A high-performance composite fiber with an organohydrogel sheath for electrocardiogram monitoring

Abstract

With the advancements in artificial intelligence, high-performance wearable fiber sensors have assumed a pivotal role in health monitoring and human-computer interaction. However, the conventional dry fiber electrode exhibits inherent limitations, notably compromised signal stability due to motion artifacts at the skin interface. To address these challenges, we present a strategy aimed at enhancing the electrocardiogram (ECG) signal quality of the dry fiber electrode. The design of our approach involves a composite fiber (CF) electrode that utilizes the skin-core architecture of acrylic acid-acrylamide (AA-AM). This integration enhances interface adhesion and optimizes monitoring of the signal output through the AA-AM ion conduction crosslinking network. Beyond exhibiting commendable skin compliance and biocompatibility, CF electrodes demonstrate remarkable tensile properties (0.4 MPa) and reliable electrical characteristics. Notably, the CF electrode boasts an ionic conductivity of 1.9 S m⁻¹ and low interface impedance (1 × 10⁵ Ω). Moreover, the CF electrode achieves a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 31 dB, which represents a 50% improvement in the SNR of the ECG signal compared to the dry electrode. This enhancement offers promising possibilities for the practical application of bio-electrodes in medical monitoring.