ARRAYS OF DRY PHYSIOLOGICAL RECORDING ELECTRODES

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This Phase I program will develop and fabricate an innovative flexible array of dry physiological recording electrodes that require no surface preparation and will reduce application time. The proposed flexible arrays have the potential to revolutionize electro-physiological potential recording techniques and enable new medical diagnostic applications that are currently impracticable within the limits of existing technology. Currently, existing electrode technologies make it difficult to attach multiple electrodes together into a pre-wired array that can be quickly applied and attached to monitoring equipment. Additionally, erroneous measurements may occur due to shorted adjacent electrodes caused by the required gels or due to the gels changing conductivity as they begin to dry. Thus, current electrode technologies coupled with site preparation requirements make it difficult and time consuming to fabricate and use multiple electrodes in an array. Orbital Research proposed flexible array of dry electrode utilizes microfabrication technologies that enable lower cost systems. These integrated dry electrodes incorporate innovative penetrators that assure good electrical contact without gels or skin preparation and do not cause any discomfort to the patients. Thus, a large array of electrodes can be applied quickly since they are assembled into a common device but do not require skin preparation. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: The proposed flexible arrays of electrodes will directly benefit clinical and research applications with regard to physiological data recording and acquisition. The reduced preparation time and no need for conductive gels allows for a more cost-effective electrode that is also more beneficial to the patient.