Smart textiles biotechnology for electrocardiogram monitoring in horses during exercise on treadmill: Validation tests

BACKGROUND: There are several bioengineering solutions aimed at improving human health and welfare. Smart electrodes based on textile substrates have met the growing demand for comfort, reliability, and robustness when acquiring physiological signals. OBJECTIVES: Given the importance of good quality electrocardiograms (ECG) in equine sports medicine, this study focuses on the validation of smart textile electrodes to acquire ECG signals in horses during treadmill exercise. STUDY DESIGN: The performance of the smart textile electrodes is compared with standard silver/silver chloride (Ag/AgCl) electrodes in terms of signal quality. METHODS: Five healthy Standardbred mares were fitted with two identical electronic systems for the simultaneous recording of ECGs during a standardised exercise test (SET) on a treadmill. One system was equipped with smart textile electrodes, whereas the second was equipped with standard Ag/AgCl electrodes. The Ag/AgCl electrodes were positioned on shaved skin with self-adhesive pads, and without (SET1) or with glue (SET2). The textile electrodes were positioned without shaving the skin. The Kurtosis (k) value for each ECG trace recorded was calculated as an index of ECG signal quality. RESULTS: For the textile electrodes, k values were higher, and closer to ideal compared to Ag/AgCl electrodes. The median values of the Signal Quality Indexes (kSQI) were higher for textile compared to Ag/AgCl electrodes. These differences were significant in SET 2 (P < .001), but not in SET 1 (P = .08). MAIN LIMITATIONS: This study was limited to treadmill exercise that did not include a rider or harness. CONCLUSIONS: During treadmill exercise, textile electrodes are a practical solution for collecting good quality ECG traces.