Evaluating the Dielectric Performance of Unblended PDMS Films for Non-contact ECG Sensing Applications

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Published: 2026-04-02
Keywords:
Biocompatible polymer, Dielectrics, Non-contact ECG, Bioelectrodes, Unblended PDMS films.

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Umar Alhassan Haruna
Department of Computer Engineering Technology, Jigawa State Polytechnic, Dutse, Nigeria
Mohd Afzan Othman
School of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru, Malaysia
Fauzan Khairi Che Harun
School of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru, Malaysia
Yusmeeraz Yosuf
School of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru, Malaysia
Said Musa Yarima
Department of Electrical Engineering, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, Nigeria

Abstract

Non-contact electrocardiogram (ECG) bioelectrodes need biocompatible dielectrics that can record cardiac signals for the long-term without skin irritation. Existing biomedical dielectrics used in non-contact ECG bioelectrodes exhibit rigidity, require expensive experiments, and induce noise interference during recording. This study explores unblended polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) films as alternative biocompatible dielectrics for non-contact bioelectrodes. Unblended PDMS films were characterized using a simple deposition technique by increasing the proportion of the PDMS cross-linker while the polymer elastomer was kept constant. Next, energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) was performed to determine the elemental components for each PDMS film sample as well as their dielectric constants. The dielectric performance of PDMS film with the highest dielectric constant alongside fabric dielectrics and wet bioelectrodes were experimented in recording ECG signals. The EDX analysis revealed different compositions, by percentage of carbon, silicon, and oxygen, which varied with the increase in proportion of the cross-linker. Moreover, ECG measurements confirmed that the unblended PDMS dielectric film with the highest cross-linker ratio (10:2) performed sufficiently comparable with other bioelectrodes experimented with, demonstrating their potential as a cost-effective and biocompatible solution for non-contact bioelectrodes in long-term ECG monitoring

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Vol. 1 No. 1 (2024)

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How to Cite

Haruna, U. A., Othman, M. A., Che Harun, F. K., Yosuf, Y., & Yarima, S. M. (2026). Evaluating the Dielectric Performance of Unblended PDMS Films for Non-contact ECG Sensing Applications. International Journal Of Research And Technopreneurial Innovations, 1(1), 120-128. https://ijrti.com.ng/index.php/home/article/view/37

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