ActiveTwo

System
Operating Guidelines
Edited by: Lloyd Smith
Cortech Solutions, LLC
[email protected]

Please forward suggestions for improvement of this manual

to the address above.

ActiveTwo Operating Guidelines Page - i

Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
ActiveTwo Operating Guidelines Page - ii
Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
 Table of Contents
I. Intended use of the system.......................................................................................................1
A. Applications .........................................................................................................................1
B. Research use only – not a medical device............................................................................1
II. Educational resources available to ActiveTwo users...............................................................2
A. This booklet..........................................................................................................................2
B. ActiveTwo User Guide ........................................................................................................2
C. On-site installation and training...........................................................................................2
D. Web site of Cortech Solutions (US/Canada representative)................................................2
E. Web site of BioSemi (manufacturer of ActiveTwo)............................................................2
III. Cautions: what NOT to do...................................................................................................3
A. Do not attempt to use the system before familiarizing yourself with the documentation. ..3
B. Do not connect any AC powered device to the A/D box.....................................................3
C. Do not allow active electrode tips to come into contact with any other metal. ...................3
D. Do not store a full-depleted battery......................................................................................3
E. Do not use soap to clean gel / paste from the electrodes. ....................................................3
F. Do not soak electrodes in any liquid for more than 10 minutes at a time............................3
G. Do not plug connectors into system in the wrong orientation. ............................................3
H. Do not use alligator clips or other metal conductors to connect signal inputs to the active
electrodes. ....................................................................................................................................4
IV. Components and accessories of the system .........................................................................5
A. Consumable supplies............................................................................................................5
1. Electrolytes for use with active electrodes.......................................................................5
2. Syringe to inject gel into head-cap electrode holders ......................................................5
3. Double-sided adhesive electrode rings for use with flat-type active electrodes ..............6
4. Other consumable items you might find useful ...............................................................6
B. Comfortable, flexible head caps for the ActiveTwo system................................................8
1. Sizes and layouts..............................................................................................................8
C. Active electrodes ................................................................................................................11
1. Pin-type electrodes on ribbon cable ...............................................................................11
2. Flat-type electrodes with individual leads/connectors ...................................................12
D. A/D box..............................................................................................................................13
1. ActiveTwo User M anual................................................................................................13
2. New features of the M ark II A/D box............................................................................13
3. Front panel .....................................................................................................................13
4. Top panel........................................................................................................................16
E. Battery unit.........................................................................................................................17
1. Overview ........................................................................................................................17
2. Advice and cautions .......................................................................................................17
F. Battery charger and AC adapter.........................................................................................18
1. Charger front panel ........................................................................................................18
2. Charger rear panel ..........................................................................................................18
3. Connections....................................................................................................................18
G. Fiber-optic cable ................................................................................................................19
1. Advantages .....................................................................................................................19
2. Description.....................................................................................................................19

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 3. Cautions .........................................................................................................................19
H. Optical receiver / U SB 2.0 interface ..................................................................................20
1. Advantages .....................................................................................................................20
2. Front-panel.....................................................................................................................20
3. Optical receiver / U SB interface: rear panel ..................................................................21
I. Optional non-EEG sensors.................................................................................................21
1. Respiration.....................................................................................................................21
2. Skin conductance (SC)...................................................................................................22
3. Temperature...................................................................................................................26
4. Pulse / plethysmograph..................................................................................................26
5. Jazz vigilance monitor ...................................................................................................27
6. Active strain gage...........................................................................................................27
7. M icrophone....................................................................................................................28
8. Dual response switch .....................................................................................................28
J. ActiView software .............................................................................................................28
V. ActiveTwo hardware setup ....................................................................................................29
A. Connect the ActiveTwo components.................................................................................29
B. Ensure that electrodes and sensors have been applied properly to participant..................29
C. Plug the electrodes and sensors into the A/D box..............................................................29
D. Verify the speed mode .......................................................................................................29
E. Turn on power....................................................................................................................29
F. Verify that the CM in Range light comes on .....................................................................30
G. Start the ActiView software...............................................................................................30
VI. ActiView software installation...........................................................................................31
A. Computer requirements......................................................................................................31
1. Windows XP, SP2..........................................................................................................31
2. USB 2.0 interface ...........................................................................................................31
3. Adequate display resolution...........................................................................................31
4. Windows user rights.......................................................................................................31
B. Copy software from web or place CD in drive ..................................................................31
1. Use CD...........................................................................................................................31
2. Download latest software from BioSemi.com ...............................................................31
C. USB Driver Installation .....................................................................................................32
D. LabVIEW Runtime Engine Installation.............................................................................34
1. Locate “LVRunTimeEng.exe”.......................................................................................34
2. Double-click LVRunTimeEng.exe ................................................................................34
3. Click through the installation using all default settings .................................................34
E. Copy the ActiView application to a local folder................................................................34
1. Create a new folder under \Program Files .....................................................................34
2. If you downloaded ActiView .........................................................................................35
3. If you are installing from the CD ...................................................................................35
4. Check the files in the ActiView folder...........................................................................35
5. Create a Windows shortcut to ActiView........................................................................35
VII. Applying electrodes and sensors to participant..................................................................36
A. Applying pin-type active electrodes ..................................................................................36
1. Familiarize yourself with basic skull surface anatomy..................................................36

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 2.Fit the head cap ..............................................................................................................36
3.Fill electrode holders with electrolyte gel......................................................................38
B. Apply flat-type active electrodes .......................................................................................42
1. Peel the adhesive electrode ring off of its paper backing ..............................................43
2. Apply the ring to the plastic electrode housing..............................................................43
3. Apply gel to electrode contact .......................................................................................43
4. Then, remove the paper backing from the adhesive ring and attach to participant .......43
5. Drape leads over the participant’s shoulder...................................................................43
C. Connect the electrodes to the A/D box..............................................................................43
1. Pin-type electrodes: ribbon cables with 68-pin D connectors.......................................43
2. Flat-type electrodes: individual leads (two lead cable) with key-shaped connectors....44
3. CM S/DRL set with circular DIN connector (Important: keep leads together!).............44
4. Verify that the blue CM in Range LED comes on .........................................................44
D. Apply any additional sensors .............................................................................................45
1. Skin conductance (SC)...................................................................................................45
2. Respiration.....................................................................................................................47
3. Temperature...................................................................................................................48
4. Plethysmograph..............................................................................................................48
5. Other sensors..................................................................................................................48
VIII. Operating the ActiView software ......................................................................................49
A. Start ActiView....................................................................................................................49
B. Select a configuration (.CFG) file......................................................................................49
1. If you want to ensure that a particular .CFG file is loaded on startup ...........................49
2. To force the operator to select a .CFG file on startup....................................................49
3. To load a CFG file manually, follow these steps:..........................................................50
C. Verify the equipment is properly connected ......................................................................50
D. Turn on the A/D box power and verify the contacts at CM S and DRL.............................50
E. Verify the Decimation Ratio and Screen Length settings..................................................50
F. Click on Start to display data.............................................................................................51
G. Select Electrode Offset to check electrode contacts ..........................................................51
1. Which electrode contacts are responsible for high electrode offsets? ...........................51
2. Assuming electrodes are connected to the subject, what does Electrode Offset
measure?.................................................................................................................................51
3. Verify low, stable offsets across channels .....................................................................51
4. If offsets are all at the maximum level: CM S/DRL .......................................................51
5. If offsets only at certain channels are at the maximum level.........................................52
H. Select M onopolar Display tab to view incoming signals ...................................................52
1. Settings to use in checking electrode contacts ...............................................................52
2. If the signals all look fine...............................................................................................52
3. If you see unstable signals, even though the Electrode Offsets are low and stable.......53
I. Record data ........................................................................................................................53
1. Click Start File...............................................................................................................53
2. Designate which groups of channels you want to save to the file .................................53
3. Set a path and file name for saving data ........................................................................54
4. IMPORTANT: ActiView is still Paused! ......................................................................54
IX. Best practices for making good EEG measurements .........................................................55

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 A. Optimizing the laboratory environment .............................................................................55
1. Ample room ...................................................................................................................55
2. Separate rooms for participant and experimenter ..........................................................55
3. Shielded room ................................................................................................................55
4. Lighting..........................................................................................................................56
5. Ventilation......................................................................................................................56
6. Furniture.........................................................................................................................56
B. Regular testing with the “one-bucket” and “two-bucket” methods...................................57
1. The one-bucket test – shorted input test.........................................................................57
2. The two-bucket test – testing inter-channel calibration .................................................58
C. Electrode and head-cap maintenance .................................................................................59
1. Follow the current guidelines for electrode handling ....................................................59
2. Follow these guidelines for head-cap maintenance .......................................................61
D. Participant intake procedures .............................................................................................61
1. M easure head at intake, and make sure you have a head-cap that fits snugly...............61
2. Instruct participants in advance to: ................................................................................61
E. Electrode application and signal-quality checking ............................................................61
1. Err on the side of too little gel rather than too much. ....................................................62
2. Use Electrode Offset tab in ActiView to check offsets .................................................62
3. Check signal quality in monopolar and bipolar tabs using Reference = None (Raw). ..62
F. Positioning of A/D box, cables and participant .................................................................63
1. Follow the furniture guidelines above. ..........................................................................63
2. Position A/D box as close as practically possible to participant....................................63
3. Keep the active electrode leads close together along the length of the run from
participant to A/D box............................................................................................................63
4. Wrap CM S/DRL around the other leads 3-5 times to minimize the loop pickup area..63
5. Keep power cables, power supplies and cables carrying other high-level signals away
from the participant................................................................................................................63
X. Triggering for event-related potentials ..................................................................................64
A. Connect the triggering device/computer to the ActiveTwo Trigger Input Port.................64
B. Assemble ActiveTwo and turn on power...........................................................................64
C. Select Analog under trigger format in the M onopolar Display page.................................64
D. Observe the state of the trigger input port..........................................................................64
E. Start the device/application that will send the trigger signals............................................64
F. If trigger signals are visible and reliable… ........................................................................64
G. If trigger signals are not visible/reliable… ........................................................................64
H. Save a short test data file with triggers. .............................................................................65
I. Trigger timing problems… ................................................................................................65
XI. Basic file reading and analysis steps for EEG/ERP in EM SE Suite 5.1............................66
A. Basic steps..........................................................................................................................66
1. File->New Workspace ...................................................................................................66
2. Right-click Project 1, and select Add->Time series data...............................................66
3. Browse to a data file, and double click. .........................................................................66
4. Right-click on new data file and select Load. ................................................................66
5. EM SE analyzes the event channel .................................................................................66
6. Select Edit->Channels ....................................................................................................66

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 7. Turn OFF any unused channels and the Status channel.................................................66
8. Designate PassTrough channels .....................................................................................66
9. Turn off some channels..................................................................................................66
10. What if my data appear as flat lines? .........................................................................66
B. Applying an EEG reference ...............................................................................................67
1. Version dependencies in EEG reference handling.........................................................67
2. Applying a reference in EM SE Data Editor...................................................................67
XII. M easuring physiological signals other than EEG..............................................................68
A. Apply any additional sensors .............................................................................................68
B. Turn on the display of desired sensors...............................................................................68
1. In ActiView, select the Auxiliary Sensors tab................................................................68
2. Select sensors to display ................................................................................................68
3. Choose suitable scale settings for the selected sensors..................................................68
4. Set ‘DC reset at screen start’ ON or OFF ......................................................................68
C. Save the displayed sensors.................................................................................................68
XIII. Analyzing physiological signals other than EEG ..............................................................69
A. ActiveTwo is typically used with at least a few non-EEG signals ....................................69
B. ActiveTwo / ActiView file format: BDF...........................................................................69
C. EDF vs BDF.......................................................................................................................69
D. Which signal analysis tools read BDF files? .....................................................................69
1. EM SE Suite....................................................................................................................69
2. BESA .............................................................................................................................69
3. g.BSanalyze....................................................................................................................69
4. EEGLAB........................................................................................................................69
5. BIOSIG ..........................................................................................................................69
E. Which ones are designed for analysis of non-EEG signals?..............................................69
F. Signals often combined with EEG .....................................................................................70
1. Signals measured with active electrodes........................................................................70
2. Signals measured with specialized sensors ....................................................................71
XIV. Basic file reading and analysis steps for EEG / ERP in EEGLAB................................73
A. Start M ATLAB and EEGLAB...........................................................................................73
B. Select File->Import data->From BioSemi BDF File using BIO SIG .................................73
C. Browse to the file and double-click on it. ..........................................................................73
D. ImportBDF dialog..............................................................................................................73
1. Reading only part of the file ..........................................................................................73
2. Event channel designation .............................................................................................73
3. Reference .......................................................................................................................73
XV. Electrode care and cleaning ...............................................................................................74
A. Five Rules of thumb:..........................................................................................................74
1. Clean with water ............................................................................................................74
2. Dry with paper towel; store away from direct sunlight. ................................................74
3. No soap; avoid contact with metals...............................................................................74
4. Remove from cap gently ................................................................................................74
5. Keep connector dry........................................................................................................74
B. Handling.............................................................................................................................74
1. Remove electrodes from cap and connector from A/D box gently................................74

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 2.
Remove from cap gently ................................................................................................74
3.
Connector ejectors..........................................................................................................74
4.
Keep connector clean and dry ........................................................................................74
5.
M inimizing electrode drift .............................................................................................74
C. Cleaning .............................................................................................................................75
1. Use warm tap water........................................................................................................75
2. Soft brush if necessary ...................................................................................................75
3. Dry with paper towel, and air dry fully..........................................................................75
4. No soap ..........................................................................................................................75
5. Clean before allowing to dry..........................................................................................75
D. Storage/M odifications/Splitting of the flat cable ...............................................................75
1. Avoid contact with metal...............................................................................................75
2. Avoid light .....................................................................................................................76
3. Avoid airtight storage containers ...................................................................................76
4. Do not split cables..........................................................................................................76
E. M alfunctions ......................................................................................................................76
1. If an electrode is not operating as specified, please do the following: ..........................76
F. Life span (Life expectancy) ...............................................................................................76
XVI. Battery maintenance.......................................................................................................78
A. Overview ............................................................................................................................78
1. Two batteries supplied ...................................................................................................78
2. Battery type....................................................................................................................78
3. Standard battery capacity...............................................................................................78
4. Double capacity battery .................................................................................................78
5. Useful life.......................................................................................................................78
6. Charge time ....................................................................................................................78
7. Reduced capacity ...........................................................................................................78
B. Advice and cautions ...........................................................................................................78
1. Charger to use ................................................................................................................78
2. Overcharging..................................................................................................................78
3. Diminished capacity.......................................................................................................78
4. Storage ...........................................................................................................................78
5. Charge maintenance .......................................................................................................79
6. Ensure power at charger source .....................................................................................79
7. When to recharge ...........................................................................................................79
8. Battery meter..................................................................................................................79
C. See also details on battery use/maintenance in user manual..............................................79
XVII. Troubleshooting ActiveTwo..........................................................................................80
A. ActiView display: partial screen or blue/gray screen ........................................................80
1. Changing your display mode settings in Windows........................................................80
2. If a suitable display mode is not available .....................................................................81
B. Noisy active electrodes ......................................................................................................81
1. The “one-bucket test”.....................................................................................................82
C. CM in range does not come on while a participant is connected.......................................83
1. Possible causes ...............................................................................................................83
2. Troubleshooting procedure ............................................................................................84

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 D. The system worked earlier, but now I get error 5000 ........................................................85
XVIII. Other technical details not elsewhere documented ........................................................86
A. Structure of the CFG file....................................................................................................86
1. Options that are set in ActiView and saved in the text .CFG file ..................................86
2. Options that you may want to adjust in the text .CFG file (underlined below) .............86
Appendix A. Disinfection Guidelines......................................................................................88

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I. Intended use of the system
A. Applications
The BioSemi ActiveTwo measurement system is designed to measure potential
differences on the human or animal body surface. The system is successfully used to
record signals originating from the brain (electroencephalography, EEG), the heart
(electrocardiography, ECG), and the muscles (electromyography, EM G) for research
purposes. The ActiveTwo system can be adapted to these different applications by using
different versions of the (active) electrodes. Besides body surface potentials, the
ActiveTwo system can acquire signals from a wide range of additional sensors, in order
to measure variables like body temperature, muscle force, etc.

B. Research use only – not a medical device

The ActiveTwo is designed, and intended to be used as an instrument for scientific
research only. The electrophysiological data acquired with the ActiveTwo is meant to be
used within the framework of scientific research. The system is not intended for medical
applications. The system is not approved or allowed to be used for diagnosis or treatment
of disease, and the measured data shall not be used as a basis for any medical decision.
The system is not certified as a M edical Device as defined in EU directive 93/42/EEC,
Article 1, Sec 2 (a) (European Union), or as defined in the Federal Food Drug &
Cosmetic (FD&C) Act, Chapter II, Sec 201 (h) (USA). Because the ActiveTwo is
designed as an instrument for research, it offers a flexibility that cannot be offered in a
system designed for patient treatment. For example, the hardware configuration and the
open-source software are highly configurable to adapt the system to various demands of
different research applications. This flexibility, however, also allows the user to choose
configurations and/or software modifications that lead to corrupted data being measured.
This is the mains reason that the system shall not be used for diagnosis or treatment of
patients. M oreover, the system is meant to be used only by skilled professionals.

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Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
II. Educational resources available to ActiveTwo users
A. This booklet
This booklet was first developed in February of 2006 for use in a training course
provided by Cortech Solutions in Wilmington, NC USA. We expect to update it
periodically.

B. ActiveTwo User Guide

BioSemi has done an excellent job of documenting the ActiveTwo hardware in the
ActiveTwo User Guide. This document is always available on the ActiView software
CD.

C. On-site installation and training

Take advantage of the opportunity to have an experienced technician visit after a new
ActiveTwo purchase to help install the system/software and train you and your colleagues
in its operation and maintenance.

D. Web site of Cortech Solutions (US/Canada representative)

Visit www.cortechsolutions.com, especially the Support section.

E. Web site of BioSemi (manufacturer of ActiveTwo)

Visit www.biosemi.com, especially the FAQ (frequently-asked questions) section.

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III. Cautions: what NOT to do.
A. Do not attempt to use the system before familiarizing yourself
with the documentation.
M ost operator errors that result in damage to the system can be avoided by familiarizing
yourself with the system documentation, especially this section and the sections covering
Electrode Handling and Battery M aintenance.

B. Do not connect any AC powered device to the A/D box.

Connecting an AC powered signal source to the A/D box will decrease the signal to noise
ratio of other signals measured by the A/D box and it can pose a safety risk. An optional
auxiliary Analog Input Box is offered for this purpose.

C. Do not allow active electrode tips to come into contact with

any other metal.
Contact between dissimilar metals can result in corrosion and reduction in electrode
performance (e.g. increased noise).

D. Do not store a full-depleted battery.

When a battery enters shutdown mode (red Shutdown LED on front panel of battery
comes on during system operation and power to system is lost), it is in its most fragile
state. It is imperative to place the batter on the charger immediately to prevent further
loss of charge that could result in permanent damage to the battery.

E. Do not use soap to clean gel / paste from the electrodes.

Wash electrodes immediately after use with warm water to remove gel / paste residue.
Soap can accelerate the loss of Chloride from the electrode pellets, and its use on a
routine basis should be avoided.

F. Do not soak electrodes in any liquid for more than 10 minutes

at a time.
Prolonged soaking of the electrodes allows liquid to penetrate the ceramic electrode
pellet, softening it, and making it more vulnerable to breakage. Soaking the electrodes in
liquid for a prolonged period of time also results in corrosion, or loss of electrode
material.

G. Do not plug connectors into system in the wrong orientation.

Attempting to force connectors into the system in the wrong orientation can damage input
connectors on the A/D box, necessitating costly and time-consuming repairs.

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 H. Do not use alligator clips or other metal conductors to
connect signal inputs to the active electrodes.
Connecting alligator clips or other metal conductors to the active electrodes will result in
corrosion and it will most likely result in permanent damage to the active electrodes. Use
the one- and two-bucket methods described in the Troubleshooting section to short inputs
or to conduct signals to the system inputs.

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IV. Components and accessories of the system
Starting at the participant and working in the logical direction of the host PC.

A. Consumable supplies
1. Electrolytes for use with active
electrodes

a) SignaGel (by Parker Laboratories,

Inc.)
SignalGel is the recommended electrolyte for
most applications. As a polymer, it remains
conductive for hours. The product has been
designed, manufactured and packaged under the
strictest conditions, resulting in consistent
quality and safety as well as a long shelf life.

b) Others you might consider using

(1) Electro-Gel (Electro-Cap International, Inc.)

(2) Lectron III, Chloride 10 (Pharmaceutical Innovations,

Inc.)

(3) Ten20 (Weaver and Company)

(4) Elefix (Nihon Kohden America)

c) Electrolytes to avoid
(1) Abralyt (Easy-Cap GmbH)
Contains unnecessary pumice.

(2) QuikGel (Compumedics Ltd)

Accelerates electrode corrosion.

2. Syringe to inject gel into head-cap electrode holders

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 a) MonoJect syringe with integrated,
curved plastic tip
M ore expensive, but also more appealing to
participants

b) 10 cc Luer-Lok syringe
Use with 15 or 16 gauge blunt-tipped needle

3. Double-sided adhesive electrode rings for

use with flat-type active electrodes

a) 13 x 5 (mm, od x id) – roll of 500

b) 20 x 8 – roll of 500

c) 12 x 4 (pkg. of 100)
d) 19 x 4 (pkg. of 100)
4. Other consumable items you might
find useful

a) Distilled water
Used with table salt for balancing electrodes and for testing /
troubleshooting. Tap water will suffice for washing and occasional
testing, but distilled water is best for routine electrode balancing.

b) NaCl (non-iodized table salt)

M ixed with water for electrode balancing and for testing / troubleshooting.

c) Medical tape
Use 3M M icropore paper tap to hold electrodes or
leads in place or to bundle leads together. Avoid
cloth (Durapore) or transparent (Transpore) tape, as
these tapes leave residues.

d) Disinfectant solution
Below is a list of disinfectant solutions in ascending order of effectiveness
AND ascending order of deleterious effects on electrode materials.

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 (1) Hydrogen peroxide

(2) Isopropyl alcohol 70%

(3) Intermediate-level disinfectants

(a) Eco Tru (Enviro Systems)

(b) Envirocide (Me trex)

(4) Not recommended – high-level disinfectants

(a) Me tricide (Me trex)

Accelerates loss of Chloride from electrodes,
drying/cracking of lead-wire insulation and bleaching of
electrode/head-cap labels

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 B. Comfortable, flexible head caps for the ActiveTwo system
The ActiveTwo head cap was developed in cooperation with
Dr. Peter Praamstra at the Behavioral Brain Sciences Center,
University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. The head cap
consists of an elastic cap with plastic electrode holders. The
cap itself does not contain electrodes - only plastic electrode
holders that receive the pin-type active electrodes. The caps
have ear-slits for easy access to the ears. Head-caps are
provided with an elastic / velcro chin strap for fixing the cap
in place, but body harnesses with criss-cross chest straps are also available. The fabric
template of the standard caps is suitable for positioning electrodes at traditional 10/20
positions.

1. Sizes and layouts

Caps are available in a wide range of sizes and with a variety of electrode position
layouts:
Size Color Head Circ. # Sites Std. Layout Boys Girls
Infa 6 Red 22-26 cm 32 10/20 premature infants
Infa 5 Blue 26-30 cm 32 10/20 premature infants
Infa 4 Yellow 30-34 cm 32 10/20 premature infants
Infa 3 Brown 34-38 cm 64 10/20
0 - 1 mo. 0 - 1.5 mo.
Infa 2/3 Pink/Brown 36-40 cm 64 10/20
0 - 2 mo. .5 - 3 mo.
Infa 2 Pink 38-42 cm 64 10/20
1 - 3.5 mo. 1.5 - 5.5 mo.
Infa 1/2 Lt Blue/Pink 40-44 cm 64 10/20
2 - 6.5 mo. 3 - 9 mo.
Infa 1 Light Blue 42-46 cm 64 10/20
3.5 - 10.5 mo. 5.5 - 15.5 mo.
X-Small/Infa 1 Green/ Light Blue 44-48 cm 64 10/20
6.5 - 19 mo. 9 - 28 mo.
X-Small Green 46-50 cm 128 10/20 or ABC
10.5 - > 36 mo. 15.5 - > 36 mo.
Small/X-Small Yellow/Green 48-52 cm 128 10/20 or ABC
19 - > 36 mo. 28 - > 36 mo.
Small Yellow 50-54 cm 256 10/20 or ABC
toddlers / children
Medium/Small Red/Yellow 52-56 cm 256 10/20 or ABC
children / teens / small adults
Medium Red 54-58 cm 256 10/20 or ABC
teens / adults
Large/Medium Blue/Red 56-60 cm 256 10/20 or ABC
teens / adults
Large Blue 58-62 cm 256 10/20 or ABC
large teens / adults
X-Large Brown 62-66 cm 256 10/20 or ABC
exceptionally large adults

Standard cap layouts for 16, 32 and 64 channels are based on the International
10/20 System. Layouts for 128, 160 and 256 channels have electrode positions
that are radially equidistant from CZ. The electrode position coordinates of
standard ActiveTwo head caps are available from the
www.cortechsolutions.com/Downloads.htm web page.

The images below provide a top view of the 32, 64, 128, 160 and 256 channel
standard head cap layouts.

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 a) 32 channel layout

b) 64 channel layout

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 c) 128 channel layout

d) 160 channel layout

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 e) 256 channel layout

C. Active electrodes
1. Pin-type electrodes on ribbon
cable

a) Typical application:
EEG
These electrodes are designed to
be used with the ActiveTwo
electrode holders, especially with a head cap, for measuring EEG.
Standard electrode sets contain 32 active electrodes, and are labeled
according to either 10-20/10-5 positions or arbitrary A1-32, …H1-32
nomenclature.

b) Custom applications: ECG, EMG, etc.

It is possible to mount the plastic electrode holders in a different fabric
garment to permit measurement of other signals. For example, a tight -
fitting shirt with electrode holders and pin-type active electrodes could be
used to measure ECG from an array of electrodes on the torso. Other

ActiveTwo Operating Guidelines Page - 11

Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
 garments could be designed for positioning electrode holders over muscles
of interest for measurement of surface EM G.

c) Latest design improvements

The latest iteration of the pin-type active electrode design includes:

(1) Sintered Ag/AgCl pellet material improved

A new, harder electrode pellet resists moisture and stands up to
abuse better. Epoxy joint at cable entry to prevent separation.

(2) Strain relief on top of connector to further resist

separation at cable entry

(3) Improved protection against electrostatic discharge

(4) Label (e.g. A1-32) positioned on top of connector

(5) Serial number on side of D connector

The serial number aids our record keeping and tracking of
manufacturing issues according to manufacture date/batch. Please
do not remove it.

2. Flat-type electrodes with individual leads/connectors

a) Standard applications: EOG,

ECG, EMG and EEG reference
The flat-type active electrodes were
designed specifically for use on bare skin
for measuring EOG, ECG, EM G or EEG
at mastoids, earlobes, nose, nape of the
neck, etc. In these applications, you should use the double-sided adhesive
electrode rings to adhere the electrodes to the skin. Peel the adhesive
electrode ring off of its paper backing, apply the ring to the plastic
electrode housing taking care to position the opening in the ring around
the electrode pellet (note that the pellet is closer to the electrode ring than
you might expect, and it is not directly opposite the electrode label). After
sticking the ring to the electrode and before removing the protective paper
cover, apply a small amount of conductive electrolyte gel to the electrode
pellet. Then, remove the paper backing from the adhesive ring.
Following this procedure should help remove any excess gel that might
otherwise prevent the adhesive from sticking to the skin. Some cleaning
of the skin with an alcohol prep pad may be required in case of excessive
makeup, sweat or dry skin.

ActiveTwo Operating Guidelines Page - 12

Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
 b) Other applications: EEG
To record EEG from the scalp, you can use the flat-type active electrodes
with an adhesive electrode past such as Ten20 paste or Elefix.
Alternatively, you can use collodion (glue) to apply the electrodes to a
participant’s scalp for sleep studies or other long-term monitoring
applications (use only non-acetone remover). Take care to use the same
electrolyte paste for the CM S/DRL and EEG reference electrodes.

c) Latest design improvement

Flat-type active electrodes now have a stronger wire to address problems
with leads breaking at the junction with the active electrode. This new
wire can be distinguished from the old wire by the fact that the new wire
has a light gray color and no printing on the insulation jacket, whereas the
old wire had a dark gray color and printing on the jacket.

D. A/D box
1. ActiveTwo User
Manual
See the latest version of the
ActiveTwo User M anual for
detailed specifications and
operating instructions for the
A/D box.

2. New features of the

Mark II A/D box
The new M ark II (mk2) A/D box has the capacity for 280 channels total. The
mark II design also includes the capability to be daisy chained with other A/D
boxes in a master-slave relationship (slave boxes must have Optical In port on
front panel which is added as an extra cost option). In certain circumstances (e.g.
daisy chaining), the M ark II boxes can provide greater numbers of channels at
bandwidth settings previously supported.

3. Front panel

a) Aux connectors
(1) Left-most
(Aux1) now
carries CMS/DRL
(common)

(2) Aux 2 and Aux

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Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
 3 typically carry 1 – 2 bipolar sensor signals
(a) Sensor options (see Optional Non-EEG Sensors below for
more de tails)

(i) Skin conductance

(ii) Respiration

(iii) Temperature

(iv) Pulse / plethysmograph

(v) Other sensor options

(a) Microphone

(b) Photocell

(c) Accelerometer

(d) Load cell

(e) Custom

(b) Safe ty and signal-quality pre caution

Aux inputs are on the patient-connected side of the device,
so avoid connecting AC-powered signal sources to these
inputs. Doing so could result in an unsafe situation and/or
reduction of signal quality on other channels.

b) LED indicators
(1) Power (green)
On indicates power is reaching the A/D box from the battery.

(2) CM in range (blue)

On indicates CM S/DRL electrodes are adequately connected to
subject and no fault conditions (over/under-current) are detected.

(3) Low-battery (red)

On indicates low-battery state, activated when 20% of battery
capacity is reached.

c) Speed-mode dial
This dial sets the overall sample-rate and bandwidth of system. The final
sample-rate to file is a function of both the speed-mode and the

ActiveTwo Operating Guidelines Page - 14

Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
 decimation-ratio set in the ActiView software. See the ActiveTwo User
Guide for more details on setting the speed mode.

Before setting the speed mode, first identify if your A/D box is model
M k1 or Mk2. To do so, see the ‘About ActiView’ tab-page in the
ActiView software, where the model will be identified after the software
has communicated with the system at least once since boot. The rotary
switch can be used to select 8 different speedmodes for the A/D box
(speed-mode 9 is reserved for use as Analog Input Box). Use a small
screwdriver to rotate the switch to the preferred number according to the
table below. After changing the speed-mode, switch the A/D box off and
on again to reset the ADCs. Changing the speed-mode having the power
connected is not harmful to the electronic circuitry, but the
synchronization between channels may be lost.

Sample- A/D box Mk2

SpeedMode A/D box Mk1
rate
PIN + TP PIN + TP
Sensors Sensors
ch. ch.
2048 Multi box use:
0 256 + 0 No
(2 kHz) In speedmode 0-3, the
4096 A/D boxes work as up
1 128 + 0 No
(4 kHz) to 4 optical fiber ‘daisy
8192 chained’ boxes, each
2 64 + 0 No
(8 kHz) with a maximum of
128+8 channels @
2kHz. The speedmode
switch = box number.
16384 (0=Box1, 1=Box2,
3 32 + 0 No
(16 kHz) 2=Box3, 3=Box4).
Daisy chain possibilities
are not included in the
standard base system.
2048 256+8 Yes
4 232 + 8 Yes
(2 kHz)
4096 128+8 Yes
5 104 + 8 Yes
(4 kHz)
8192 64+8 Yes
6 40 + 8 Yes
(8 kHz)
16384 32+8 Yes
7 8+8 Yes
(16 kHz)
8 AIB-mode AIB-mode AIB-mode AIB-mode Yes
9 Reserved Reserved Reserved Reserved Reserved

Note: When an auxiliary analog input box (AIB) is connected, the A/D
box should always be on SpeedM ode 4.

The acquisition software adjusts automatically to the selected speed-mode

(check the indicator in the “about ActiView” tab page). You should close
and restart the ActiView software after changing the A/D box speedmode,
to prevent selectors from remaining disabled in the new speed-mode.

ActiveTwo Operating Guidelines Page - 15

Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
 d) DC input (battery connector)
Note that the cable is attached to the battery, rather than the A/D box or
AC charger supply. The A/D box is not intended to be operated from AC
power.

e) Optical output
Fiber optic signal cable from A/D box to optical receiver

f) Optical input – optional

M ark II A/D boxes optionally can have two (2) fiber-optic connectors on
the front panel, one input and one output. The input is active only when
operating the system in slave mode as part of a daisy -chain of multiple
A/D boxes (speed modes 1-3).

4. Top panel

a) 68-pin D connectors labeled A1-32 to H1-32

(1) Each connector carries 32 monopolar channels of data
from a single ribbon cable

(2) A1-32 represents inputs 1-32, B1-32 inputs 33-64, and so

on

(3) Standard configuration expects active electrodes; not

suitable for passive electrodes (custom configuration
possible)

b) Key-shaped two-contact
connectors labeled EX1-
EX8
(1) Each connector
carries one monopolar channel of data

(2) Standard configuration expects active electrodes; not

suitable for passive electrodes (active adapter for passive
electrodes available)

ActiveTwo Operating Guidelines Page - 16

Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
 E. Battery unit
1. Overview

a) Two standard batteries

supplied with each base system
b) Standard battery is high-capacity, rechargeable, lead-
acid type with no memory effect
c) Standard battery capacity: approximately 15 hours with
72 channels, 10 hours with 136 channels and 5 hours with
280 channels
d) Useful life defined as over 1000 charge/recharge cycles
e) Fully-depleted standard battery with full capacity will
take approximately 3.5 hours to charge
f) Reduced charge time reflects diminished capacity
2. Advice and cautions

a) Use only supplied charger

b) Not possible to overcharge using standard charger
c) If capacity is significantly diminished (charge time less
than 3 hours), cycle battery fully 3-5 times by
charging/discharging/charging until capacity (charge time)
increases to normal.
d) Never store a fully-depleted battery; store only fully
charged
e) Battery will maintain a charge for weeks/months while
stored at normal operating temperature. Recharge stored
batteries frequently to avoid deep discharge.
f) If power at source is lost while battery is connected to
charger, the charger forms a partially open circuit that will
slowly drain the battery. Leaving this situation too long can
cause permanent damage. If you doubt the reliability of

ActiveTwo Operating Guidelines Page - 17

Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
 your power source, disconnect charged batteries from the
charger as soon as the Ready LED comes on.
g) Connect battery to charger after using approximately
75% of capacity.
h) See meter in ActiView for current battery state or place
on charger when Low Battery LED comes on.

F. Battery charger and AC adapter

Sophisticated charging unit with intelligence to maintain
optimal battery performance and maximize useful life
coupled with a unique 9V, 3A AC/DC converter.

1. Charger front panel

a) Red “Full Charge” LED

On indicates battery charge is 0-90%, so full charge is being delivered

b) Yellow “Trickle Charge” LED

On indicates battery charge is 90% or greater.

c) Green “Ready” LED

On indicates battery is fully-charged.

d) Charge output connector

Socket for connecting cable from battery unit

2. Charger rear panel

a) DC power input connector

Connect power from AC/DC converter

b) Fuse
Replaceable 5 AM P fuse

3. Connections

a) Connect AC adapter to charger

b) Plug AC adapter into AC socket
c) Connect battery unit to charger

ActiveTwo Operating Guidelines Page - 18

Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
 G. Fiber-optic cable
1. Advantages

a) Perfect electrical isolation

Eliminates current leakage problems between host
computer and patient-connected device, which
yields better signal quality and ensures safer
operation.

b) Eliminates interference pickup

Length of fiber cable between front-end and host PC can run next to other
power and signal cables without picking-up interference.

c) Longer cable runs

Cable runs up to 50 meters are possible without signal loss. Standard
cables are 3 meters in length.

2. Description

a) Unidirectional fiber-optic communication lead between

optical output connector on front panel of A/D box and
optical receiver / USB 2.0 interface
b) Standard multimode (62.5/125), simplex, ST-ST cable
3. Cautions
Note that this cable is made of glass fiber and is somewhat delicate. Take care to:

a) Avoid running-over the cable with rolling chair wheels

b) Avoid closing the cable in doors
c) Avoid setting heavy objects on the cable
d) Avoid positioning connections so that ends of cable are
subject to shear stress

ActiveTwo Operating Guidelines Page - 19

Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
 H. Optical receiver / USB 2.0 interface
Receives digital data via unidirectional fiber-optic cable
from the A/D box

1. Advantages

a) Portability
M akes ActiveTwo completely portable when used with a notebook
computer

b) Flexibility
Programmable logic allows easy changing of number of channels and
sample rate

c) Electrical isolation
Trigger inputs remain galvanically isolated from A/D box, electrodes and
patient

d) No unwieldy AC supply required

Easy power supply from PC via USB 2.0 port

e) Simplifies troubleshooting
LED indicators for data input and output

f) Easy Windows XP installation

When performed properly, installation under XP takes only a few minutes

2. Front-panel

a) Fiber-optic input connector

b) Data input LED (left of fiber-optic connector)
On indicates power is being received from host PC via USB interface and
data are being received from A/D box.

c) USB 2.0 output connector

d) Data output LED (right of USB connector)
On indicated data are being requested by application via driver on host
PC. This LED will not come on unless data are being requested by host
for display or storage.

ActiveTwo Operating Guidelines Page - 20

Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
 3. Optical receiver / USB interface:
rear panel
The rear panel contains the system’s 37-pin
digital I/O connector

a) 16-bit trigger input port

Pins 1-16 of this port represent bits 0-15 of the 16-bit trigger input port.

b) Digital output port

Pins 17-31 of this port represent bits 0-14 of the digital output port
(accessible to developers and for custom applications only – not presently
utilized by the standard ActiView software).

c) System clock signal output

The system’s clock signal is carried out to pin 32 of the 37-pin digital I/O
connector.

d) Ground on pin 37
Pin 37 carries the system ground. Connect to ground of trigger port of
stimulus computer or ground of other devices connected to trigger port.
Use caution when considering connecting this ground to a device that the
subject will come in contact with (e.g. a button box), as this can
compromise system safety and reduce signal-to-noise ratio of
physiological measurements.

I. Optional non-EEG sensors

A variety of sensors other than the active electrodes are available for use with
ActiveTwo. In general, a “sensor” consists of a transducer with some specialized
electronics and one or two dedicated amplifier/converter channels installed in the A/D
box. Sensor inputs are on the middle and right-most circular DIN connector on the front
panel of the A/D box. If there are any sensors installed in the A/D box, labels above the
circular connectors on the front panel of the A/D box will indicate what type of sensor
electronics are installed at the connectors. If labels above the connectors read “Aux2”
and/or “Aux3”, no sensor electronics are installed on the associated connector.

1. Respiration
A Nihon Kohden TR-753T respiration belt is
provided with a cable wired for use with one of
the three available circular DIN connectors on the
ActiveTwo front panel. Strong reliable signals
are produced, because the respiration belt uses the
ActiveTwo system's power supply. An additional
LabVIEW module is delivered with the system
when a respiration belt is ordered.

ActiveTwo Operating Guidelines Page - 21

Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
 2. Skin conductance (SC)
With this ActiveTwo accessory, the conductance
of the skin can be measured. The SC option
consists of 2 passive electrodes to induce an
oscillatory signal exactly synchronized with the
system's sample-rate. The skin conductance
option is wired to one of three available circular
DIN connectors on the ActiveTwo front panel.
Because the skin conductance accessory uses
"lock-in detection", the stimulus-current can be as
low as 1uA. The low-current and synchronized
oscillator ensure that the biopotential
measurements (EEG, EM G or ECG) are not corrupted by the skin conductance
oscillator signal.

In models produced before mid-2005, these couplers were configured to measure

skin resistance or galvanic skin response (GSR). ActiView software version 5.35
or later automatically identifies whether the ActiveTwo system has a 16 Hz or
512 Hz coupler. To check which model you have, setup the ActiveTwo system
and start the ActiView software to view incoming data for a few seconds. Then,
select the "Auxiliary Sensors" tab, and check the "GSR units" indicator in the left
sidebar:

 “unit = Ohm” means a 512 Hz GSR coupler is installed

 “unit = nanoSiemens” means a 16 Hz skin conductance coupler is
installed

The version of coupler installed can also be checked by identifying the "physical
dimension" of the “GSR” channel in the header of the BDF file (field 13 of the
header, see http://www.biosemi.com/faq/file_format.htm).

The GSR signal itself is the result of processing in ActiView, and only reflects
(slow) impedance/conductance variations. The original excitation frequency is
not present in the signal. In other words: FTT or any other analysis of the GSR
signal stored in the BDF file will not reveal the underlying 16 or 512 Hz
excitation signals.

The GSR signals to file are not filtered (bandwidth is the anti-aliasing filter
frequency as displayed in the right sidebar). However, the frequency of the
excitation frequency imposes a limit in the maximal frequency of the variations in
impedance/conductance that can be measured. With the 16 Hz GSR, a full wave
of the excitation signal is necessary to calculate a conductance value. This means
that a new GSR value can only appear every half-wave, or every 31.25 ms. At a
2048 Hz sample rate, the BDF file will contain 64 identical samples for each
single GSR value). In other words, the effective sample rate of the GSR is 32 Hz,
and consequently GSR variations faster than 16 Hz are ignored (Nyquist

ActiveTwo Operating Guidelines Page - 22

Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
 theorem). Incidentally, this is the reason for the choice of 16 Hz as the best
compromise between the previous 512 Hz value and the typically used 10 Hz
value. A lower frequency makes the response to GSR changes too slow, and a
higher value results in responses that involve both resistive and capacitive
components rather than the more pure measure of skin resistance/conductance.

See the appropriate heading below for further information about the type of unit
you are using.

a) 512 Hz GSR coupler

The 512 GSR circuit in ActiveTwo uses 1 A constant current, 512 Hz
square wave signal that is synchronized with the ActiveTwo system’s
sample rate. Although these are different from the parameters often used
in GSR measurement, this design is intended to make the GSR coupler
optimally compatible with the apparatus for EEG measurement. Typical
GSR AC excitation frequencies overlap with the frequency range recorded
in EEG, thus making it difficult to measure EEG at the same time without
corrupting the signal. DC excitation can affect the EEG baseline,
producing electrode offsets that make it similarly difficult to measure EEG
simultaneously.

The LSB value (resolution) is 1 . With the 24-bit ADC, the GSR signal
has an input range of 0 to +262 k. Because ActiveTwo uses a higher
excitation frequency than most stand-alone devices, it measures smaller
absolute skin resistance values. Also, the response on subject's arousal is
an INCREASE in skin resistance, instead of the DECREASE of skin
resistance seen with DC and low frequency (up to approx. 10 Hz)
excitation. However, the response is very reliable: we measure a typical
resting skin resistance of approx. 5 k, with responses of (+) 50-100 ,
and a quick return to the baseline value after when the subject relaxes
again.

Since many analysis programs do not have a mechanism to handle units

other than uV, it is useful to know that GSR data points are scaled such
that when the GSR units are displayed in V, 1 V is equal to 1 . To
convert to Siemens, take the reciprocal of the  value (S = 1 / R). Note
that you cannot simply take the reciprocal of a resistance CHANGE,
because S2-S1 is not equal to 1/(R2-R1). So, every point should be
converted from  to Siemens separately, before calculating changes in
Siemens.

ActiveTwo’s GSR measurement works with a DC coupled amp (same as

for the EEG channels), so there is no high-pass time constant to worry
about. Any high-pass filtering would be performed in software off-line. A
low-pass filter of 3-10 Hz is usually applied off-line to reduce

ActiveTwo Operating Guidelines Page - 23

Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
 interference. ActiView displays the GSR with a 3 Hz low-pass, but the
data to file are full bandwidth (no filters are applied).

Note that the GSR sensor only works in speed modes that allow recording
of sensor channels (i.e. 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8). Remember that if you change the
speed mode, you will need to turn off the power at the battery unit and
turn it on again to let the internal firmware adjust itself to the new speed
mode.

Also, your ActiView CFG file must enable the use of sensors. Since most
systems are sold without GSR measurement capability, the default
configuration files that come with new versions of software contain a code
that disables the sensors. To edit the CFG file, open it in Windows
Notepad, and go to the section entitled [FreeChoice]. Look for the code:

AuxFree=0%

If you find this, change it to:

AuxFree=1%

Remember that, if you do not explicitly select a CFG file, the

DEFAULT.CFG file in the same directory as the .EXE is used. Once you
open the ActiView program and the CFG file you want to use is active,
click over to the sensors page to be sure that the GSR sensor is selected for
display. When you click Start File, be sure to enable saving of sensor
signals by selecting the option to “Save displayed sensors”.

Note that the CM S and DRL electrodes must be attached to the subject
and connected to the system, and the blue “CM in range” light must be on
for GSR measurement to work properly. Also, the green "GSR in range"
lights should be on when GSR electrodes make adequately low impedance
contacts with the subject. Note that the green GSR lights always remain
off if the blue CM light is off. GSR can only be measured with the blue
CM light and the green G SR lights glowing.

Finally, if the GSR signal looks flat after you have made all of the other
settings, it may be that you need to increase the scale of the GSR signal on
the display. There is a scale tool at the left side of the Sensors display
page.

b) 16 Hz SC coupler
The 16 Hz SC circuit in ActiveTwo uses 1 A constant current, 16 Hz
square wave signal that is synchronized with the ActiveTwo system’s
sample rate. The 16 Hz design is intended to make the SC coupler
consistent with traditional SC methodology. Although the 16 Hz

ActiveTwo Operating Guidelines Page - 24

Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
 excitation frequency might be expected to interfere with simultaneous
EEG measurements in ActiveTwo, testing has confirmed that there is
minimal influence from the 16 Hz excitation frequency on the EEG signal.

The LSB value (resolution) with the 16 Hz SC frequency is 1

nanoSiemens. With the 24-bit ADC, The SC signal has an input range of
574 nanoSiemens (1.7 M Ohm) to 262,000 nanoSiemens (3.8 kOhm).
With the 16 Hz SC coupler in ActiveTwo, the response on subject's
arousal is an INCREASE in skin conductance (DECREA SE in skin
resistance), instead of the INCREASE of skin resistance seen with the 512
Hz GSR.

Since many analysis programs do not have a mechanism to handle units

other than uV, it is useful to know that SC data points are scaled such that
when SC units are displayed in uV, 1 uV is equal to 1 nanoSiemens. To
convert to Ohms, take the reciprocal of the Siemens value (R = 1 / S). For
example: 10,000 nanoSiemens is 100 kOhm. Note that you cannot simply
take the reciprocal of a conductance CHANGE, because R2-R1 is not
equal to 1/(S2-S1). So, every point should be converted from Siemens to
 separately, before calculating changes in .

ActiveTwo’s SC measurement works with a DC coupled amp (same as for

the EEG channels), so there is no high-pass time constant to worry about.
Any high-pass filtering would be performed in software off-line. A low-
pass filter of 3-10 Hz is usually applied off-line to reduce interference.
ActiView displays the SC signal with a 3 Hz low-pass, but the data to file
are full bandwidth (no filters are applied).

Note that the SC sensor only works in speed modes that allow recording of
sensor channels (i.e. 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8). Remember that if you change the
speed mode, you will need to turn off the power at the battery unit and
turn it on again to let the internal firmware adjust itself to the new speed
mode.

Also, your ActiView CFG file must enable the use of sensors. Since most
systems are sold without SC measurement capability, the default
configuration files that come with new versions of software contain a code
that disables the sensors. To edit the CFG file, open it in Windows
Notepad, and go to the section entitled [FreeChoice]. Look for the code:

AuxFree=0%

If you find this, change it to:

AuxFree=1%

ActiveTwo Operating Guidelines Page - 25

Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
 Also, since the change from the 512 Hz GSR to 16 Hz SC, the default
channel labels for the SC couplers (two couplers per A/D box are possible)
in the ActiView software CFG files have not been modified from G SR1
and GSR2 to SC1 and SC2. You may wish to make this change in your
CFG files for clarity. Look for the entries “Aux1=GSR1” and
“Aux2=GSR2” and change the labels to the right of the = sign to “SC1”
and “SC2” or “SCR1” and “SCR2”.

Remember that, if you do not explicitly select a CFG file, the

DEFAULT.CFG file in the same directory as the .EXE is used. Once you
open the ActiView program and the CFG file you want to use is active,
click over to the sensors page to be sure that the SC1 and/or SC2 sensors
are selected for display. When you click Start File, be sure to enable
saving of sensor signals by selecting the option to “Save displayed
sensors”.

Note that the CM S and DRL electrodes must be attached to the subject
and connected to the system, and the blue “CM in range” light must be on
for GSR measurement to work properly. Also, the green "GSR in range"
lights should be on when GSR electrodes make adequately low impedance
contacts with the subject. Note that the green GSR lights always remain
off if the blue CM light is off. GSR can only be measured with the blue
CM light and the green G SR lights glowing.

Finally, if the GSR signal looks flat after you have made all of the other
settings, it may be that you need to increase the scale of the GSR signal on
the display. There is a scale tool at the left side of the Sensors display
page.

3. Temperature
With this high precision temperature sensor from
HP (Agilent 21078A), skin temperatures can be
measured. The temperature sensor directly plugs
into one of the three available circular DIN
connectors on the front panel of the ActiveTwo
A/D Interface Box. An additional LabVIEW
module is delivered with the system when a
temperature sensor is ordered.

4. Pulse / plethysmograph
This Plethysmograph sensor from ADI instruments
(M LT1020) uses an infrared photoelectric sensor
to detect changes in tissue blood volume. The
Plethysmograph sensor directly plugs into the front
of the ActiveTwo. An additional LabVIEW
module is delivered with the system when a

ActiveTwo Operating Guidelines Page - 26

Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
 Plethysmograph sensor is ordered. This sensor can be ordered with a finger clip
(/F option), with a Velcro strap (/p option) or with an ear clip (see picture, /E
option). Click here for the .pdf specifications of the plethysmograph.

5. Jazz vigilance monitor

The Jazz vigilance monitor system was developed
by a Polish academic research group, led by Prof.
Ober. A special 'synchronic' version is offered for
interfacing directly with the ActiveTwo. The
synchronic Jazz system consists of 3 building
blocks: 1) the head mounted eye monitor, 2)
transmitter with twin fiber-optic connection (data
out, sync in), and 3) receiver with twin fiber-optic
connection and RS232 output. Note that there is
no head position/orientation monitoring capability,
so Jazz cannot be used to derive 'point-of-regard' from eye-position, as would
typically be possible with an eye-tracking system, unless the subject's head is
immobilized. The sample-rate of Jazz is synchronized with the ActiveTwo
sample rate via a sync connection between ActiveTwo receiver and Jazz receiver.
The Jazz data interfaces to the ActiveTwo host PC via the RS-232 port. The
ActiView acquisition software combines the ActiveTwo data (via USB2 port) and
Jazz data (via RS-232 port).

6. Active strain gage

BioSemi can equip your force transducer with a
miniature (15x30mm) precision strain gage amplifier.
This makes your strain gage active. The output signal
is processed by the ActiveTwo A/D box just like any
other active sensor. The advantages are that all
influences of the connection cable are completely
eliminated, there is no cable interference and there is no
temperature drift. The Active strain gage contains a low-noise, low-power, zero-
drift, chopper-stabilized differential amplifier. The power supply is from the
ActiveTwo A/D box (16mA total bridge current). The modification to the Active
strain gage can be performed for quarter, half and full bridge strain gage
configurations. The supplied LabVIEW module automatically zeros the bridge
and amplifier offset on startup. No further hardware trimming is necessary. The
photo shows a precision force measurement for finger pressure, the amplifier is
sealed in resin on the left side of the ergometer. Note that the Active strain gage
needs 2 extra channels.

ActiveTwo Operating Guidelines Page - 27

Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
 7. Microphone
M icrophone to record audio stimuli and responses.
A highly effective built-in spherical filter
minimizes wind and breath 'pop' noise. Connects
directly to the standard BioSemi ActiveTwo Ergo
input on the A/D box.

8. Dual response switch

Response switches for direct connection to the
AUX (front) connectors on the A/D box. The
setup with the response switches connected
directly to the A/D box ensures accurate timing of
the response moments (pulse is mixed directly
with the incoming EEG signals) as well as
optimal isolation of the subject (no grounded
equipment near the subject). Using the USB
trigger port with a response box also provides
good timing, but has the disadvantage of bringing
the safety grounds near the subject. The BioSemi Response switches connected to
the A/D box will make sure your response timing is accurate and your subject
isolation remains optimal.

J. ActiView software
ActiveTwo is provided with a free, open-source data
acquisition software program called ActiView.
ActiView is optimized for use with ActiveTwo, and it
provides mechanisms for visualizing and storing
signals from all of the system’s available sensors,
including specialized sensors like the Jazz Synchronic
Vigilance M onitor. The source code is provided so
that 1) users have access at the most basic level to
understand how their data are being treated, and 2)
developers can easily modify the standard application to add specific functionality they
need. ActiView has been developed using National Instruments LabVIEW, so the source
code is provided in the form of LabVIEW llb files, and developers must have access to
LabVIEW to view and modify the source code. See the sections on ActiView Software
Installation and Operating the ActiView Software for detailed instructions on using the
software.

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Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
V. ActiveTwo hardware setup
A. Connect the ActiveTwo components
The diagram below shows how to connect the basic components of the ActiveTwo
system. Note that there are a wide variety of other sensors that can be used with
ActiveTwo, and those are not depicted here. In general, other sensors would be
connected to the Aux 2 or 3 inputs.

B. Ensure that electrodes and sen sors have been applied

properly to participant
See the section above on applying electrodes to ensure that the electrodes and sensors are
properly connected to the subject.

C. Plug the electrodes and sensor s into the A/D box

Plug electrodes and sensors in at their designated locations. See above section for details.

D. Verify the speed mode

Check the Speed Mode dial on front panel of A/D box to be sure that it is set according to
the requirements of the current study. Refer to the ActiveTwo User M anual for detailed
specifications and instructions.

E. Turn on power
Depress the power switch on the battery unit connected to the A/D box.

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Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
 F. Verify that the CM in Range light comes on
If CM in Range does not come on, then verify that you followed the steps described
under Applying Electrodes. Failing that, see the section on Troubleshooting.

G. Start the ActiView software

See the section on Operating the ActiView Software for details.

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Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
VI. ActiView software installation
A. Computer requirements
Ensure that your host PC meets the following requirements:

1. Windows XP, SP2

2. USB 2.0 interface

If you wonder whether your computer has a USB 2.0 interface, check Device
M anager for an “Enhanced USB Host” entry. This is “code” for USB 2.0.

3. Adequate display resolution

The four resolutions below are specifically supported, but other display modes
providing at least 1024 lines will work fine. Display modes with fewer than 1024
lines present a problem, because ActiView does not dynamically resize to the
current display mode.

a) WSXGA = 1440 x 900 at 16:10 aspect ratio (laptop /

notebook)
b) SXGA = 1280 x 1024 (LoRes)
c) UXGA = 1600 x 1200 (HiRes)
d) WUXGA = 1920 x 1200 (Wide)
4. Windows user rights
You must have local administrative rights to install ActiView and the LabVIEW
Runtime Engine. Often, the USB driver will install properly even if the current
user does not have administrative rights. Note that if your network administrator
forces software installed by local users to be located in a specific folder with
access rights limited to one user or group (e.g. on a network drive), the access to
the ActiView application may be limited to the current user or members of the
same security group. Consult with your network administrator to determine the
correct user rights required for optimal installation and operation of ActiView.

B. Copy software from web or place CD in drive

1. Use CD
Insert the ActiView software CD in the drive of the host computer, or …

2. Download latest software from BioSemi.com

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Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
 Retrieve the desired version of ActiView software, associated version of the
LabVIEW Runtime Engine and the USB interface driver from
http://www.biosemi.com/download.htm.

Note: there are low-resolution (LoRes), high-resolution (HiRes) and high-

resolution + wide (Wide) versions of ActiView 5.34 available for download.
Each operates at a fixed resolution as described above.

C. USB Driver Installation

a) Disconnect fiber-optic cable
Driver installation will fail if fiber-optic cable is connected to USB
interface and to A/D box with A/D box power on during the driver
installation procedure.

b) Connect USB cable

Connect the USB cable to the front panel USB connection on the optical
receiver / USB 2.0 interface.

c) “Windows Update” question – IMPORTANT!

Windows will detect the USB device and it may bring up a dialog box
asking whether it can search Windows update to find a suitable driver.
IMPORTANT: ANSWER ‘NO’ TO THIS QUESTION!

d) Next, Windows will ask whether it can find the best

driver automatically.

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Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
 (1) If you have the BioSemi CD in the drive
Select the option, “Install the software automatically”, and
Windows will find the driver.

(2) If you downloaded the software from the BioSemi web

site

(a) Be sure to unzip the contents of the downloade d zip file

to a folde r on your PC.

(b) Sele ct the option to “Install from a list or spe cific

location”, and click Ne xt to proceed.

(c) Sele ct “Include this location in the se arch”, and type the
path to the folde r whe re you place d the drive r or use the
Browse option to locate the folde r.

(d) Click Next to procee d.

e) Success = BioSemi icon

If Windows finds and installs the correct driver, you will see the BioSemi
icon in the final dialog box.

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Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
 D. LabVIEW Runtime Engine Installation
ActiView 5.34 and later require LabVIEW Runtime Engine (LVRTE) version 7.1. Note
that other versions of ActiView may require different versions of LVRTE. See the table
at http://www.biosemi.com/download_actiview.htm for a list of ActiView versions and
the version of LVRTE required for each (a link to download each is also provided).

1. Locate “LVRunTimeEng.exe”
Open Windows Explorer. If you are installing from the CD, then browse to the
BioSemi CD, and find the folder containing the LVRTE self-installer called
“LVRunTimeEng.exe”. If you downloaded ActiView and LVRTE from the
BioSemi web site, then browse to the folder in which you placed the
“LVRunTimeEng.exe.”.

2. Double-click LVRunTimeEng.exe
The LVRTE installation will begin.

3. Click through the installation using all default settings

E. Copy the ActiView application to a local folder

1. Create a new folder under \Program Files
Create a folder for the selected version of ActiView:

“<DriveLetter>:\Program Files\ActiView\<VersionNumber_Resolution>\”

where “<DriveLetter>” is the letter of the drive that contains your existing
Program Files folder and <VersionNumber_Resolution> is the version number of
the ActiView software and resolution (e.g. LoRes). Assuming multiple versions
of ActiView that you want to use rely upon the same version of the LVRTE
(http://www.biosemi.com/download_actiview.htm), you can have multiple
versions of ActiView installed on the PC at once.

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Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
 2. If you downloaded ActiView
If you downloaded the ActiView application, it will be contained in a ZIP archive
file from which you will need to extract the application and associated files.
Place the extracted files in the folder you created in step (1) above.

3. If you are installing from the CD

If you are installing ActiView from a BioSemi CD, then select a version of
ActiView that will be compatible with the highest-resolution display mode that
your computer can comfortably display. WSXGA = 1440x900, SXGA = 1280 x
1024 (LoRes), UXGA = 1600 x 1200 (HiRes) and WUXGA = 1920 x 1200
(Wide). Place all of the files associated with the chosen version of ActiView in
the folder you created in step (1) above.

4. Check the files in the ActiView folder

The ActiView folder should contain the following files:

Exact names for the .EXE, .INI and .LLB files will differ depending upon which
version of ActiView you chose in the step above.

Note that the .CFG files will be recognized as M icrosoft Office Outlook
configuration files if you have M icrosoft Outlook installed.

Note also that, beginning with version 6.00, CFG files with channel label schemes
matching the 1020 head caps are located in the folder named “Configuring”.

5. Create a Windows shortcut to ActiView

Right-click on the file with the .EXE extension in the ActiView folder and select
Create Shortcut. Rename and move the shortcut file to your Desktop
(<DriveLetter>:\Documents and Settings\<YourUserNameHere>) or to the
shared desktop (<DriveLetter>:\Documents and Settings\All Users) to make it
convenient for other users to find and access the shortcut.

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Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
VII. Applying electrodes and sensors to participant
A. Applying pin-type active electrodes
1. Familiarize yourself with basic skull surface anatomy
If you are not already familiar with the surface anatomy of the skull, familiarize
yourself with the important landmarks used in EEG positioning. These are:

a) Nasion
b) Inion
c) Left preauricular
point (LPA) and right
preauricular point
(RPA)
d) Vertex
(intersection of lines
between nasion/inion
and left/right
preauricular points),
also know as Cz
2. Fit the head cap

a) Measure head circumference

to select proper cap size
M easure the circumference of the
subject’s head just above the eyebrows
and over the inion at the back of the head.
Use this circumference measurement as a
guide in choosing a head cap size. Fifteen
cap sizes are available, but most users
have access only to a few sizes. Cap sizes are intended to fit a four
centimeter range of head circumferences, so the tightness of fit will vary
depending on whether your participant falls near the upper or lower end of
the range for a given cap.

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Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
 b) Measure nasion-inion distance before applying head cap
and divide this distance by two
M easure the distance from nasion to inion and divide by two to determine
the proper location of the Vertex electrode (in 10/20 or 10/5 terminology,
the Vertex is referred to as Cz). Remember this measurement.

c) If participant has long hair, fix mastoid or earlobe

electrodes before putting-on the head-cap
Hair long enough to cover the mastoids or earlobes
will make it difficult to impossible to fix mastoid or
earlobe electrodes after putting on the cap, so fix at
least these flat-type electrodes before putting on the
head cap. Note that it is also advisable for a subject
with long hair to let their hair down and distribute it
evenly around the back and sides of the head to
minimize the barrier it can form preventing
electrolyte gel from contacting the scalp. Follow
the steps under Apply flat-type active electrodes
below to apply these electrodes.

d) Put the cap on the participant’s head

Standing behind the participant, 1) place the frontal electrode holders on
the forehead (taking care not to let them slip over the participants eyes),
and 2) stretch the cap back over the head. Finally 3) reach under the
participant’s chin and fix the chin strap. Some participants may find it
helpful to place tissue or gauze under the chin strap for comfort and to
avoid chafing.

1 2 3

e) Measure nasion-to-inion
distance and adjust cap position
from front-to-back
After putting on the cap, measure to be sure
that the vertex electrode is where it should
be. With caps labeled according to the
10/20 or 10/5 system, the vertex electrode
site will be labeled Cz, but in the standard
ActiveTwo 128, 160 and 256 channel head

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Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
 caps, the vertex will be labeled A1. M ost often, the cap will be slightly
too far back on the head at first.

f) Position vertex at half-way point

between LPA and RPA
Open the ear-slit in the left side of the head
cap and find LPA. Place the zero point of the
measuring tape at LPA. Stretch the tape over
the head as close to the vertex electrode as
possible while trying to avoid placing the tape
over electrode holders. Note that if one side
of the tape goes over electrode holders and the
other side of the tape goes next to electrode
holders, the measurement of the half-way point will be inaccurate. Open
the right ear-slit in the cap and find the measurement at RPA. Divide this
distance by two to determine the correct position of the vertex from left-
to-right.

g) Ensure cap is not rotated

Standing behind (or in front of) participant, visualize a line following the
center hole in each of the midline electrode holders from vertex toward the
front of the head. If this line does not line up with the nose, then rotate the
cap to line up the midline electrodes with the nose.

h) Repeat the above steps

Repeat the steps above one last time to ensure vertex is at half-way point
between nasion/inion and LPA/RPA and cap is not rotated.

3. Fill electrode holders with electrolyte gel

a) If using SignaGel…
If using SignaGel, remove the plunger from a clean syringe, and inject
approximately 10 ml of gel into the syringe. This is a suitable amount for
about 64 channels. Use less gel if you have fewer channels. Replace the
plunger.

b) If using another electrolyte that does not come in a

tube…
If using another gel that does not come in a tube, decant 10-20 ml of gel
into a disposable cup. This helps avoid contamination of the vessel
containing the electrolyte. Remove the needle if you are using a Luer-Lok
syringe. Then, place the tip of the syringe into the gel in the cup, and pull
back on the plunger to pull approximately 10 ml gel into the syringe. This
is a suitable amount for about 64 channels. Use less gel if you have fewer
channels. If you removed the needle from the syringe, replace the needle.

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Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
 c) Inject gel into the first
electrode holder
Place the tip of the needle or
syringe (tip) into one of the
electrode holders, being careful to
touch the scalp and lift the syringe
away from the head as you press
the plunger. If you hold the tip at
the scalp and do not pick up while
pressing the plunger, the gel will spread across the scalp rather than
forming a conductive column from the scalp to the top of the electrode
holder. As your first site, choose a position where the hair seems to be
fullest. IMPORTANT – do not abrade the scalp as is traditionally done
with other EEG systems. This will only increase the risk of breaking the
skin, which can result in infection.

d) Ask the participant whether they feel the gel at the scalp
If the participant does not feel the cold sensation of the gel at the scalp, the
use the tip of the syringe to part the hair (touch the scalp with the tip and
rock gently back-and-forth once or twice) and then inject a small amount
of gel. Ask the participant again if they feel the gel. If so, then proceed to
the next step. If not, then try another location where the hair is less full.
Repeat this until the participant reports feeling the cold sensation of the
gel on the scalp. Use this self-report technique any time you doubt
whether the gel is making contact with the scalp.

(1) Important notes about electrode contact impedance

With ActiveTwo, the gel simply needs to make contact with the
scalp and with the electrode (which will be placed in the electrode
holder later) to measure excellent quality signals. The ActiveTwo
system has very high input impedance, so it is very tolerant of high
impedance contacts at the skin. For the most part, skin impedance
levels (and differences in skin impedance) are not important
factors in signal quality measured with ActiveTwo. There are two
main exceptions to consider:

(a) Ve ry high impe dance contacts

There is a relatively narrow range (very unlikely, and
occurs very infrequently) of possible skin impedance levels
at which ActiveTwo will exhibit higher input noise (e.g. 60
Hz common mode interference) or instability (e.g. low-
frequency drift), so it is sometimes necessary to touch-up
contacts at one or two sites to address noisy signals.

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Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
 (b) Skin potentials
Be aware that no bio-amplifier system, including
ActiveTwo, can distinguish between local variations in skin
potential and local variations in very low frequency
potentials resulting from brain activity. Below is a sample
of the low-frequency artifact associated with skin potentials
and sweat to assist in recognizing this phenomenon:

We recommend designing your experiment and your

experimental procedure to minimize the possibility that
skin potentials will corrupt your EEG measurements. Here
are some suggestions for minimizing skin potentials:

(i) Design your lab space with adequate ventilation.

Surprisingly enough, people often go to great
lengths to build a shielded room with special
electrically-quiet lighting, but they forget about
ventilation and temperature control. Have your lab
space designed with more ventilation and range of
temperature control than you would expect to need,
especially if you have an electrically shielded room
and/or are using low-voltage halogen lighting.

(ii) Use a fan to move air through the room.

If you do not have control over heating and cooling
systems, then use a simple electric fan to increase
air flow around the participant. Keep the fan as far
as is practical from the subject, and make sure that
you follow the recommendations below for twisting
the CM S/DRL electrode leads around the leads of
the active electrodes to minimize pickup of
magnetic noise associated with the fan’s electric
motor.

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Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
 (iii)Ask your participants to layer their clothing.
Suggest that participants wear a short-sleeve shirt
with a sweat shirt or sweater so that they can
remove a layer if they get too warm. Warm
participants will produce spontaneous skin
potentials that will require high-pass filtering to
remove.

(iv) Use an electrolyte gel with higher salt content.

SignaGel contains no Chloride. To minimize
susceptibility to skin potential artifact, especially
that associated with physical exertion by the subject
during the recording session, use an electrolyte gel
containing Chloride. Lectron III, Chloride 10 is a
good choice. Do not use Abralyt or Quik-Gel as
these products contain other undesirable
ingredients.

e) Fill the remaining electrode

holders with gel
This is the second most time-consuming
step of applying an electrode head cap.
It is important to use only enough gel in
each site, and it is important to try to fill
each holder, but practice this procedure
to minimize the time it takes to fill all of
the holders.

f) Insert the pin-type

active electrodes into the
head-cap
Drape a ribbon cable containing
pin-type electrode holders
around your neck and over your
shoulders. Observe that pin 1
and channel 1 are on the side of
the ribbon cable with the red
line. Take a group of four or
eight electrodes at one or the
other end of the cable in one
hand, being careful to control the others so that they do hit the participant
in the eye.

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Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
 g) Drape ribbon cables over the participant’s shoulder
After applying each pin-type active electrode set, drape the ribbon cable
over the participant’s shoulder so that you do not step on them as you
move around.

h) Insert CMS and DRL

electrodes
On newer systems, CM S and DRL
are on a special lead with a circular
DIN connector that fits in to the left-
most circular jack on the front panel
of the A/D box. On older systems,
CMD and DRL are included as the
last two electrodes on the A1-32
electrode set. Note that on new systems, the pins on the first D connector
serving CM S and DRL are still connected, so if you plug in an A electrode
set with CM S/DRL and a circular DIN connector with CM S/DRL, the
safety circuit of ActiveTwo will be engaged, causing the CM in Range
light to go out and making it impossible to record meaningful data.
IMPORTANT: Be careful to avoid electrolyte bridges between CM S
and/or DRL and active electrodes. An electrolyte bridge (short) between
any active electrode and DRL will result in very high noise in the signal
measured from the active electrode. An electrolyte bridge between any
active electrode and CM S will result in a flat-line (no voltage can be
measured between two shorted contacts).

B. Apply flat-type active

electrodes
If you will use flat-type active electrodes to
measure EOG, ECG, EM G or EEG reference
(that you did not apply before putting on the
head cap), then apply those at this time. Some
cleaning of the skin with an alcohol prep pad
may be necessary in case of excessive makeup
or sweat.

Note that it is possible to use only flat-type

active electrodes (without a head-cap), but
you must always have CM S and DRL
connected to the subject. In this case, you will need to have a special flat-type CM S/DRL
set that plugs into the front panel of the A/D box. If you are not using the head cap, you
may wonder where the CM S and DRL electrodes should be positioned. The location of
DRL is not particularly important – it just needs to be on the body. For convenience,
position DRL within about 3 inches of CM S. The location of CM S is theoretically
important, since it is effectively the common. If possible, position CM S near the middle

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Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
 of the electrode array. If the density of the electrode array does not permit this, then
position CM S as close to the electrode array as possible. IM PORTANT: Be careful to
avoid positioning CM S and DRL too close to other electrodes. An electrolyte bridge
(short) between any active electrode and DRL will result in very high noise in the signal
measured from the active electrode. An electrolyte bridge between any active electrode
and CM S will result in a flat-line (no voltage can be measured between two shorted
contacts).

1. Peel the adhesive electrode ring off of its paper backing

2. Apply the ring to the plastic electrode housing

Take care to position the opening in the ring around the electrode pellet. Note
that the pellet is closer to the electrode ring than you might expect, and it is NOT
directly opposite the electrode label.

3. Apply gel to electrode contact

After sticking the ring to the electrode and before removing the protective paper
cover, apply a small amount of conductive electrolyte gel to the electrode pellet.

4. Then, remove the paper backing from the adhesive ring and
attach to participant
Remove the paper backing and place the electrode where you want it. Note that
when you position the electrode, you will be looking at the label side. Remember
that the electrode contact is at about the junction of the lead wire with the plastic
housing, rather than directly under the label. Following the procedure outlined
here should help remove any excess gel that might otherwise prevent the adhesive
from sticking to the skin.

5. Drape leads over the participant’s shoulder

After applying each flat-type active electrode, drape the lead over the participant’s
shoulder so that you do not step on them as you move around.

C. Connect the electrodes to the A/D box

Plug the electrodes that are attached to the participant into the A/D box.

1. Pin-type electrodes: ribbon cables with 68-pin D connectors

The ribbon cables with 68-pin D connectors are labeled A1-32, B1-32, etc. Plug
these connectors into the A/D box first, taking care that the connector is oriented
so that the label is legible to you if you are standing facing the front of the A/D
box. (Note that ribbon cable sets are available with flat-type electrodes, although
this configuration is typically only required for dense surface EM G
measurements.)

IMPORTANT: Take care to plug connectors in the correct orientation to

avoid costly damage to connectors on the cables or on the A/D box.

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Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
 Attempting to plug-in a D connector in the wrong orientation can result
in a bent pin on a 68-pin D connector (electrode ribbon cable).
Attempting to plug-in a damaged D connector can result in damage to
the mating D connector on the top of the A/D box. Since all of the
connectors on the top of the A/D box are mounted to a single input
board, a single damaged input connector may require the entire input
board to be replaced.

2. Flat-type electrodes: individual leads (two lead cable) with

key-shaped connectors
Individual leads with key-shaped connectors are intended to plug-in at EXG1-8
on the top panel of the A/D box. Note that the labels on the electrodes match
labels on the connectors, so it is a good idea to be consistent in connecting these
leads to the A/D box in such a way that the labels match. That said, the labels in
the electrodes are somewhat arbitrary, and it is possible to plug in an electrode
labeled EXG1 at the jack labeled EXG2 without any ill effects aside from the
obvious potential confusion that could result. (Note that individual leads with
key-shaped connectors are available with pin-type electrodes to supplement the
standard electrode array provided by the head cap + ribbon cable or as quick-
insert leads to replace a faulty electrode from a 32 channel ribbon cable on an
emergency basis.)

3. CMS/DRL set with circular DIN connector (Important: keep

leads together!)

a) IMPORTANT: Wrap the CMS/DRL cable around the

other electrode and sensor cables
Wrap CM S/DRL around the other cables 3-5 complete turns before
plugging it into the front of the A/D box to help minimize magnetic
interference pickup. Use medical tape or Velcro cable ties to keep the
cables close to one another. This is an important step to ensure you
measure the absolute best quality data possible.

b) Insert the circular DIN connector at the front panel of

the A/D box
Insert the connector taking care to position it in the correct orientation.
Press-in and turn the plastic ring on the DIN connector until it is snug. Do
not over-tighten as the plastic ring can break.

4. Verify that the blue CM in Range LED comes on

CM in Range serves more than one purpose, but it must be ON to record
meaningful data.

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Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
 a) CM in Range: solid blue (on) = CMS and DRL connected
to participant and A/D box
CM in Range will not come on if the CM S and DRL electrodes are not
connected to the participant, if there is not adequate gel to make contact
with the participant’s skin and if the CM S/DRL cable is not connected to
the A/D box.

b) CM in Range: solid blue (on) = No faults detected

CM in Range will not come on if any over-current or under-current state is
detected at the CM S electrode. Such a situation can be caused by a faulty
active electrode or a connector / cable serving any active electrode. An
over current situation theoretically could be caused by current flowing via
a leaky ground of another device the subject is in contact with, but you
would have to be extremely unlucky to encounter this circumstance.

D. Apply any additional sensors

ActiveTwo supports a variety of other sensors for measuring physiological and non-
physiological signals. A current list is maintained in the Accessories section under
ActiveTwo on the Cortech Solutions web site (www.cortechsolutions.com). New sensor
options are periodically added, so check the web site if you have not looked at it recently.
If you need a sensor that was not provided with your system or that you do not find in the
Accessories listing under ActiveTwo on our web site, please contact us.

1. Skin conductance (SC)

M easuring SC is more complicated than measuring signals with some of the other
sensors available for use with ActiveTwo, so we have provided some specific
procedural recommendations.

a) Preparation
(1) Start with clean electrodes
Tarnish on the electrodes may affect the baseline resistance
reading, but it will not affect the ability of the system to measure
changes in skin conductance.

(2) Wash your hands

Always wash your hands with soap and water before applying
electrodes to someone else. If you have any breaks in the skin of
your hands, or any “weeping” rashes or lesions, wear examination
gloves.

(3) Wash the participant’s hands

Always have the participant wash his/her hands with soap and
water and dry them thoroughly before applying electrodes. This
helps to equate the degree of skin hydration across participants.

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Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
 (4) If the subject has any breaks in the skin or weeping
lesions on his/her hands near the recording sites, DO NOT
RUN THAT SUBJECT.

b) SC electrode application
(1) Select an electrolyte to use as a conductive medium.
Skin conductance is best measured using an electrolyte formulated
specifically for skin conductance measurements rather than the
strongly hypertonic solutions generally used for EEG or ECG
measurements. Keep the electrolyte container closed between
uses. Do not use SignaGel or other electrolyte solutions with high
salt concentrations for GSR. One option is to have a local
compounding pharmacist make a batch of electrolyte paste
according to one of the recipes found in:

Lykken, D.T., & Venables, P.H. (1971). Direct M easurement of

Skin Conductance: A Proposal for Standardization.
Psychophysiology, 8, 656- 672.

(2) Apply paste evenly to the surface of the electrode.

Avoid creating air bubbles in the paste. Fill the electrode well to
the top to insure contact between the entire electrode surface and
the skin. Overfilling will cause paste to spread out under the collar
when the electrode is applied to the subject, resulting in variation
in the electrode contact area and poor adhesion of the collar. If you
overfill the electrode, use the side of a toothpick to grade off the
excess paste.

(3) Select a location and affix electrodes

Press the electrode in place on the subject with the lead wire
running in an appropriate direction. Be careful not to move the
electrode after contact with the skin. Press firmly on the electrode
to be sure that it adheres tightly to the skin. Use paper tape to hold
the electrodes in place. The double-sided adhesive rings pictured
below are an option, but tape usually works best with paste
electrolytes.

(a) Option 1 (standard

placement)
Affix the electrodes to
the volar (palmer) surface
of the distal phalanges
(the fingerprint region) of
the left hand. Run the
leads down the fingers

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Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
 toward the palm, and wrap a loop of paper tape around the
lead and medial phalange of each finger to relieve stress on
the electrode. Further secure each electrode with a loop of
paper tape around the fingertip.

(b) Option 2 (alternative

placement)
If the subject has cuts or
callouses on his/her
fingertips, or if he/she has
slender fingers that make
it difficult to secure
electrodes to the
fingertips, opt instead for
the thenar and hypothenar eminences of the subject's left
hand. Place the electrodes so that the leads travel toward
the wrist and secure them at that point with a strip of paper
tape.

(4) Connect electrodes to A/D box

Connect the SC electrode leads at the circular DIN connector
marked GSR on the front panel of the A/D unit. If you are not
also recording EEG, then position flat-type CM S and DRL
electrodes on the back of the hand about 2 inches apart. Be sure
that the CM in Range light comes one when the CM S and DRL
electrodes are connected and the A/D box power is on. Skin on the
arms and hands tends to be dryer than elsewhere on the body and
may require some preparation (moistening with water or
electrolyte gel) for adequate conductivity to be achieved. If CM in
Range comes on, no further skin preparation for CM S/DRL or for
the SC electrode sites should be necessary.

(5) Adaptation period

Reliable recording requires an adaptation period of at least 10
minutes (15-20 minutes is recommended for research in which
within-session change in skin conductance level is an important
variable). This period allows equilibration of hydration and sodium
at the interface between the subject's skin and the electrode paste.

2. Respiration
The ActiveTwo respiration sensor is a Nihon Kohden TR-
753T respiration belt. Two channels on the ActiveTwo are
modified in order to provide a bipolar signal. Strong
reliable signals are available because the respiration belt
uses the power supply from the ActiveTwo system. The
respiration belt directly plugs into the front of the

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Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
 ActiveTwo.

3. Temperature
With this high precision temperature sensor from HP
(Agilent 21078A), skin temperatures can be measured. The
temperature sensor directly plugs into the front of the
ActiveTwo.

4. Plethysmograph
This Plethysmograph sensor from ADI instruments
(M LT1020) uses an infrared photoelectric sensor to
detect changes in tissue blood volume. The
Plethysmograph sensor directly plugs into the front of the
ActiveTwo. This sensor can be ordered with a finger clip
(BS-AT-PSF option), with a Velcro strap (BS-AT-PSP
option) or with an ear clip (BS-AT-PSE).

5. Other sensors
Sensors other than those above are generally provided with a connector designed
to plug into a circular DIN jack labeled Ergo1 or Ergo 2 on the front panel of the
A/D box. Regardless of whether these are physiological sensors, it is still
necessary for the CM S and DRL electrodes to be connected to the participant and
for the CM in Range light to be on (indicating the system has a stable common
against which to measure electrical potential) for meaningful signals to be
measured.

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Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
VIII. Operating the ActiView software
A. Start ActiView
Start ActiView by double-clicking the ActiView .EXE file or the shortcut you created
pointing to the .EXE file. A window like the one below should appear.

B. Select a configuration (.CFG) file

Note that the file DEFAULT.CFG located in the current directory (the directory in which
the ActiView executable (.EXE) file you are using is located) will be loaded
automatically when ActiView is started.

1. If you want to ensure that a particular .CFG file is loaded on

startup
Rename the old DEFAULT.CFG to OLD_DEFAULT.CFG, and save your
desired configuration file as DEFAULT.CFG.

2. To force the operator to select a .CFG file on startup

Delete or rename DEFAULT.CFG and do not replace it. When ActiView goes to
find DEFAULT.CFG, it will bring up a Windows File Open dialog box and ask
the operator to select a .CFG file. If you have a busy lab with multiple

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Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
 experiments being conducted with the same equipment, it is advisable to use this
strategy to ensure that the operator chooses the right .CFG file (to the degree that
the operator is aware of which .CFG his experiment requires).

3. To load a CFG file manually, follow these steps:

a) Select About ActiView

This tab can be found at the upper right side of the ActiView screen.

b) Select Load Config

This button can be found at the top of the left-hand panel. A Windows file
dialog will appear showing the contents of the current directory. The
current directory will be the directory in which the ActiView program
(.EXE) exists.

c) Select a configuration (.CFG) file, and click OK

When the ActiView screen returns, the new settings will have been
loaded, but their effect may not be seen until you return to the Monopolar
Display tab (upper left) and click Start to start viewing the incoming data.
Note in particular that the Channel labels will not update until after the
Start button has been pressed. Other parameters such as Sample Rate and
Bandwidth, which depend on the current setting of the Speed M ode dial on
the front of the A/D box, will not be updated unless the program has
communicated at least once with the A/D box (either before or after the
.CFG was loaded).

C. Verify the equipment is properly connected

See ActiveTwo hardware setup for guidelines on connecting the equipment.

D. Turn on the A/D box power and verify the contacts at CMS
and DRL
Once the equipment is connected, depress the power switch on the battery unit connected
to the A/D box and follow the instructions under Electrode Offset below to verify that the
CM S/DRL electrodes are properly connected to the subject and that there are no other
problems that would prevent you from recording meaningful data.

E. Verify the Decimation Ratio and Screen Length settings

Decimation Ratio and Screen Length are the two main parameters you will need to verify
before clicking Start below. These two parameters cannot be adjusted while data are
being displayed.

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Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
 F. Click on Start to display data
Start will display the incoming signals in the ActiView screen. Regardless of how good
or bad the signals look in this view, we recommend that you visit the Electrode Offset tab
(see below) to check the stability of the electrode contacts.

G. Select Electrode Offset to check electrode contacts

The Electrode Offset tab displays a running average of the voltage measured between
CM S and each active electrode. This value is not convertible to impedance, and it should
not be considered the functional equivalent of impedance. Relatively low, stable
electrode offset is a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for measuring good quality
physiological signals from active electrodes.

1. Which electrode contacts are responsible for high electrode

offsets?

a) CMS/DRL not connected

Offset values exceeding the input range of the A/D converter (+-262 mV)
across all channels, suggest that the CM S/DRL connection is not intact.

b) CMS/DRL OK, but certain active electrodes not

connected
Offset values exceeding the input range of the A/D converter at fewer than
the total number of channels suggest that the CM S/DRL connection IS
intact, but contacts at the measurement sites (active electrodes) ARE NOT
intact.

2. Assuming electrodes are connected to the subject, what

does Electrode Offset measure?
Electrode offset reflects the half-cell potential of the electrode/gel/skin interface.
Differences in offset are mainly attributable to the attachment of stray ions at
electrode tips (oxidation) or the loss of ions from the tip (corrosion). If you take
good care of the electrodes (following the Electrode Handling guidelines in the
ActiveTwo User Manual), you should see mainly small variations in offset that are
easily tolerated by the system.

3. Verify low, stable offsets across channels

Verify that offsets at each active electrode are between +-40 mV and they do not
oscillate rapidly when the participant moves his or her head back and forth. It is a
good idea to ask the participant to move while viewing the offsets to ensure a
good, stable connection.

4. If offsets are all at the maximum level: CMS/DRL

Stable contacts at CM S and DRL are necessary for measuring low, stable offsets
on other channels. If offsets at all channels are at +262 mV, then the CM in

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Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
 Range LED is probably off. It may be necessary to part the hair or add electrolyte
gel to make a stable contact at CM S/DRL.

5. If offsets only at certain channels are at the maximum level

If some channels show high offsets, but the majority show low, stable offsets,
then part the hair with the syringe tip and add gel at the offending sites.

H. Select Monopolar Display tab to view incoming signals

Once you have done what is necessary to create low, stable electrode offsets at all of the
active electrodes, you should click over to the M onopolar Display tab to view the
incoming signals.

1. Settings to use in checking electrode contacts

To maximize the information you get from the M onopolar Display tab during the
process of electrode contact checking, we recommend the following settings.

a) Set Channels to include the range of inputs you are using

If you are using 32 active electrodes on the first 68-pin connector for
ribbon cables (labeled A1-32; normally used for pin-type active
electrodes), then select A under the Channels selector. If you are using
128 active electrodes on four ribbon cables plugged in at the first four D
connectors (A1-32 … D1-32), then select ABCD under the Channels
selector.

b) Set Reference to None (Raw)

Selecting None (Raw) under Reference will show you the voltage reading
at each active electrode with respect to CM S (effectively, the Common).
Note that this view is consistent with the way signals are stored by
ActiView – unreferenced. The unreferenced view is helpful in identifying
noisy channels, and it eliminates the possibility that the digital reference
subtraction will make a saturated (flat signal; voltage exceeding the input
range of the A/D converter) channel look like it is in range and measuring
a meaningful signal.

c) Turn off display filters (Low-Pass and High-Pass)

The High-Pass and Low-Pass filters should be ff to maximize your ability
to see unwanted low and high frequency interference. Use this unfiltered
view to guide you in finding sources of interference and eliminating them
before you start recording data. To turn the display filters off, click on the
green with the green highlight in the center below each filter title to
change its state to gray or off.

2. If the signals all look fine

You may find that all of the signals look perfectly reasonable at this point. If so,
then you should proceed to Recording Data below.

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Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
 3. If you see unstable signals, even though the Electrode
Offsets are low and stable
After verifying low, stable electrode offsets, you may find a few channels on the
M onopolar Display tab show high 60 Hz noise or low-frequency interference
(unstable baseline). If this occurs, follow these steps:

a) Remove the active electrode at the offending site.

b) Insert the syringe tip and touch the scalp.
c) Gently rock the syringe back-and-forth 2-3 times to part
the hair.
d) Apply more gel, but only if…
If no gel is visible at this site or you think you may not have applied gel
here during preparation, then apply more gel. Be careful to avoid using
too much gel, because this can result in electrolyte bridges between two
active electrodes or between an active electrode and CM S or DRL.

e) Repeat the above steps until satisfactory signals are

achieved from all active electrodes.
f) If you still have noisy channels after trying everything
If you find that certain channels do not respond to your efforts to eliminate
60 Hz noise or unstable baseline, see the section on Troubleshooting
below for assistance.

I. Record data
1. Click Start File
Start File is at the lower right side of the M onopolar Display page, and it is
available only while viewing data (see above).

2. Designate which groups of channels you want to save to the

file
A dialog box will come up asking you to designate which channels ActiView
should save.

a) Predefined channel groups

Use the drop-down menu to select a predefined group of channels or to
choose to save the channels that currently are being displayed (M onopolar
Displayed Channels).

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Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
 b) Additional channels (EXG channels, sensors, AIB
channels)
Use the selector buttons to indicate whether to save the eight EXG
channels, the displayed sensors (use the list on the sensors tab to change
which ones are displayed before starting the Save File process), AIB
channels, etc.

3. Set a path and file name for saving data

If the path specified in the current CFG file exists, then a Windows file dialog will
come up allowing you to choose a path and file name for the saved data. If the
path in the CFG file does not exist, then an error message will come up. Click out
of the error message, and use the Windows file dialog to choose/create a folder in
which to save the data file. After your session is finished, you may want to save
the CFG file to ensure the newly selected path is active the next time this CFG file
is used.

4. IMPORTANT: ActiView is still Paused!

Note that after all of the above steps, the software is still not saving data.
ActiView comes up in Paused mode, and it is necessary to “un-pause” manually
or using a reserved code from a remote computer connected to ActiveTwo via the
trigger input port. Click on Paused to switch the software to the Saving mode.
During the recording session, you can click Pause Save to interrupt data saving
(while the display continues to update) and then click Paused to resume saving.

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IX. Best practices for making good EEG measurements
A. Optimizing the laboratory environment
1. Ample room
Clear enough space in the lab for the ActiveTwo system, computer(s) and any
necessary furniture. Allow at least 2-3 feet between ActiveTwo A/D box /
participant and any source of electrical interference.

As an aside – note that people often confuse some of the environmental

requirements of our magnetic 3D digitizer products with those of ActiveTwo.
Note that these are separate issues. In most cases, a full-equipped participant
room is a uniquely bad place to measure electrode positions. If you will be using
a Patriot of Fastrak magnetic digitizer to measure electrode positions, remember
that metal objects (i.e. metal file cabinets, metal studs in walls, etc.) near the
participant can impact the accuracy of position measurements. M ount the
system’s magnetic digitizer as close as possible to the participant’s head, and then
measure the distance between the transmitter and the opposite side of the head.
Keep metal objects at least 3 times this distance from the transmitter and the
participant’s head. Note that despite the fact that Aluminum is a poor conductor
of electricity it is a particularly poor choice for use in a tripod to mount the
transmitter, as it has a strong influence on the magnetic field.

2. Separate rooms for participant and experimenter

An area with two adjoining rooms is preferred -- one sound attenuated room for
the participant and a separate area for the experimenter. Sound attenuation and
visual isolation will help your participant stay focused on the task at hand, and it
will allow the experimenter some freedom to move around and perform necessary
tasks without distracting the participant.

3. Shielded room
An electrically-shielded room often does not produce a noticeable improvement in
the quality of EEG measured with ActiveTwo. Whether it will be helpful depends
on the environment and what type of devices you decide to bring inside of the
shielded room with the participant.

a) Faraday cage (RF shielding) – not required

A Faraday cage, which is intended to provide protection against unwanted
electric fields, is generally not required with the ActiveTwo system. Note
that Faraday cages are often used to shield against radio frequency (RF)
interference, but RF is well above the frequency range of interest in EEG
(and outside the measurement range of the equipment), so RF is not a
serious concern unless the source is extremely powerful (e.g. a radio
station antenna just outside the building) or extremely close to the

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Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
 participant (i.e. a cell phone near the participant’s head). A Faraday cage
can be constructed from continuous conductive sheet metal (best
protection against RF) or copper mesh surface (walls, ceilings, floors,
windows and light fixtures covered) enclosing the participant room. A
Faraday cage around the participant room can help minimize interference
from electrical equipment (i.e. power supplies) outside the room, but this
is often futile, since electrical devices such as monitors (with integrated
power supplies) are being used inside the participant room anyway.
Examples of sources of electrical interference that may be of concern if
located too close to the participant or the ActiveTwo A/D box are
switching power supplies for monitors or other equipment, computers and
other AC powered electrical equipment

b) Mu metal enclosure (magnetic shielding) – required only

in extreme cases
A magnetically shielded room is generally not required unless there are
exceptionally strong sources of magnetic interference in the area. M ost
typical office and laboratory environments are suitable for operating
ActiveTwo without magnetic shielding. It is only in extreme cases that
magnetic shielding would be required for the operation of the equipment.
Even in extreme cases, if one part of the building poses a magnetic
challenge, a different room in the building will be just fine. Examples of
sources of strong magnetic interference that may be of concern are M RI /
NM R equipment in adjacent rooms and large electrical motors associated
with elevators, trains or other heavy equipment in the immediate area
around the lab space.

4. Lighting
Lighting in the participant room can be a source of electrical interference and
heat, both of which can be problematic for EEG recording. Special attention
should be paid to selecting light fixtures that provide adequate illumination while
emitting minimum heat. In general, fluorescent lighting produces the greatest
amount of electrical interference. AC incandescent lighting is better, but still
somewhat electrically noisy. The best option for minimizing electrical
interference in a lab environment is low-voltage DC lighting. DC lights normally
use halogen bulbs, which generate more heat than incandescent bulbs, so be
careful to select DC lighting that does not generate excessive heat or compensate
for the extra heat by providing extra AC / ventilation.

5. Ventilation
Ventilation and temperature control are important variables in preparing the
participant room. Be sure that you have adequate temperature control and plenty
of ventilation in the participant room to make the environment comfortable for the
participant. You will get better data from a comfortable participant.

6. Furniture

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Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
 In general, avoid furniture with metal frames or surfaces in favor of wood or
plastic. M etal-framed tables are especially problematic. M etal-framed chairs are
generally OK, as long as they are upholstered and have minimal exposed metal.

a) Chair for participant

A comfortable low-back chair is recommended for studies in which the
participant will sit upright viewing a display or listening to sounds. A
comfortable procedure chair with localized neck support (e.g. a dentist’s
chair) has advantages for supine participant positioning over a standard
upholstered recliner, since a standard recliner places support behind the
head, placing pressure on the electrodes, rather than behind the neck away
from the electrodes.

b) Desk or table for equipment in participant area

A wood or plastic table or computer stand is recommended for use inside
the participant room. Avoid furniture with metal surfaces or metal frames
in the participant area since metal can inductively couple interference from
monitor power supplies and other powered devices in the participant room
to the participant if the participant comes into contact with the metal
surface or frame.

c) Small cart for supplies used in preparing the participant

A small wood or plastic wheeled cart may be useful for holding
consumable supplies, and if the participant room is small it is sometimes
helpful for this cart to have wheels so that it can be rolled in and out as
needed.

d) Additional small table for equipment in participant area

A small wood or plastic table is needed to hold the EEG system’s input
box. The table should be small enough that it can sit beside or behind the
participant.

B. Regular testing with the “one-bucket” and “two-bucket”

methods
To ensure the best possible performance when you have a participant connected to the
system, bench-test the system regularly without a participant to ensure everything is in
working order.

1. The one-bucket test – shorted input test

a) Fill a glass or plastic bowl or bucket with tap water and

add a teaspoon of table salt (NaCl).

b) Make sure that the ActiveTwo hardware is assembled

correctly, the power to the system is on and the ActiView
ActiveTwo Operating Guidelines Page - 57
Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
 software is up and running.
c) Connect CMS/DRL to the A/D box and submerge the
CMS and DRL electrodes in the water.
d) Connect only the offending electrode(s) to the system,
and submerge it in the salt water.
e) Observe the CM in Range light. If it goes out, then see
the section CM in Range does not come on in the ActiveTwo
Operating Guidelines booklet.
f) Set Channels (left panel of ActiView monopolar display
tab) to display only the used channels, set the Scale (upper
left corner) to 100 uV/div, set Reference (left panel, lower)
to None (Raw).

g) Observe the signal on all connected channels over the

course of 5 minutes. If you see anything other than flat
traces in this test, it may be helpful to save the data (save
only the monopolar displayed channels) so that you can
send them to your support contact for advice or assistance.
(1) If the signal starts out relatively flat and becomes noisy
over time
This is a sign that the electrode pellet may have lost some of its
Chloride. This is a sign that it is nearing the end of its useful life.

(2) If the signal starts out noisy but becomes quiet over the
course of 3-5 minutes
This is most likely a sign that the electrodes started out dry and it
took a few minutes for the moisture to penetrate the hard electrode
material. 3-5 minutes of slightly noisy signals when starting out
with dry electrodes is within the expected range of normal
operation. To avoid this initial noisy period, try soaking your
active electrodes in salt water for 5 minutes once a week or for 5
minutes before each recording session. IM PORTANT: Soaking
active electrodes in any liquid for longer than 10 minutes at a time
is inadvisable as moisture will penetrate the electrode pellets and
accelerate corrosion (loss of electrode material), resulting in poor
electrode performance.

2. The two-bucket test – testing inter-channel calibration

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Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
 a) Fill two vessels with salt water
Fill two glass or plastic bowls or buckets with tap water and add a
teaspoon of table salt (NaCl) to each.

b) Assemble ActiveTwo and turn on power

M ake sure that the ActiveTwo hardware is assembled correctly, the power
to the system is on and the ActiView software is up and running.

c) Connect CMS/DRL to the A/D box and submerge the

CMS and DRL electrodes in the water of one vessel.

d) Connect all of the active electrodes to the system, and

submerge them in the salt water of the same vessel.
e) Perform the one-bucket test as described above.
f) Remove the active electrodes from the first vessel and
submerge them in the second vessel (separate from
CMS/DRL).
g) Set Channels (left panel of ActiView monopolar display
tab) to display only the used channels, set the Scale (upper
left corner) to 100 uV/div, set Reference (left panel, lower)
to None (Raw).

h) Use Ag/AgCl electrodes to conduct signal

Use Ag/AgCl electrodes to connect a signal generator to the test rig. Place
the electrode carrying the signal generator Common (black) to the vessel
containing CM S/DRL, and place the electrode containing the signal (red)
to the vessel containing the active electrodes. IMPORTANT – do not use
electrodes or other objects made of other metals to conduct signals into the
salt water. Electrode corrosion or oxidation can result.

i) Observe/record signal
Observe the signal on the connected channels over the course of 1-2
minutes. To determine whether the system is measuring the same voltage
across channels, save the data to a file and review it in your preferred
analysis software tool.

C. Electrode and head-cap maintenance

1. Follow the current guidelines for electrode handling
See the ActiveTwo User M anual for electrode handling guidelines. Here are
some additional suggestions.

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Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
 a) Use approved gel/paste.
Use SignaGel, Ten20 or Elefix for standard lab situations. Use Lectron
III, Chloride 10 (Pharmaceutical Innovations) if your subjects are
physically active, if temperature control in the lab is problematic, or if for
any other reason you are having problems with skin potentials. We have
found that this gel with higher Chloride content can help minimize drift
caused by sweat and skin potentials. Avoid using unapproved gel/paste
products.

b) Wash electrodes immediately after use.

c) Use warm tap water in a plastic basin for cleaning.
d) Avoid soap.
Avoid using detergents, as much as possible. Even mild detergent will
eventually facilitate the corrosion of electrode pellets and loss of Chloride
from the sintered electrode tips.

e) Avoid prolonged soaking.

Avoid soaking in water or other liquids, especially where other metal parts
are present (e.g. electrodes, sink drains, etc).

f) Choose the mildest disinfectant that meets your needs.

Be aware that disinfectant products have a detrimental effect on the
electrode contacts and the lead wire insulation. Options range from
Hydrogen Peroxide (mild) to Isopropyl Alcohol to surface level
disinfectants such as EcoTru and Envirocide to M etricide (harsh).

g) Air-dry the electrodes away from direct sunlight.

h) Store the electrodes away from direct sunlight in a non-
metallic container separate from other metal parts.
i) Use very soft brush if necessary but only infrequently.
If you notice a build-up of gel or paste on the electrodes despite regular
cleaning, brush lightly with a very soft toothbrush to clean the surface of
the electrode. Do this only infrequently, as the electrode contacts are soft
and brushing will remove material.

j) To balance offsets and minimize drift upon application,

soak electrodes in salt water for 10 minutes before use.
Use one teaspoon of table salt to one liter of tap water. This is an
especially useful procedure if you are planning to convert data to another
file format with reduced precision (i.e. 16-bit or 12-bit) for analysis.

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 Avoid soaking too long. This is an acceptable procedure to use routinely
(before every run), but it can be helpful in maintaining low electrode
offsets even if performed only after every third or fourth use of the
electrodes.

2. Follow these guidelines for head-cap maintenance

a) Wash with mild soap (e.g. dish soap) and water.

b) Choose the mildest disinfectant that meets your needs.
Be aware that disinfectant products have a detrimental effect on the elastic
fabric of the head cap. Options range from Hydrogen Peroxide (mild) to
Isopropyl Alcohol to surface level disinfectants such as EcoTru and
Envirocide to M etricide (harsh).

c) Dry flat.
Dry your head caps flat on a towel to avoid stretching.

d) Avoid heat.
Do not use heat to accelerate drying. A cool fan will accelerate drying
considerably.

D. Participant intake procedures

1. Measure head at intake, and make sure you have a head-cap
that fits snugly.

2. Instruct participants in advance to:

a) Minimize Nicotine and Caffeine use 2-3 hours before

session to minimize muscle artifact.
b) Arrive early, especially if a long walk or stairs will be
required to reach the lab.
c) Wash their hair the morning of the session and avoid
using hair products such as leave-in conditioners, hair gels,
waxes, oils, etc.
d) Layer their clothing so that they can control their own
body temperature in case they arrive overheated or in case
the lab space is too warm or too cold for them.
E. Electrode application and signal-quality checking

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 1. Err on the side of too little gel rather than too much.
Too much gel can result in spreading and electrolyte bridges. This can lead to
identical measurements at involved sites (average potential between two active
electrodes), increased noise (i.e. short between active electrode and DRL results
in reduction of CM RR) or complete loss of signal (i.e. short between active
electrode and CM S results in no measured electrical potential at active electrode).

2. Use Electrode Offset tab in ActiView to check offsets

Verify that offsets are low (+-25 mV) and stable. Low, stable electrode offset is a
necessary (but not sufficient) condition for measuring good quality signals in
ActiveTwo. To address contact problems, remove the electrode at the site in
question, use the syringe tip to part the hair by touching the tip to the scalp and
gently rocking back-and-forth, inject a small amount of gel and replace the
electrode.

a) Offsets > +-40 mV

Offsets exceeding +-40 mV that do not exceed the +-262 mV input range
of the A/D converter indicate a potential problem of electrode corrosion or
oxidation.

b) Offsets exceeding +-262 mV on all channels

Offsets exceeding +-262 mV on all channels with active electrodes
connected indicate a problem with poor contact at CM S or DRL or a
system fault (broken wire, faulty cable/connector junction, fault in active
electrode electronics or fault in A/D box).

c) Offsets exceeding +-262 mV on less than the total

number of used channels
Offsets exceeding +-262 mV on less than the total number of used
channels indicate inadequate contacts at the active electrodes.

d) Unstable offsets
Have the participant move her head back and forth a few times to ensure
that the contacts are stable even during rapid movements.

3. Check signal quality in monopolar and bipolar tabs using

Reference = None (Raw).
Ask the participant to sit quietly while you observe the EEG signal on the
M onopolar and Bipolar pages. Set Channels to display all of the channels
associated with electrodes you have connected to the system, set Reference to
None (raw) to display the single-ended voltage measurement between CM S and
each channel and turn off the high-pass and low-pass filters (de-select the green
‘button’ below each in the M onopolar Display page). Look for problems such as:

a) High 60 Hz interference
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 60 Hz is identifiable by the periodic envelope that results from the fact
that the display does not have adequate horizontal resolution to display the
high-frequency signal.

b) Low-frequency instability
Low-frequency instability can result from poor electrode contacts
(inadequate contact between gel/skin/electrode), but it can also be caused
by aged electrodes from which too much Chloride has been lost. Use the
one-bucket test above to distinguish between the two.

F. Positioning of A/D box, cables and participant

1. Follow the furniture guidelines above.
Avoid metal tables, especially in the presence of other electrical equipment.

2. Position A/D box as close as practically possible to

participant.
Although impractical, the electrical ideal is for the A/D box to be on the
participant’s lap. Keep the two as close together as possible.

3. Keep the active electrode leads close together along the

length of the run from participant to A/D box.
It is particularly important to keep each lead near the CM S/DRL lead, but it is
also useful to keep each lead close to its reference lead. Use Velcro cable ties or
tape to keep leads together.

4. Wrap CMS/DRL around the other leads 3-5 times to minimize

the loop pickup area.
The distance between CM S/DRL and the other leads is proportional to the degree
of susceptibility to magnetic interference pickup (this is the kind of interference
usually associated with large magnets or electric motors that a M u metal
enclosure would eliminate). Keeping the leads close together makes the system
optimally resistant to picking up this kind of interference.

5. Keep power cables, power supplies and cables carrying

other high-level signals away from the participant
Power cords, power strips, video/audio cables and AC/DC converters are
examples of potential sources of interference to be aware of.

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X. Triggering for event-related potentials
The best method for triggering ActiveTwo depends to some degree upon the type of stimulus
apparatus you choose to use and the type of software you will use to analyze the resulting data.
Follow these general guidelines to trigger ActiveTwo:

A. Connect the triggering device/computer to the ActiveTwo

Trigger Input Port.
If a trigger cable was provided with your system for this particular stimulator, it should
work fine without modification. Typically, trigger cables provided by Cortech Solutions
are designed to connect a standard PC parallel port to the ActiveTwo trigger input port.
If the cable you have was designed to connect another type of device, you may need to
modify it before it will work with your device. Consult your support contact for
assistance or see the ActiveTwo Trigger Input Port pinout information in the ActiveTwo
User Guide or at http://www.biosemi.com/faq/trigger_signals.htm.

B. Assemble ActiveTwo and turn on power.

M ake sure that the ActiveTwo hardware is assembled correctly, the power to the system
is on and the ActiView software is up and running.

C. Select Analog under trigger format in the Monopolar Display

page.
D. Observe the state of the trigger input port.
See if the used bits are being held low or high. Each pin on the trigger port is the
equivalent to one trigger bit. The port has 16 pins/bit plus a ground. The standard
ActiveTwo trigger cable provided by Cortech Solutions is designed for use with a
standard PC parallel port and has only 8 bits plus ground connected (pins 2-9 on the
DB25 connector = pins 1-8 on the DB37 connector, pin 25 on the DB25 = pin 37 on the
DB37 = ground. The other (unused) pins/bits (pins 9-16 on the DB37 connector) are
shorted to ground so that these bits are always held low.

E. Start the device/application that will send the trigger signals.

Start sending triggers and observe the analog trigger input signals to see if the port goes
first to zero (all bits low) followed by brief pulses (colored lines) on the used bits.

F. If trigger signals are visible and reliable…

Switch Trigger Format to ‘Decimal’ to see if the trigger values are what you expected.

G. If trigger signals are not visible/reliable…

Increase the duration of trigger pulses to a value slightly higher than 1/R where R = the
final sample rate to file. The sample rate to file can be determined by multiplying the
overall sample rate associated with the selected speed mode by the decimation ration
selected in ActiView.

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 H. Save a short test data file with triggers.
Read the sample file in your analysis program to ensure that triggers are faithfully
represented.

I. Trigger timing problems…

Be aware that the ActiveTwo trigger port is very reliable, and any timing problems are
guaranteed to be on the stimulus delivery side. It is advisable to test trigger output timing
using a two-channel scope (video: photocell signal to channel one, trigger bit to channel
two; audio: audio line-level signal to channel one, trigger bit to channel two). If testing
with a scope reveals no problems, it is possible to test ActiveTwo trigger timing by
connecting a photocell or mic signal to one ActiveTwo channel (optional photocell and
mic sensors are available) and a trigger bit to the ActiveTwo trigger port.

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XI. Basic file reading and analysis steps for EEG/ERP in
EMSE Suite 5.1
A. Basic steps
1. File->New Workspace

2. Right-click Project 1, and select Add->Time series data.

3. Browse to a data file, and double click.

4. Right-click on new data file and select Load.

5. EMSE analyzes the event channel

EM SE creates a new table of events in a text file.

6. Select Edit->Channels
Scroll to the bottom of the list.

7. Turn OFF any unused channels and the Status channel.

This will simplify later display and signal processing steps.

8. Designate PassTrough channels

Change any polygraphic (non-EEG) channels to PassThrough, and click OK.

9. Turn off some channels

To optimize the display of EEG, you may want to view only the EEG channels or
only polygraphic channels, since the relatively large scales of polygraphic
channels may conflict with the small scale of EEG channels.

10. What if my data appear as flat lines?

If there appears to be no signal on any of the channels, it is most likely a problem
of there being a very high signal value on one or more channels (e.g. one
saturated or unused channel), which confuses the autoscaling algorithm. In this
case, click the second icon from the left to apply a polynomial (default = order 1
or linear) detrend to the signals. This will center the traces on their channel labels
at left and compensate for any offset or drift that may confuse the autoscaling
algorithm.

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 B. Applying an EEG reference
ActiView always stores signals WITHOUT A REFERENCE (single-ended or
monopolar), no matter what choice of reference you select on the left hand panel of the
ActiView screen.

1. Version dependencies in EEG reference handling

a) How reference was handled in EMSE 5.0

If you load BDF data in EM SE 5.0, the software will ask you to specify
what kind of reference was used, and you should select the "implicit"
option, even though this is not strictly correct. This was a work around
made necessary by the fact that BioSemi is the only system supported by
EM SE Suite that does not include an implicit reference in the stored data.

b) How reference is handled in EMSE 5.1

The way the reference is handled for BDF data files has been improved in
5.1. The software now knows that BioSemi files are always stored
without a reference, so it does not ask you to specify a reference when you
read the file. This does not change the fact that you still must apply a
reference using the Filter Pipeline. M oreover, EM SE now analyzes the
characteristics of the data file (e.g. number of channels) and, assuming you
are using one of the standard BioSemi electrode layouts, EM SE loads a
suitable default electrode position data file (Probe).

2. Applying a reference in EMSE Data Editor

a) Load the data in EMSE Data Editor

b) Select the reference to use and create ERP averages.
Assuming you stored signals from the channels you want to use as the
reference (e.g. earlobes recorded with EXG1 and EXG2), you can apply a
reference using (filter pipeline->montage) and create averages.

c) To change the reference…

If you want to change the reference, start by reloading the raw data file
(right-click on the node for the raw data in the workspace, and select
Load), apply a different reference (filter pipeline->montage) and
recompute averages.

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XII. Measuring physiological signals other than EEG
A. Apply any additional sensors
ActiveTwo supports a variety of other sensors for measuring physiological and non-
physiological signals. A relatively current list is maintained in the Accessories section
under ActiveTwo on the Cortech Solutions web site (www.cortechsolutions.com). New
sensor options are periodically added, so the latest sensor options may take a few weeks
to make it onto the web site. If you need a sensor that was not provided with your system
or that you do not find in the Accessories listing on-line, please contact us.

B. Turn on the display of desired sensors

1. In ActiView, select the Auxiliary Sensors tab.

2. Select sensors to display

In the left panel of the Sensors page, left-click to select the sensors to display
(Ctrl+left-click to select multiple).

3. Choose suitable scale settings for the selected sensors

Note that ActiView provides special scale selectors for built-in sensors. Use these
to set the desired scale for each type of sensor being used.

4. Set ‘DC reset at screen start’ ON or OFF

ActiView can set the first data point for each sensor channel to zero (artificially
correcting the baseline) to make it easier to see signals with different scales or
offsets in a single display window. For some situations you may prefer to see the
actual signal level without any artificial baseline correction.

C. Save the displayed sensor s

After you use Start at the top left side of the Monopolar Display & Triggers page, you
will have the option at the lower right side of the page to select Save File. Click Save
File and select the green option button labeled Displayed Sensors to include in the saved
data file the data from the displayed sensors.

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XIII. Analyzing physiological signals other than EEG
ActiveTwo is a flexible data acquisition system, with the capability to record EEG and a wide
variety of other physiological (and non-physiological) signals.

A. ActiveTwo is typically u sed with at least a few non-EEG

signals
The majority of our customers use ActiveTwo to record EEG along with a few other
types of signals. How many other signals are recorded varies widely as do the signal
processing requirements for these non-EEG physiological (and non-physiological)
signals.

B. ActiveTwo / ActiView file format: BDF

The ActiView data files are stored in a format know as BDF, which is an open,
documented file format pattered after the European Data Format (EDF) supported by so
many signal analysis software tools.

C. EDF vs BDF
In fact, the only substantive difference between BDF and EDF files is the fact that the
EDF data files have 16 bits per data sample and the BDF data files have 24 bits per data
sample.

D. Which signal analysis tools read BDF files?

The BDF file format is supported by a wide variety of signal analysis software tools,
including:

1. EMSE Suite

2. BESA

3. g.BSanalyze

4. EEGLAB

5. BIOSIG

E. Which ones are designed for analysis of non-EEG signals?

Of these tools, g.BSanalyze and BIOSIG include the widest variety of non-EEG analysis
techniques. EM SE Suite, BESA and EEGLAB are mainly EEG-oriented, but there is a
great deal of overlap between the techniques used for EEG and those you might want to
use for other signals.

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 F. Signals often combined with EEG
1. Signals measured with active electrodes

a) EOG (electrooculogram)
There are a few different reasons why one would want to measure EOG in
combination with EEG:

(1) Artifact detection and trial rejection

Eye movements and blinks produce significant artifacts in EEG.
Consequently, EOG is most often monitored along with EEG to
improve one’s ability to distinguish between artifact and real data.
EM SE Suite, BESA, g.BSanalyze and EEGLAB offer this
capability.

(2) Artifact removal

Algorithms can be applied for removing EOG artifacts from EEG.
This is sometimes necessitated by the fact that the population of
interest is unable to control their eye movements. It is sometimes
necessitated by the experimental paradigm. EM SE Suite, BESA,
g.BSanalyze and EEGLAB offer this capability.

(3) Rejection of trials based on eye-movements

In experiments where visual fixation is required, EOG is often
used simply to exclude trials on which a participant moved her
eyes. EM SE Suite, BESA, g.BSanalyze and EEGLAB offer this
capability.

b) ECG (electrocardiogram)
(1) Monitoring heart-rate as a dependent variable or for
trial selection/rejection
M ost often, ECG would be combined with EEG to permit
monitoring of heart-rate on a moment-by-moment basis for
purposes of trial selection/rejection or categorization. For this
purpose, one may be better-off using a version of ActiView (i.e.
BETA release of ActiView 5.35B) that calculates heart-rate on-line
from EXG7-EXG8 and saves it in the Sensor channel named
Ergo1. Strangely enough, even with all of the fancy algorithms
they incorporate, EEG signal analysis tools generally do not
incorporate mechanisms that can easily derive heart rate from an
ECG signal.

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 (2) Artifact detection/rejection and/or removal
ECG sometimes produces an artifact in the EEG record, so it may
be combined with EEG for some of the same reasons as above. In
fact, some of the same algorithms offered in software tools for
handling EOG artifacts also could be applied to ECG artifacts.

c) EMG (electromyogram)
EM G signals are typically recorded from a bipolar pair of electrodes
placed over the muscle group of interest.

(1) EEG / EMG: time-locking the EEG/ERP analysis

window to motor events
EM SE Suite, BESA, g.BSanalyze and EEGLAB offer the
capability to insert event markers either manually or based on
some kind of simple threshold applied to an EM G channel.

(2) Surface EMG (no EEG)

When EM G is used as a dependent variable (e.g. blink-reflex),
EEG is not typically measured. Very sophisticated analysis
algorithms do exist for EM G, but by-and-large, EM G is analyzed
using relatively simple algorithms that are available in EEG
analysis tools. Two relatively special mechanisms that are often
used for EM G analysis are rectification (taking the absolute value
of the signal) and smoothing. EM SE Suite, BESA, g.BSanalyze
and EEGLAB all offer these capabilities and more.

2. Signals measured with specialized sensors

a) Skin conductance (SC)

(1) Some overlap in methodology with EEG analysis
EM SE Suite, BESA, g.BSanalyze and EEGLAB can be used to
average event-related GSR signals, and to some degree, these tools
can also be used to make measurements of signal amplitude and
latency on a trial-by-trial basis.

(2) Not well standardized

The methods used to analyze GSR signals are not as well
standardized as those used for the other types of signals we discuss
here. Consequently, there seem to be a wide variety of analysis
methods in use in the literature.

(3) Not handled all that well by EEG analysis tools

Some commonly-used analysis methods for SC signals (e.g.
counting ‘turns’) are not implemented in EEG analysis tools.

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 b) Respiration
Analysis of respiration signals is similar in many respects to the analysis
of ECG signals. Respiration would most often be monitored alone as a
dependent variable or with EEG for trial selection/rejection or
categorization. For this purpose, one may be better-off using a version of
ActiView that calculates respiration-rate on-line and saves it in a special
Sensor channel. Strangely enough, even with all of the fancy algorithms
they incorporate, EEG signal analysis tools generally do not incorporate
mechanisms that can easily derive respiration rate from a respiration
signal. We hope to have a BETA release of ActiView in the coming
months with the capability to calculate respiration rate on-line.

c) Temperature
Only a few customers are using our temperature sensor, but generally they
seem to be interested in sleep and circadian rhythms. In combination with
EEG, temperature would most-likely be used for segment
selection/rejection or categorization. This could be accomplished in
EM SE Suite, BESA, g.BSanalyze and EEGLAB.

d) Plethysmograph
Although the signal looks entirely different, the Pleth signal would be used
for the same primary purpose as ECG: derivation of heart-rate for
selection/rejection/categorization of data segments or trials.

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XIV. Basic file reading and analysis steps for EEG / ERP in
EEGLAB
A. Start MATLAB and EEGLAB
B. Select File->Import data->From BioSemi BDF File using
BIOSIG
C. Browse to the file and double-click on it.
D. ImportBDF dialog
A dialog box will appear asking you to specify some characteristics of the data file.

1. Reading only part of the file

If you want to read only part of the data file (because your PC does not have
enough memory to read and analyze the whole file), then specify which blocks to
read in the first field.

2. Event channel designation

Enter the last channel number as the event channel (the prompt will tell you how
many there are, so if it says [1 17], enter 17. IM PORTANT: The built-in
EEGLAB function that handles reading events from the Status channel is limited
to data collected from ActiveTwo M ark I systems (all ActiveTwo systems up to
about October or November, 2005). For data collected with M ark II systems, it is
best to use the events derived by BIOSIG. For specific instructions on this, please
consult the EEGLAB list and/or Alois Schloegl, the developer of BIOSIG.

3. Reference
EEGLAB knows that ActiveTwo data are stored unreferenced, so it wants the
operator to say which channel should be used to rereference the data. Enter a
channel number and click OK.

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XV. Electrode care and cleaning
A. Five Rules of thumb:
1. Clean with water
Clean electrodes softly immediately after use (when the gel is still soft) by hand
with warm water.

2. Dry with paper towel; store away from direct sunlight.

Dry the electrodes softly, with hand towels. Store the electrodes in a dark dry
place.

3. No soap; avoid contact with metals.

Do not use aggressive soaps etc. Do not let the pellets touch any kind of metals.

4. Remove from cap gently

Do not pull-out the electrodes at the flat cable (grab the electrodes at the casing).

5. Keep connector dry

Do not let water or gel enter the connector.

B. Handling
1. Remove electrodes from cap and connector from A/D box
gently
Do not use force on the cable or pull the electrodes at the ribbon cable when
removing the electrode out of the head cap or the connector out of the A/D box.

2. Remove from cap gently

Grab the electrodes at the casing, and then pull them softly out of the head-cap.

3. Connector ejectors
The A/D box has ejectors on the top for easy removal of the connector. Always
make sure to use them.

4. Keep connector clean and dry

Keep the connector clear of water/gel. When a connector is polluted with gel or
salt water, it should be rinsed with distilled water, followed by a rinse with
alcohol (ethanol) and finally the connector should be allowed to dry completely
before putting into operation again.

5. Minimizing electrode drift

After applying the electrodes, it takes some time before the chemical reactions in

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 the electrode-gel-skin interface reach a stable equilibrium. It will typically take
approximately 5 minutes before baseline drift and noise have settled completely.
Quicker settling of the electrode noise to a low level can be achieved by placing
the electrodes in water approximately 5-10 minutes before the measurement is
started. During these 5-10 minutes, the salt water will be absorbed in the A g/A gCl
pellet, enabling the pellet to make better chemical contact with the gel. Please
note that the longer the electrodes are placed in water, the longer it will take the
water to evaporate and this will accelerate the corrosion process of the Ag/AgCl
pellet.

C. Cleaning
The silver/silver-chloride (AgA gCl) sintered electrodes behave like sponges, they absorb
water and electrode gel. The deeper the water/gel has penetrated the electrode, the longer
it will take afterwards for the water to vaporize. As long as your electrodes are ‘wet’,
corrosion processes will take place. This corrosion process will in the long run make your
electrodes noisier. That is why it is important to clean the electrodes immediately after
use and dry them immediately to eliminate the opportunity for corrosion to develop.

1. Use warm tap water

Use warm tap water to rinse off the gel from the electrodes (make sure to keep the
connector dry). Warm water (up to 50 degrees Celsius) will dissolve the gel
quicker.

2. Soft brush if necessary

Use a soft brush for removing gel residues from the electrodes only if absolutely
necessary.

3. Dry with paper towel, and air dry fully.

Softly dry the electrodes with hand paper. Let them hang out to dry.

4. No soap
Only use soap if water does not seem to clean the electrodes properly, never use
solvents (e.g. acetone), acids or alkaline.

5. Clean before allowing to dry

Do not let the electrodes dry without being cleaned first. When the electrodes dry
up covered with gel/salt/minerals, the cleaning process will be harder and takes
more time, making your electrodes become polluted and/or corroded sooner.

D. Storage/Modifications/Splitting of the flat cable

1. Avoid contact with metal
Do not store the electrodes in a metal box. In general, prevent the electrode tips
from touching any metal objects, because this causes pollution of the Ag/A gCl
pellets with “strange” metal particles (increasing noise).

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 2. Avoid light
Exposure of the Ag/A gCl electrode tip to light also causes deterioration. Keep out
of direct sunlight or other bright sources of light when the electrodes are not being
used.

3. Avoid airtight storage containers

Do not store the electrodes in an airtight container. Best storage method is to wrap
the electrodes in a paper towel and place them in a cardboard box or to hang them
freely in a dark place.

4. Do not split cables

The electrodes are not intended to be modified by the customer. Especially
"splitting" the flat-cable further may lead to a non-repairable malfunction and
void your warranty! If you have a request for different splitting of an electrode set
contact BioSemi (or its local representative)

E. Malfunctions
1. If an electrode is not operating as specified, please do the
following:

a) Soak in salt water

Soak the electrodes in water with some salt added (approx. one small
teaspoon per liter, use a non-metal bowl).

(1) If this causes the blue led to turn off, then the electrode
set is in need of repair (return to dealer/manufacturer)

(2) If you experience noise, then please follow-up

the directions below concerning noisy electrodes.

(3) Noisy electrodes: (also read “Life span”)

Noisy electrodes generally mean that your electrodes have
reached its end of life. You can extend the life a little bit by
placing the electrodes in salt water for about an hour before
you start your measurement. This soaking process often
removes noise. A last remedy is to use a grain 600 or higher
waterproof abrasive paper to polish the electrode tip. Use
very soft circular movements, preferably no more than 2-3
times on the same area, removing an even very thin layer
across the entire surface.

F. Life span (Life expectancy)

Ag-AgCl sintered electrodes have a limited life span. This is caused by several processes

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 such as corrosion, the dissolving of the Chloride in the pellets and the wearing of the
pellet during the cleaning process. After approximately 200 measurements, the color of
the pellets will change from gray/brown (silver–chloride) to silver, due to the
disappearing of the chloride. The A gCl slowly dissolves in gel and water during the
cleaning. Eventually, this leaves only silver behind. The resulting pure silver electrode
has much higher drift and noise characteristics than the original A g/A gCl electrode,
forcing your electrode set to be replaced.

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XVI. Battery maintenance
A. Overview
1. Two batteries supplied
Two standard batteries supplied with each base system.

2. Battery type
Standard battery is high-capacity, rechargeable, lead-acid type with no memory
effect.

3. Standard battery capacity

Capacity is approximately 15 hours with 72 channels, 10 hours with 136 channels
and 5 hours with 280 channels.

4. Double capacity battery

Double-capacity batteries are available.

5. Useful life
Useful life defined as over 1000 charge/recharge cycles.

6. Charge time
Fully-depleted standard battery with full capacity will take approximately 3.5
hours to charge.

7. Reduced capacity
Reduced charge time reflects diminished capacity.

B. Advice and cautions

1. Charger to use
Use only supplied charger.

2. Overcharging
It is not possible to overcharge using the standard charger.

3. Diminished capacity
If capacity is significantly diminished (charge time less than 3 hours), cycle
battery fully 3-5 times by charging/discharging/charging until capacity (charge
time) increases to normal.

4. Storage
Never store a fully-depleted battery; store only fully charged.

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 5. Charge maintenance
Battery will maintain a charge for weeks/months while stored at normal operating
temperature. Recharge stored batteries frequently to avoid deep discharge.

6. Ensure power at charger source

If power at source is lost while battery is connected to charger, the charger forms
a partially open circuit that will slowly drain the battery. Leaving this situation
too long can cause permanent damage. If you doubt the reliability of your power
source, disconnect charged batteries from the charger as soon as the Ready LED
comes on.

7. When to recharge
Connect battery to charger after using approximately 75% of capacity.

8. Battery meter
See meter in ActiView for current battery state or place on charger when Low
Battery LED comes on.

C. See also details on battery use/maintenance in user manual

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XVII. Troubleshooting ActiveTwo
A. ActiView display: partial screen or blue/gray screen
ActiView was developed in LabVIEW, and LabVIEW tools are notoriously difficult to
resize dynamically within Windows (reliably). Consequently, BioSemi have decided to
maintain a few versions of the ActiView software, each operating at a fixed display
resolution. If the current display mode has an inadequate number of lines to display the
ActiView screen, you will see a display like this:

If the bottom of the screen is cut-off, or you see only a blue-gray screen without any
controls at left, right, top or bottom, try changing the video display mode to
accommodate the number of lines (900, 1024 or 1200) required by the chosen version of
ActiView.

1. Changing your display mode settings in Windows

To change the display mode, follow these steps:

a) Go to Control Panel
Go to Start->Control Panel (or Start->Settings->Control Panel when
operating in Classic Start M enu mode).

b) Select Display
In the Control Panel, select Appearance->Themes->Display (or select
Display when operating in Classic Control Panel mode).

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 c) Set resolution
In the Display dialog, click the Settings tab, and move the Screen
Resolution slider to the right to increase the resolution to a mode that has
an adequate number of display lines to support the version of ActiView
you have selected. The second number in the pair (e.g. 1024 in “1280 x
1024”) should be greater than or equal to 900 if you selected the laptop
version, 1024 if you selected a LoRes version of ActiView or greater than
or equal to 1200 if you selected a HiRes version of ActiView. You should
not have to worry about the horizontal resolution value for LoRes or
HiRes versions, as long as the vertical resolution (number of lines) is
adequate. For HiRes Wide versions of ActiView, you will need a display
mode with resolution equal to or greater than 1920 x 1200.

2. If a suitable display mode is not available

If your display (graphics adapter + monitor) does not support a video mode with
adequate resolution to display the version of ActiView you are using, then you
may consider using a lower resolution version of ActiView. If you are already
using the LoRes version (1280 x 1024), then consider upgrading your monitor.

a) If you are using a notebook or laptop

Because notebook and laptop displays that support SXGA or greater
resolution are becoming rare, BioSemi now offers a lower resolution wide
screen version (1440 x 900) for notebooks.

b) If you are using an LCD monitor

LCD monitors tend to offer fewer display modes than most graphics cards
these days, so try switching to a CRT (traditional monitor with cathode ray
tube).

c) If you are already using a CRT

If you are already using a CRT, then you may need to upgrade to a new
graphics adapter or an entirely new computer.

B. Noisy active electrodes

Noisy signals on certain active electrodes during a recording session may indicate a
problem with the electrode, but noisy signals can also result from a poor contact with the
subject’s scalp. Follow these steps to troubleshoot active electrodes.

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 1. The “one-bucket test”

a) Fill a glass or plastic bowl or bucket with tap water and

add a teaspoon of table salt (NaCl).
b) Make sure that the ActiveTwo hardware is assembled
correctly, the power to the system is on and the ActiView
software is up and running.
c) Connect CMS/DRL to the A/D box and submerge the
CMS and DRL electrodes in the water.
d) Connect only the offending electrode(s) to the system,
and submerge it in the salt water.
e) Observe the CM in Range light. If it goes out, then see
the section CM in Range does not come on below.
f) Set Channels (left panel of ActiView monopolar display
tab) to display only the offending channel (s), set the Scale
(upper left corner) to 100 uV/div, set Reference (left panel,
lower) to None (Raw).
g) Observe the signal on the offending channel over the
course of 5 minutes (longer only in extreme cases). It may
be helpful to save the data (save only the monopolar
displayed channels) so that you can send it to your support
contact for advice or assistance.
(1) If the signal starts out relatively flat and becomes noisy
over time
This is a sign that the electrode pellet may have lost some of its
Chloride. This is a sign that it is nearing the end of its useful life.

(2) If the signal starts out noisy but becomes quiet over the
course of 3-5 minutes
This is most likely a sign that the electrodes started out dry and it
took a few minutes for the moisture to penetrate the hard electrode
material. 3-5 minutes of slightly noisy signals when starting out
with dry electrodes is within the expected range of normal
operation. To avoid this initial noisy period, try soaking your
active electrodes in salt water for 5 minutes before each recording
session. IM PORTANT: Soaking active electrodes in any liquid for

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 longer than 5 minutes is inadvisable as moisture will penetrate the
electrode pellets and accelerate corrosion (loss of electrode
material), resulting in poor electrode performance.

C. CM in range does not come on while a participant is

connected
If the CM in Range LED either fails to come on or it goes out during a recording session,
there can be more than one possible cause. At the simplest level, it may indicate a poor
contact with the participant at the CM S/DRL electrodes. However, there is a safety
circuit designed into the ActiveTwo A/D box that can be engaged by either an over-
current or an over-current situation detected at the CM S electrode. Such situations are
normally associated with faulty leads or connectors.

1. Possible causes

a) Inadequate connection between CMS and/or DRL

electrode and participant’s body
Check to be sure that the CM S and DRL electrodes are making good
contact with the participant, and be sure they are plugged into the A/D
box.

b) More than one CMS/DRL set plugged in

The last two leads on the A connector and the A ribbon cable can serve
CM S/DRL electrodes. If you have CM S/DRL connected at the front panel
of the A/D box, check to be sure that the A electrode set you are using
does not also have CM S and DRL electrodes. If it does, then use these
CM S/DRL electrodes and unplug the CMS/DRL set at the front panel.

c) Faulty lead wire

A broken lead wire under the wire insulation will be detected by the
ActiveTwo safety circuit as a fault. In particular, old-style EXG
electrodes (flat electrodes with individual leads and touchproof key-
shaped connectors) are subject to this problem. The old-style EXG
electrodes can be identified by their dark gray wire insulation jacket, on
which there is black printing. If you have this type of EXG electrode, and
it is causing CM to go out of range, then it is probably due to a lead wire
fault inside the insulation near the junction with the active electrode. The
new-style EXG electrodes have light-gray lead wire insulation with no
printing. These lead wires have proven much more robust than the old
style lead wires.

d) Faulty lead/connector junction on 32-channel electrode

set
Old style 32-channel active electrode sets with ribbon cables and 68-pin D
connectors do not have a strain relief to keep the ribbon cable from pulling

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Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
 the D connector apart. Some very old electrode sets do not have epoxy
glue in the joint where the connector clamps onto the ribbon cable. Check
for an intermittent contact at the junction between the ribbon cable and the
D connector.

e) Faulty lead insulation

If the wire insulation is broken but the wire is still intact, it is possible for
gel or other moisture) on the electrode and lead wire (even very small
amount) to conduct between the electrode contact and the exposed wire,
resulting in an electrical short circuit. This will be detected by the
ActiveTwo safety circuit as a fault.

f) Other unknown faults

2. Troubleshooting procedure
The best practice is to bench-test the electrodes (no participant connected – just a
virtual participant in the form of a bucket of water). However, if you are in the
midst of a recording session, it is possible to isolate a problem electrode / lead /
connector and make the best of the session. M ost times this will mean losing just
one channel of data.

a) If a participant is connected, and you want to proceed

with recording data
(1) If your A1-32 electrode set has CMS/DRL on it, then
leave A1-32 plugged in and unplug each of the other
connectors (e.g. B1-32,…EXG1, …) one at a time to see if
one of them causes the CM in Range light to come on.

(2) If your CMS/DRL electrodes are plugged in at the front

panel of the A/D box, then leave them connected and
unplug each of the other connectors (e.g. A1-32,…EXG1,
…) one at a time to see if one of them causes the CM in
Range light to come on.

(3) If you isolate one EXG electrode that causes CM in

Range to come on, then simply remove that electrode and
replace it if possible.

(4) If you isolate one D connector that causes CM in Range

to come on, then plug that connector back in and remove
the active electrodes associated with that connector from the
head cap one at a time until CM in Range comes on. If
more than one electrode is at fault, it may not be possible to

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Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
 identify the offending electrode in a reasonable amount of
time using this procedure.

b) Bench testing – the “one-bucket test”

(1) Fill a glass or plastic bowl or bucket with tap water and
add a teaspoon of table salt (NaCl).

(2) Make sure that the ActiveTwo hardware is assembled

correctly, the power to the system is on and the ActiView
software is up and running.

(3) Connect CMS/DRL to the A/D box and submerge the

CMS and DRL electrodes in the water. Leave CMS and
DRL connected and in the salt water throughout the test.

(4) Connect all of the active electrodes to the system, and

submerge them in the salt water one-by-one or in organized
groups until you identify one or more electrodes that cause
the CM in range LED to go out.

D. The system worked earlier, but now I get error 5000

If the system worked fine before, and nothing has changed as far as connections or
computer configuration, then the Power settings of your computer (Control Panel) may
have caused the computer to go into Standby mode. When standby is activated, the
power to the USB port is lost, which causes the firmware in the ActiveTwo USB
interface to “crash”. The Data LED next to the fiber optic connector on the Optical
Receiver / USB Interface will still light up, indicating the USB port is supplying power to
the box and data are coming in from the A/D box, but the Data LED next to the USB port
on the Optical Receiver will not light up. If this happens, just disconnect and reconnect
the USB cable at the computer or at the USB Interface. This will force the firmware in
the USB interface to reinitialize, and it should correct the problem.

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XVIII. Other technical details not elsewhere documented
A. Structure of the CFG file
The .CFG contains configuration options for the ActiView program. The file format is
similar to a Windows INI file with bracketed section headings followed by variables and
arguments. Some of these options can be set from the ActiView menu, and some can be
set only by editing the .CFG file with a text editor.

1. Options that are set in ActiView and saved in the text .CFG
file
The entries in the sections listed below are best set within ActiView by using the
interactive menus. The purposes of these entries are mostly apparent from their
names.

a) [Selectors]
b) [FreeChoice]
c) [TCP]
2. Options that you may want to adjust in the text .CFG file
(underlined below)
Note that any entry not underlined below is inadvisable to change by editing the
text .CFG file.

a) [System]
Warning=0
M otherboard=12
ElecGain="0....................................//0: 31.25nV/bit, 1: 125nV/bit."
AIBGain="1....................................//0: 31.25nV/bit, 1: 125nV/bit."
RespSwitch="0...........//0: standard ergo, 1: ergo 1 and 2 coupled to
trigger 9 and 10 (for response switches)."
LineWidth="1 .................................................//1 to 5, thin to thick"
Cursor="0..........................................................................................
....................................... //0: LabVIEW cursor, 1: Windows cursor"

b) [Labels]
(For the entries below, be careful to change only the text to the right of the
equal sign! Keep labels to four characters or less for convenience of data
display.)
Chan1=Fp1
Chan2=AF7
Chan3=AF3
…

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Rev. 6, Printed: January 31, 2007
 Tou1=EXG1
Tou2=EXG2
Tou3=EXG3
…
Aux1=GSR1
Aux2=GSR2
Aux3=Erg1
Aux4=Erg2
Aux5=Resp
Aux6=Plet
Aux7=Temp
Aux8=Batt
Jazz1=EyeX
Jazz2=EyeY
Jazz3=AccX
Jazz4=AccY
Jazz5=Heam
Jazz6=Oxyh
Jazz7=Amb
Jazz8=M ic
Jazz9=Pow
Box1=Ana1
Box2=Ana2
Box3=Ana3
…
Trig=Status

c) [Save]
Subset=6
Touchproofs=1
Sensors=0
Jazz=1
Anas=1
SaveBox=15
PauseOff="-1................................//-1 is disabled, 0-255 is enabled"
PauseOn="-1................................//-1 is disabled, 0-255 is enabled"
SavePath=c:\BDFdata\Testdata.bdf

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Appendix A. Disinfection Guidelines
The Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion (DHQP) of the US Centers for Disease Control
(CDC) maintains detailed guidelines on sterilization or disinfection of patient-care equipment.
Here we reproduce for your convenience a set of General Principles on the topic published on the
CDC website at:

http://0-www.cdc.gov.mill1.sjlibrary.org/ncidod/dhqp/bp_sterilization_medDevices.html

S terilization or Disinfection of Medical Devices

The following principles are applicable to most questions CDC receives about sterilization or
disinfection of patient-care equipment. However, these statements are not comprehensive.

General Principles

1. In general, reusable medical devices or patient-care equipment that enters normally sterile
tissue or the vascular system or through which blood flows should be sterilized before
each use. Sterilization means the use of a physical or chemical procedure to destroy all
microbial life, including highly resistant bacterial endospores. The major sterilizing
agents used in hospitals are a) moist heat by steam autoclaving, b) ethylene oxide gas,
and c) dry heat. However, there are a variety of chemical germicides (sterilants) that have
been used for purposes of reprocessing reusable heat-sensitive medical devices and
appear to be effective when used appropriately, i.e., according to manufacturer's
instructions. These chemicals are rarely used for sterilization, but appear to be effective
for high-level disinfection of medical devices that come into contact with mucous
membranes during use (e.g., flexible fiberoptic endoscopes).
2. Disinfection means the use of a chemical procedure that eliminates virtually all
recognized pathogenic microorganisms but not necessarily all microbial forms (e.g.,
bacterial endospores) on inanimate objects. There are three levels of disinfection: high,
intermediate, and low. High-level disinfection kills all organisms, except high levels of
bacterial spores, and is effected with a chemical germicide cleared for marketing as a
sterilant by the Food and Drug Administration. Intermediate-level disinfection kills
mycobacteria, most viruses, and bacteria with a chemical germicide registered as a
"tuberculocide" by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Low-level disinfection
kills some viruses and bacteria with a chemical germicide registered as a hospital
disinfectant by the EPA.
3. Heat stable reusable medical devices that enter the blood stream or enter normally sterile
tissue should always be reprocessed using heat-based methods of sterilization (e.g., steam
autoclave or dry heat oven).
4. Laparoscopic or arthroscopic telescopes (optic portions of the endoscopic set) should be
subjected to a sterilization procedure before each use; if this is not feasible, they should
receive high-level disinfection. Heat stable accessories to the endoscopic set (e.g., trocars,
operative instruments) should be sterilized by heat-based methods (e.g., steam autoclave
or dry heat oven).

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 5. Reusable devices or items that touch mucous membranes should, at a minimum, receive
high-level disinfection between patients. These devices include reusable flexible
endoscopes, endotracheal tubes, anesthesia breathing circuits, and respiratory therapy
equipment.
6. M edical devices that require sterilization or disinfection must be thoroughly cleaned to
reduce organic material or bioburden before being exposed to the germicide, and the
germicide and the device manufacturer's instructions should be closely followed.
7. Except on rare and special instances (as mentioned below), items that do not ordinarily
touch the patient or touch only intact skin are not involved in disease transmission, and
generally do not necessitate disinfection between uses on different patients. These items
include crutches, bedboards, blood pressure cuffs, and a variety of other medical
accessories. Consequently, depending on the particular piece of equipment or item,
washing with a detergent or using a low-level disinfectant may be sufficient when
decontamination is needed. If noncritical items are grossly soiled with blood or other
body fluids, follow instructions outlined in the section on HIV-related sterilization and
disinfection of this information system.

Exceptional circumstances that require noncritical items to be either dedicated to one patient or
patient cohort, or subjected to low-level disinfection between patient uses are those involving:

1. Patients infected or colonized with vancomycin-resistant enterococci or other drug-

resistant microorganisms judged by the infection control program, based on current state,
regional, or national recommendations, to be of special or clinical or epidemiologic
significance
or
2. Patients infected with highly virulent microorganisms, e.g., viruses causing hemorrhagic
fever (such as Ebola or Lassa).

If you have questions about a low- or intermediate-level disinfectant and certain sterilants,
contact the manufacturer, or the Antimicrobial Program Branch, Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) hotline (703) 308-0127 or email: [email protected]. The EPA is the
federal regulatory agency for low- or intermediate-level disinfectants and some sterilants.

If you have questions about high-level disinfectants (sterilants), or how to clean, disinfect or
sterilize a particular medical device, first contact the manufacturer of the product. If you are
unable to obtain sufficient information in this manner, contact the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) regional office or the FDA Center for Devices and Radiological Health at (301) 443-
4690. FDA is the federal regulatory agency for safe and effective use of medical devices and is
now also responsible for regulation of chemical sterilants.

Date last modified: August 20, 2002

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