Transfer electrodes
Researchers from the Graz University of Technology (Graz University of Technology, Austria) have developed a new method for registering electrical potentials using electrodes printed on an inkjet printer and pasted, like transfer pictures, on the human body in the projection of the organ under study. Externally, they look like a temporary tattoo and are suitable for working for a long time.
For the implementation of diagnostic methods such as electrocardiography (ECG), electromyography (EMG) and the like, preference is increasingly given to gel electrodes. But the gel has a time limit on application – it dries quickly. In clinical practice, during prolonged monitoring, rigid and bulky electrodes noticeably limit the mobility of patients, it is inconvenient to sleep with them or perform simple household manipulations.
Together with Italian colleagues (Instituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) in Pontedera, Università degli Studi in Milan and Scuola Superiore Sant’ Anna in Pisa), the Francesco Greco group has developed a new method of transferring potentials from the body to the recorder using inkjet printing.
© Lunghammer – TU Graz
The essence of the method is the use of inks containing conductive polymers. On special paper for temporary tattooing, the necessary drawing is printed with these inks, which is then quickly and painlessly transferred to the patient's skin. The electrodes for transmitting pulses are very thin, with a diameter of only about one micrometer. This not only allows the patient not to feel them, but also opens up new horizons for diagnosing the state of organs in those areas of the body where it was previously problematic to place "wires", for example, on the face.
Project manager with electrodes on his face
Modernization of classical diagnostic methods using epidermal electronics, according to the authors, will make their implementation not only easier, but also more economical.
Another feature of the new electrodes is their stability – even with perforation, for example, with a growing hair, the conductivity does not deteriorate. This is especially true for long-term use, since hair growth when using other methods of fixing impulses leads to diagnostic inaccuracies.
In the tests, the epidermal electrodes transmitted the signal flawlessly for three consecutive days. Such extensive data may be necessary in the practice of cardiologists or sports doctors. In addition, the person himself lives in a normal rhythm during the study, without experiencing any discomfort and without resorting to any restrictions.
The size and number of electrodes can be different, depending on the examined organ and the features of the patient's constitution.
Currently, work is underway to create electrodes that transmit pulses in both directions: they would not only record the impulses of the cells, but also transmit stimulating signals to them.
According to Greco, international biomedical companies have already become interested in the development, which means that the novelty may appear on the market very soon.
Article by L. M. Ferrari et al. Ultraconformable Temporary Tattoo Electrodes for Electrophysiology is published in the journal Advanced Science.
Aminat Adzhieva, portal "Eternal Youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on the materials of TU Graz: Tattoo electrodes from an ink-jet printer.