"SCRUBLESS" AMPLIFIED ELECTRODES FOR BIOELECTRIC PICKUP

THE GOAL OF THIS RESEARCH IS TO DETERMINE THE PRACTICALITY OF ADDING SUBMINIATURE AMPLIFIERS TO THE ELECTRODES USED FORAUDITORY BRAINSTEM RESPONSE (ABR) RECORDING IN ORDER TO REDUCE OR ELIMINATE THE NEED FOR SCRUBBING (OFTEN LACERATING) THE SKIN PRIOR TO ELECTRODE PLACEMENT. IF SUCCESSFUL, THE SAME AMPLIFIER SYSTEM SHOULD ALSO (1) PERMITMORE ACCURATE "ELECTROCOCHLEOGRAPHY" RECORDINGS IN FRONT OF THE UNPUNCTURED EARDRUM WHERE SCRUBBING THE SKIN IS IMPRACTICAL AND THE ELECTRODE SIZE IS TOO SMALL TO ALLOW A LOW-RESISTANCE CONTACT; (2) PERMIT USE IN EKG AND OTHER LONG-TERM MONITORING APPLICATIONS WHERE PRESENT SALT-JELL SYSTEMS SOMETIMES CAUSE SKIN IRRITATION; AND (3) PERMIT MORECONVENIENT MYOELECTRIC PICKUPS FOR "BIONIC LIMB" DEVELOPMENTS. A LABORATORY PROTOTYPE HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULLY TESTED. A MORE SOPHISTICATED VERSION SUITABLE FOR UNIVERSAL PLUG-IN REPLACEMENT OF PRESENT ELECTRODE SYSTEMS IS TO BE EXPLORED.