Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 15, 2025
10:03
Conformable Wearable Electrodes: From Fabrication to Electrophysiological Assessment
Published on: July 22, 2022
4.6K
Developing a Vital Signal Detection Electrode for Fabric Substrate Using a High-Performance Conductive Carbon-Based
K Chansaengsri1, B Tunhoo1, K Onlaor1
1Electronic and Control System for Nanodevices Laboratory, College of Materials Innovation and TechnologyKing Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang Bangkok 10520 Thailand.
IEEE Open Journal of Engineering in Medicine and Biology
|July 14, 2025
Summary
This study developed flexible carbon-based inks for wearable bio-electronic devices. These inks enable accurate monitoring of vital signs like ECG and blood pressure, paving the way for advanced healthcare solutions.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Biomedical Engineering
- Wearable Technology
Background:
- Merging electrophysiology signal monitoring with wearable devices presents future healthcare opportunities.
- Flexible electronic devices require robust conductive materials compatible with fabric substrates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate carbon-based screen-printing inks for flexible wearable bio-electronic devices.
- To assess the electrical and sensing performance of these inks for vital sign monitoring.
Main Methods:
- Carbon-based inks were formulated by mixing graphite composite with a polymer emulsion.
- Inks were screen-printed onto flexible fabric substrates and subjected to 10,000 bending cycles.
- Electrical properties, electrocardiogram (ECG) signal-to-noise ratio, and noninvasive blood pressure (NIBP) via bio-impedance were measured.
- Machine learning models, specifically Random Forest, were applied to ECG data for performance evaluation.
Main Results:
- The carbon-based ink demonstrated excellent electrical conduction and vital signal response after extensive bending.
- Addition of calcium carbonate reduced sheet resistance to 11.61 Ω/◻ and resistance to 0.127 Ω.
- High signal-to-noise ratio (31.02 dB) for ECG and accurate NIBP measurements (correlation coefficient 0.799) were achieved.
- The Random Forest model achieved an optimized F1 score of 99.9% for ECG data analysis.
Conclusions:
- Carbon screen-printing inks offer a promising, repeatable, and dry-processed solution for flexible wearable bio-electronic devices.
- The developed materials enable noninvasive, high-performance health monitoring with potential for widespread healthcare applications.
