Interference reduction in ECG signal acquisition: Ground electrode removal (case study)

An ECG signal is susceptible to a significant interference due to the surrounding sources of noise. The identification of these sources is necessary to acquire an ECG signal since its level is low (few millivolts) and is also immersed in a noisy environment. We propose the elimination of the ground electrode to reduce common-mode interference. We provide a qualitative model for these sources of interference and prove the effectiveness of ground electrode removal in interference reduction through an experimental design.