Measurement System Design of Low Skin Resistance Using Novel Planar Small Electrode Sensors

Abstract

A Novel Planar Small Electrode Sensor (NPSES) using the semi-conductor process was developed in this study to find out Acupuncture Points (APs) or Biological Active Points (BAP) on the human being's skin. The NPSES with eight (8) electrodes tracks generates the electrical properties of the BAPs on the skin. These eight tracks are located in a circle of 2 mm diameter. The BAP locations generated by the NPSES are characterized by high electric potential, high electric capacity, and low electric resistance, compared to non-Acupuncture Points (non-APs). The traditional unit applied for the BAP is the cun, the Chinese anatomical inch. The BAPs are distinguished by the difference in voltage between the measurement electrode and the reference one, i.e., the difference in the resistance and reactance of BAPs. The BAP size might be in the range of 1 to 2 mm2. Five (5) healthy human subjects of between 27 and 42 years were examined to investigate the effectiveness of the NPSES for finding out the BAPs. The current and frequency applied to this experiment were in the range of 7.5 A and 0.1 Hz to 1.5 kHz, respectively. We believe that the NPSES system developed in this study is highly reliable for and scientifically applicable to locating the BAPs on the human being's skin.