CLEANING ELECTRODES
Immediately after removing the electrode, wash out the gel or cream using distilled or deionized water. A plastic wash bottle with spray tip is very suitable. Never use tap water. A cotton swab can be used to remove the main bulk of the gel or cream. Soak the electrode in a mild saline solution or distilled or deionized water until the next application. Your lab or hospital may have normal saline solution available in prepared bottles. Do not let the old gel or cream dry or harden the cavity.
OTHER CLEANING TIPS
If electrodes are used only occasionally, a brown coating may form over the sensing element. This can be removed by wiping with a mild ammonium hydroxide solution or by lightly abrading with a very thin strip of 200 mesh emery cloth. Electrodes will turn black if continuously exposed to bright light. The finely divided silver in the electrode pellet oxidizes to silver oxide (black) much like a photographic negative. The electrode will perform normally even when the appearance is almost jet black. Cleaning by abrasion to remove the oxide layer is appropriate, however. Store electrodes not in use in a dark drawer or a closed opaque box. Electrodes can be permanently damaged or poisoned when only small amounts of bromide, sulfide and some other metal ions are present. Do not expose the electrodes to tap water, EEG pastes containing abrasive clays, miscellaneous soap solutions or abrasive cleaners.
STERILIZATION
Silver/silver chloride electrodes may be sterilized using the low temperature peroxide sterilization method. This utilizes the STERRAD 100 Sterilizer from Advanced Sterilization Products, a Johnson and Johnson Company.