Electrode Characteristics of Non-contact Electrocardiographic Measurement

Dakurah Naangmenkpeong Mathias,김성일,박재순,정연호,최원석 한국전기전자재료학회 2015 Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Material Vol.16 No.1

The ability to take electrocardiographic measurements while performing our daily activities has become the peoplechoicefor modern age vital sign sensing. Currently, wet and dry ECG electrodes are known to pose threats likeinflammations, allergic reactions, and metal poisoning due to their direct skin interaction. Therefore, the maingoal in this work is to implement a very small ECG sensor system with a capacitive coupling, which is able to detectelectrical signals of heart at a distance without the conductive gel. The aim of this paper is to design, implement, andcharacterize the contactless ECG electrodes. Under a careful consideration of factors that affect a capacitive electrodefunctional integrity, several different sizes of ECG electrodes were designed and tested with a pilot ECG device. Avery small cotton-insulated copper tape electrode (2.324 cm2) was finally attained that could detect and measurebioelectric signal at about 500 um of distance from the subject’s chest.

Real Time ECG Monitoring Through a Wearable Smart T-shirt

Dakurah Naangmenkpeong Mathias,김성일,박재순,정연호 한국전기전자재료학회 2015 Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Material Vol.16 No.1

A wearable sensing ECG T-shirt for ubiquitous vital signs sensing is proposed. The sensor system consists of a signalprocessing board and capacitive sensing electrodes which together enable measurement of an electrocardiogram(ECG) on the human chest with minimal discomfort. The capacitive sensing method was employed to prevent directECG measurement on the skin and also to provide maximum convenience to the user. Also, low power integratedcircuits (ICs) and passive electrodes were employed in this research to reduce the power consumption of the entiresystem. Small flexible electrodes were placed into cotton pockets and affixed to the interior of a worn tight NIKEPro combat T-shirt. Appropriate signal conditioning and processing were implemented to remove motion artifacts. The entire system was portable and consumed low power compared to conventional ECG devices. The ECG signalobtained from a 24 yr. old male was comparable to that of an ECG simulator.

Real Time ECG Monitoring Through a Wearable Smart T-shirt

Mathias, Dakurah Naangmenkpeong,Kim, Sung-Il,Park, Jae-Soon,Joung, Yeun-Ho The Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic 2015 Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Material Vol.16 No.1

A wearable sensing ECG T-shirt for ubiquitous vital signs sensing is proposed. The sensor system consists of a signal processing board and capacitive sensing electrodes which together enable measurement of an electrocardiogram (ECG) on the human chest with minimal discomfort. The capacitive sensing method was employed to prevent direct ECG measurement on the skin and also to provide maximum convenience to the user. Also, low power integrated circuits (ICs) and passive electrodes were employed in this research to reduce the power consumption of the entire system. Small flexible electrodes were placed into cotton pockets and affixed to the interior of a worn tight NIKE Pro combat T-shirt. Appropriate signal conditioning and processing were implemented to remove motion artifacts. The entire system was portable and consumed low power compared to conventional ECG devices. The ECG signal obtained from a 24 yr. old male was comparable to that of an ECG simulator.

Electrode Characteristics of Non-contact Electrocardiographic Measurement

Mathias, Dakurah Naangmenkpeong,Kim, Sung-Il,Park, Jae-Soon,Joung, Yeun-Ho,Choi, Won Seok The Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic 2015 Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Material Vol.16 No.1

The ability to take electrocardiographic measurements while performing our daily activities has become the people-choice for modern age vital sign sensing. Currently, wet and dry ECG electrodes are known to pose threats like inflammations, allergic reactions, and metal poisoning due to their direct skin interaction. Therefore, the main goal in this work is to implement a very small ECG sensor system with a capacitive coupling, which is able to detect electrical signals of heart at a distance without the conductive gel. The aim of this paper is to design, implement, and characterize the contactless ECG electrodes. Under a careful consideration of factors that affect a capacitive electrode functional integrity, several different sizes of ECG electrodes were designed and tested with a pilot ECG device. A very small cotton-insulated copper tape electrode ($2.324cm^2$) was finally attained that could detect and measure bioelectric signal at about 500 um of distance from the subject's chest.

Development of a Novel Noncontact ECG Electrode by MEMS Fabrication Process

Mathias, Dakurah Naangmenkpeong,Park, Jaesoon,Kim, Eungbo,Joung, Yeun-Ho The Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic 2016 Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Material Vol.17 No.3

Contact electrodes pose threats like inflammation, metal poisoning, and allergic reaction to the user during long term ECG procedure. Therefore, we present a novel noncontact electrocardiographic electrode designed through microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) process. The proposed ECG electrode consists of small inner and large outer circular copper plates separated by thin insulator. The inner plate enables capacitive transduction of bio-potential variations on a subject’s chest into a voltage that can be processed by a signal processing board, whereas the outer plate shields the inner plate from environmental electromagnetic noise. The electrode lead wires are also coaxially designed to prevent cables from coupling to ground or electronic devices. A prototype ECG electrode has an area of about 2.324 cm², is very flexible and does not require power to operate. The prototype ECG electrode could measure ECG at about 500 um distance from the subject’s chest.

Implantable Bladder Sensors: A Methodological Review

Mathias Naangmenkpeong Dakurah,구치완,최원석,정연호 대한배뇨장애요실금학회 2015 International Neurourology Journal Vol.19 No.3

The loss of urinary bladder control/sensation, also known as urinary incontinence (UI), is a common clinical problem in autistic children, diabetics, and the elderly. UI not only causes discomfort for patients but may also lead to kidney failure, infections, and even death. The increase of bladder urine volume/pressure above normal ranges without sensation of UI patients necessitates the need for bladder sensors. Currently, a catheter-based sensor is introduced directly through the urethra into the bladder to measure pressure variations. Unfortunately, this method is inaccurate because measurement is affected by disturbances in catheter lines as well as delays in response time owing to the inertia of urine inside the bladder. Moreover, this technique can cause infection during prolonged use; hence, it is only suitable for short-term measurement. Development of discrete wireless implantable sensors to measure bladder volume/pressure would allow for long-term monitoring within the bladder, while maintaining the patient’s quality of life. With the recent advances in microfabrication, the size of implantable bladder sensors has been significantly reduced. However, microfabricated sensors face hostility from the bladder environment and require surgical intervention for implantation inside the bladder. Here, we explore the various types of implantable bladder sensors and current efforts to solve issues like hermeticity, biocompatibility, drift, telemetry, power, and compatibility issues with popular imaging tools such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. We also discuss some possible improvements/emerging trends in the design of an implantable bladder sensor.

Development of a Novel Noncontact ECG Electrode by MEMS Fabrication Process

Yeun-Ho Joung,Dakurah Naangmenkpeong Mathias,Jaesoon Park,Eungbo Kim 한국전기전자재료학회 2016 Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Material Vol.17 No.3

Contact electrodes pose threats like inflammation, metal poisoning, and allergic reaction to the user during longterm ECG procedure. Therefore, we present a novel noncontact electrocardiographic electrode designed throughmicroelectromechanical systems (MEMS) process. The proposed ECG electrode consists of small inner and large outercircular copper plates separated by thin insulator. The inner plate enables capacitive transduction of bio-potentialvariations on a subject’s chest into a voltage that can be processed by a signal processing board, whereas the outerplate shields the inner plate from environmental electromagnetic noise. The electrode lead wires are also coaxiallydesigned to prevent cables from coupling to ground or electronic devices. A prototype ECG electrode has an area ofabout 2.324 cm2, is very flexible and does not require power to operate. The prototype ECG electrode could measureECG at about 500 um distance from the subject’s chest.