Augmented Wire-Embedded Silicon-Based Dry-Contact Sensors for Electroencephalography Signal Measurements

Abstract

The aim of this study was to develop a novel dry electroencephalography (EEG) sensor with a soft, pliable pad that conforms to the contours of the skin and skull, providing a suitable surface contact area for collecting electrical potential signals and ensuring a reliable connection. In this study, based on our experience in developing flexible silver/silicon-based dry-contact sensors (SBDSs) for biosignal measurements, we proposed a new, augmented wire-embedded silicon-based dry-contact sensor (WSBDS) with a long lifespan and better performance in EEG measurements. The following two augmentation concepts were proposed in this design and implemented in fabrication: 1) the addition of a metal stud and 2) the embedding of copper wires into the fingers of an acicular SBDS. The forehead sensor is suitable for forehead EEG measurements, and the acicular sensor is designed for application to hair-covered sites, where it can overcome hair interference to achieve satisfactory scalp contact while maintaining low impedance at the skin-electrode interface. Finally, this augmented WSBDS performed well in human EEG recording in a designed brain-computer interface (BCI) experiment and is feasible for practical applications.