Adhesive electrode for the registration of electric signals

Abstract

An adhesive electrode for the registration of electric and electrobiological signals and/or for stimulating a patient includes a patient contact portion and a transmission portion. The patient contact portion includes a layer of adhesive electrolyte material in contact with the patient's skin, a layer of conductive material, and a layer of insulating material. The transmission portion is also connected to the conductive layer. The layer of conductive material includes at least partially a layer of magnetic material, the transmission portion being removably secured to the layer of magnetic material.

Claims

1. An adhesive electrode for registration of electric and electrobiological signals and/or for stimulating patients, comprising: a patient contact portion; and a transmission portion, the patient contact portion comprising a layer of adhesive electrolyte material in contact with a patient's skin, a layer of conductive material and a layer of insulating material, the transmission portion being configured to be connected to said conductive layer, wherein said layer of conductive material includes at least partially of a layer of magnetic material, said transmission portion being removably secured to said layer of magnetic material, wherein said layer of insulating material covers an entirety of said layer of conductive material so as to provide for said layer of conductive material to in contact with said transmission portion, and wherein said transmission portion include a plurality of pins extending from said transmission portion and configured to perforate said layer of insulating material and enable an electric contact between the patient contact portion and the transmission portion.

2. The electrode according to claim 1, wherein said transmission portion comprises a transmission element, said transmission element having a connection head configured to be in said electric contact with said conductive layer, said connection head comprising a magnetic portion.

3. The electrode according to claim 1, wherein said layer of insulating material consists of a layer of fabric.

4. The electrode according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of pins each have a tip configured to be in contact with said layer of conductive material.

5. The electrode according to claim 1, wherein said layer of conductive material consists of a deposition layer of a conductive ink having magnetic particles.

6. The electrode according to claim 2, wherein said connection head has a magnetic portion configured to support said plurality of pins.

7. The electrode according to claim 6, wherein each pin of said plurality of pins has two portions, of which a first portion is retractable within a second portion, so that in a secured condition of the transmission portion to said conductive layer, said first portion is at least partially retracted within said second portion.

8. The electrode according to claim 6, further comprising an elastic element interposed between said first portion and said second portion.

9. A method of making an adhesive electrode for registration of electric and electrobiological signals and/or for stimulating patients, comprising the following steps: (a) making a layer of adhesive electrolyte material; (b) making a layer of conductive material comprising at least partially a layer of magnetic material and depositing said layer above said layer of adhesive electrolyte; (c) covering an entirety of said layer of the conductive material with a layer of insulating material; and (d) providing a transmission portion having a plurality of pins that extend from said transmission portion.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein step (b) is obtained by depositing a layer of conductive ink.

11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising a step (e) of securing said transmission portion, said transmission portion being removably secured to said layer of conductive material by causing said plurality of pins to perforate said layer of insulating material.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) These and other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of some exemplary embodiments illustrated in the attached drawings wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of the patient contact portion belonging to the electrode object of the present invention;

(3) FIGS. 2a and 2b illustrate a bottom and a side view, respectively, of the transmission portion belonging to the electrode object of the present invention;

(4) FIG. 3a illustrates an exemplary scheme of the detection portion and the transmission portion in an uncoupled condition;

(5) FIG. 3b illustrates an exemplary scheme of the detection portion and the transmission portion in a coupled condition.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

(6) It is specified that the figures attached to the present patent application illustrate some preferred embodiments of the electrode object of the present invention to better understand its described advantages and characteristics.

(7) Such embodiments are therefore to be intended purely for illustrative and non-limiting purposes of the inventive concept of the present invention, i.e. making an adhesive electrode having a connection system which ensures excellent reliability and accuracy in detecting signals, maintaining particularly limited production costs and allowing at the same time to easily adapt to the different operational and positioning needs on the patient's body.

(8) With particular reference to the figures, the electrode object of the present invention comprises a patient contact portion 1, illustrated in FIG. 1, and a transmission portion 2, illustrated in FIGS. 2a and 2b.

(9) The patient contact portion 1 is secured to the patient's body and is suitable for detecting electrobiological signals, which are transmitted via the transmission portion 2 to a possible processing unit not illustrated in the figures.

(10) The transmission portion 2 is in fact in contact with the patient contact portion 1 and has conduction means, such as the cable 24, for transmitting the detected signal from the patient contact portion to the processing unit.

(11) As illustrated in FIG. 1, the patient contact portion comprises a layer of adhesive electrolyte material 13, a layer of conductive material 12 and a layer of insulating material 11.

(12) As will be described with reference to FIGS. 3a and 3b, the transmission portion 2 is connected to the conductive layer 12, so as to allow the transmission of the signal.

(13) In particular, the layer of adhesive electrolyte material 13 is placed in contact with the patient's skin: thanks to the physical characteristics of the electrolyte, the layer 13 allows the passage of an electric signal to and from the conductive layer 12, which is isolated from the external environment thanks to the presence of the layer of insulating material 11.

(14) The figures illustrate a patient contact portion 1 having a rectangular shape and a transmission portion 2 having a circular shape, but it is evident that these portions may be made in any shape known in the background art.

(15) In particular, the layer of conductive material 12 consists at least partially of a layer of magnetic material.

(16) The conductive layer 12 therefore has at least one magnetic portion, consisting of magnetic particles which can be arranged in a distributed manner along the entire conductive layer 12.

(17) The magnetic portion allows the conductive layer 12 to perform a double function.

(18) First of all, the transmission of the signals is allowed and secondly the magnetic portion cooperates with the transmission portion 2 to obtain a removable securing of the latter to the patient contact portion 1.

(19) In fact, the transmission portion 2 consists of a detected signal transmission element, which transmission element has a connection head which is in contact at least partially with the conductive layer 12 thanks to the presence of a magnetic portion.

(20) The magnetic force therefore attracts the transmission portion 2 towards the patient contact portion, maintaining them in a secured condition.

(21) Advantageously, the layer of conductive material consists of a portion of conductive ink suitable for the registration of signals and a portion of ink with ferromagnetic material so as to transmit the signal and attract the magnetic portion of the transmission portion 2.

(22) In the variant illustrated in the figures, the layer of insulating material 11 consists of a layer of fabric.

(23) According to the variant embodiment shown in the figures, the connection head belonging to the transmission portion 2 has a plurality of contact elements 23, consisting of pin elements, which tip is in contact with the layer of conductive material 12.

(24) The contact elements 23 penetrate the layer of insulating material to establish contact between the transmission portion 2 and the patient contact portion 1, which are firmly secured thanks to the magnetic force.

(25) It follows that the transmission portion 2 could be positioned in any area of the surface of the layer of insulating material 11.

(26) It is evident that the magnetic portion may be integrated within the contact elements 23, so as to attract the transmission portion 2 towards the detection portion 1.

(27) According to the variant embodiment illustrated in the figures, however, the connection head consists of an outer portion 21, preferably made of plastic material, which has a magnetic core 22, which core 22 supports the contact elements 23 extending from the magnetic core 22 towards the detection portion 1.

(28) The presence of the magnetic core 22 allows to achieve a homogeneous distribution of the magnetic attraction force, so as to ensure a firmer coupling between the portions 1 and 2.

(29) Furthermore, in order to ensure a reliable contact, it is preferred to provide for a plurality of contact elements 23, even if a single contact element 23 could be sufficient.

(30) As shown in FIG. 2b, the contact elements 23 consist of two portions, a first portion 232 of which is retractable within a second portion 231.

(31) It is evident that such solution may have advantageous characteristics from an encumbrance point of view, as clearly illustrated in FIGS. 3a and 3b.

(32) FIG. 3a illustrates a side view of the transmission portion 2 and the patient contact portion 1 in an uncoupled condition.

(33) The magnetic force acting between the magnetic core 22 and the layer of conductive material 12, brings the transmission portion 2 closer to the patient contact portion 1 in the direction indicated by the arrow A.

(34) The contact elements 23 penetrate within the layer of insulating material 11 and come into contact with the conductive layer 12, so as to establish the electric contact.

(35) If the magnetic force is sufficient, once the contact has been established, the transmission portion 2 will be further attracted towards the patient contact portion 1, so as to retract the first portion 232 of the contact elements 23 within the second portion 231, in the direction indicated by the arrow B.

(36) A coupling condition of the transmission portion 2 with the patient contact portion 1 is therefore obtained, presenting minimum encumbrance, as illustrated in FIG. 3b.

(37) Finally, according to a preferred embodiment, it is possible to provide for both the first portion 232 and the second portion 231 of the contact element 23 to consist of internally hollow elements, so as to provide for an elastic element, e.g. a spring, to maintain the portion 231 in the extracted position with respect to the portion 232, in a manner very similar to the known “pogo pins”.

(38) As illustrated in FIG. 3b, in a coupled condition, the connection head, in particular its lower wall, is in contact with the upper surface of the layer of insulating material 11.

(39) In the case where the pins 23 consist of two portions, the pins 23 are in a retracted condition.

(40) Alternatively, it is possible to provide for making the pins 23 rigid and of such a length that, in a coupled condition, they penetrate the insulating layer 11, ensuring contact between the connection head and the upper surface of the insulating layer 11.

(41) While the invention can be changed according to different modifications and alternative constructions, some preferred embodiments have been shown in the drawings and described in detail.

(42) It should be understood, however, that there is no intention of limiting the invention to the specific embodiment illustrated but, on the contrary, it aims at covering all modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents falling within the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

(43) The use of “for example”, “etc.”, “or” refers to non-exclusive non-limiting alternatives, unless otherwise stated.

(44) The use of “includes” means “includes but is not limited to”, unless otherwise stated.