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

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 sen...

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Main Authors: Beomjun Ju, Jasper I. Mark, Seonyoung Youn, Prateeti Ugale, Busra Sennik, Brady Adcock, Amanda C. Mills
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press 2025-01-01
Series:Wearable Technologies
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Online Access:https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2631717625100121/type/journal_article
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author Beomjun Ju
Jasper I. Mark
Seonyoung Youn
Prateeti Ugale
Busra Sennik
Brady Adcock
Amanda C. Mills
author_facet Beomjun Ju
Jasper I. Mark
Seonyoung Youn
Prateeti Ugale
Busra Sennik
Brady Adcock
Amanda C. Mills
author_sort Beomjun Ju
collection DOAJ
description 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 (SNRdB) 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.
format Article
id doaj-art-fa67bb2cc37146d5872073d326b66452
institution DOAJ
issn 2631-7176
language English
publishDate 2025-01-01
publisher Cambridge University Press
record_format Article
series Wearable Technologies
spelling doaj-art-fa67bb2cc37146d5872073d326b664522025-08-20T02:39:58ZengCambridge University PressWearable Technologies2631-71762025-01-01610.1017/wtc.2025.10012Feasibility assessment of textile electromyography sensors for a wearable telehealth biofeedback systemBeomjun Ju0Jasper I. Mark1Seonyoung Youn2Prateeti Ugale3Busra Sennik4Brady Adcock5Amanda C. Mills6https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6971-1535Department of Textile, Engineering Chemistry and Sciences, Wilson College of Textiles, https://ror.org/04tj63d06 North Carolina State University , Raleigh, North Carolina, USAImpulse Wellness, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USADepartment of Textile, Engineering Chemistry and Sciences, Wilson College of Textiles, https://ror.org/04tj63d06 North Carolina State University , Raleigh, North Carolina, USADepartment of Textile, Engineering Chemistry and Sciences, Wilson College of Textiles, https://ror.org/04tj63d06 North Carolina State University , Raleigh, North Carolina, USADepartment of Textile, Engineering Chemistry and Sciences, Wilson College of Textiles, https://ror.org/04tj63d06 North Carolina State University , Raleigh, North Carolina, USAImpulse Wellness, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USADepartment of Textile, Engineering Chemistry and Sciences, Wilson College of Textiles, https://ror.org/04tj63d06 North Carolina State University , Raleigh, North Carolina, USAOur 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 (SNRdB) 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.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2631717625100121/type/journal_articlebiosignalselectromyographye-textilesinkjet printingscreen printingtelehealth system
spellingShingle Beomjun Ju
Jasper I. Mark
Seonyoung Youn
Prateeti Ugale
Busra Sennik
Brady Adcock
Amanda C. Mills
Feasibility assessment of textile electromyography sensors for a wearable telehealth biofeedback system
Wearable Technologies
biosignals
electromyography
e-textiles
inkjet printing
screen printing
telehealth system
title Feasibility assessment of textile electromyography sensors for a wearable telehealth biofeedback system
title_full Feasibility assessment of textile electromyography sensors for a wearable telehealth biofeedback system
title_fullStr Feasibility assessment of textile electromyography sensors for a wearable telehealth biofeedback system
title_full_unstemmed Feasibility assessment of textile electromyography sensors for a wearable telehealth biofeedback system
title_short Feasibility assessment of textile electromyography sensors for a wearable telehealth biofeedback system
title_sort feasibility assessment of textile electromyography sensors for a wearable telehealth biofeedback system
topic biosignals
electromyography
e-textiles
inkjet printing
screen printing
telehealth system
url https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2631717625100121/type/journal_article
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