European data format (medical) (EDF)

The European Data Format(EDF) is a simple and flexible file format for data exchange and storage of biological data. It was developed in the 1980s by European medical engineers for sleep analysis.

The EDF file format is the de facto standard for recording electroencephalograms(EEG). In 2002 the EDF format was extended and got the designation EDF+. This file format is largely compatible with the EDF file format; on the other hand, EDF+ can also be displayed on all EDF display units. In contrast to the EDF file format, EDF+ files can also contain interruptions in the recordings, stimulants and events. Furthermore, in addition to recording electroencephalograms (EEG), EDF+ is also suitable for electrocardiograms( ECG) and electrooculograms (EOG), as well as automatic and manual sleep analysis.

EDF+ is mainly used in clinical neurophysiology, sleep research and analysis, and cardiology.