Dave Savastano12.05.14
imec, Holst Centre and Datwyler Sealing Solutions, a leading supplier of customer specific sealing, closure and packaging solutions to global market segments, such as the automotive, health care, civil engineering and consumer goods industries, will present a novel polymer dry electrode.
Soft, flexible, and optimized for skin-impedance noise, polymer dry electrodes are a promising alternative to conventionally used gel electrodes in biopotential signal recording, as well as for uncomfortable and painful dry electrodes with rigid metal pins.
At the mHealth Summit 2014 (Dec. 7-11 in Washington, D.C.), imec and Holst Centre will showcase their prototype wireless EEG headset and health patch, demonstrating their innovative technology solutions for remote monitoring.
Current market solutions available include conventional gel electrodes, which are widely used for biopotential measurements such as ECG and EEG monitoring. They are administered during treatment or diagnosis by medical specialists in hospitals, and incur the drawbacks of skin irritation, arduous application and uncomfortable removal.
Dry electrodes have also been introduced, and enable wireless biopotential monitoring systems for use outside the domain of the medical specialists during daily activities. However, first generation solutions consist of rigid metal pins that lend to discomfort and pain in patients.
Fabricated from ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber, containing various additives for optimum conductivity, flexibility and ease of fabrication, the polymer dry electrodes offer a high user comfort. Polymer composition is optimized for noise from phantoms and human skin on skin-electrode impedance, resulting in a skin-electrode impedance approximately 10 times greater than that of gel electrodes.
“Wearable health monitoring holds tremendous opportunities in bringing healthcare to anyone, at any place and at any time. Personal, predictive, and preventive care can improve one’s quality of life in addition to saving lives,” stated Chris Van Hoof, program direct body area networks at imec. “Imec and Holst Centre’s cutting-edge technology, enabling highly accurate and non-invasive monitoring with clinical-grade functionality, paves the way for more efficient and better healthcare.”
Soft, flexible, and optimized for skin-impedance noise, polymer dry electrodes are a promising alternative to conventionally used gel electrodes in biopotential signal recording, as well as for uncomfortable and painful dry electrodes with rigid metal pins.
At the mHealth Summit 2014 (Dec. 7-11 in Washington, D.C.), imec and Holst Centre will showcase their prototype wireless EEG headset and health patch, demonstrating their innovative technology solutions for remote monitoring.
Current market solutions available include conventional gel electrodes, which are widely used for biopotential measurements such as ECG and EEG monitoring. They are administered during treatment or diagnosis by medical specialists in hospitals, and incur the drawbacks of skin irritation, arduous application and uncomfortable removal.
Dry electrodes have also been introduced, and enable wireless biopotential monitoring systems for use outside the domain of the medical specialists during daily activities. However, first generation solutions consist of rigid metal pins that lend to discomfort and pain in patients.
Fabricated from ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber, containing various additives for optimum conductivity, flexibility and ease of fabrication, the polymer dry electrodes offer a high user comfort. Polymer composition is optimized for noise from phantoms and human skin on skin-electrode impedance, resulting in a skin-electrode impedance approximately 10 times greater than that of gel electrodes.
“Wearable health monitoring holds tremendous opportunities in bringing healthcare to anyone, at any place and at any time. Personal, predictive, and preventive care can improve one’s quality of life in addition to saving lives,” stated Chris Van Hoof, program direct body area networks at imec. “Imec and Holst Centre’s cutting-edge technology, enabling highly accurate and non-invasive monitoring with clinical-grade functionality, paves the way for more efficient and better healthcare.”