To buy a 3 channel gold standard ECG device from iWorx, Schiller medical or from OpenBCI?

Last Updated on October 2, 2024 by pg@petergamma.org

iWorx TA 220

When we started reviewing on www.petergamma.org one of the most affordable 3 channel ECG devices with 16 bit A/D which is required for research applications came from iWorx. The cheapest recorder with 3 channels from iWorx is the TA 220. The last device which was available used on eBay was recently sold for

US $1.398:

https://www.ebay.ch/itm/185245471492

  • iWorx sells their recorders with the software included.
  • But if the software is not included, it is 1000 USD extra for the software:

Holter SCHILLER medilog®AR

is sold here:

https://www.doctorshop.it/Prodotti/apparecchiature-pp/holter-e-accessori-PP-3/holter-ecg-PP-3-02/holter-schiller-medilogar-19100030?srsltid=AfmBOorvAktGHyjpA9tj1eV-rpG8PuwqLJzVKOD2-H-Hh-FX5hnZ2YJi

for 1.160 Euros

  • but the A/D resolution: is only 12 bit:
  • which means it cannot be based on the same architecture than OpenBCI which has 24 bit A/D conversion rate.
  • Research grade applications require at least 16 bit.
  • OpenBCI full-fills these requirements and is better than the Holter SCHILLER medilog®AR
  • It offers medilog® DARWIN HRV (Fire of Life®) software
  • And as far as we know the Holter SCHILLER medilog®AR cannot be used with 3 .th party software

OpenBCI Ganglion or Cyton

  • If we look at all of this, it is better to build your own 3 channel ECG device based on OpenBCI Ganglion or Cyton.
  • It is more affordable than the above products.
  • And there are many open source ECG toolboxes available which can be used with it, as for instance Heart Pi.
  • We have here the instruction for a 3 and 5 lead ECG:

https://docs.openbci.com/GettingStarted/Biosensing-Setups/ECGSetup

  • But with leads, electrodes and ECG channels, we have much confusion.
  • So better check the scientific literature about the The Mason-Likar electrode placement which is required for gold standard heart rate measurements:

OpenBCI Cyton is CHF 859

OpenBCI Ganglion is · CHF 429

  • And if you are interested on the long term in such devices we suppose the OpenBCI Cyton cable version sold on eBay and Aliexpress is the cheapest version
  • it should have the least issues of those Chinese modules.
  • Cable version is not officially supported by www.openbci.com.
  • You cannot connect OpenBCI Cyton over cable to OpenBCI GUI.
  • But we do not need OpenBCI GUI urgently.
  • We can connect the OpenBCI Ganglion cable modules directly to a software of our choice.
  • For instance by connecting OpenBCI Cyton cable version over the POGO pins to a Rasbperry Pi.
  • In that way we should have a sort of a PiEEG which actually is better than PiEEG, since PiEEG seems to have issues with noise.
  • There are people who got OpenBCI Ganglion to work over cable
  • If you are interested on the long term in such devices, you should eventually be able to manage to get it to work, if you study the OpenBCI architecture in detail.
  • The cable version is available on Aliexpress and eBay for around:

230 USD