Electroencephalography (EEG) is the measurement of the electrical activity of the brain through specialized electrodes placed on the head. We offer passive, active, gel-based, saline, and dry-electrode technologies, so researchers have flexibility in choosing the right recording electrode for their signals of interest. Often these electrodes are placed on the surface of the scalp and their positions are secured by caps, nets, or headgear. In special cases, electrodes may be placed underneath the scalp or directly on the surface of the brain in a form of electrophysiological monitoring known as electrocorticography (ECoG). Regardless of the approach taken, these electrodes measure the summation of post-synaptic potentials from many brain cells (i.e., neurons) and the resulting waveforms are amplified, digitized, and recorded to better understand brain function under a variety of conditions. We specialize in providing reliable and robust solutions to streamline the measurement and recording of EEG so that researchers can confidently deploy this methodology to address their scientific questions.
EEG Related Products
Frequently Asked Questions
Doesn’t the impedance-matching paste create a short between the 3 rings of the tripolar electrode?
Many researchers have asked us this question. What we have found is that impedance matching pastes and gels are not direct shorts like wires. We have measured the conductance of impedance matching pastes and gels and found that they are typically about the conductance of the scalp. Therefore, a millimeter separation of the tripolar electrode elements provides enough resistance in the paste that currents flowing through it cause a potential difference (Ohm’s law: V=IR). These potentials cannot be measured with conventional EEG amplifiers, so we designed our own preamplifier, the t-Interface 20, to go between the t-Leads and the conventional EEG amplifier.
What is the gain of the t-Interface 20?
The gain for the tEEG (tripolar EEG) signal from the t-Interface 20 is 187.5. There is no gain for the eEEG (emulated conventional EEG) signal.
DO I need to buy a special amplifier/software to use the t-Leads and t-Interface 20?
No. The t-Interface 20 has been designed specifically to be compatible with your current amplifier and software. The outputs of the t-Interface 20 are standard touch-proof connectors that mate with most common amplifiers on the market today.
Why do I still need reference & ground conventional disc electrodes when using t-Leads and t-Interface 20? Do you include conventional disc electrodes with your system?
We only use the ground signal in our t-Interface 20. If your amplifier uses a reference signal, then it is necessary to connect a reference disc electrode to the subject and the amplifier. If your amplifier does not use a reference signal, then you only need to apply a disc electrode to the subject and connect to the ground input on your amplifier. In either case, you also need to connect the t-Interface 20 ground (Green wire) to the ground input of your amplifier. Prepare and place the disc electrodes as you normally would, and connect them to your amplifier as you normally would. If you do not have two connected isolated ground ports on your amplifier, you will need to use a jumper to connect both the ground conventional disc electrode and the Green wire of the t-Interface 20 output cable to ground on your amplifier. We do not include conventional disc electrodes with our system.
Do your TCRE electrodes require paste?
Yes. We typically use Ten20 paste.
How do I purchase accessories and consumables?
You can restock consumables and purchases accessories for your system using the Brain Vision webshop:
Brain Vision LLC (US): https://shop.brainvision.com/
Brain Vision Solutions Inc (Canada) http://shop.bv-solutions.com
How long does it take to set up the t-Leads and the t-Interface 20?
Setting up t-Leads on the head for a recording using conductive paste takes no more time than setting up conventional disc electrodes on the head for a recording using paste.
Can I plug the t-Leads directly into my standard amplifier?
There are no conventional EEG amplifiers, that we are aware of, that have adequate specifications to acquire signals from the t-Leads.
Further, the differencing of the outer ring and central disc, and middle ring and central disc of the t-Lead, along with the Laplacian algorithm first reported in Besio et al. 2006, is performed within the t-Interface 20 circuitry. Therefore, t-Leads will not work with a standard amplifier and you will not get the benefits of the automatic Laplacian provided by the tripolar signal.
Can I plug disc electrodes into the t-Interface 20?
The t-Interface 20 is where the differencing between the rings of the t-Leads occurs. Since there is only one ring/sensor on conventional disc electrodes, there is no need to plug disc electrodes in to the preamplifier. Further, our unique TCRE design and t-Interface 20 provides an equivalent conventional disc electrode output for each t-Lead. The t-Interface 20 provides both the high-fidelity tEEG (tripolar EEG) and eEEG (emulated conventional EEG) simultaneously from the each t-Lead.
