Robust Conformal Dry Electrodes for Skin Patch Electronic Sensor Systems

Low noise, high quality, soft dry electrodes are urgently needed for long-term, continuous physiological monitoring.  The USAF has a need for dry electrode materials incorporated into flight suits allowing for the monitoring of airmen during flight to maintain awareness and to respond in real-time to critical physiological events. Other skin patch sensors are required to track wound healing using pH and temperature as biomarkers. Commercially, high-end dry electrode materials will be used for diagnostic and monitoring medical patches and for flexible, wearable electronics. This includes long‐term electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring that increases the accuracy and sensitivity of detecting persistent and transient abnormalities in heart rate variability and heart rate dynamics and allows discrimination between the two types of abnormalities. This Phase ll research project will develop new materials to be fabricated into a wearable, lightweight, and conformal dry electrode for skin patch electronic sensor systems.  The materials must avoid the problems with current technology – skin irritation of a wet electrode during long term use and/or the requirement of pressure when using a metallic electrode.  Performance testing and durability will determine which formulation(s) will go onto further development.