Automated ECG lead impedance measurement integrated into ECG gating circuitry

1. A system for measuring an impedance at the electrode-body interface comprising:

a processor;

an alternating current generator in communication with the processor, the alternating current generator having an output voltage and an output impedance; and

a plurality of skin electrodes in communication with the processor and the alternating current generator, each skin electrode having an electrode impedance; and

a display in communication with the processor configured to indicate the electrode impedance at the electrode-body interface for each skin electrode and generate an alert when one of the electrode impedances exceeds a preset level, wherein the processor calculates each electrode impedance at the electrode-body interface in response to the output impedance of the alternating current generator, the output voltage of the alternating current generator and the voltage between two or more of the skin electrodes, the alert indicating that an acceptable electrode impedance has not been reached.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the alternating current generator provides a constant current output.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein each electrode impedance at the electrode-body interface is linearly related to the voltage between two or more of the skin electrodes.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of switches, each switch associated with a respective skin electrode.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the switches are field effect transistors.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising a synchronous rectifier in electrical communication between the processor and the skin electrodes.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the synchronous rectifier is further in communication with the alternating current generator and samples a peak amplitude of a waveform generated by the alternating current generator.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of skin electrodes comprise three electrodes.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the voltage between two or more of the skin electrodes is measured by paralleling two of the skin electrodes while measuring the voltage of the third skin electrode.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the alternating current generator operates at a frequency of 10 Hz.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the alternating current generator generates a current of less than 50 microamps RMS.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the alternating current generator generates a current of 10 microamps RMS.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the alternating current generator generates a triangular voltage waveform.

14. The system of claim 1 further comprising an analog to digital converter in electrical communication between the processor and the synchronous rectifier.

15. The system of claim 1 further comprising an analog to digital converter in electrical communication between the processor and the skin electrodes.

16. A clinical system comprising:

a plurality of skin electrodes for attachment to a body of a patient and each of said skin electrodes having an electrode impedance;

a clinical device in communication with the skin electrodes; and

an impedance measuring device in electrical communication with the clinical device, the impedance measuring device comprising:

a processor in communication with the skin electrodes;

an alternating current generator in communication with the processor and the plurality of skin electrodes, the alternating current generator having an output voltage and an output impedance; and

a display in communication with the processor configured to indicate the electrode impedance at the electrode-body interface for each skin electrode and generate an alert when one of the electrode impedances exceeds a preset level, wherein the processor calculates the electrode impedance at the electrode-body interface in response to the output impedance of the alternating current generator, the output voltage of the alternating current generator and the voltage between two or more of the electrodes.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the clinical device is a device for which skin electrodes are required for one of measurement or current delivery.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the clinical device is selected from the group consisting of a transcutaneous nerve stimulator, a depth of anesthesia monitoring system, an EMG monitor, a CT scanner, a MRI, an ultrasound, or a lithotripter.

19. The clinical system of claim 16 wherein the clinical device is selected from the group consisting of: a gamma camera, an ECG device, a defibrillator, an EEG device, a stress testing system, a transcutaneous nerve stimulator, a depth of anesthesia monitoring system, an EMG monitor, a CT scanner, a MRI, an ultrasound and a lithotripter.

20. A method for measuring an impedance at an body-electrode interface in a system comprising an alternating current generator and a plurality of skin electrodes, the method comprising:

measuring an output impedance of the alternating current generator;

measuring an output voltage of the alternating current generator;

measuring a voltage between two or more skin electrodes of the plurality of skin electrodes in communication with the alternating current generator;

calculating an impedance for each of the plurality of skin electrodes at the electrode-body interface using the output impedance of an alternating current generator, the output voltage of the alternating current generator and the voltage between two or more skin electrodes; and

generating an alert when the calculated impedance for one of the skin electrodes exceeds a preset level.