SURFACE ELECTRODES

ELECTRODES CHARACTERISTICS

Metal Plates . It consists of a metallic button made of silver-silver chloride.

(AgCl) at the top of the column.
. It is filled with conductive gel or paste.
. It is held in place by a foam rubber disk that
the surface has an adhesive substance.
. This keeps the electrode from coming into contact with the surface of the
skin and reduce motion artifacts.
. It is used to monitor EEG, EMG, and ECG.

b) Electrodes of . This type of electrodes does not require tapes or adhesives to

Suction stay in place.
. Hollow metallic cylindrical electrode that makes contact with the skin at
an electrolytic gel is adhered to the plate which makes
contact with the skin.
. Rubber suction bulb that fits into another base.
. It is used to measure ECG records.

c) Floating Electrodes . The direct contact of the electrode with the skin is eliminated.
. The metallic part is a disc or a small ball of silver coated with
AgCl, which comes into electrical contact with the skin only through the
electrolytic paste contained in its cavity.
. When the patient moves, the electrolytic paste remains.
static regarding the metallic disk, therefore, the conditions do not change
loading layers of the interface.
. It is stable and suitable for multiple uses.

d) Flexible Electrodes . They adapt to the surfaces of the body.

The contact with the skin is of better quality, firmer and with greater
contact area.
. As a consequence, the artifacts due to the movement of
patients are minimized.
. It consists of an adhesive material on which a
made of fine flexible silver wires.
. They are also made with a Mylar surface coated with a
silver sheath connected to the conductor that carries the signal to the
measuring instrument.

e) Dry Electrodes . They do not use electrolytic paste.

. Low frequency responses are compromised with the
decrease in capacitance and if there are changes (capacitance)
generates a voltage change.
 . They are reusable and are used for EEG.

f) Multi-point Electrodes . They are called Multipoint, as they have more than 100 points.
active contact.
. Due to their multipoints, they help to establish low contact.
resistance with human skin.
. They are fundamental at any temperature.
. They are made of stainless steel or plated iron.
. They are very practical in electrocardiographic records.
 INTERNAL ELECTRODES

ELECTRODES CHARACTERISTICS

Percutaneous Electrodes
i. Insulated Needle Electrodes . They consist of a rigid needle, usually made of steel.
stainless, coated with insulating varnish except in the
tip.
. Used in EMG (introduced into the muscles) and in
ECG (legs or arms, depending on your lead).
ii. Coaxial Needle Electrodes . Consist of a hypodermic needle through whose cannula
has passed a fine conductive thread, usually of
platinum, covered with insulating material.
. The interior of the cannula is subsequently filled with
resin. The needle itself connects to the mass through the
coaxial cable screen while the central wire is
connects to the asset of that cable.
. It is used in patients undergoing surgery to monitor the
ECG continuously, placed on the extremities,
they stay in place despite the movements.
iii. Bipolar coaxial electrodes . Measure the potential difference between the tips
discoveries of two conductors.
. The drivers are cemented inside a cannula.
made of stainless steel, like a hypodermic needle, the
which can be grounded.
. Since the signal is measured between its conductors not
The reference electrode is necessary.
. It is used to detect the signals from the fibers
individual muscle fibers of the tissue.
Intracutaneous Electrodes
Fine Wire Electrode . This electrode has a wire with a diameter between
the 25 to 125 µm, is bent in a hook shape
in the lumen of the hypodermic needle.
. It is made of metal alloys, generally
platinum, silver, Indian, nickel, and chrome.
. They are used for the study of muscle fibers.
ii. Wound Electrode of . It is wrapped in a tight coil of
Fine Wire approximately 150µm in diameter that is placed
in the lumen of the insertion needle.
. Allows manipulation and movements thanks to the
spiral shape of the electrode.
. Avoid skin tears.
. Used to study muscle fibers
iii. Fetal ECG Electrode or . They allow for precise monitoring of the heart of the
Hon mother and baby during childbirth, which makes it possible
effective care, indicating the variability of the
frequency of uterine contractions.
. It is a stainless steel needle, on a cube of
plastic, the bottom side of this is the reference of
electrode.
. It works on the same principle as an electrode of
suction.
Implantable Electrodes
Wire Loop Electrode . It has one end insulated and the other end is left
exposed and is bent in such a way that it forms a
wire circle.
. The wire circle can be sutured in any
body part in which a
electrical contact.
. It is used for dental tests.
ii. Cortical Electrode . Placed on the surface of the brain, they facilitate the
electrocorticography (ECoG).
. It is made for brain mapping procedures
to detect the focus of epileptic attacks, both
before and as control after they are removed
surgically.
. The electrodes are placed on the cortical surface.
exposed of the brain, or are inserted into the space
subdural to contact the cortical surface, and vary
in accordance with the procedure being analyzed.
iii. Multi-element Electrode . This electrode consists of a cluster of fine wires
isolated that are kept together by a varnish
binder.

MICROELECTRODES
 ELECTRODES CHARACTERISTICS

a) Metallic . They are built by electrochemically sharpening the tip of a

hi of steel tungsten o alloys of
platinum-iridium.
. They easily penetrate the cell membrane.
. The tip is the only portion in electrical contact with the cell.
the rest of the electrode is coated with a non-material
conductor that isolates it from the tissues.
. It is used to measure the potential difference that is established.
between the inner and outer part of the cell membrane.

b) Reinforced Metallics . The electrode has glass insulation which not only provides
of mechanical support but is also an insulator.

. This type of electrodes is used in the industry.

semiconductor microelectronics.

c) Non-Metallic or . They are made with glass capillary tubes that have a diameter of
the tip of the order of 0.05 to 10 micrometers.
. The capillary is filled with an electrolyte compatible with the liquid.
cell, such as, for example, a solution of 3 M KCl.
. In this type of electrode, there are two interfaces; one at
the tip of the pipette, between the electrolyte and cellular liquids
and the other inside the pipette, between the electrolyte and the
metal conductor.
Micropipettes . It is used to measure the potential of a single cell.

References

[1] Jules M. Rothstein, Serge H. Roy, Steven L. Wolf. (2005). Electrodes. In

SPECIALIST IN REHABILITATION MANUAL (320). Mexico: paidotribo.

Medical Instrumentation, Application and Design. John G. Webster Editor. 4th

Edition, 2010.