A Comb-Shaped, Silicone-Scaffolded Hydrogel Electrode for Stable Overnight EEG Acquisition in Assistive BCI Applications

A Comb-Shaped, Silicone-Scaffolded Hydrogel Electrode for Stable Overnight EEG Acquisition in Assistive BCI Applications | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article A Comb-Shaped, Silicone-Scaffolded Hydrogel Electrode for Stable Overnight EEG Acquisition in Assistive BCI Applications Weihua Pei, Wanwan Liu, Chunrong Wei, Hongyu Jiang, Yan Zhu, Kemin Wang, and 7 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9381602/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 7 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract For older adults with disabilities and aphasia, timely care remains challenging, particularly during the 8-h nocturnal period, creating a need for stable non-invasive EEG interfaces for assistive brain-computer interface (BCI) applications. Asynchronous steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP)-based control provides a practical strategy for nighttime assistive care, but its performance is largely constrained by the electrode interface. Here, we developed a comb-shaped, silicone-scaffolded PVA/SA/PEDOT:PSS hydrogel electrode for stable overnight EEG acquisition on hair-bearing scalp regions. The PVA/SA network provided soft and compliant contact, while PEDOT:PSS improved interfacial charge transfer. The comb-shaped silicone scaffold further enhanced conformal contact and effectively suppressed hydrogel dehydration. The electrode maintained stable scalp impedance for 8 h and enabled reliable EEG recording on both hairless and hair-bearing scalp regions. When used in an asynchronous SSVEP-based intelligent assistive care system, it achieved 100% triple-blink (three consecutive blinks) detection accuracy for system activation and 97.3 ± 0.4% SSVEP classification accuracy for command selection, with stable performance throughout the 8-h monitoring period. Cytotoxicity assays indicated no obvious cytotoxicity under the tested conditions, and comfort evaluations supported good wearability. This hydrogel electrode provides a promising approach for non-invasive and reliable overnight EEG acquisition and shows potential for BCI-assisted nighttime care. Physical sciences/Engineering/Electrical and electronic engineering Physical sciences/Materials science/Nanoscale materials/Electronic properties and materials Full Text Additional Declarations There is no conflict of interest Supplementary Files ACombShapedSiliconeScaffoldedHydrogelElectrodeforStableOvernightEEGAcquisitioninAssistiveBCIApplicationsSupplementaryInformation.pdf A Comb-Shaped, Silicone-Scaffolded Hydrogel Electrode for Stable Overnight EEG Acquisition in Assistive BCI Applications_Supplementary Information WorkflowofanAsynchronousSSVEPBasedIntelligentAssistiveCareSystem.mp4 Workflow of an Asynchronous SSVEP-Based Intelligent Assistive Care System Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Review # 2 received at journal 13 May, 2026 Reviewer # 2 agreed at journal 06 May, 2026 Reviewer # 1 agreed at journal 23 Apr, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 22 Apr, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 13 Apr, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 10 Apr, 2026 First submitted to journal 10 Apr, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9381602","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":627512778,"identity":"16447749-6959-40cf-9615-f39bc63ddc09","order_by":0,"name":"Weihua 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