Abstract
The long-term monitoring of electrocardiogram (ECG) is critical for the accurate diagnosis and tracking of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). However, the commercial Ag/AgCl electrode is not suitable for long-term monitoring due to skin allergies and signal degradation, caused by the conductive gel drying over time. In this paper, a flexible gel-free electrode, composed of a multi-wall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), is proposed for long-term wearable ECG monitoring. To achieve uniform dispersion of MWCNTs in viscous PDMS, we developed a novel parallel solvent-assisted ultrasonic dispersion method, wherein the organic solvent n–Hexane served as a dispersion to avoid MWCNT aggregates. The properties of the MWCNT/PDMS electrode were assessed through structural characterization, contact impedance tests, ECG measurements, and biocompatibility tests. When the MWCNT weight fraction reached 5.5 wt%, the skin-electrode contact impedance of the MWCNT/PDMS electrode was lower than that of the Ag/AgCl electrode below 100 Hz. In daily ECG monitoring, the MWCNT/PDMS electrodes showed superior performance against motion artifact compared to the Ag/AgCl electrode. After seven days of wearing the MWCNT/PDMS electrode, ECG signals did not degrade and no side effects, such as skin redness and swelling, were observed. Thus, this electrode could enable long-term ECG monitoring in wearable healthcare systems.
Highlights
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), as reported by the World Health Statistics 2017, issued by theWorld Health Organization (WHO), are the greatest threats to human health [1]
The conventional Ag/AgCl electrode is not suitable for long-term monitoring due to skin allergies and signal degradation, caused by the conductive gel drying over time [2]
We present a multi-wall carbon nanotube (MWCNT)/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)
Summary
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), as reported by the World Health Statistics 2017, issued by theWorld Health Organization (WHO), are the greatest threats to human health [1]. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), as reported by the World Health Statistics 2017, issued by the. With the fast development of wearable medical devices for health monitoring, ECG measurement has evolved from one-time hospital examination to long-term home care. In this situation, the conventional Ag/AgCl electrode is not suitable for long-term monitoring due to skin allergies and signal degradation, caused by the conductive gel drying over time [2]. The conventional Ag/AgCl electrode is not suitable for long-term monitoring due to skin allergies and signal degradation, caused by the conductive gel drying over time [2] To resolve these problems, gel-free electrodes have been intensively investigated
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