Flexible Micro-Needle Electrode for Biopotential Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current electrodes for biopotential monitoring require skin pre-treatment, cause discomfort, suffer from signal degradation due to gel evaporation, and have limitations in material cost, adhesiveness, flexibility, and scalability, leading to poor signal quality and user experience.
Innovation Solution
A method for constructing flexible micro-needle electrodes using nanoimprinting lithography to fabricate a negative stamp with micro-needle structures, followed by electrodeposition of conductive materials like gold and nickel on an Indium Tin Oxide substrate, resulting in a highly conductive, flexible, and ultra-thin microneedle electrode.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional surface electrodes are used for biopotential monitoring, then the monitoring can be performed on skin surface, but the electrodes require skin pre-treatment and cause discomfort and skin irritation
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode is segmented into multiple micro-needle structures (50-200 micrometers in length) that can individually penetrate the stratum corneum layer of the skin. This segmentation allows the electrode to access deeper skin layers without requiring harsh pre-treatment, reducing skin irritation while maintaining effective biopotential monitoring.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrode employs a flexible substrate with thin-film micro-needle structures that can conform to the skin surface. This flexibility eliminates the need for rigid adhesives and complex pre-treatment procedures, allowing direct application that reduces skin irritation and discomfort.
2Measurement precision
If gel-based electrodes are used for biopotential monitoring, then good initial signal quality can be achieved, but signal degradation occurs over time due to gel evaporation
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the gel component from the electrode system entirely. By using solid-state micro-needle structures with integrated conductive materials, the electrode achieves stable signal quality without the evaporation issues that limit the duration of gel-based electrodes.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrode uses composite materials including conductive polymers, metal nanowires, or doped semiconductors integrated into the micro-needle structures. These composite materials provide both the electrical conductivity needed for high-quality biopotential signals and the structural stability required for long-term monitoring without degradation.
3Reliability
If traditional rigid electrodes are used for biopotential monitoring, then stable electrical contact can be achieved, but the electrodes lack flexibility and comfort for wearable applications
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode employs flexible substrates (such as polyimide or PDMS) with thin-film micro-needle structures that can bend and conform to the skin surface. This flexibility maintains reliable electrical contact during body movements while providing comfort for wearable applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The micro-needle structures are designed with dynamic characteristics that allow them to flex and adapt to skin movements. The flexible substrate enables the electrode to dynamically conform to changing skin geometry, maintaining stable electrical contact during various body motions.
4Ease of manufacture
If conventional electrode manufacturing methods are used, then production can be achieved, but material cost is high and scalability is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the manufacturing parameters from conventional thick-film or wire-based electrode fabrication to thin-film deposition techniques (such as sputtering, evaporation, or chemical vapor deposition). These parameter changes enable low-cost, scalable production while maintaining electrode performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The micro-needle structures are fabricated using replica molding or stamping techniques that allow rapid copying of the electrode pattern across large areas. This copying approach enables high-volume production with consistent quality and reduced per-unit cost.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The micro-needle electrodes provide improved user comfort, reduced skin irritation, enhanced signal-to-noise ratio, and stable performance over time, with superior electro-mechanical stability and biocompatibility, suitable for long-term healthcare monitoring and human-robot interaction.
Implementation Method 1
depositing at least one layer of electrically conductive material onto the negative stamp
Implementation Method 2
at least one layer of electrically conductive material defined with the plurality of micro-needle structures
Data Source
AI summary
A flexible micro-needle electrode for biopotential monitoring, a method for constructing the flexible micro-needle electrode and a patch electrode comprising the flexible micro-needle electrode. The method comprises the steps of providing a negative stamp that has been structured with a plurality of micro-needle structures; depositing at least one layer of electrically conductive material onto the negative stamp; and peeling off the at least one layer of electrically conductive material from the negative stamp to obtain the flexible micro-needle electrode comprising the at least one layer of electrically conductive material defined with the plurality of micro-needle structures.