A VISIT TO A SLEEP LAB part 2
Meanwhile, he has started to make precise measurements o f Joan’s scalp with the miniature tape measure and marks it with a special, soft, red pencil. “The electrodes have to be placed on specific locations on the head several inches above each ear called C3 on the left side and C4 on the right side and another at the back of the head at 0 1 or 0 2 . The same measurement technique is used worldwide to apply electrodes. That way results from any lab can be directly compared.” He carefully marks a spot on each side of the head about one-third of the way down from the center of the top o f the head toward each ear. He picks up the comb and several hair clips and parts the hair over the marked area on the right side. Then lie picks up a cotton tipped stick and a bottle o f liquid.
“Our bodies are covered with a layer o f dead skin plus oil.” Turning aside to us with a wry smile on his face, lie says in a confidential tone, “That kind of takes the glamour out of looking at a good-looking movie star-all you see is dead skin.” Turning back to Joan, lie proceeds to moisten the cotton-tip with a gooey solution from one o f the bottles and to rub the exposed marked area. “This process removes the dead skin and oils to enable better electrical reception by the electrode.” With another wry smile, he turns to Joan and says, “The green color in your hair will grow out in about nine months.”
Laughing, Joan replies, “You can’t fool me. I’ve been through this before.”
Turning to us, Sam explains, “Actually, all of this stuff is very harmless and easily washes out.” He then picks up the toothpaste-like tube. “This substance is electrode gel. It also helps make better electrical contact.” As lie is talking, he takes the electrode from us and squeezes enough gel into its hollowness just to fill it. Then he carefully places it on the prepared spot on Joan’s scalp and has her hold it in place with her left forefinger. Working quickly, lie takes the top of a glass Petri dish and picks up a moistened piece of square gauze about the size of two big postage stamps. “It’s soaked with biological glue.” Sam places the gauze on top of the electrode, being careful not to disturb it. Again, holding all of this in place with his left hand, lie uses his right hand to pick up a metal pencil-sized object attached to a small rubber lab hose. While using the dull tip o f the object to hold the electrode and gauze in place lie presses a foot switch and a stream o f air hisses through the hose and out of the object toward the glue-soaked gauze. Deftly, he pats hiss fingers on the gauze around the electrode as the glue dries. Fifteen seconds later, he turns off the air stream and sets the apparatus down. “The electrode will stay in place all night now. I f I were to give a gentle but firm tug on the attached wire, Joan’s head would tilt toward me.”