ELECTRODE FOR RECORDING ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHIC SIGNALS AND/OR STIMULATING PATIENTS

Abstract

An electrode is provided for recording electroencephalographic signals and/or for stimulating patients. The electrode includes a patient contact part and a transmission part. A layer of electrolyte material is further provided in contact with the patient's skin and interposed between the patient's skin and the contact part. The contact part and/or the transmission part includes of a soft and/or flexible material.

Claims

1-10. (canceled)

11. An electrode for recording electroencephalographic signals and/or for stimulating patients, the electrode comprising: a patient contact part, and a transmission part, a layer of electrolyte material is further provided in contact with the patient's skin and interposed between the patient's skin and the contact part, wherein said contact part and/or said transmission part includes a soft and/or flexible material.

12. The electrode according to claim 11, wherein said contact part comprises a cup element adapted to house at least in part said layer of electrolyte material, wherein the cup element includes a matrix of rubbery material, inside which matrix particles of conductive material are embedded.

13. The electrode according to claim 12, wherein said cup element includes conductive thermoplastic material, comprising a thermoplastic elastomer inside which elastomer graphite particles are inserted.

14. The electrode according to claim 12, wherein said transmission part includes a wire of conductive material, which wire is fixed to said cup element, a sheath of rigid material being provided at the connection between the wire and said cup element.

15. The electrode according to claim 12, wherein a layer of conductive material is provided, interposed, at least in part, between the cup element and the layer of conductive material.

16. The electrode according to claim 11, wherein said electrode includes a plurality of branches, each branch having a head portion and a tail portion, said contact part including the set of head parts and said transmission part including the set of tail parts, each branch having a flexible support element of at least one conductive element, which flexible support element has a head terminal and a tail terminal, the conductive element having at least one head contact and at least one tail contact, respectively arranged at the head end and tail end of the flexible support element, said conductive element including a conductive track made of a layer of conductive ink deposited on the flexible support element.

17. The electrode according to claim 16, wherein said branches have a length less than a value between 23 centimetres and 27 centimetres.

18. The electrode according to claim 16, wherein each branch includes a thickness between 50 micrometres and 200 micrometres.

19. The electrode according to claim 16, wherein the head contact has a width between 3 millimetres and 20 millimetres, while the tail contact has a width between 3 millimetres and 16 millimetres.

20. The electrode according to claim 16, wherein said branches are arranged in a coplanar manner and so as to converge with the tail parts thereof towards a terminal end, the branches further being arranged symmetrically with respect to a plane perpendicular to the plane of coplanarity.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0060] These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become clearer from the following description of some exemplary embodiments illustrated in the attached drawings in which:

[0061] FIG. 1 illustrates a possible embodiment of the electrode object of the present invention;

[0062] FIGS. 2a and 2b show two further embodiments of the electrode object of the present invention.

[0063] It is specified that the figures attached to the present patent application show some preferred embodiments of the electrode object of the present invention to better understand the advantages and features described.

[0064] Such embodiments are therefore to be understood for illustrative purposes only and not limited to the inventive concept of the present invention, namely, to obtain an electrode which can be used for recording the EEG signal in patients, during long-term monitoring, without causing the “skin breakdown” effect on the patient's skin.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS

[0065] With particular reference to FIG. 1, a possible embodiment of the electrode 1 for recording electroencephalographic signals is illustrated, comprising a cup element 11 and a transmission part 12.

[0066] The cup element 11 has a housing seat 111 adapted to house an electrolyte material, interposed between the cup element 11 and a patient's scalp, for transmitting the signals detected by the patient to the cup element 11.

[0067] The cup element 11 is thus arranged with the housing seat 111 facing the patient's scalp, detects the signal of interest and transmits that signal to an external unit via the transmission part, in particular the transmission cable 12.

[0068] The external unit is responsible for processing the detected signal and generating the EEG traces.

[0069] The cup element 11 must therefore transmit the signal and must have a certain electrical conductivity.

[0070] According to the variant illustrated in the figures, the cup element 11 includes a matrix of rubbery material, inside which matrix particles of conductive material are embedded.

[0071] Preferably the cup element 11 includes conductive thermoplastic material, comprising a thermoplastic elastomer into which graphite-based particles are inserted.

[0072] The transmission cable 12 advantageously includes a wire of metal material coated with an insulating sheath and has two ends, one of which is connected to the cup element 11 and the other connected to a possible external unit, not illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0073] The interface between the cable end 12 and the cup element 11, includes a sheath 121 of rigid material at the connection between the cable 12 and the cup element 11.

[0074] FIGS. 2a and 2b show a further embodiment of the electrode object of the present invention.

[0075] According to such embodiments, the electrode includes a plurality of branches 300 and each branch has a head portion 301 and a tail portion 302.

[0076] Each branch 300 in turn includes a flexible support element of at least one conductive element, which flexible support element has a head terminal and a tail terminal.

[0077] The conductive element has at least one head contact and at least one tail contact, respectively arranged at the head terminal and the tail terminal of the flexible support element.

[0078] Furthermore, the conductive element includes a conductive track made of a layer of conductive ink deposited on the flexible support element.

[0079] The conductive element and the flexible support element are not illustrated in FIGS. 2a 2 2b but can be obtained according to one or more of the features described in WO2018/122824.

[0080] According to the configuration illustrated in FIGS. 2a and 2b, the head part 301 is adapted to detect the signal from the patient's scalp and transmits this signal to a possible external unit (not illustrated in the figures) through the tail part 302 thereof.

[0081] A sponge element used for adhering the head part 301 to the patient's scalp is preferably provided between each head part 301 and the patient's scalp.

[0082] The sponge may further comprise the layer of electrolyte material for conducting the signal.

[0083] The head portions 301 of each branch 300 are arranged in a predetermined and fixed order, such that, in the condition of use, the head portions 301 are fixed at the points of the patient's scalp where the EEG signals are detected.

[0084] Accordingly, the arrangement of the branches 300 is not random, but prior to being arranged on a patient's scalp, the branches 300 are arranged on a common plane, exactly as illustrated in FIG. 2a.

[0085] Furthermore, the branches 300 are arranged with the divergent longitudinal axes thereof in the direction of the head parts 301: a sort of radial arrangement is formed, in which the branches 300 have the ends of the tail parts 302 converging in a common connecting element 303.

[0086] The common connecting element 303 may then be connected to a transmission cable for transmitting the signal to an external unit.

[0087] Furthermore, the electrode according to FIG. 2a is symmetrical, with respect to a plane perpendicular to the plane of coplanarity of the branches 300, in particular a plane passing through the longitudinal axis of the central branch 300.

[0088] The specific configuration illustrated in FIG. 2a includes that the branches 300 pass from a width of about 60/70 millimetres, in the area of the connecting element 303, to a width of about 250/260 millimetres in the area of the head parts 301 of the longer branches 300.

[0089] In fact, each branch 300 has a specific length, which preferably does not exceed a value between 23 and 27 centimetres, in particular 25 centimetres.

[0090] The electrode of FIG. 2a has five different lengths for the branches 300.

[0091] In fact, the symmetrical arrangement of the branches 300 makes it possible to divide the electrode object of the present invention into three groups, each composed of seven branches 300, in particular two side groups A and B and a central group C.

[0092] The side groups A and B have the branches 300 with two different lengths, such that the shorter branches 300 are always interposed with the longer branches 300.

[0093] The central group C also includes seven branches 300 and has the central branch 300, of minimum length, interposed between two branches 300 of maximum length and of the same length as the longest branches 300 belonging to groups A and B.

[0094] There are then four branches 300 of an intermediate length between the shorter branches and the longer branches of groups A and B.

[0095] Preferably the longitudinal axis of each branch 300 has an inclination with respect to the longitudinal axis of the adjacent branch 300 of a value between 1° and 3°.

[0096] FIG. 2b illustrates a part of an embodiment of the electrode object of the present invention, in particular half of the electrode object of the present invention.

[0097] The electrode of FIG. 2b is made in a manner entirely similar to the electrode of FIG. 2a with the only difference that the electrode of FIG. 2a has 21 branches 300, while the electrode of FIG. 2b, taken entirely, has 20 branches 300.

[0098] It follows that the electrode of FIG. 2b has the same configuration as the electrode of FIG. 2a, without including the shorter central branch 300.

[0099] While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative constructions, some preferred embodiments have been shown in the drawings and described in detail.

[0100] It should be understood, however, that there is no intention of limiting the invention to the specific illustrated embodiment but, on the contrary, it aims to cover all the modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents falling within the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

[0101] The use of “for example”, “etc.”, “or” refers to non-exclusive non-limiting alternatives, unless otherwise stated.

[0102] The use of “includes” means “includes but not limited to”, unless otherwise stated.