File Format Resources

From: Dave (dfisher_at_pophost.com)
Date: 2002-03-04 02:41:52


Here are some links to various biodata file formats:

Specific packages:

http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/~pbourke/dataformats/neuroscan
http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/~pbourke/dataformats/eegwestmead

General formats:

http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/~pbourke/dataformats/eegascii
http://www.hsr.nl/bobkemp/edf/edf.htm (this one warrants a closer look, I
think)

Various formats that can be read into Matlab, should we want to.

http://www.dpmi.tu-graz.ac.at/~schloegl/matlab/eeg/

And then this that I found on a neurophysician list:

====

There have been several proposals for a dataformat for EEG, see G. Hellman,
M. Kuhn, M. Prosch, M.Spreng: Extensible biosignal (EBS) file format: simple
method for EEG data exchange. Electroencephalogr clin Neurophysiol 1996;
99:426-31.

Besides EDF (European Data Format), there is an USA standard: ASTM E1467-94
(American Society for Testing and Materials: Standard Specification for
Transferring Digital Neurophysiological Data between Independent Computer
Systems). Several manufacturers will provide the transfer of data to this
format if consumers want this (see discussion in J Clin Neurophysiology
1993; 10:397, 534-39).

Software and Documentation for Conversion Software to/from ASTM 1467 can be
obtained from Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, Rochester,
Minnesota 55905. Neil E. Brusacker can be reached at +1 (507)284 8679.

The ASTM E1467-94 documents (and also ASTM E1238-94, Specification for
Transferring Clinical Observations between Independent Computer Systems, and
ASTM E1713-95, Standard for Transferring Digital Waveform Data between
Independent Computer Systems) can be purchased from ASTM, 100 Barr Harbor
Drive, West Conshohocen, PA 19428-2959. e-mail: service_at_local.astm.org.

===

>Tapio, do you have any opinion about the ASTM standard with respect
to the items where the EDF is weak? Also, how does your own file
format compere to the ASTM?

My personal experiences with ASTM are nonexistant. Our programmer has
the documentation and he said that he will implement it if it is
absolutely obligatory. This situation has not come up. According to
him ASTM tries to do everything that could ever be needed and is very
complicated because of that.

"Our" "format" is plain EDF with the few additions as ASCII so it is
very simple.
>
>
> > Several manufacturers will provide the transfer of data to this
> >format if consumers want this (see discussion in J Clin Neurophysiology
> >1993; 10:397, 534-39).

WHen officially asked many manufacturers tell you that their format
is available. When you try to get it in practice you will find out
that it is not. The willingness to do import-export properly seems to
have smething to do with the position of the manufacturer on the
market. If they are afraid of loosing users when releasing their
format or providing export-import capabilities, they will not do
that.

>
>
> Finally, does anyone know about any software converting files to TEXT or
> excel-formats from any specific EEG-file format (e.g. very useful for
> producing graphical illustrations of selected small sections of an EEG
> recording)?

Our Gateway program can do ASCII conversions from the formats it
supports..

Best regards
Tapio Jokinen, M.D.
-------------------
CliniLab Oy
It„tuulenkuja 1 A, 02100 Espoo, Finland
Tel: +3589-525 92 60, Fax: +3589-525 92 627

===

The discussion can be found at:

http://www.neurophys.com/discussion/CNL/msg00044.html

Dave.



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