The present invention is directed to the standardization of prestrain applied to a sensor of an external respiratory measurement device. The method may comprise sandwiching the sensor between two adhesive layers and stretching the sensor by a fixed amount in order to match the length of the device to the length of a support layer. The device may then be covered by the support layer in order to keep the sensor in a state of prestrain, such that the length of the device matches the length of the support layer. The device may then be applied to the surface by the lower adhesive layer, and the support layer may then be removed, thus leaving the sensor in a standardized and optimal state of prestrain.