A Feasibility Study on Textile Electrodes for Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation

Wei Ju, Aidan McConnell-Trevillion, Sadeque Reza Khan, Kianoush Nazarpour, Srinjoy Mitra

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

Over recent decades, wearable electronics have introduced successful bio-medical products to the commercial market, including real-time monitoring, symptom diagnosis, stimulation therapy, and rehabilitation. Hydrogel electrodes are commonly used in such devices, for data acquisition or electrical intervention. However, they are not a comfortable option for long-term applications and can trigger allergic reactions. Therefore, low-cost textile electrodes are actively being researched as an alternative to hydrogel standards. In this work, we study the efficacy of different electrolyte layers (water, water-in-oil (W/O) cream, and oil-in-water (O/W) cream), placed between the skin and textile-based electrodes, on contact impedance during transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). Both electrode-tissue impedance (ETI) and normalized cross-correlation (NCC) analyses were used to evaluate and compare the performance of textile electrodes with electrolyte to hydrogel electrodes. The study revealed that textile-based electrodes with O/W cream present a viable, effective alternative to hydrogel standards for short-term use, whereas W/O cream presents a possible solution for some longer-term applications.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publication2023 21st IEEE Interregional NEWCAS Conference (NEWCAS)
PublisherInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Pages1-5
Number of pages5
ISBN (Print)9798350300253
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 7 Aug 2023
Event2023 21st IEEE Interregional NEWCAS Conference (NEWCAS) - Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Duration: 26 Jun 202328 Jun 2023

Publication series

NameProceedings of the IEEE Interregional NEWCAS Conference (NEWCAS)
PublisherIEEE
ISSN (Print)2472-467X
ISSN (Electronic)2474-9672

Conference

Conference2023 21st IEEE Interregional NEWCAS Conference (NEWCAS)
Period26/06/2328/06/23

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

  • electrodes
  • hydrogels
  • contacts
  • electrolytes
  • skin
  • electromyography
  • impedance

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