Fabrication And Evaluation Metalized Polymeric Microneedle Array As A Dry Electrode For Measuring Biosignals

Abstract

Biosignals, crucial physiological indicators, have played a vital role in healthcare, medical research, and treatment for many years. Electrodes serve as primary biosensors for collecting these signals, traditionally in the form of wet electrodes commonly used for biosignal monitoring. This work prososed a design and fabricated a noval Dry Microneedle Electrodes (DME) to enhance comfort, usability, and signal quality of the measured biosignal compared to traditional electrodes. Through the utilization of electroless nickel plating method, the PLA (Polylactic Acid) microneedle patch, initially being a non-conductive material, undergoes a transformative process to transform the PLA micorneedle into conductive DME. In this project, DMEs were manufactured using the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) master-mold fabrication method with PLA plastic. Mechanical strength testing demonstrates the robustness of the microneedles, capable of skin penetration without needle breakage. Porcine skin penetration experiments showcase a commendable 91.35% rate of succession in effectively eliminating impedance and collecting biological signals. Impedance tests further highlight the low impedance of dry microneedle electrodes (DME) over commercial wet electrodes, exhibiting significantly lower impedance and greater stability across frequency ranges. This work contributing the fabrication and performance of dry microneedle electrodes (DME), is the premise for the development of a reliable and efficient tool for non-invasive bio-signal monitoring with potential applications in healthcare and medical research.