"Assessment of Skin Impedance in Radiofrequency Therapy: A Study Utilizing Unique Electrode Form for Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Treatment"

This study aims to investigate the impact of electrode shape and positioning on skin impedance measurements, with a focus on a specific radiofrequency therapy device developed in-house for treating cutaneous Leishmaniasis. The study involved 22 volunteers of mixed genders, whose skin impedance was measured in the frequency range of 1 MHz to 10 MHz using the device’s uniquely shaped, dry-applied electrodes. Additional measurements were conducted to record skin moisture, surface temperature, and personal parameters of the subjects, which were later used in correlation analysis. While the resistivity values from this study were found to be in alignment with those reported in the existing literature, it is positioning of the electrodes that significantly impacted the skin impedance measurements. Correlations were identified between the skin moisture and average phase shift in facial and forearm measurements and between the average magnitude and phase shift depending on the measurement site. Furthermore, a correlation was observed between the Cole series resistances of the facial and forearm skin. The study does not find a significant influence of gender, age, skin color, ethnicity, or Body Mass Index on the impedance measurements within the tested frequency range. This research enhances our understanding of skin impedance measurements using unique electrode designs and contributes to refining the design of radiofrequency therapy systems.