Electronic – Plessey Epic Sensors For Non Contact ECG

biopotentialecgsensor

This may not be the right place to ask this question. If this is the case, please suggest an alternative and I will gladly move this question to a suitable forum. I am trying to wirelessly capture an ECG signal using the EPIC sensor from Plessey Semiconductors. As marketed on their website, it seems that their sensors can pick up the signal at a distance.

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I have read all the datasheets on their websites but they are more confusing than helpful. On the website, some the sensors (especially the PS25203) are said to allow capturing an ECG signal at a distance. However, there is no specification of the distance between the sensor and the person. If anyone on this forum has ever used the sensor, would you please elaborate on:

  1. Practical distance between the person and sensor to capture an ECG signal
  2. Analog circuit interface to the sensor
  3. Which EPIC sensor (PS25201, PS25251,PS25203, etc), is appropriate for this? It seems PS25102 used in their EPIC demo kit is expensive ($504.00) and, according to the datasheet, does not differ much with other sensors.

Again, if there is a better forum to post this type of questions to please let me know and I will move the question.

Best Answer

What is the "range" of the EPIC sensor for motion sensing?

This depends on the charge on the target, the rate of motion and the local environmental conditions. It is best to think of the EPIC sensor as being characterized by its input referred noise and its gain rather than trying to describe a range. Adult humans can carry anywhere between zero and several thousand volts, depending on clothing and their surrounding environment. This can mean that a moving human target is detectable from say a metre worst case, up to several metres best case. Recent developments suggest that maybe it is best not to measure perturbations in the quasi DC field but to use already existing AC fields that surround us in our normal day to day life. For example 50/60 Hz signals Using changes in the detectable signal strength amongst an array (or even between a pair) of electrodes it may be possible to locate targets at a greater range and with more reproducibility.

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