A multichannel telemetry system for recording cardiovascular neural signals

Abstract

A multichannel telemetry system was developed for use with chronically instrumented unrestrained cats. This system can simultaneously record efferent and afferent cardiovascular neural signals, bioelectrical noise arising near the electrode recording the neural signals, EEG, ECG, and a standard calibration signal. The miniature (18 cm3), lightweight (24 g), telemeter is a five-channel, time-multiplexed, pulse width modulation (PWM)/FM device employing a high frequency subcarrier (60 kHz) and two sampling frequencies (30 kHz and 6 kHz). The device is powered by two small 120 mA . h silver oxide cells; it has an indoor transmission range of 10 m and can operate for 48 h. One channel transmits a standard signal (a square wave of 100 Hz and 200 mVp-p) used to monitor and regulate the system's performance. When the variation in either the amplitude or frequency of the standard signal is greater than 10% of the control value, the transmitted bioelectrical signals are automatically discarded.