Embedding Porous Structure Electrodes Into T-Shirt for ECG Monitoring: Combining Low Impedance and High SNR for Optimized Comfortability and Performance

This study proposes a customized design T-shirt embedded with a porous structured dry electrode for ECG monitoring. The porous electrodes are based on graphene nanoplatelets (GNP-3A) and polyamide 66 (PA66) materials. First, through electrical performance testing, it is demonstrated that the proposed dry electrode has high conductivity, with a skin contact impedance of 17.6 kΩ at 100Hz, significantly lower than commercial Ag/AgCl wet electrodes. In addition, the electrode can accurately capture ECG signals with a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 34.76 dB, which is an 8% improvement over traditional Ag/AgCl wet electrodes. Additionally, the design optimizes wearability by using soft and highly elastic fabric and integrates electrodes using metal snap buttons to reduce the discomfort typically caused by traditional wet electrodes, thereby enhancing comfort during prolonged use. Subsequently, to evaluate the performance improvements of the smart ECG T-shirt in terms of comfort and signal acquisition, a self-constructed ECG monitoring system was used to record single-lead ECG signals from adult males wearing the smart ECG T-shirt, under different motion states such as resting, walking, and jogging. The P-Q-R-S-T characteristic peaks, motion artifacts, and noise were assessed and compared with commercially available ECG monitoring T-shirts. The comparison results indicate that the integrated design of the electrode and T-shirt effectively balances comfort and performance in practical applications, with no skin irritation or discomfort observed during prolonged use. This work offers an innovative and practical solution for daily, comprehensive, wearable, and scalable ECG monitoring, showing great promise for future applications.