BIO POTENTIAL ELECTRODES

Electrode-electrolyte interface
Electrode Electrolyte (neutral charge)

M
Current flow

M+ and A- in solution

Aee-

M M eM+

M+ M+ A-

M M+ + eM+ : Cation A- : Anion e- : electron

A- A + e-

Electrodeskin interface

Half cell potential

A half cell is a structure that contains a conductive electrode and a surrounding conductive electrolyte separated by a naturallyoccurring Helmholtz double layer. Chemical reactions within this layer momentarily pump electric charges between the electrode and the electrolyte, resulting in a potential difference between the electrode and the electrolyte.

The standard hydrogen half cell: 2H+(aq) + 2e- H2(g)

The half cells of a Daniell cell: Original equation Zn + Cu2+ Zn2+ + Cu Half cell (anode) of Zn Zn Zn2+ + 2e Half cell (cathode) of Cu Cu2+ + 2e Cu

Impedance
Describes a measure of opposition to alternating current (AC). Electrical impedance extends the concept of resistance to AC circuits, describing not only the relative amplitudes of the voltage and current, but also the relative phases.

When the circuit is driven with direct current (DC) there is no distinction between impedance and resistance.

Impedance is defined as the frequency domain ratio of the voltage to the current. In other words, it is voltagecurrent ratio for a single complex exponential at a particular frequency . In general, impedance will be a complex number, but this complex number has the same units as resistance, for which the SI unit is the ohm.

For a sinusoidal current or voltage input, the polar form of the complex impedance relates the amplitude and phase of the voltage and current. In particular,

1.

The magnitude of the complex impedance is the ratio of the voltage amplitude to the current amplitude.
The phase of the complex impedance is the phase shift by which the current is ahead of the voltage.

2.

The reciprocal of impedance is admittance (i.e., admittance is the current-to-voltage ratio, and it conventionally carries units of siemens, formerly called mhos).

POLARIZABLE AND NON-POLARIZABLE ELECTRODES

Perfectly Polarizable Electrodes

No actual charge crosses the electrode-electrolyte interface when a current is applied. (e.g Platinum electrode)
Perfectly Non-Polarizable Electrode Current passes freely across the electrode-electrolyte interface. These electrodes see no overpotentials. (e.g. Ag/AgCl Electrode)
Example: Ag-AgCl is used in recording while Pt is use in stimulation

Types of electrodes
1. Surface,

2. Needle and
3. Micro electrodes

The equivalent circuit for a biopotential electrode

Surface electrodes

Needle electrodes

Micro electrodes