CHARACTERISATION OF MICRONEEDLE-BASED ECG ELECTRODES FABRICATED USING AN INDUSTRIAL INJECTION-MOULDING PROCESS

This work has produced microneedle-based electrocardiography (ECG) electrodes using a commercial, high-volume fabrication process. Specifically, we have adapted industrial injection moulding (IM) techniques to replicate silicon microneedle arrays in medical-grade cyclic olefin polymers (COP) and these, to our knowledge, are the sharpest IM microneedles produced to date. The arrays are then metallised and used as 'dry' electrodes to record ECG signals. We also show that their performance is equivalent to that of commercial electrodes, but without the need for skin preparation or electrolytic 'wet' gels. This new IM process, originally developed for the mass manufacture of compact discs (CDs), has significant implications for the future viability of microneedle-based electrodes in this very cost-competitive application.