scholarly journals Evaluation of dry textile electrodes for long-term electrocardiographic monitoring

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Milad Alizadeh-Meghrazi ◽  
Binbin Ying ◽  
Alessandra Schlums ◽  
Emily Lam ◽  
Ladan Eskandarian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electrode Materials ◽  
Performance Metrics ◽  
Evaluation Procedure ◽  
Electrode Impedance ◽  
Ecg Signals ◽  
Skin Electrode ◽  
Electrocardiographic Monitoring ◽  
Textile Electrodes ◽  
Dry Electrode

Abstract Background Continuous long-term electrocardiography monitoring has been increasingly recognized for early diagnosis and management of different types of cardiovascular diseases. To find an alternative to Ag/AgCl gel electrodes that are improper for this application scenario, many efforts have been undertaken to develop novel flexible dry textile electrodes integrated into the everyday garments. With significant progresses made to address the potential issues (e.g., low signal-to-noise ratio, high skin–electrode impedance, motion artifact, and low durability), the lack of standard evaluation procedure hinders the further development of dry electrodes (mainly the design and optimization). Results A standard testing procedure and framework for skin–electrode impedance measurement is demonstrated for the development of novel dry textile electrodes. Different representative electrode materials have been screen-printed on textile substrates. To verify the performance of dry textile electrodes, impedance measurements are conducted on an agar skin model using a universal setup with consistent frequency and pressure. In addition, they are demonstrated for ECG signals acquisition, in comparison to those obtained using conventional gel electrodes. Conclusions Dry textile electrodes demonstrated similar impedance when in raised or flat structures. The tested pressure variations had an insignificant impact on electrode impedance. Looking at the effect of impedance on ECG signals, a noticeable effect on ECG signal performance metrics was not observed. Therefore, it is suggested that impedance alone is possibly not the primary indicator of signal quality. As well, the developed methods can also serve as useful guidelines for future textile dry-electrode design and testing for practical ECG monitoring applications.

scholarly journals A Long-Term, Portable ECG Patch Monitor Based on Flexible Dry Electrode

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hao Chu ◽  
Chenxi Yang ◽  
Yantao Xing ◽  
Jianqing Li ◽  
Chengyu Liu
Keyword(s):  
Electrode Impedance ◽  
Ecg Monitoring ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Ecg Signals ◽  
Skin Electrode ◽  
Rr Interval ◽  
Dry Electrodes ◽  
Dry Electrode ◽  
And Storage

Abstract PurposeLong-term electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring is an essential approach for the early diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases. Flexible dry electrodes that contains electrolyte without water could be a potential substitution of wet electrodes for long-term ECG monitoring. Therefore, this paper developes a long-term, portable ECG patch based on flexible dry electrodes, namely SEUECG-100.MethodA device consists of analog-front-end acquisition, data acquisition, and storage modules is developed and tested. An impedance test was conducted to compare the skin-electrode impedance of the flexible dry electrode and the Ag/AgCl wet electrode. The ECG signals were simutanously collected from the same subject using the SEUECG-100 and Shimmer device , which were then compared and analyzed from the perspective of ECG morphology, RR interval, and signal quality indices (SQI).ResultsThe experimental results reveal that the flexible dry electrode has the characteristics of low skin-electrode impedance. SEUECG-100 could collect high-quality ECG signals. The ECG signals collected by the two devices have a high RR interval correlation (r=0.999). SQI results show that SEUECG-100 is better than the Shimmer device in overcoming baseline drift. Long-term ECG acquisition and storage experiments show that SEUECG-100 could collect ECG signals with good stability and high reliability.ConclusionThe implementation of the proposed system design with dry electrodes could can effectively record long-term ECG monitoring with high quality in comparison to systems with wet electrodes from both impedance characteristics and signal morphology aspects.

The electrical impedance measurements of dry electrode materials for the ECG measuring after repeated washing

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Sofia Kaappa ◽  
Atte Joutsen ◽  
Alper Cömert ◽  
Jukka Vanhala
Keyword(s):  
Electrode Materials ◽  
Conductive Polymer ◽  
Vital Signs ◽  
Metal Sheet ◽  
Electrode Impedance ◽  
Metal Electrodes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Vital Signs Monitoring ◽  
Dry Electrode

Purpose The purpose of this paper was to offer more reliable dry electrode materials for long-term measuring and determine how repeated machine washing affects the measured impedance and surface resistance of the sample electrodes. The aim was to manufacture electrodes that could be used for the measurement of ECG. Skin friendly, metal sheet type, electrodes could be a solution. Design/methodology/approach In addition to two conventional electrodes already used in heart rate belts, the authors prepared and tested three different sheet metal electrodes. Three 20-mm-diameter electrodes were manufactured from the following materials: silvered knit, conductive polymer, stainless steel, silver and platinum. Electrode impedance was measured at seven frequencies from 1 Hz to 1 MHz, by placing two electrodes face-to-face. Measurements were taken on unused electrodes and after multiple machine washes at 40°C. Findings Analysis of the measurements indicates that with every material tested, the impedances are elevated after repeated washes. All metallic materials have impedances in the range of 0.01 to 4.5 Ω. Metal sheet electrodes can be integrated comfortably into the textile, and they endure textile maintenance without loss of electrical properties. Practical implications Metal sheet electrodes function well in long-term vital signs monitoring, provide a reliable signal and are resistant to maintenance. For the reasons described in this research, they can be used as a long-term wearable sensor. Originality/value Novel electrode material for long-term measuring research is important in many disciplines such as health care and apparel manufacturing. These findings suggest that pure metal electrodes are better than conductive textiles in long-term measuring.

scholarly journals Washable embroidered textile electrodes for long-term electrocardiography monitoring

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 126-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amale Ankhili ◽  
Shahood uz Zaman ◽  
Xuyuan Tao ◽  
Cedric Cochrane ◽  
Vladan Končar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heart Diseases ◽  
Thermoplastic Polyurethane ◽  
Health Condition ◽  
Ecg Signals ◽  
Medical Quality ◽  
Textile Electrodes ◽  
Washing Process ◽  
Encapsulation Process ◽  
Domestic Machine

The improvement of human health condition is an important objective that remains relevant since the origin of human being. Currently, cardiovascular diseases are the first cause of death worldwide. For this reason, permanent real-time monitoring of heart activity (Electrocardiogram: ECG), its analysis and alerting of concerned person is a solution to decrease the death toll provoked by heart diseases. ECG signal of medical quality is necessary for permanent monitoring and accurate heart examining. It can be obtained from instrumented underwear only if it is equipped with high quality, flexible textile based electrodes guaranteeing low contact resistance between the skin and them. This work is therefore devoted to the design and test of wearable textile embroidered bands following defined protocol for ECG long-term monitoring. These bands were investigated in three configurations: band without any adding layer to protect lines between electrodes and the connector, band with lines protected by simple yarn, band with lines protected with thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). Bands were worn around chest by healthy subjects in a sitting position and ECG signals were acquired by an Arduino-based device and assessed. Washability tests of connected underwear were carried out over 50 washing cycles in a domestic machine and by using a commercial detergent. Influence of encapsulation process on the electrical properties of textile electrodes during repetitive washing process has also been investigated and analyzed. All the ECG signals acquired and recorded have been reviewed by a cardiologist in order to validate their quality required for accurate diagnosis.

A comfortability and signal quality study of conductive weave electrodes in long-term collection of human electrocardiographs

2018 ◽  
Vol 89 (11) ◽  
pp. 2098-2112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xueliang Xiao ◽  
Ke Dong ◽  
Chenhao Li ◽  
Guanzheng Wu ◽  
Hongtao Zhou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Skin Irritation ◽  
Woven Fabrics ◽  
Comfort Level ◽  
Signal Quality ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Contact Impedance ◽  
Ecg Signals ◽  
Skin Contact ◽  
Textile Electrodes

Long-term electrocardiogram (ECG) recording can reveal some vital cardiovascular disorders and provide warning of human sudden cerebral or vascular diseases in advance. This requires high-quality ECG skin electrodes. Gel (Ag/AgCl) electrodes were reported to have good signal quality in ECG acquisition, but easily caused human skin irritation or allergy. Consequently, textile electrodes have attracted more attention for long-term ECG acquisition. In this paper, eight woven fabrics with diverse yarns and weft densities were fabricated in plain and honeycomb structures. The fabrics were investigated in terms of comfortability, fabric–skin contact impedance and acquired bio-signal quality. Honeycomb weave electrodes were measured with a high comfort level from subjective and objective views, including pleasant tactile comfort, high visual acceptance, good air permeability and good heat transfer. Weave electrodes made of all conductive filaments in high density had low skin contact impedance and high-quality ECG signals. An increase of compression load on weave electrodes resulted in a decrease of contact impedance with a high signal quality. A conductive honeycomb weave with unit repeat of 6*6 warps*wefts presented the highest score of acquired ECG signals of all studied electrodes based on the qualities of the QRS complex, P and T waves, R peak amplitude and variation and signal-to-noise ratio. This study contributes to the future design and fabrication of textile electrodes using honeycomb weave in long-term and real-time collection of human ECGs.

scholarly journals Performance Evaluation of Plain Weave and Honeycomb Weave Electrodes for Human ECG Monitoring

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xueliang Xiao ◽  
Sandeep Pirbhulal ◽  
Ke Dong ◽  
Wanqing Wu ◽  
Xi Mei
Keyword(s):  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Reference Electrode ◽  
Electrode Impedance ◽  
Ecg Signals ◽  
Skin Electrode ◽  
Transfer Unit ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Innovative Materials ◽  
Electrocardiogram Ecg

Long-time monitoring of physiological parameters can scrutinize human health conditions so as to use electrocardiogram (ECG) for diagnosis of some human’s chronic cardiovascular diseases. The continuous monitoring requires the wearable electrodes to be breathable, flexible, biocompatible, and skin-affinity friendly. Weave electrodes are innovative materials to supply these potential performances. In this paper, four conductive weave electrodes in plain and honeycomb weave patterns were developed to monitor human ECG signals. A wearable belt platform was developed to mount such electrodes for acquisition of ECG signals using a back-end electronic circuit and a signal transfer unit. The performance of weave ECG electrodes was evaluated in terms of skin-electrode contacting impedance, comfortability, ECG electrical characteristics, and signal fidelity. Such performances were then compared with the values from Ag/AgCl reference electrode. The test results showed that lower skin-electrode impedance, higher R-peak amplitude, and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) value were obtained with the increased density of conductive filaments in weave and honeycomb weave electrode presented higher comfort but poorer signal quality of ECG. This study inspires an acceptable way of weave electrodes in long- and real-time of human biosignal monitoring.

Soft Dry Electrodes for Electrocardiogram with Conductive Silver Nanowires

2014 ◽  
Vol 1685 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Myers ◽  
Yong Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Health Monitoring ◽  
Silver Chloride ◽  
Silver Nanowires ◽  
Skin Irritation ◽  
Hospital Setting ◽  
Skin Impedance ◽  
Ecg Signals ◽  
Dry Electrode ◽  
Silver Silver

ABSTRACTWith increasing attention towards long-term health monitoring, there is a pressing need to create noninvasive sensors that monitor vital bioelectronic signals. Particular importance is placed on measuring electrocardiogram (ECG) signals as heart issues are widespread and can be prevented with the proper warning and care of potential problems. Currently, ECGs are taken in a hospital setting using disposable silver-silver chloride (Ag/AgCl) pre-gelled electrodes. Unfortunately, this cannot translate to a long-term monitoring setting due to the electrolytic gel of the electrodes drying and causing skin irritation. This paper presents a soft, skin-mountable dry electrode based on silver nanowires (AgNWs) for measuring ECG signals that can be used in long-term, wearable health monitoring due to the elimination of the electrolytic gel. The AgNWs are embedded in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), which creates a robust design that will not suffer from delamination or cracking problems that can eventually lead to loss of conductivity. The electrode is characterized by electrode-skin impedance as a function of frequency and by the surface resistance as the electrode is stretched. The performance of the dry electrode is evaluated and comparable to that of conventional Ag/AgCl electrodes. The ability of the dry electrode to conform to skin is believed to compensate for the lack of an electrolytic gel.

scholarly journals Electrode for Wearable Electrotherapy

Proceedings ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 5
Author(s):  
Meijing Liu ◽  
Steve Beeby ◽  
Kai Yang
Keyword(s):  
Silicone Rubber ◽  
Electrode Impedance ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Resistivity Change ◽  
Stencil Printing ◽  
Current Frequency ◽  
Skin Electrode ◽  
Dry Electrode

An electrode is a fundamental element used in many electrotherapy devices. This work presents a novel dry electrode made from carbon and silicone rubber materials for wearable electrotherapy applications. The electrode was mixed using a speed mixer and fabricated using stencil printing. This paper investigates the resistivity change of the electrode under the pressure from 0 mmHg to 32.4 mmHg; and the skin–electrode impendence with the current frequency from 20 Hz to 10,000 Hz. The resistivity of the novel dry electrode is 24.6 ± 1.5 Ω∙m when the pressure on electrode is 17.7 mmHg. The skin–electrode impedance reduced from 1001.6 Ω to 145.3 Ω when the frequency increased from 20 Hz to 10,000 Hz.

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