Feasibility assessment of textile electromyography sensors for a wearable telehealth biofeedback system.

Abstract

Our study investigated the efficacy and feasibility of screen-printed and ink-printed textile-based dry electrodes for electromyography (EMG) acquisition, marking a novel step in wearable telehealth (TH) system integration. We controlled the design and fabrication conditions of these textile EMG sensors, including electrode area and sizing, ensuring optimal contact pressure. Skin-electrode impedance for all designs was evaluated, and a 20 mm electrode diameter was deemed material-efficient and design-effective. When compared with standard 20 mm wet electrodes, our EMG sensors with the screen and inkjet-printed dry electrodes exhibited comparable signal-to-noise ratios (SNR_dB) to the conventional wet electrode (26 dB) with a peak of 25 dB, and 23 dB, respectively, emphasizing their reliability. Our research identified a 10% optimal strain by sizing for EMG performance across both printing techniques. These revelations support the future design of dependable, reusable dry textile electrodes, addressing challenges faced by wet electrodes. Additionally, the developed dry electrodes, when equipped with a Bluetooth-enabled amplifier puck mitigate common EMG challenges such as motion artifacts while promoting user comfort, which leads to an elevated user experience during EMG biosignal collection. The integration of the developed garment-based electrodes with available commercial technologies holds promise for enhancing TH systems and user engagement in wearable health monitoring.