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2. THE NERVUS SYSTEM
The Nervus System
Introduction
Nervus records and processes EEG and
2.1
polygraphy signals using standard PCs,
subject to certain minimum require-
ments as described on pages 1.4 and
2.3. Nervus is scaleable. It runs on
almost any PC with high-resolution
monitors for paper-quality display of
EEG traces. The computer system you
choose therefore depends entirely on
your requirements. You can start with a
small system and expand it as your
needs increase.
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A key feature of Nervus is its ability to use a computer network. If you
have such a network installed, you can easily computerise the whole
EEG department, giving you the capability to transfer files from one
workstation to another by simply pressing a button.
Nervus is an open system. It supports the importing and exporting of
data files conforming to the European standard for polygraphic data
files. You can even export data to ASCII files for further processing, or
access the data directly from within another Windows application
through Component Object Model (COM) interfaces and Object
Linking and Embedding (OLE).
Taugagreining is a certified Microsoft® Solution Provider. In obtaining
that certification, we have committed ourselves to keeping the Nervus
system compatible with standard PC equipment and up to date with
2.2 current Windows Operating Systems. We thus ensure that Nervus can
not only co-exist with standard software, such as Microsoft Office and
Microsoft Exchange, but actually integrates with them seamlessly.
Overview of the System
Nervus is a complete solution, consisting of software and
hardware components. The hardware includes a compact,
32-channel Magnus 32/8 amplifier to register the signals,
an optional Holter Tape Playback (HTP) unit and a power-
ful digital signal processor (DSP) to process the data. Other
necessary hardware consists of standard “off-the-shelf” PC
hardware such as monitors and printers. The software runs
under the Microsoft Windows 95 and NT operating systems,
with their “de facto” industry standard graphical user inter-
faces which are justly famed for being user-friendly, easy to
learn, intuitive and fairly machine-independent.
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2. THE NERVUS SYSTEM
In summary, the salient features of the Nervus System are:
uses standard, off-the-shelf PCs with standard operating sys-
■
tems to record and process digital EEG data;
provides the option of inserting user-defined markers (event
■
or general) during recording;
enables users to define custom montages (with complete
■
control of the paper speed, sensitivity, signal derivation and
filter settings);
while still recording, allows you to review previous parts of
■
the recording;
2.3
allows monitoring of the recorded signals using any user-
■
defined montage;
enables users to review stored signals using any user-
■
defined montage, i.e., review traces after changing the
paper speed, sensitivity, filters and signal derivation;
provides options of page-by-page browsing through a
■
recording or continuous playback (forwards or backwards);
supports printing the recorded traces on any Windows com-
■
patible printer.
System Requirements
In order to run Nervus, you need a PC-compatible computer running
Microsoft Windows 95 (or higher). Minimum requirements include an
Intel 586/90 processor, one free expansion slot (ISA bus only), at
least 16MB of memory, 1 GB hard disk, and a mass storage device
(e.g., an optical disk). This is the minimum configuration, but to
achieve the performance you desire, you may need a high-performance
PC with more internal memory, a larger hard disk, a bigger display and
a graphics accelerator.
Internal memory is the most critical factor in determining the perfor-
mance of Microsoft Windows 95, and, therefore, the speed of Nervus.
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NERVUS USER MANUAL EDITION 1.1
Another important factor in deciding performance is the type of CPU
(486 or Pentium) and the clock rate at which it is running
(50,75,120 or 133 MHz). However, the overall design of the system is
no less important when it comes to performance, so it is very difficult
to state any absolute rules. What follows are some general suggestions
on how to improve performance.
Displaying EEG traces on the screen is, computationally, a very demand-
ing task, and we therefore strongly recommend that you use a graphics
accelerator card. A typical graphics card will do two things for you.
Most cards will increase the resolution on your screen, but what is per-
haps more important, the graphics accelerator will reduce the time it
takes the PC to display the EEG traces on the screen.
EEG recordings consume a lot of disk space. A 10-minute recording
with 32 channels recorded at 125 samples per second each, takes up
2.4
almost 6 MB of valuable disk space, so some sort of mass storage device
is necessary. There are many options, but optical disks and digital audio
tapes are good choices. In fact, any mass storage device supported by
Microsoft Windows 95 can be used for long-term storage of data.
Hardware Components
The figure on the facing page shows the main components of
a typical, full-featured Nervus system. These components are:
(a) Electrodes
(b) Magnus 32/8 Amplifier
(c) Patient Event Button
(d) Photic Stimulator
(e) Serial Interface Cable
(f) Loughborough PC/C31 Digital Signal Processor
(g) Magnus Interface
(h) Copy Protection Key (Dongle)
(i) Personal Computer
(j) Transformer/Isolator
(k) Video Camera
(l) Video Head
(m) Microphone
(n) Infrared Light
(o) Video Capture Card (not shown)
(p) Sound Card (not shown)
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2. THE NERVUS SYSTEM
Components in a typical
Nervus system:
m
n
k
j e
2.5
b
d
g
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NERVUS USER MANUAL EDITION 1.1
Amplifier
The first component is the Magnus 32/8 amplifier. It is a relatively
small amplifier, which is capable of handling up to 32 EEG channels.
Eight channels may be devoted to polygraphy, if desired, with corre-
spondingly fewer channels available for EEG. The device not only
amplifies the analogue signals, but also converts them to digital format,
and then transfers the data to the PC via the interface cable and the
PC/C31 DSP card. The amplifier also supports electrode impedance
checking, amplifier calibration, etc. It is designed to meet the IEC601
standard for body floating isolation.
Interface Cable
The second component is the interface cable which connects the
Magnus amplifier (b) and the PC/C31 digital signal coprocessor (f).
Digital Signal Processor
2.6 The DSP is the Loughborough PC/C31 digital signal processor. During
recording, the DSP controls the amplifier, applies a low-pass filter to
the signal, and decimates it, that is, reduces the sampling rate. At the
same time, the DSP also computes derived signals from the original
ones (e.g. Fp1-A1A2), besides applying digital filters and correcting
the baseline. Incidentally, derivation, filtering, and baseline correction
are also performed during review. The Loughborough PC/C31 runs at
33 or 40 MHz and is able to execute up to 20 million instructions per
second (MIPS).
Dongle (Copy Protection Key)
The fourth component is the dongle. To run the software, the dongle
must be plugged into the parallel port of your computer.
Software
The most important component of Nervus is the software. It
co-ordinates all the hardware functions, translates the data
into a comprehensible form, analyses it and provides you
with an interface enabling you to operate the system.
Nervus consists of a number of software modules:
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2. THE NERVUS SYSTEM
Nervus Study Room
Nervus’ starting point, this program provides access to all other parts of
the system, such as making, reviewing or archiving an EEG recording,
opening a patient folder or editing a patient entry in the Nervus database.
Nervus EEG Recorder
As implied by its name, this program is used for recording EEG tests. The
program provides features for acquiring, marking and recording com-
ments on electro-physiological data (for example, EEG and ECG signals).
Nervus EEG Editor
This application enables you to review and analyse EEG files, support-
ing derivation, filtering, and topographical maps.
2.7
Signal Processing and Data Storage
An important operational characteristic of the Nervus sys-
tem is its ability to store all information in raw and
unprocessed form. Nervus later performs any derivation
and filtering of signals as needed. This feature permits you
to change the montage, sensitivity, paper speed and even
filters without changing the originally acquired signals. This
means you can inspect the data exactly as recorded with a
single mouse click.
Note: Nervus receives both the derived and un-derived signals when
recording. The derived signal is used for plotting the signals on the
trace display; both signals are stored in secondary storage.
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NERVUS USER MANUAL EDITION 1.1
Overview of the recording process
2.8
Figure : The analogue signals from the electrodes are amplified and
digitised by the Magnus amplifier and then decimated, low-pass filtered
and derived in the DSP. Meanwhile, the Recorder runs on the PC and
receives both the derived and un-derived signals. Both signals are
stored in a file, and the former are plotted on the trace display.
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2. THE NERVUS SYSTEM
Data Management
Nervus manipulates three different types of data items: EEG files,
documents, and databases.
2.9
Figure : Overview of the data item types.
On the following page is a short overview of each data type:
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User Objects
User objects comprise individual test information, reports and other
information visible to the user; the user perceives the system in terms
of the objects.
Structured Data
Structured data are systematic descriptions of the information con-
tained in the Nervus system; the advanced user may access these data
for custom reporting and statistical analysis. The structured data are
kept on-line at all times, since the data volume does not warrant hier-
archical storage management.
Streams
Streams contain the actual raw data, i.e., the recorded physiological
and behavioural (A/V) signals; the user rarely, if ever, accesses these
data directly. Media streams are very high-volume, and are therefore
2.10 subject to hierarchical storage management.
Nervus Paths
Nervus uses the following system paths that are set up during installation:
Nervus directory: this is the path to the Nervus program files, set by
the user during set-up.
Database directory: this is the path to the Nervus database files, set by
the user during set-up. On a networked system, these files will be
placed on the network server.
Recording area: this is the directory to which the Nervus EEG Recorder
records its media streams (EEG and AVI files). It is set on the
Miscellaneous tab of the Customise dialogue in the Nervus EEG
Recorder. (From the Tools menu choose Customise) After recording,
the media streams will be moved to the Nervus work area (see next
item).
Work area: This is the directory in which the Nervus Database stores
media streams (EEG and AVI files). After recording, the media streams
are moved to this directory from the recording area. This can be set
from the Workareas tab of the Nervus Administration Center. On a net-
worked system, this directory will be placed on the network server.
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2. THE NERVUS SYSTEM
Nervus Concepts and Terminology
Overview
Nervus is a multimedia EEG system based on standard,
IBM-compatible PC computer equipment. The Nervus soft-
ware operates within the Microsoft Windows environment;
thus users who are familiar with Windows will feel at
home when working with Nervus. Floating toolbars, menus,
mouse clicks etc., follow standard Windows guidelines, and
in this manual we assume that you are familiar with these
devices and operations. If not, please refer to your
Windows documentation for more information.
2.11
Multimedia EEG
The Nervus Multimedia EEG system takes the concept of digital EEG a
step further by using synchronous digital video with the corresponding
physiological information.
Storing EEG data in a digital format has many advantages over the con-
ventional methods. Data can be reviewed and reformatted, thus
enhancing the clinical utility of each recording. Tests can easily be
accessed and reformatted by anyone connected to the central database.
Reports can include visual information obtained directly from the
source, including EEG traces, topographical maps and video recordings
of the patient. Even live links can be inserted giving direct access to
data for further analyses.
Standard Interface
Because of the standard Windows interface to the system, you are
always on familiar ground, regardless of the application you are using.
You do not have to learn multiple commands and functions. Also, this
arrangement offers a unique way of interfacing the EEG tests and data
with standard reporting applications such as MS Word for Windows.
However, digital EEG is not a standard component of Windows and
therefore entails some concepts and terminology unique to handling
digital EEG data. The following sections will outline some basic work
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NERVUS USER MANUAL EDITION 1.1
methods that differ slightly from the standard Windows format, but
are consistent throughout the Nervus system.
Menu Bar
The Menu Bar is a standard Windows menu bar optimised to suit each
Nervus application. It is a combination of menus giving access to every
possible function within each application. Some menus are the same
for all applications, and some are tailored to fit an individual applica-
tion. Details on each function can be found in the relevant chapters in
this manual.
The Toolbar Strip
The Toolbar strip gives you quick mouse access to most functions. You
can control which toolbars are shown and which are hidden through
the View menu.
2.12
Toolbars on the Toolbar Strip can also be dragged off the strip and
changed into floating palettes.
Clicking on the large X in the top right-hand corner makes the floating
palette disappear. To display it again, choose the option on the View
menu. If you wish to place a floating palette back on the control bar,
simply drag it back over the bar and drop it. Each unit of the control
bar can also be moved within it by drag and drop.
Note: The Nervus Recorder’s Toolbar cannot be dragged off the strip,
but the recorder has a special panel on the right side of the screen giv-
ing access to frequently used commands.
Sources of Help
Nervus provides Help in several formats. You can access the familiar
Help file from the Help menu. Context-sensitive help is also available,
either instantly when the mouse is placed over an object or just a
mouse-click away. We also offer on-line support on the World Wide
Web as well as the traditional support by phone.
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2. THE NERVUS SYSTEM
Help File
The traditional help file is always handy. Windows 95 now provides a
more powerful and sophisticated search engine, and you should be
able to locate the answers to your questions there.
Context-sensitive Help
Context sensitive help is nothing new to the experienced Windows user.
It provides short and concise information, either as an instant pop-up
window or as a button that will take you directly to the correct location
in the help file.
2.13
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