A Comb-Shaped, Silicone-Scaffolded Hydrogel Electrode for Stable Overnight EEG Acquisition in Assistive BCI Applications
Abstract
For older adults with disabilities and aphasia, timely care remains challenging, particularly during the 8-h nocturnal period, creating a need for stable non-invasive EEG interfaces for assistive brain-computer interface (BCI) applications. Asynchronous steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP)-based control provides a practical strategy for nighttime assistive care, but its performance is largely constrained by the electrode interface. Here, we developed a comb-shaped, silicone-scaffolded PVA/SA/PEDOT:PSS hydrogel electrode for stable overnight EEG acquisition on hair-bearing scalp regions. The PVA/SA network provided soft and compliant contact, while PEDOT:PSS improved interfacial charge transfer. The comb-shaped silicone scaffold further enhanced conformal contact and effectively suppressed hydrogel dehydration. The electrode maintained stable scalp impedance for 8 h and enabled reliable EEG recording on both hairless and hair-bearing scalp regions. When used in an asynchronous SSVEP-based intelligent assistive care system, it achieved 100% triple-blink (three consecutive blinks) detection accuracy for system activation and 97.3 ± 0.4% SSVEP classification accuracy for command selection, with stable performance throughout the 8-h monitoring period. Cytotoxicity assays indicated no obvious cytotoxicity under the tested conditions, and comfort evaluations supported good wearability. This hydrogel electrode provides a promising approach for non-invasive and reliable overnight EEG acquisition and shows potential for BCI-assisted nighttime care.
Citation Information
@article{weihuapei2026,
title={A Comb-Shaped, Silicone-Scaffolded Hydrogel Electrode for Stable Overnight EEG Acquisition in Assistive BCI Applications},
author={Weihua Pei and Wanwan Liu and Chunrong Wei and Hongyu Jiang and Yan Zhu and Kemin Wang and Xiaoting Wu and Juexian Cao and Xiaofeng Liu and Yiwei Liu and Gege Ming and Yijun Wang and Xiaorong Gao},
journal={Microsystems & Nanoengineering},
year={2026},
doi={https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9381602/v1}
}
SinoXiv