Optimizing concentric ring electrode design for noninvasive electrophysiological measurement

Dine College, Tsaile AZ

Investigators

Abstract

The mission of the NSF Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) is build the research and instructional capacity of education institutions serving Indigenous populations in the United States. The project, administered by Dine College and titled "Optimizing Concentric Ring Electrode Design for Noninvasive Electrophysiological Measurement", aligns well with the TCUP mission. The goal of this research project is to improve the design of concentric ring electrodes sensors (CRE), which are used in biomedical technology to monitor the health of living tissues. The research strives to boost the accuracy of the technology in detecting electrical signals from tissue, which can then be applied to improve doctors' ability to diagnose their patients' conditions. This project builds on and expands the primary research direction of the Mathematics for Engineering Applications laboratory (MEA lab) at Dine College. Through the paid undergraduate research assistant positions with the MEA lab the project provides, it also supports the mission of the college to deliver robust learning opportunities for students. This research focus is important because the ability to estimate the surface Laplacian at each electrode constitutes the primary biomedical significance of CREs. Further improvement of the accuracy of Laplacian estimation via optimal CRE designs may contribute to the advancement of numerous noninvasive electrophysiological measurement systems that currently use CREs to acquire diagnostic electrical signals from the brain, intestines, heart or uterus, for example. The goal of this research project will be achieved by 1) expanding the solutions of the general inter-ring distances optimization problem for a wide range of conditions, and 2) incorporating the radius of the central disc and individual widths of the concentric rings into the CRE design optimization process along with the currently included parameters such as the number of rings and inter-ring distances. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.