Design is described of thick, flexible electrodes with appropriate metal surfaces which prevent unnecessary skin motion. Electrodes provide sufficient radial pressure directed toward body surface to depress skin a noticeable portion of its normal resilient thickness

Castle, J. G.

Lattanzi, R. R.

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

December 1972
	 B72-10698 
NASA TECH BRIEF 
•	 Marshall Space Flight Center 
NASA Tech Briefs announce new technology derived from the U.S. space program. They are issued to encourage 
commercial - a pplication. Tech Briefs are available on a subscription basis from the National Technical Information 
Service, Springfield, Virginia 22151. Requests for individual copies or questions relating to the Tech Brief program may 
be directed to the Technology Utilization Office, NASA, Code KT, Washington, D.C. 20546. 
Improved Electrodes For Skin Contacts 
The problem: 
Measurements of body functions by the use of 
electrocardiograms or impedance plethysmographs are 
frequently distorted by the simple motion of the skin 
as a result of muscular movements. 
The solution: 
Thick, flexible electrodes with appropriate metal 
surfaces prevent unnecessary skin motion. The electrodes 
provide sufficient radial pressure directed toward the 
body surface to depress the skin a noticeable portion 
of its normal resilient thickness. 
How it's done: 
The electrode has a core of single-conductor, shielded 
cable (no insulation over shielding) with an outer dia-
meter of 3/32 inch (2.5 mm), wrapped with a 0.25 mil 
(0.006 mm) thickness of Mylar. Aluminum is deposited 
on both sides to a total thickness of 0.40 mil (0.01 
mm). Strips, 1/2-inch (1.3-cm) wide, of the aluminized 
Mylar are wound around the core in spiral fashion with 
approximately two-thirds strip-width overlap on each 
winding. Crimp-on connectors are attached to one end of 
the electrode for electrical connection to external equip-
ment. The electrodes are held on the skin by a 2-inch 
wide elasticized cloth. The cloth, normally stretched 
20% to 50% of the way around the limb is fastened to 
itself with Velcro material. To hold the electrode onto 
the elasticized material, loops of Teflon insulated wire 
are attached to the elastic, and the electrode is threaded 
through the loops. This allows the elastic material to be 
stretched over the electrodes without binding. 
Notes: 
1. Information concerning this innovation may be of 
interest to physicians and designers and manufacturers 
of medical instrumentation.
2. Requests for further information may be directed to: 
Technology Utilization Officer 
Marshall Space Flight Center 
Code A&PS-TU 
Marshall Space Flight Center, Alabama 35812 
Reference: B72-10698 
Electrode	 Radial 
r;­ .d.,	 I Pressure
ed 
Patent status: 
Inquiries concerning rights for the commercial use 
of this invention should be addressed to: 
Patent Counsel 
Marshall Space Flight Center 
Code A&PS-PAT 
Marshall Space Flight Center, Alabama 35812 
Source: R. R. Lattanzi and

J. G. Castle of
University of Alabama

under contract to

Marshall Space Flight Center

(MFS-2 1926) 
Category 05 
This document was prepared under the sponsorship of the National
	 Government assumes any liability resulting from the use of the 
Aeronautics and Space Administration. Neither the United States
	 information contained in this document, or warrants that such use Government nor any person acting on behalf of the United States
	 will be free from privately owned rights.
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19720000697 2020-03-17T03:43:28+00:00Z


Improved electrodes for skin contacts

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