FLOATING ELECTRODE

Typical Number in Hospital:

Cost Bands:

References: 3,9

Even the best electrodes for picking up potentials from the skin for ECG, EEG and EMG cause artefacts when there is movement. The movement changes the quality of contact between the electrode and skin, thus affecting the electrode potential and resistance.

This problem can be reduced by mounting the electrode a short distance from the skin on a plastic washer, and filling the recess with electrode jelly. This is called a floating electrode, or a fluid column electrode.