Validation of PEDOT:PSS-based epidermal electrodes for ECG monitoring

The growing demand for innovative solutions able to provide high-quality electrophysiological recordings while also ensuring a high level of comfort, wearability, and unobtrusiveness, has driven research into the development of unconventional materials and scalable fabrication techniques. This study presents the characterization of epidermal polymeric electrodes based on a biocompatible functionalized conductive polymer, i.e. poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS). The proposed epidermal electrodes were tested in the context of short-term ECG monitoring, which represent one of the most clinically relevant biopotential, and their performance has been benchmarked against commercially available gelled Ag/AgCl electrodes. Our findings suggest that, for ECG signal acquisition, the epidermal electrodes offer performance comparable to their commercial counterparts while significantly improving end-user experience due to their ultrathin and ultra-conformable design. These findings highlight the potential of functionalized PEDOT:PSS-based electrodes as a promising alternative for high-quality, unobtrusive ECG monitoring in both clinical and wearable health applications.