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Flexible yet Durable Microneedle Electrodes Based on Nanowire-Embedded Polyimide for Precise Wearable
Lixiang Xing1,2, Lihua Liu1, Ran Jin2,3
1Westlake Institute for Optoelectronics, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311421, People's Republic of China.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|October 13, 2024
Summary
Researchers developed durable, flexible microneedle electrodes (MEs) using gold nanowires in polyimide. These wearable bioelectrodes enable stable, high-quality electrophysiological monitoring for improved healthcare applications.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- High-performance flexible bioelectrodes are crucial for accurate electrophysiological signal recording and robust skin interface.
- Existing elastomeric electrodes for wearable monitoring face challenges in simultaneously achieving flexibility, conformal contact, and durability.
- Developing advanced bioelectronic interfaces is essential for long-term wearable healthcare.
Purpose of the Study:
- To fabricate flexible and durable microneedle electrodes (MEs) that meet the requirements of excellent flexibility, conformal contact, and high durability.
- To investigate the performance of these novel MEs compared to conventional electrodes.
- To demonstrate the integration of these MEs into a wearable system for real-time physiological monitoring.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of microneedle electrodes (MEs) using vertically aligned gold nanowires (Au NWs) embedded in polyimide (PI).
- Evaluation of ME conformal skin contact, electrical stability, and impedance by penetrating the stratum corneum.
- Comparative analysis of Au NWs embedded PI MEs against conventional gel and elastomeric soft electrodes.
- Integration of MEs into a wireless wearable system for electromyography (EMG) and electrocardiography (ECG) recording.
Main Results:
- The developed Au NWs embedded PI MEs demonstrated excellent flexibility, conformal contact, and durability.
- These MEs achieved stable electrical performance with minimal contact impedance due to effective skin penetration.
- Au NWs embedded PI MEs significantly outperformed conventional gel and elastomeric soft electrodes in comparative studies.
- Wireless real-time EMG and ECG recordings were successfully achieved with high signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) and low motion artifacts.
Conclusions:
- The novel fabrication strategy provides a viable method for creating durable and reliable nanomaterial-based soft bioelectrodes.
- These advanced microneedle electrodes are suitable for long-term wearable healthcare applications requiring precise electrophysiological monitoring.
- The developed wearable system offers a promising platform for remote and continuous patient health management.
