Recent Patents on Non-Contact Electrodes for Measuring EEG and EKG

At present, electroencephalogram (EEG) and electrocardiogram (EKG) recording requires contact electrodes that are inconvenient and time-consuming to apply. Emerging technology based on non-contact electrodes may alter the way such data are gathered in clinical, field and research settings. A number of investigators have demonstrated that clinical- grade EKG and EEG tracings can be obtained using electrodes that make no direct contact with the body. Using noncontact electrodes, an EKG can be taken from outside a person’s clothing. The data can be transmitted wirelessly and stored in a cell phone. This technology is the basis of a number of patents and patents pending. It may also lead to new devices such as a whole body electromagnetic scanner, with potential applications in medicine, anthropology, agriculture, geophysics and nutrition.