What does this research mean for the field?

A low-cost, open-source wearable platform using capacitive-coupled active dry electrodes reliably acquires diagnostic-quality ECG signals and accurate rhythm tracking through light-to-moderate clothing. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.METHODOLOGICAL. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

What question did this study set out to answer?

To develop and validate an open-source, low-cost wearable ECG monitoring device capable of non-contact signal acquisition through clothing using capacitive active dry electrodes.

October 28, 2025HardwareXOpen Access

Open-source low-cost non-contact ECG monitoring system using active dry electrodes

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Why the study?

Conventional wet electrode-based ECG monitoring systems often cause skin irritation and signal degradation, rendering them uncomfortable and unsuitable for long-term daily continuous monitoring.

Key Points

To develop and validate an open-source, low-cost wearable ECG monitoring device capable of non-contact signal acquisition through clothing using capacitive active dry electrodes.
Engineered a lightweight (~60 g), miniaturized (~50 × 35 × 28 mm3), low-cost (~$14) wearable system integrating active dry electrodes with ultra-high input impedance circuitry, an analog front-end, Bluetooth, and an Android application.
Released all hardware designs under the MIT License on Zenodo alongside firmware and software.
Evaluated biopotential acquisition through light to moderate clothing and compared rhythm tracking against a commercial, clinical-grade ECG monitor.
The system reliably acquired ECG signals through light to moderate clothing, successfully preserving QRS complexes and providing accurate heart rate estimation.
Comparative testing against a clinical-grade ECG monitor demonstrated excellent agreement in rhythm tracking.
Module-level power analysis identified key functional blocks for future low-power optimization.

Structured PICO

Intervention

Open-source, low-cost (~$14), miniaturized, wearable ECG monitoring platform using non-contact, active, dry electrodes based on capacitive coupling

Comparator

Commercial, clinical-grade ECG monitor

Outcome

ECG signal quality, preservation of QRS complexes, and heart rate estimation accuracysurrogate

A novel, open-source, low-cost wearable non-contact ECG monitoring system demonstrates reliable signal acquisition through clothing, offering a practical platform for continuous cardiac monitoring research.

Discussion

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Implication

May enable accessible long-term ECG monitoring in resource-limited settings; leaves open prospective clinical validation for arrhythmia detection.

Cite This Study

Chen et al. (2025) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a7cd2c2fffb828edf1d3948 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ohx.2025.e00718

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Implication

May enable accessible long-term ECG monitoring in resource-limited settings; leaves open prospective clinical validation for arrhythmia detection.

Open-source low-cost non-contact ECG monitoring system using active dry electrodes

Key Points

Structured PICO

Discussion

Implication

Cite This Study

Open-source low-cost non-contact ECG monitoring system using active dry electrodes

Key Points

Structured PICO

Discussion

Implication

Cite This Study

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