Graphene electrodes for long-term impedance pneumography - a feasibility study

Typical disposable Ag/AgCl electrodes have potential drawbacks from a long-term measurement perspective. Particularly, they can cause an allergic reaction of the skin and can detach in case of sweating during physical activity or sleep. As they are disposable, the electrodes cannot be removed for cleaning. They must be connected to a device with separate cables, which adds to the wearer’s discomfort and increases the possibility of motion artifacts. Therefore, graphene electrodes of different shapes and sizes were prepared to assess their electrodeskin contact properties compared to standard electrodes, and to evaluate the quality of obtained impedance pneumography signals and calculated tidal volumes. The results showed higher electrode-skin impedance, which did not prevent the registration of respiratory activity, after several minutes of stabilization. The accuracies of tidal volumes were comparable to the those of standard Ag/AgCl electrodes. This highlights the potential use of graphene-based, clothing-printed electrodes in cardiorespiratory and physiological healthcare, athletics, or even sleep ap-