Contact ECG Recording Using Copper and E-Textile Based Flexible Dry Electrodes

We present experiments of contact electrocardiograms (ECG) recording using copper and e-textile-based flexible dry electrodes. In this work, dry electrodes with different shapes, sizes, and materials were designed and fabricated. In cardiac monitoring using these flexible dry electrodes, three different conditions were considered, which are sitting, standing, and walking. To evaluate the performances of the fabricated dry electrodes, average-to-variation ratios (AVR) of the recorded ECG signals measured using the flexible dry electrodes were calculated and compared with those measured using the commercially-available wet electrodes in all three conditions. The AVR results demonstrate that the dry electrodes have a similar performance to the commercially-available wet electrodes in the sitting and standing conditions and a better performance in the walking condition. These results suggest that it is possible to weave dry e-textile-based electrodes in normal clothing and use them for continuous monitoring of ECG signals in different conditions.