The light-weight and versatile electrode, which appears to be like like a strand of hair, attaches on to the scalp and delivers steady, high-quality recordings of the mind’s alerts. Credit score: Zhou Lab / Penn State. Artistic Commons
The way forward for electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring might quickly seem like a strand of hair. Rather than the standard steel electrodes, an internet of wires and sticky adhesives, a group of researchers from Penn State created a hairlike gadget for long-term, non-invasive monitoring of the mind’s electrical exercise. The light-weight and versatile electrode attaches on to the scalp and delivers steady, high-quality recordings of the mind’s alerts.
EEG is crucial for diagnosing and assessing neurological circumstances like epilepsy and mind accidents. In some instances, clinicians want to observe mind waves for longer intervals of time, for instance, to guage seizures, sleep problems and circumstances that have an effect on the blood vessels and blood stream within the mind.
The researchers described the brand new electrodes, which had been proven to keep up steady efficiency for over 24 hours of steady put on, in a research revealed within the journal npj Biomedical Improvements. This know-how holds promise to be used in client well being and wellness merchandise, along with medical well being care purposes, in line with the researchers.
“This electrode allows for more consistent and reliable monitoring of EEG signals and can be worn without being noticeable, which enhances both functionality and patient comfort,” mentioned Tao Zhou, Wormley Household Early Profession Professor of engineering science and mechanics and senior creator on the paper.
EEG monitoring is a broadly used methodology to measure the mind’s electrical exercise, Zhou defined. Small steel electrodes are positioned on the scalp and decide up the faint electrical impulses generated by cells within the mind. The electrodes are connected to wires which can be then linked to a machine that shows the mind’s exercise as patterns that seem like waves.
The standard EEG monitoring course of, nonetheless, could be a cumbersome—and typically messy—affair. Its limitations make it troublesome to make use of for steady, long-term monitoring.
To get an excellent recording of the mind’s exercise, the electrodes want to evolve to the scalp. Any gaps between the electrode and the pores and skin or dense hair can diminish the standard of the recorded sign. Researchers and clinicians should apply gels to the scalp to keep up good surface-to-surface contact between the electrodes and pores and skin and sign high quality. For some individuals, although, the gels could cause pores and skin irritation.
Comparability of the hairlike electrode, on left, and a human hair. Credit score: Zhou Lab / Penn State. Artistic Commons
It is a time-consuming course of that have to be repeated when the gels dry out, particularly for somebody must be monitored constantly or over the course of a number of periods. The applying and re-application course of is imprecise, too, and may end up in completely different quantities of gel used on the electrodes.
“This will change the impedance—or interface—between the electrodes and the scalp and it can affect the brain signal that’s recorded,” Zhou mentioned. “We also don’t always apply the electrodes in the exact same position either because we’re human. But if you change the position, even a little bit, the brain signals you’re monitoring can be different.”
The standard EEG electrodes are inflexible, too, and might shift when somebody strikes their head, even barely, which might compromise the information uniformity.
To handle these limitations, the analysis group designed a small monitoring gadget that appears like a strand of hair and is comprised of 3D-printed hydrogel materials. One finish is the electrode. It appears to be like like a small dot and captures the mind’s electrical alerts from the scalp. There is a lengthy, skinny wire-like element that extends from the electrode, which connects to the monitoring system.
The gadget additionally makes use of a 3D-printable bioadhesive ink that enables the electrode to stay instantly onto the scalp with out the necessity for any gloopy gels or different pores and skin preparation. This minimizes the hole between the electrode and scalp, bettering the sign high quality. The light-weight, versatile and stretchable nature of the gadget additionally signifies that the gadget stays put—even when combing hair and donning and eradicating a baseball cap—and might be worn for longer intervals of time, making it appropriate for persistent monitoring.
The group discovered that the brand new gadget carried out comparably to gold electrodes, the present commonplace electrodes used for EEG. Nonetheless, the hairlike electrode maintained higher contact between the electrode and pores and skin and carried out reliably for over 24 hours of steady put on with none degradation in sign high quality. As a result of the electrodes do not must be eliminated and changed like conventional EEG monitoring programs, they eradicate the danger of inconsistent information, even throughout completely different monitoring periods.
“You don’t have to worry if the position of the electrode has changed or if the impedance has changed because the electrodes haven’t moved,” Zhou mentioned.
Printing of hairlike electrodes and characterization of their stability, electrical and mechanical properties. Credit score: npj Biomedical Improvements (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s44385-025-00009-x
In contrast to the standard steel electrodes, the brand new electrodes mimic human hair and are inconspicuous on the top. For the reason that gadget is 3D-printed, Zhou defined that they’ll print the electrode in several colours to match an individual’s hair, too.
“This makes it discreet, and people may be more comfortable wearing this, especially if they require continuous EEG monitoring and need to wear the electrodes for an extended period of time,” Zhou mentioned.
At the moment, the EEG remains to be wired; sufferers should be linked to a machine whereas their mind exercise is recorded. Sooner or later, the researchers hope to make the system wi-fi so that individuals can transfer round extra freely throughout recording periods.
Different Penn State authors on the paper embrace lead authors Salahuddin Ahmed and Marzia Momin, each doctoral college students within the Division of Engineering Science and Mechanics. Jiashu Ren, doctoral pupil within the Division of Engineering Science and Mechanics; Hyunjin Lee, doctoral pupil within the Division of Biomedical Engineering; Li-Pang Huang, analysis assistant; and Basma AlMahmood, undergraduate pupil within the Division of Physics additionally contributed to the paper.
Different authors embrace Chi-Ching Kuo, Archana Pandiyan and Loganathan Veeramuthu from the Division of Molecular Science and Engineering, Nationwide Taipei College of Know-how.
Extra data:
Salahuddin Ahmed et al, Stick-and-play bioadhesive hairlike electrodes for persistent EEG recording on human, npj Biomedical Improvements (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s44385-025-00009-x
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