated pairs of closely spaced electrodes (and a separate ground element). In a typical application of collecting a channel of EEG, "sensing" electrodes are placed in standard locations (e.g., R and Ctr) with a ground electrode placed elsewhere on the head. The voltage measured between the well-separated sensing electrodes is the far-field dominant (i.e., EEG-dominant) channel. Additional electrodes are placed near each of the two sensing electrodes. (The additional electrodes are immediately lateral to the existing electrodes in the horizontal array, and are immediately above the existing electrodes in the vertical array.) The voltages measured between the pairs of closely spaced electrodes are near-field dominant (i.e., EMG/EOG-dominant) channels. The EEG, EMG and EOG signals can be enhanced by uncoupling them by combining information from all channels. The sensor is connected to a monitor via a patient interface cable (PIC). The sensor contains additional circuitry at the connection site that is used by the monitor to identify the presence and type of sensor, and to configure the monitor to invoke the appropriate software that will apply the method of the current invention to collect and uncouple the EEG, EMG and EOG.