High density surface EMG as described in the recent publications on the Biosemi site is possible with the addition of the sEMG accessories. The original model of the high density sEMG probe was made for ActiveOne, so the connector differed. The current version separates the electrode grid from the preamp as in:

• reusable grid
• sEMG preamplifier

Less dense sEMG can be accomplished with an elastic fabric with electrode holders like the EEG cap stretched over a muscle.  This would need to be custom-made, but would not be expensive.

Fine wire EMG would require either spring contact adapters or safety socket leads with inline active headstage. If your fine wire electrodes will be stripped but unterminated, you need spring contacts, and if your electrodes terminate in safety sockets, you need inline adapters.

We expect the new reinforced ActiveTwo active electrodes to last 350-500 uses, based on our experience with the new product so far, and based on automated repeated-strain testing.

The way ActiveTwo electrode sets are built, they are not repairable by the end-user, but we can replace single electrodes for you. We can so this quickly (24 hours plus transit), efficiently, and at low cost (or free under warranty). Electrodes are warranted against material/manufacturing defects for one year, and we charge by the repair after that. We find that offering extended warranties motivates less careful handling, so we don’t offer extended warranties.

Follow the steps in this other FAQ to identify the problem before contacting us to ask about the procedure and the cost of a repair.

We do offer individual EXG pin-type electrodes that you can insert in the cap as substitutes for faulty ribbon cable leads. This would be a short term stop gap solution only. We strongly recommend having a backup set of electrodes on hand after a year or two so that if the first set needs repair, you can continue to run with the other set while the repair is undertaken. You would not need to buy the spare set right away — just budget to have it once the electrodes have had enough use that they may begin experiencing problems. 250-350 recordings is a good mark for when you should have a spare set of electrodes on hand.

You CAN install current versions of ActiView on Windows 10. But, before you do so, if the system was orignally delivered before January of 2017 you should update the firmware on the optical receiver / USB interface so that you do not have to go through the very long and arduous process of installing an unsigned driver on Windows 10.

You can update the firmware using any Windows 7 or 8 computer with the MSWinUSB2 driver installed, even if it is not the computer you have been using for ActiView. If you are just using a Windows 7 or 8 computer to update firmware on the optical receiver / USB interface, there is no need to install the LabVIEW Runtime Engine or ActiView on this computer. You WILL need the LabVIEW Runtime Engine and ActiView on the new Windows 10 computer, but you WILL NOT need to install a driver after the firmware update has been performed.

See the procedure outlined at biosemi.com/ faq/install_USB.htm for detailed instructions.  The section at the bottom marked IMPORTANT is the place to begin.

The positions in these caps come from the Oostenveld and Praamstra 5% system.  See http://robertoostenveld.nl/electrode/ for background and for links to electrode coordinates in a variety of formats. Depending on what software you are using for analysis, we might be able to provide another file format. The Biosemi channel assignments (relating electrode labels to electrode sites in the Oostenveld and Praamstra nomenclature) are below:

ActiveTwo is provided with drivers and host data acquisition software for Windows and Mac computers, and drivers also exist for Linux. Note that certain applications, such as event-related potentials, often require a separate computer to run experimental control / stimulus delivery software.

In brief, the computer requirements for the ActiView data acquisition software are:

• Operating system: Windows 7, 8, or 10 or Mac OS X
• RAM: 8 GB or more
• Hard Drive: recommend 250 GB, but user should anticipate free space needed for data (file size in bytes is approximately = 3 X AD rate in Hz X number of channels X number of seconds recorded)
• Display: 1440 X 900 or higher resolution display
• One free USB port

Note: The ActiveTwo computer DOES NOT NEED A PARALLEL PORT.  A parallel port on the experimental control computer can be used to send stimuli to ActiveTwo.

In addition, the following are recommended for the ActiView computer:

• Network interface and remote storage for data backups
• Accessories such as KVMA switch box, extra monitor / keyboard / mouse, extension cables, etc to permit access to the EEG display from the separate room for the subject

The ActiveTwo Base System has no channels. The Base System consists of the parts that every ActiveTwo system needs to have, but excludes the parts that are used to custom configure ActiveTwo for various purposes, like amplifier/converter (AC modules).  The AC modules give the system the capacity to record from active electrodes. With four of the eight channel modules, the base system will have the capacity for 32 channels. If you want 32 electrodes on the scalp, then you need four modules, but if you also want to use four individual flat-type electrodes, you need another eight-channel module (four modules for EEG and one module for EXG1-8). The modules have eight channels, so you can only expand the system in increments of eight channels. You don’t have to buy the electrodes to use with EXG5-8, but you need the eight channel module.

Maybe.  There is no way the EEG system can harm the TMS system, but there are some TMS systems that are essentially useless with some EEG systems.  You need a a suitable combination of features in each to be successful at all in using TMS with EEG.

Desirable attributes:

• Coils designed specifically for use with EEG will have a cable that exits the coil tangential to the head surface so that the coil does not pass close by EEG electrodes and cables.
• A coil to be used with EEG should be passively cooled, since active cooling by means of a fan will induce electromagnetic interference in the EEG.
• The TMS recharge mechanism should be designed to avoid inducing electromagnetic artifacts in the EEG.
• The TMS system should be shielded so that no more than 3 milligauss of electromagnetic interference from the TMS system’s power supply reaches the electrodes and cables.
• The TMS system should be able to produce a TMS pulse in response to an input trigger with a low and predictable latency.  Long, but especially unpredictable latency in responding to an input trigger will result in TMS artifacts that are difficult to impossible to remove from the EEG.

Aside from attributes of the TMS system, there are also important considerations regarding the EEG system in this relationship. See the other FAQ entry on that topic.

No.  There are a few special attributes that are required and others that are desirable.

Required attributes:

• Inputs should be protected so that they are not damaged by the TMS pulse
• Frequency response on all channels should be from DC on the low end, since AC coupled inputs will “ring” when presented with a large voltage transient like the TMS artifact

Desirable attributes:

• Electrodes should have a low-profile so that the TMS coil can be placed as near the head as possible, maximizing penetration depth and current delivery
• It is important for the EEG system to be able to trigger the TMS system at precisely the same phase with respect to the EEG samples each time a stimulus is delivered.  This will improve the performance of artifact removal algorithms

Aside from these attributes of the EEG system, there are also important considerations regarding the TMS system in this relationship. See the other FAQ entry on that topic.

Electrodes and head caps can have positions derived from systems based on the International 1020 System.  When the positions are based on 1020, the labels on the caps and electrodes can either be the actual 1020 position names (such as Fp1, Cz, etc) or they can be what is called ABC, which actually means A1, A2, …A32, B1, B2,…B32, etc  Another way to refer to the ABC labeling is arbitrary alphanumeric.  The 1020 system is not arbitrary because the names are based on anatomical landmarks and the odd=left and even=right numbering is predictable and interpretable.  When you have only one type of cap in your lab, it makes sense to use 1020 labels for caps with positions based on the 1020 system.  However, if you have 32 channel caps AND 64 channel caps, then you might find it useful to be able to use the A1-32 labels for the A cable and the B1-32 labels for the B cable and complementary A1-32 labels on the 32 channel caps and A1-B32 labels on the 64 channel caps.  This way, the A cable can be used for the whole head in 32 channel studies of for just the left side of the head in 64 channel studies.  This does provide a short term savings if you don’t want to have two A cables on-hand, but using 1020 labels on everything is more convenient and at the limit it will not cost any more (because cables that are used less frequently will last longer).

When you purchase a new laboratory instrument, you want to get started using it and producing results as quickly as possible, and nothing helps you accomplish this goal faster than having a trained technician visit your lab to install the system and configure it optimally for your purposes. From our perspective, you will have the best possible experience with our products when the equipment is setup and configured properly and you are properly trained from the beginning. Installation visits are not included in the pricing on our standard price list, but we do generally include an optional installation fee on quotations. We find that customers who receive assistance from the beginning have fewer questions later and have more success using the equipment. We encourage you to invest in this valuable service.  If you would like to arrange an installation and training visit, please contact us!

We will always do our best to respond quickly when you need something urgently.  It helps us immensely if you plan ahead and give us a little advance warning if you foresee a deadline approaching by which you need parts, supplies or repairs to be complete.

For new purchases, we can often pre-order goods for established customers, even before the official institutional PO has been received.  Give us a heads-up as soon as you know that you intend to order items we have quoted you, and if you expect to have the official PO within 30 days, and you agree to let us know if anything changes, we will pre-order the goods for you based on your word.

For repairs, we know how vital our equipment is to your work, so we always do our best to respond quickly to urgent repair requests.  One important point — the earlier we know the date by which a repaired item must be received back, the sooner we can let you know whether we will or will not be able to meet that deadline.  Ultimately, the most valuable thing you can do to ensure we meet your deadlines is to notify us of those deadlines as early as possible!

Cortech Solutions is the exclusive reseller in the USA and Canada for these product lines:

• Artinis
• Biosemi
• Bittium (formerly MEGA)
• Cambridge Research Systems
• Mag and More
• NeuroImaging Solutions (NIS)

For most of the products we sell, our territory includes USA and Canada.

For products we manufacture, we are able to see throughout the world, but we may put you in touch with a local or regional representative to ensure the most convenient customer experience for you.

See our contact details page.

The inside diameter of adhesive ring should be about the same size as, or larger than, the diameter of the electrode contact.  The inside diameter of the adhesive ring should not be larger than the outer diameter of the electrode housing.  The outside diameter minus the center hole determines how much surface area contacts the skin, thus determining how tightly the adhesive will adhere to the skin.  Also, the outside diameter will limit how close you can place electrodes to one another and to other features, such as the eyes.

Using ActiveTwo as an example, the electrode contact on a flat-type electrode has a diameter of about 4.5 mm.  An adhesive ring with 5 mm id (center hole) would be  idea, but the 5×13 adhesives are rather expensive because they are manufactured in Europe.  We recommend using a 4×19 or a 4×12 adhesive ring.  The 4×12 is a good choice when placing the electrodes close to one another or close to the eyes for startle measurements.  The 4×19 is a good choice when you have plenty of room and the primary concern is how well the electrodes stick to the skin.

• 8 mm id x 20 mm od: CS-AT-AR20X8BS – roll of 500
• 5 mm id x 13 mm od: CS-AT-AR13X5BS – roll of 500
• 12 mm id x 32 mm od: CS-AT-ARIV12X32 – pack of 100
• 8 mm id x 22 mm od: CS-AT-ARIV8X22 – pack of 100
• 4 mm id x 12 mm od: CS-AT-ARIV4X12 – pack of 100
• 4 mm id x 19 mm od: CS-AT-ARIV4X19 – pack of 100 (part of the standard ActiveTwo consumable supplies kit)

Complete systems and large orders of accessories may take 6-9 weeks for delivery except in special circumstances.  Many smaller accessory orders can be delivered within a few days or a couple of weeks, depending on whether the item is in stock in our US office.  Consumable supplies are normally in stock and ready to ship the same day.  Delivery within the US and Canada normally takes 3 days or less, but precisely how long it takes depends on the mode of shipment.  Also, deliveries in large urban areas are often quicker than to less densely populated areas, and deliveries within the US are quicker than to Canada or MExico.  Add one to two days for customs clearance into Canada or Mexico.

If you are an established customer (have ordered from us in the past) then you can order via our website. If your institution / lab have an established account but you have never communicated with us by e-mail, you may need to use the Request Info form to let us know to add you to the contact list and associate you with a particular account. It is helpful if you can provide your lab’s account number (from any quote, invoice or work order) since that helps us avoid associating you with another account at the same institution or another lab at another institution with the same PI.

Anyone can order from us by e-mail or fax when responding to a valid proposal issued by Cortech Solutions. For institutions with established credit, we accept POs with payment by check or credit card. Private companies have the option of inquiring about establishing credit (credit application) or paying by credit card or check in advance of delivery.

If your institution requires a PO for us to get paid, then you need to send us a PO to place an order. The PO should indicate the items you want to order, the prices you expect to pay, the method of payment, and the billing and shipping addresses.

If you will pay by CC or check in advance and your institution does not require a PO to pay by these means, then you can place an order in response to a written proposal by signing the proposal, confirming the shipping and billing addresses, indicating the method of payment and including payment details such as credit card number, etc. We recommend calling in your CC information to our main number, but our fax is secure, so you may fax it to us if you wish.