Arrays of metal electrodes are often used in medical
procedures that require monitoring or delivering electrical
impulses in the body, such as brain surgery and epilepsy mapping.
However, the metal and plastic materials that comprise them are
stiff and inflexible while the body’s tissues are soft and
malleable. This mismatch limits the places in which electrode
arrays can be successfully used, and also requires the application
of a large amount of electrical current in order to “jump” the gap
between an electrode and its target.
New metal-free hydrogel electrodes flex to fit the body’s
many shapes, avoiding damage to organs
