DEVICE WITH AT LEAST ONE ELECTRODE UNIT FOR ELECTROSTIMULATION OR DATA ACQUISITION BY DIAGNOSTIC INSTRUMENTS

Abstract

A device for electrostimulation or for data acquisition by diagnostic instruments has at least one electrode unit with the following layers: a) base layer with at least one electrode disposed in or on the base layer, and b) layer with one of the following layer structures: b1) plastic layer and layer of knitted fabric and plastic layer or b2) layer of knitted fabric and plastic layer or b3) plastic layer and layer of knitted fabric. The layers a) and b) are joined tightly with one another.

Claims

1. A device for electrostimulation or for data acquisition by diagnostic instruments comprising: at least one electrode unit comprising: layer a) comprising a base layer with at least one electrode disposed in or on the base layer; and layer b) comprising a layer having a layer structure comprising: b1) a first plastic layer, a knitted fabric layer of knitted fabric, and a second plastic layer; or b2) the knitted fabric layer and the second plastic layer; or b3) the first plastic layer and the knitted layer; wherein the layers a) and b) (14, 20, 21, 22) are joined with one another.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one electrode is disposed in or on the base layer by embroidering, printing, sewing, gluing and/or inserting and fixing.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the base layer is a prefabricated base layer and the at least one electrode is disposed in or on the prefabricated base layer.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second plastic layers is electrically conductive.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second plastic layers is formed from a thermoplastic material and/or from thermoplastic elastomers and/or from conductive silicones.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second plastic layers contains electrically conductive particles.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein the electrically conductive particles comprise silver or graphite or silver and graphite.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the base layer comprises a nonwoven fabric.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second plastic layers is a polyurethane film.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein the knitted fabric layer is formed from polyester.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein the knitted fabric layer contains or is formed from: (a) gauze and/or (b) elastic gauze and/or (c) grid-shaped material and/or (d) grid-shaped elastic material.

12. The device according to claim 1, wherein the base layer, the first plastic layer, the knitted fabric layer, and the second plastic layer are (a) welded together with one another by a thermal pressing method or (b) joined by a thermal pressing method with a primer or (c) joined with one another by laminating or (d) joined with one another by high-frequency welding or ultrasonic welding.

13. The device according to claim 1, further comprising an article of clothing selected from the group consisting of a whole-body suit, a partial body suit, and a cuff, wherein the base layer is disposed on the article of clothing.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein the article of clothing comprises (a) polyester and elastane or (b) polyamide 6 and elastane or (c) polyamide 6.6 and elastane or (d) polyurethane and elastane.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0085] Further features and advantages of the invention are also evident on the basis of the associated drawings, in which several exemplary embodiments of the device are illustrated, without restricting the invention to these exemplary embodiments.

[0086] In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views:

[0087] FIG. 1 shows a partial body suit with electrode units;

[0088] FIG. 2 shows an electrode unit in cross section;

[0089] FIG. 3 shows a different example of an electrode unit in cross section; and

[0090] FIG. 4 shows a different example of an electrode unit in cross section.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0091] FIG. 1 shows a partial body suit 1, which covers a trunk 2 of a person 3. Extremities 4 to 7 (arms 4, 5; legs 6, 7) remain partly free of the partial body suit 1. Electrode units 8, 9, 10, 11 are disposed on the partial body suit 1. The electrode units 8, 9 are disposed in the upper arm region, the electrode 11 in the abdominal region and the electrode 10 in the heart region of the person 3. Beyond those electrodes, the person 3 wears, on the extremity 4, meaning an arm, a cuff 12, on which an electrode unit 13 is disposed. The electrode units 8, 9 and 11 may be used for electrostimulation. The electrode units 10, 13 may be used, for example, for data acquisition, for example for an EKG.

[0092] FIG. 2 shows the electrode unit 8, which is disposed on the suit 1 or on the cuff 12. The electrode unit 8 consists of a base layer 14. Two electrodes 16, 17 of an electrically conductive thread 15 are embroidered into the base layer 14. The thread 15 emerges from both sides of the base layer 14, so that an electrical circuit may be formed. Between the electrodes 16, 17, an electrically conductive connection or joint 18 is likewise formed with the thread 15. The thread 15 is embroidered on only the side of the base layer 14 turned away from the suit. The thread 15 is fixed in the base layer 14 with retaining threads 19, which are not electrically conductive. In principle, the possibility also exists that the electrodes 16, 17 are formed from two threads 15, so that two electrical circuits are present. In this case, the electrodes 16, 17 can be activated individually.

[0093] The base layer 14 consists of nonwoven fabric and is tightly fastened to the suit 1 or the cuff 12 by means of gluing, thermal pressing methods or the like. A plastic layer 20 is disposed on the side of the base layer turned away from the suit 1 or the cuff 12. A further layer of a knitted fabric, in the present case of a gauze 21, is disposed on the plastic layer 20. In addition to these layers, a further plastic layer 22 is provided.

[0094] The gauze 21 advantageously consists of an elastic material. It may consist of polyester or other materials.

[0095] The plastic films or layers 20, 22 are advantageously formed as polyurethane film. Electrically conductive particles (not illustrated) such as graphite or silver, for example, may be disposed in the plastic layers 20, 22, either in the one layer or in the other layer or in both layers. The plastic layers 20, 22 may also consist of thermoplastic material or of thermoplastic elastomers and also of conductive silicones.

[0096] The layers 14, 20, 21, 22 may be joined tightly with one another in a hot-pressing method. All described layers (12, 14, 20, 21, 22) are joined tightly with one another.

[0097] FIG. 2 shows the structure of the layers as described in accordance with the invention with the layer structure b1).

[0098] In FIG. 3, like parts as in FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference symbols. The electrode unit 8 consists of the base layer 14 with the electrodes 16, 17 embroidered therein. The gauze 21 is disposed on the base layer 14 on the side turned away from the suit 1 or respectively the cuff 12. Furthermore, a plastic layer 22 is provided. This structure corresponds to the structure b2) embodiment of the invention. The materials are the materials that were described for FIG. 2.

[0099] FIG. 4 shows a further possible structure. Like parts as in FIGS. 2 and 3 are denoted by the same reference symbols. The base layer 14 with the electrodes 16, 17 is disposed on the suit 1 or respectively the cuff 12. The plastic layer 20 is disposed on the side of the base layer 14 turned away from the suit 1 or the cuff 12. The gauze 21 is disposed on the plastic layer 20. This structure corresponds to the structure b3) embodiment of the invention.

[0100] The base layer 14 may consist of a nonwoven fabric, a knitted fabric, a warp-knitted fabric or the like. The electrodes 16, 17 are advantageously embroidered into the base layer 14. They may, however, also be printed, inserted, tightly glued or the like.

[0101] Due to the arrangement of the layer structure on the base layer on the side that is turned away from the suit or the cuff with at least one plastic layer 20, 22 and the gauze 21, a flexible electrode unit 8 is formed that is also durable for a long time even during long use with recurring shearing and/or twisting forces and/or stretching and/or squashing.

[0102] Although only a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it is to be understood that many changes and modifications may be made thereunto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.