Textile electrodes for the measurement of bioimpedance spectroscopy signals

Bioimpedance Spectroscopy (BIS) has several applications in the medical field, like fluid and body composition monitoring. For monitoring at home, a wearable solution would be an important improvement. In general, a BIS measurement is carried out with at least four conductive electrodes attached directly to the body. However, even the latest systems on the market are uncomfortable to wear and their use for mobile purposes is highly limited, especially with respect to electrodes which are typically not suitable for a long term use and may cause allergic reactions. In order to eliminate these deficits ITA and MedIT are developing textile electrodes to be integrated directly into clothing. Textile electrodes present different characteristics from the standard ones, specially concerning the contact with the skin. In this article, the skin electrode impedance has been measured using standard and textile bioimpedance electrodes under different temperatures. BIS measurements of the whole body using standard and textile electrodes are also shown. The results show the practicability of textile electrodes use for bioimpedance spectroscopy applications.