Tomographical ECG measurement using capacitance type multi electrodes

Abstract

Recently electrocardiogram measurement with electrostatic capacity type electrode has been researched. Electrocardiogram can be measured by bringing the metal plate close from the outside of the body to the vicinity of the heart and amplifying the voltage. Metal plate is not necessary to be attached to the skin, and this measurement is a complete no contact measurement of an electrical signal in vivo. In this electrostatic capacity type electrode, the generated voltage decreases according to the distance between electrode and source. Therefore when electrodes are set up at various positions surrounding to the body, measured voltage at each electrode changes inverse-proportionally according to the distance from the signal source. It can be expected that measuring the occurrence location of electrical signal in vivo becomes possible in three dimensions manner as well as X-ray CT. Especially electrostatic capacity type electrode adopted here has the feature that the signal can be derived at high speed. In this study we have investigated to apply this multi electrostatic capacity type electrode method for the measurement of electrocardiogram to know the time course change of the position and the amplitude of heart activity related signal.