Design, Characterization, and Performance of Woven Fabric Electrodes for Electrocardiogram Signal Monitoring

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Textile Science
• Wearable Technology

Background:

• Standard medical electrodes for electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring require conductive gel, which can cause skin irritation during prolonged use.
• Fabric electrodes offer a flexible, breathable alternative, sensing ECG signals without conductive gel.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and fabricate a circular fabric electrode using weaving technology.
• To optimize the fabric electrode's parameters, including diameter, weave, and weft density, for improved ECG signal acquisition.

Main Methods:

• Fabric electrodes with varying diameters, weaves (12/5 sateen), and weft densities (46 picks/cm) were fabricated using weaving technology.
• Key electrical properties such as AC impedance, open-circuit voltage, and static ECG signals were measured and evaluated.
• Performance was compared against standard medical electrodes under dynamic conditions (swinging, squatting, rotating).

Main Results:

• Optimal parameters for the fabric electrode were identified as a 4 cm diameter, 12/5 sateen weave, and 46 picks/cm weft density.
• The optimized woven fabric electrode demonstrated a more obvious characteristic waveform compared to standard electrodes.
• An 86.7% improvement in data quality was observed with the fabric electrode.

Conclusions:

• The study successfully designed and optimized a woven fabric electrode for ECG monitoring.
• The optimized fabric electrode offers superior signal quality and comfort compared to traditional electrodes.
• This research provides valuable data for the commercialization of fabric electrodes in smart textiles.