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Design and fabrication method for a microneedle electrode with flexible backing for biosignals monitoring

University of British Columbia

The conventional wet electrode still poses many inconveniences when recording biosignals, as it requires an electrolytic gel that dries over time, and the skin often needs to be abraded when the electrode is applied to record high-quality signals. Therefore, the wet electrode placement process often needs the assistance of trained personnel. Alternative electrode designs have been investigated to overcome the challenges of the wet electrode but most of them are not able to record small amplitude signals or their fabrication methods are complex and expensive. This research thesis proposes a novel design and simple fabrication method for a dry microneedle electrode for biosignals monitoring. The electrode can record electroencephalogram and electrocardiogram signals from a human subject without electrolytic gel and it does not require skin preparation or abrasion. When applied to the skin of a human subject with an impact inserter, the electrode has a lower impedance at the skin-electrode interface yielding better signal recording compared to application by hand. The selection of the electrode materials provides microneedles stiff enough to cross the outmost layer of the skin, while the flexible backing of the electrode has been designed to improve the conformation of the electrode to the rounded shape of the body. The proposed fabrication method for the electrode is a simple mold casting process that enables batch production reducing the time spent in the cleanroom and the use of expensive machinery.  

Text

2020-12-17

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/76838

Electrical and Computer Engineering

University of British Columbia

UBCV

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/