Introduction

This training is intended for researchers and students who want to learn how to measure ECG with the BIOPAC system.  

This page can be used in three ways: 

• As a guide for trainers delivering ECG training 
• As a digital handout for trainees 
• As reference material when running an ECG study with BIOPAC 

This training assumes all equipment is already correctly set up and connected. If you need assistance with hardware setup, please contact labsupport@fsw.leidenuniv.nl.  

Estimated duration: ~ 30 minutes 

Learning Goals

By the end of this training, you will: 

• Have basic knowledge about BIOPAC 
• Know what ECG is 
• Understand how the BIOPAC ECG equipment is set up and how to use it safely 
• Prepare a participant and apply 3 ECG electrodes correctly 
• Use AcqKnowledge to record ECG data 
• Obtain good data 

Not included in this training: 

• Experimental design 
• Physiological data analysis 

Materials

The following is required for this training: 

• BIOPAC equipment including an ECG module (ECG100C, RSPEC-R or ECG100D). The BIOPAC should be connected to a PC on which AcqKnowledge is installed. 
• Disposable Ag/AgCl ECG electrodes 
• Scrub gel (NuPrep) 
• Non-woven swabs 
• Gloves 
• Incidin OxyWipe

Step-by-Step Training Plan

Introduction to ECG, BIOPAC and AcqKnowledge

1. Read the Introduction section of the ECG page to obtain a basic understanding of ECG. 
2. On the BIOPAC page read the following sections: 
   • The Introduction section 
   • The Safety section 
   • The relevant sections corresponding to your specific ECG module on the BIOPAC page:  
     • 100C series general information and ECG100C
     • BioNomadix general information and RSPEC-R 
     • Smart amplifiers general information and ECG100D 
3. Open AcqKnowledge and follow the Creating an AcqKnowledge template instructions to create a template for your ECG module. Make sure to turn on the BIOPAC.
   • On SSH/FSW Lab PCs, create your own folder in C:\ExperimentData (e.g. “Training”).  
   • Make sure to save your template as Graph Template (.gtl) in your folder. 

Participant Setup

Follow the Skin preparation and Electrode placement parts of the Protocol on the ECG page. Make sure to involve the participant in the process: 

• Explain what ECG measures. 
• Describe the skin preparation and electrode placement process. 
• Ask for consent before touching the participant or preparing their skin. When the participant feels uncomfortable, you may ask the participant to clean their own skin and place the electrodes with your instructions. 
• Remind the participant they can stop at any time. 

Recording the ECG Signal

1. Open the AcqKnowledge template you created earlier. 
2. Start the recording.  
3. Explore AcqKnowledge features: 
   • Use the magnifying glass to zoom into the ECG waveform.
   • Right-click the graph > Autoscale Single Waveform or Autoscale Waveforms.
   • See additional helpful options in the Preferences and View section on the AcqKnowledge page. 
4. Read the Tips & Tricks on the ECG page. See what happens when:
   • The participant moves around. 
   • One of the electrodes or leads comes loose. 
   • For the wireless module (RSPEC-R), see what happens when the receiver and transmitter lose connection, i.e. move the participant with the transmitter away from the receiver. When the connection starts to deteriorate, the signal will show short flat lines. 

Clean-up

1. Stop the recording and save the recording in the folder you created in C:\ExperimentData. Make sure to save the file as Graph (.acq) file. Close AcqKnowledge. 
2. Follow the Cleaning up section of the Protocol on the ECG page. 
3. Turn off the BIOPAC. 

Further Considerations

Safety

Review general safety information for participant-based research here: Safety - SOLO Research Wiki. 

Markers

Event markers are crucial when measuring physiological data.  

See: 

• Markers and Events - SOLO Research Wiki for more information on markers. 
• Marker channel - SOLO Research Wiki for adding a marker channel to your AcqKnowledge template. 

Equipment choice

BIOPAC has wired (ECG100C, ECG100D) and wireless (RSPEC-R) ECG options. In most studies, any of these modules can be used. Wireless equipment may be preferred when participants need to move around (but beware of movement artifacts in the ECG signal). Note that wireless connections may drop if the participant moves too far from the receiver. In most cases, it does not matter which equipment is used. 

Compatibility with other signals and equipment

ECG measurements can often be combined with many other signals and equipment such as EEG, ICG, skin conductance, respiration, blood pressure, fEMG, virtual reality, etc. When you want to measure multiple signals with BIOPAC, consult the Grounding section on the BIOPAC page. 

Analysis options

Several software options exist for preprocessing and analyzing ECG data collected with BIOPAC.  

• We recommend checking out the PhysioData Toolbox, which allows for easy batch-processing of ECG data.  
• For analysis with AcqKnowledge, more information can be found on the BIOPAC website: AcqKnowledge Data Acquisition and Analysis Software and Webinars | BIOPAC.  

Experimental design

Make sure to consider your preferred measurement outcome when designing your experiment: 

• Heart Rate (HR) can be extracted from short segments (a few seconds). 
• Heart Rate Variability (HRV) requires longer segments (several minutes).  

Please check the literature for current recommendations.

Further Reading

• AcqKnowledge webinar: Using AcqKnowledge for Recording & Analyzing Physiological Data. 
• BIOPAC ECG webinar: Recording Great ECG.