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Updated: Mar 20, 2026
Conformable Wearable Electrodes: From Fabrication to Electrophysiological Assessment
Published on: July 22, 2022
Epidermal electronics for electromyography: An application to swallowing therapy.
Gabriela Constantinescu1, Jae-Woong Jeong2, Xinda Li3
1Institute for Reconstructive Sciences in Medicine (iRSM), Misericordia Community Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, 8205 114St 2-70 Corbett Hall, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
New epidermal electronics patches offer improved surface electromyography (sEMG) signal acquisition for head and neck cancer patients undergoing swallowing therapy, especially with integrated reference electrodes.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Wearable Technology
Background:
- Head and neck cancer treatments can cause anatomical and physiological changes, leading to swallowing difficulties.
- Surface electromyography (sEMG) is a valuable tool for biofeedback in swallowing therapy, but conventional sensors face adhesion challenges on altered chin anatomy.
- Epidermal electronics offer a potential solution due to their ultra-thin, conformable nature.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of epidermal electronics for swallowing therapy biofeedback.
- To determine the optimal placement of reference electrodes for sEMG signal acquisition in this context.
Main Methods:
- Comparison of signal quality between novel epidermal sEMG patches and conventional adhesive patches.
- Assessment of different reference electrode configurations, including integrated and external placements.
- Evaluation of signal robustness against head movements.
Main Results:
- Epidermal sEMG patches demonstrated comparable signal quality to conventional patches.
- An integrated reference electrode configuration provided optimal and more robust signals compared to external references.
- The ultra-thin epidermal design facilitated better contouring to chin anatomy.
Conclusions:
- Epidermal electronics show significant potential for improving sEMG-based swallowing therapy in head and neck cancer patients.
- Integrated reference electrodes are crucial for robust and clinically applicable sEMG signals in this population.
- Further refinements of epidermal sEMG patches are recommended for enhanced clinical usability.
