Advanced Noise Suppression Techniques in ECG Systems: Combining Right-Leg Drive (RLD) Amplifiers with Digital Signal Processing (DSP)

This work presents a preliminary investigation into improving ECG signal quality by combining the analog noise suppression capabilities of the Right-Leg Drive (RLD) amplifier with advanced Digital Signal Processing (DSP) techniques. In a laboratory setup, the RLD amplifier improved common-mode rejection (CMR) to levels exceeding 96 dB by actively driving the patient’s body potential. DSP methods, including adaptive and notch filtering, were then applied to mitigate residual noise such as power-line interference and high-frequency electromagnetic interference (EMI). Initial results using the ADS1299EEG platform indicate that this hybrid approach can achieve robust noise suppression while preserving ECG signal integrity.