A team of McGill University researchers has developed a putty-like electrode that moulds to the skin. It could improve treatment and monitoring of voice disorders and upper airway diseases. In a proof-of-concept study, the sensor matched a standard clinical electrode for noise and stability while recording activity from small neck muscles.
The sensor could help track breathing, swallowing and speaking during rehabilitation after a stroke or in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's, the researchers said.
“As a speech pathologist, I have muscle-strengthening exercises I can give to patients, but we can only see them 30 minutes a week, or even monthly,” explained study co-author Nicole Li-Jessen , Professor in the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders and an Associate Investigator in the Translational Research in Respiratory Diseases Program at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre. “If we have a muscle sensor that can be used as biofeedback for the patient while they practice at home, they can know if they are using the muscle correctly.”
Small muscles, tricky signals
Current electromyography (EMG) sensors are effective for large areas like the legs and arms, but developing practical options for the neck has been challenging because the muscles are small and the surface is highly curved, the researchers said.
Additionally, most commercial sensors require a gel to adhere to the skin and conduct physiological signals. Wet sensors can eventually get messy and dry out, creating more “noise” in the signal, Li-Jessen said.
The new sensor is made of a soft, silicone-based putty that conducts electricity like a metal via tiny silver wires. Because it is dry, it can be applied closely to the skin, meaning there is little air between the skin and the sensor to interfere with the signal.
“Its surprising feature is that stretching it makes it conduct electricity even better,” said senior author Jianyu Li , Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering. “As the putty stretches, the wires rearrange, helping the electricity keep flowing.”
To test the device, the researchers shaped the putty into neck electrodes and recorded muscle activity as three volunteers completed vocal tasks designed to induce fatigue, so that they could also test whether the device worked at low muscle activity signals.
“The human study is a proof of concept, not a clinical trial,” Li-Jessen noted. “It shows that the electrode records clean signals from small neck muscles, where standard electrodes struggle.”
Larger studies and regulatory approval are required before the device is ready for clinical use, the researchers said.
About this study
“Mechanoadaptive Nanowire Viscoplastic Composites with Strain-Enhanced Conductivity for Reprocessable Bioelectronic Interfaces,” by Ran Huo, Shengyun Huang, Dixiang Gong, Xin Zhou, Heng Zhu, Pengyun Zhang, Hideaki Okuyama, Guangyu Bao, Xuan Li, Aram Bahmani, Lisa Martignetti, Zixin Zhang. Hongyu Hou, Changhong Cao, Yixun Cheng, Wei Gao, Dongling Ma, Nicole Y. K. Li-Jessen and Jianyu Li, was published in Science Advances.
The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health of the United States, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the New Frontiers in Research Fund and Canada Research Chairs Program.
Science Advances
Experimental study
Not applicable
Mechanoadaptive nanowire viscoplastic composites with strain-enhanced conductivity for reprocessable bioelectronic interfaces
16-Oct-2026
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.