Cost-efficient and Custom Electrode-holder Assembly Infrastructure for EEG Recordings.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering
• Focus on electroencephalography (EEG) and brain-computer interfaces (BCI).

Background:

• Mobile EEG technologies enable real-world brain activity monitoring.
• Existing EEG headsets have fixed designs, limiting adaptability and generalizability for BCI studies.
• A need exists for flexible and cost-effective EEG hardware solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and demonstrate a custom, cost-efficient EEG electrode holder infrastructure.
• To enable adaptable electrode montage and head size fitting for improved signal quality.
• To validate the practical application of the holder in capturing neurophysiological signals.

Main Methods:

• Designed a modular EEG electrode holder using a sensor-positioning ring, inter-ring bridge, and bridge shield.
• Fabricated the holder using a low-cost fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printer.
• Tested the holder's performance in capturing event-related potentials (ERP) and steady-state visual-evoked potentials (SSVEP) in 15 subjects.

Main Results:

• The custom holder was easily fabricated using an FDM 3D printer.
• The holder allowed for user-defined electrode placement and adaptation to individual head sizes.
• Demonstrated successful capture of ERP and SSVEP signatures, indicating practical utility.
• Achieved optimal electrode-scalp contact and signal quality.

Conclusions:

• A cost-efficient, customizable EEG electrode holder infrastructure was successfully developed.
• The design offers a flexible and adaptable solution for fundamental EEG studies and BCI applications.
• This approach facilitates personalized neuroelectrical brain activity monitoring and research.