Optimization of Skin Impedance Sensor Design with Finite Element Simulations

F. Dewarrat, L. Falco, A. Caduff, and M. Talary
Solianis Monitoring AG, Zürich, Switzerland
Published in 2008

Impedance spectroscopy is a measurement technique that has been investigated in a wide variety of medical applications. An example is the measurement of the dielectric properties of the skin and underlying tissue using sensors placed in contact with human skin with capacitive fringing field electrodes.

The aim of this work is to use finite element methods for optimizing the sensor design to maximise its sensitivity to the dielectric changes of the dermis layer. This is achieved by evaluating FEM simulations for different electrode widths and distances to ground and searching for the geometries at which the information coming from the dermis layer reach a maximum. Experimental data supports the conclusions drawn from the simulation output.

Download