OPTIMIZATION AND FABRICATION OF CARBON NANOTUBES, GRAPHENE, AND THEIR HYBRID BASED ECG ELECTRODES FOR HEALTHCARE APPLICATIONS

Abstract

As the world population is increasing rapidly, better health facilities are also in huge demand. Several health issues are unpredictable and the most common are problems related to the heart. Currently, Cardiovascular Diseases account for 32% of deaths globally. Therefore, timely detection of heart abnormalities can provide longer life to people suffering from heart diseases. ECG (Electrocardiogram) is a dominant, standard, and powerful method used to assess cardiovascular health because various heart conditions are reflected as disorders or abnormalities in the ECG signals. The most commonly used ECG electrodes are Ag/AgCl electrodes. These electrodes provide better ECG results for a short duration, as the gel dries up during the course of time, and long-term ECG monitoring is not feasible. Bulky equipment dissolves the chances of continuous ECG monitoring. Therefore, the need of the hour is to fabricate such ECG electrodes which are portable enough to monitor ECG continuously and in real-time. Carbon-based nanomaterials have been utilized due to operational principles and cost. Presently, functionalized CNTs are also been considered due to their advantages like being cost-effective when compared with gold and silver nanoparticles, better dispersing capabilities than unfunctionalized counterparts, better intermolecular bonding between the polymer and CNTs, and better conductivity because of the better flow of electrons. Hence, Carbon-based Nanomaterials ECG electrodes have fascinated great attention due to their lightweight, comfortable for wearing which do not affect the mobility of the person, and highly conductive for acquiring weak ECG signals. Along with this, the major concern is the toxicity of the nanomaterials. Nanomaterials (Graphene and CNTs) received a green flag regarding this parameter. They are not only safe but provide long-term biocompatibility. If any deviation is recorded in the ECG signal, the report can be sent to the medical expert using various wireless technologies, and immediate help can be provided. Hence, the blend of nanotechnology, electronics, and communication has given health monitoring a new and refreshed outlook which created interest in developing different nano-materials instead of Ag/AgCl electrodes. xvii In this thesis, different combinations of CNT, Graphene, and their Hybrid have been fabricated using different fabrication techniques and their performances have been analyzed for biomedical applications.