Paintable on-skin dry electrodes with robust skin and device connection for wireless sensing and human-machine interfaces

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Zhang, Wanqing; Xin, Xin; Wang, Yuqi; Zhang, Xianzhe; Zhang, Senhao; Yuan, Yangbo; Xia, Shihao; Abdullah, Abu Musa; Zohra, Fatema Tuz; Li, Bowen; Yang, Jia-Yu; Dutta, Ankan; Liu, Zhuo; Lima, Anna Beatriz Pacheco; Yan, Su; Zhong, Jun; Chuang, Cheng-Hsin; Cheng, Huanyu
• 署名单位: Pennsylvania Commonwealth System of Higher Education (PCSHE); Pennsylvania State University; Pennsylvania State University - University Park; Pennsylvania Commonwealth System of Higher Education (PCSHE); Pennsylvania State University; Pennsylvania State University - University Park; City University of Hong Kong; Pennsylvania Commonwealth System of Higher Education (PCSHE); Pennsylvania State University; Pennsylvania State University - University Park; Drexel University; Pennsylvania Commonwealth System of Higher Education (PCSHE); Pennsylvania State University; National Sun Yat Sen University; Pennsylvania Commonwealth System of Higher Education (PCSHE); Pennsylvania State University; Pennsylvania State University - University Park; Pennsylvania Commonwealth System of Higher Education (PCSHE); Pennsylvania State University; Pennsylvania State University - University Park; Harvard University; Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT); Broad Institute; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering & Technology, CAS
• 刊物名称: PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0027-8424; 1091-6490
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2615835123
• 发表日期: 2026-07-21
• 页码: e2615835123
• 关键词: drawn-on-skin electronics; electrophysiological monitoring; human-machine interface; sensors

摘要

Reliable and continuous electrophysiological recording is important for health monitoring and human-machine interactions. However, most existing epidermal electrodes suffer from either limited skin-electrode contact during skin deformation and sweating, or unstable connections between soft electrodes and relatively rigid data acquisition systems due to the inherent mechanical mismatch. Besides, their lack of personalization further discourages long-term use, particularly among children, adolescents, and individuals sensitive to stigma. Here, this work presents a paintable, drawn-on-skin dry electrode that forms an ultraconformal interface on hierarchically textured skin topographies with a thickness gradient to minimize interfacial stress, achieving low contact impedance (10.8 k Omega cm(2)) and high adhesion (similar to 963 kPa) on skin. The resulting electrodes are customizable in shape and color, transforming them from medical devices into playful wearable accessories, thus enhancing user compliance and long-term wearability. Moreover, the in situ paintability enables seamless integration with porous silver textile connectors, yielding an interlocked junction with a built-in modulus gradient for stable signal transmission. The versatility of this platform is demonstrated through diverse use cases, including wireless electrocardiogram monitoring during long-term complex daily activities, machine learning-enabled electromyogram for gesture recognition and robotic hand control, and through-hair electroencephalogram detection for neural response analysis. In addition, the absence of image artifact highlights its potential for multimodal MRI imaging and electrophysiology. Overall, this strategy establishes a personalized, scalable platform for next-generation electronic tattoos toward continuous healthcare and interactive bioelectronics.