Electrodes are the medium to conduct electrical current from a therapeutic device to recipient through skin contact.
Quality of Electrodes:
Conductor - The most common and economic conductive material is carbon rubber; however, it is not the optimal conductor. The optimal conductive material is pure silver.
Conformity - Silver cloth-back electrodes provide maximum flexibility to allow the electrode to keep optimal skin contact on different body contour. Carbon rubber electrodes are usually less flexible but better quality U.S. or European made carbon rubber electrodes can be softer than Asian-made low-priced carbon rubber.
Adhesiveness - Many electrode products nowadays are lined with self-adhesive gel layer for easy application. The quality of the adhesive gel varies from one and the other. Generally, the low priced Asian-made gel piece will break down faster.
Durability - Electrodes are not life-long products. Carbon rubber electrode looks more durable than cloth-back electrode because cloth-back electrodElectrodee has to be disposed once its adhesive gel layer loses its adhesiveness. However, the material in carbon rubber will still deteriorate gradually eventhough the electrode looks like in one good piece form; the conductivity will degrade along with the deterioration of the carbon rubber causing. It is therefore advised to replace the carbon rubber electrode at least once a year even if it is not physically broken.
