Effect of Fabric Electrode Surface Coating Medium on ECG Signal Quality under Dynamic and Static Conditions

Abstract

This study intends to explore the influence of a fabric electrode skin interface filling medium on ECG signals under dynamic and static conditions, so as to be able to better monitor both stable and dynamic ECG signals. In this paper, cotton fabric electrodes were prepared using electroless silver-plated conductive cotton fabric, and then the electrodes were integrated into a physiotherapy-grade elastic bandage to assemble the fabric ECG tape. The electrode impedance tester and the BIOPAC physiological recorder were used to measure the fabric electrode-skin impedance and electrocardiogram under dynamic and static conditions, respectively. Later, the influence of the fabric electrode coated medium on the acquisition effect of an electrocardiogram signal under dynamic and static conditions is discussed. The results show that in the absence of a dielectric reagent coating, the cotton fabric electrode is easily disturbed by external noise which leads to large electrode-skin contact impedance. However, the electrode-skin contact impedance is greatly reduced after coating the fabric electrode with the dielectric reagent. At the same time, after applying the conducive paste coating, the corresponding change curve of the fabric electrode became more stable, and the impedance value was less than 0.005 MΩ·cm2, which meets the standard requirement for textile dry electrode skin impedance. In a state of rest, a clear and stable ECG can be collected regardless of whether the medium reagent is coated or not. However, only after applying the conductive paste can a stable ECG signal be collected under the three motion modes, or can a P wave, QRS wave group, or T wave be clearly distinguished. In addition, there is a high correlation with the disposable gel electrode, which can satisfy the requirements of the long-term monitoring of ECG signals under dynamic conditions.