SBIR/STTR Phase II: No Preparation, Flexible, Dry Physiological Recording Electrodes

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project is to complete the development of a low-cost, no preparation required, flexible dry physiological recording electrode. These electrodes have the potential to significantly improve quality of care and reduce total cost of biopotential signal analysis by reducing the time and preparation required to obtain a good signal and reducing the total cost of fabricating high quality electrodes. The Phase I results showed feasibility of fabricating dry electrode structures on rigid substrates onto low-cost flexible substrates. However, further work is necessary to optimize the fabrication processes and to ensure that the lowest cost and highest performing flexible dry electrode systems and fabrication processes are chosen to establish a solid foundation for future use. The key objectives of this Phase II project include parallel development of two particularly promising fabrication techniques, selection of a single fabrication technique for further development, and testing and evaluation of the capabilities of the dry electrodes in clinical environments. The commercial applications of this project will be in the area of physiological monitoring of patients in a clinical setting. Physiological measurements such as ECG (electrocardiogram), EMG (electromyogram), and EEG (electroencephalogram) are expected to benefit from the use of dry electrodes, in part due to the reduced time and preparation needed to apply the electrodes and in part, due to the elimination of abrasive skin prepping and electrolytic gels in the measurement procedure.