Optimal Bipolar Lead Placement in Electrooculography (EOG): A Comparative Study with an Emphasis on Prolonged Blinks

Electrooculography (EOG) is the measurement of potentials generated by the ocular muscle family during the exhibition of various eye movements. Such potentials initially sensed using electrodes placed at specific positions around the eyes, are conditioned for detection and analysis of these movements. However, the characteristics of EOG signals obtained substantially depend on the electrode placement. In this paper, a 3-electrode EOG setup was used to compare among 30 lead configurations enveloping different ocular muscles by studying their idiosyncrasies. For each combination, signals were acquired for a fixed set of eye movements executed by the same subject; including prolonged-blinks, a characteristic feature of drowsiness. A summary of the leads that would be favorable for the detection of each movement is then presented. Furthermore, such readings were recorded separately for different reference electrode positions to compendiously determine the optimal electrode placement for the detection of EOG signals corresponding to drowsiness.