3d Printed Bio-potential Dry Electrodes.

Abstract

The most commonly used bio-potential electrodes are silver/silver chlorides gel-electrodes (Ag/AgCl electrodes). However, wet electrodes are not suited for daily usage and long-term monitoring. Dry electrodes are the best choice for long-term measurements. Dry electrodes can be fabricated using various methods and materials; one of these methods is three dimensional (3d) printing. 3d printing is a cost-effective method and can be easily used in mass production. This paper will present 3d printed bio-potential dry electrodes using five different commercially available fused deposition modeling (FDM) electrically conductive filaments. Then, these printed electrodes will be tested and validated using electrocardiogram (ECG) portable acquisition system. Three out of five filaments were printed successfully. Collected ECG data from these electrodes showed acceptable quality with Signal to Noise Ratios (SNRs) ranging around 20 dB when compared with wet electrodes collected raw data as a reference. In conclusion, this study designed and printed a 100% 3d printed electrodes from three different FDM filaments which could be used efficiently for ECG signal monitoring in resting position.