Elastic Multi-Electrode ECG Strip Pad for Accurate Cardiac Monitoring

Background

The heart generates electrical signals which travel through a patient’s skin. Electrocardiographs (ECGs) monitor these electrical signals in order to provide information about a patient’s heart. To capture this electrical information, sensors, in the form of electrodes are placed on the skin. These electrodes then transmit the electrical signals to the ECG monitor. Electrode placement is vital for capturing an accurate ECG. Even slight misplacements can significantly alter waveforms, creating inaccurate test results, which may mimic heart conditions and lead to misdiagnosis. Currently clinicians must rely on landmarking skills, which may be difficult as patient anatomy may vary significantly, to accurately place electrodes.

Technology Overview

To better aid clinicians, Boston Children’s Hospital researchers have developed a flexible ECG electrode pad that contains the anatomically correct placement for precordial ECG electrodes utilized in ECG monitoring. The technology consists of an ECG electrode pad that is stretchable and contains multiple electrodes which are designed to correspond with the proper placement of the electrodes on the patient’s chest. Due to the device’s intrinsic configurability, the same sensor can accommodate patients of different sizes (e.g., one-size-fits-all). Lastly, the electrodes are thin conductive copper discs for primary skin contact and fewer artifact problems. In brief, this multi-electrode ECG sensor contains six anatomically correct placed electrodes (V1 through V6) which are located on the chest. Due to the silicone-based pad, the varying distance and thickness between each electrode provides stability and flexibility.

Applications

• Simple heart rate and essential rhythm monitoring
• Monitoring heart activity in intensive care patients who have suffered cardiac problems such as myocardial infarction, arrhythmias and other ECG abnormalities.

Advantages

• ECG electrode arrangement that is inexpensive, convenient and easy to use by medical personnel.
• Pad allows for high probability of proper placement of the electrodes on the patient and for easy repeatability of testing.
• Varying distance and thickness between each electrode provides stability and flexibility.
• The same sensor can accommodate patients of different sizes (e.g., one-size-fits-all).