Validation of Printed, Skin-Mounted Multilead Electrode for ECG Measurements

An electrocardiography (ECG) monitoring can be used to detect heart-related abnormalities by recording cardiac activity over a period of time. The conventional 12-lead ECG measurement system is the standard practice for the evaluation of the heart's electrical activity. However, a recent trend is to develop patch-type measurement devices for unobtrusive ECG monitoring by reducing device size and number of electrodes on the skin. This development aims to minimize the discomfort for the user from the wearable recording devices. A printed, bandage-type hybrid system for continuous ECG monitoring to allow as much comfort as possible while maintaining the signal quality required for medical evaluation is proposed. Movement artifacts in recorded ECG signals are a challenge in long-term monitoring while the patients are engaged in their everyday activities. The movement artifacts from the printed skin-conformable electrode are compared to commercial exercise stress-test ECG electrodes during different physical activities and stationary periods. The results show that the signal quality obtained with the multilead patch ECG electrode, manufactured with printing technologies, is comparable to electrodes currently used in healthcare.