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

Abstract

A device includes at least one electrode unit for an electrostimulation or a data acquisition by diagnostic instruments. The device is formed from a textile material and has at least two layers. The at least one electrode unit is disposed in or on a first layer, and a second layer is disposed on the first layer in such a way that the first layer and the second layer form at least one pocket. At least one support-pad part is disposed exchangeably in the pocket.

Claims

1. A device formed from a textile material for electrostimulation or for data acquisition by diagnostic instruments comprising: a first layer; at least one electrode unit disposed in or on the first layer; a second layer disposed on the first layer so that the first layer and the second layer form a pocket; and at least one support-pad part removably disposed in the pocket.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the pocket is disposed on the device so that the at least one electrode unit is overlapped at least partly by the pocket.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one support-pad part comprises a thermoplastic polymer, a foam, a nonwoven fabric or a silicone material, or wherein the at least one support-pad part comprises air cushions or spacing knitted fabric.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the pocket has a pocket area corresponding to an electrode unit area of the at least one electrode unit.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the pocket has pocket area larger than an electrode unit area of the at least one electrode unit.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the pocket has pocket area smaller than an electrode unit area of the at least one electrode unit.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least one support-pad part is disposed in the pocket so that the at least one electrode unit bears with a predetermined pressure on skin of a person.

8. The device according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of support-pad parts, each support-pad part having a different thickness, degree of hardness, or thickness and degree of hardness.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second layers are joined together to the pocket by at least one of gluing, sewing, and welding.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein the pocket has at least one subdivision.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein further comprising at least one additional pocket disposed outside a region on the first layer having the at least one electrode unit.

12. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is designed as a clothing item.

13. The device according to claim 12, wherein the clothing item is or is part of a textile suit.

14. The device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one electrode unit comprises: 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, and a second plastic layer; or b2) the knotted fabric layer and the second plastic layer; or b3) the first plastic layer and the knitted fabric layer; wherein the layers a) and b) are joined with one another, and wherein the base layer is identical with or is part of the first layer.

15. The device according to claim 14, wherein the at least one electrode is disposed in or on the base layer by embroidering, printing, sewing, gluing and/or inserting and fixing.

16. The device according to claim 14, wherein the base layer is a prefabricated base layer and the at least one electrode is disposed in or on the prefabricated base layer.

17. The device according to claim 14, wherein at least one of the first and second plastic layers is electrically conductive.

18. The device according to claim 14, wherein the knitted fabric layer is formed from polyester.

19. The device according to claim 14, 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.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0149] Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed as an illustration only and not as a definition of the limits of the invention.

[0150] In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views:

[0151] FIG. 1 shows a partial body suit with electrode units;

[0152] FIG. 2 shows an electrode unit in cross section;

[0153] FIG. 3 shows a different example of an electrode unit in cross section;

[0154] FIG. 4 shows a different example of an electrode unit in cross section;

[0155] FIG. 5 shows a cross section through a first exemplary embodiment of a device according to the invention;

[0156] FIG. 6 shows a plan view of the device according to FIG. 5;

[0157] FIG. 7 shows a cross section through a second exemplary embodiment of the device according to the invention;

[0158] FIG. 8 shows a plan view of the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 7;

[0159] FIG. 9 shows a third exemplary embodiment of a device according to the invention in cross section;

[0160] FIG. 10 shows a plan view of the device according to the invention according to FIG. 9;

[0161] FIG. 11 shows a cross section through a further exemplary embodiment of the device according to the invention; and

[0162] FIG. 12 shows a plan view of the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 11.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0163] FIG. 1 shows a partial body suit 1, which overlaps a trunk 2 of a person 3. Extremities 4, 5 (arms) and 6, 7 (legs) 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. In addition to those units, 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 an electrostimulation. The electrode units 10, 13 may be used, for example, for a data acquisition, for example for an EKG.

[0164] FIG. 2 shows the electrode unit 8, which is disposed on the suit 1 or on the cuff 12. The electrode unit 1 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 18 is likewise formed with the thread 15. The thread 15 is embroidered only on 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.

[0165] 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, a further plastic layer 22 is provided.

[0166] The gauze 21 advantageously consists of an elastic material. It may consist of polyester or other materials.

[0167] The plastic films 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, 21, 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.

[0168] The layers 14, 20, 21, 22 may be joined tightly with one another in a hot-pressing method. All described layers (14, 20, 21, 22) on suit 1 or cuff 12 are joined tightly with one another.

[0169] FIG. 2 shows the structure of the layers as described in a first embodiment with the layer structure b1).

[0170] 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 the cuff 12. Furthermore, a plastic layer 22 is provided. This structure corresponds to the structure b2) of the first embodiment. The materials are the materials that were described for FIG. 2.

[0171] 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 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) of the first embodiment.

[0172] 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 also, however, be printed, inserted, tightly glued or the like.

[0173] 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.

[0174] FIG. 5 shows a cross section through a device 23 according to the invention, which in the present case, for example, is designed as a suit. A first layer 24 of the device 23 carries an electrode unit 8, which is designed in a manner bearing on a skin 28 of a wearer (not illustrated in FIG. 5). The device 23 has a second layer 25, which together with the first layer 24 forms a pocket 27. A support-pad part 26 is disposed in the pocket 27. The support-pad part consists, for example, of thermoplastic polymer and may be formed as an injection-molded part.

[0175] Due to the arrangement of the support-pad part 26, a region 38 with an increased pressing pressure is formed. The support pad 26 fills the pocket 27 almost completely and the support-pad part 26 has a constant thickness and a constant degree of hardness, so that a homogeneous pressing pressure in the region 38 is produced. Thus, the electrode unit 8 is pressed with a homogeneous pressing pressure on the skin 28.

[0176] FIG. 6 shows the device 23, for example a partial region of a suit 1. The device 23 has the first layer 24. A second layer 25 forms a pocket 27 together with the first layer 24. The first layer 24 is glued together with the second layer 25 in a region 30. Hereby the pocket 27 is formed. The pocket 27 has an opening 29, via which the support-pad part 26 may be disposed in the pocket 27. The pocket 27 is illustrated by a dash line and the support-pad part 26 is illustrated by a dot-dash line.

[0177] The support-pad part 26 may be formed as a relatively soft support-pad part 26. Hereby the homogeneity of the pressing pressure in the region 38 is achieved even better.

[0178] FIG. 7 shows a further exemplary embodiment of the device 23, for example of a body. The device 23 has a first layer 24, in which, according to FIG. 7, the electrode unit 8 is disposed in integrated manner. Together with the second layer 25, the first layer 24 forms a pocket 27, in which the support-pad part 26 is disposed. The support-pad part 26 does not fill the entire pocket 27. For this reason, the electrode unit 8 is pressed in the region 38 with an increased pressing pressure on the skin 28. In the region 39, a relief of the pressing pressure exists, so that the electrode unit 8 in this region bears on the skin 28 not at all or with only a small pressing pressure.

[0179] This effect may be further increased by forming the support-pad part 26 as a hard support-pad part 26. Hereby the pressing pressure in the region 38 is also considerably increased yet again.

[0180] A relief of the pressing pressure in the region 39 occurs because the support-pad part 26 generates an increased pressing pressure of the electrode unit in the region 38 and thus the pressing pressure is reduced in the region 39.

[0181] According to FIG. 8, the first layer 24 forms a pocket 27 together with the second layer 25. The first layer 24 and the second layer 25 are sewn together with one another. A seam 31 is provided. No seam 31 is provided in the region 29 of the pocket 27. As illustrated in FIG. 8, the support-pad part 26 is disposed only in a partial area of the pocket 27, as is also illustrated in FIG. 7.

[0182] FIG. 9 shows the device 23, in which a first layer 24 together with the second layer 25 forms a pocket 27. The electrode unit 8 is disposed in integrated manner in the first layer 24, so that the electrode unit 8 bears on the skin 28.

[0183] Support-pad parts 26, 32 are disposed in the pocket 27, so that two regions 38 with an increased pressing pressure are formed. The support-pad part 32 has a greater thickness than the support-pad part 26. Thus a greater pressing pressure is generated by the support-pad part 32 than by the support-pad part 26.

[0184] FIG. 10 shows the device 23 of FIG. 9.

[0185] The first layer 24 is joined together with the second layer 25 by means of a seam to form a pocket 27. The pocket 27 has an opening 29. The support-pad parts 26, 32, 33 are disposed in the pocket 27. As illustrated in FIG. 9, the support-pad parts 26, 32 have different thicknesses, so that the pressing pressure of the electrode unit 8 (illustrated in FIG. 9) may be of different magnitude.

[0186] FIG. 11 shows the device 23 with the first layer 24, in which the electrode unit 8 is disposed. The first layer 24 forms three pockets 27, 34, 35 together with the second layer 25. In the regions 36, 37, additional joints between the first layer 24 and the second layer 25 are provided in addition to the joint in the border regions. The joints may be produced by gluing, sewing, welding or the like.

[0187] A support-pad part 26 is disposed in the pocket 27, a support-pad part 32 is disposed in the pocket 34 and a support-pad part 33 is disposed in the pocket 35. In the regions 38, an increased pressing pressure of the electrode unit 8 on the skin 28 is generated by the support-pad parts 26, 32, 33.

[0188] As illustrated in FIG. 11, the pocket 27 overlaps the left region of the electrode unit, while the pocket 35 incompletely overlaps the right region of the electrode unit 8

[0189] FIG. 12 shows the device 23 according to FIG. 11 with the three pockets 27, 34, 35. The pockets 27, 34, 35 are separated from one another by additional seams 40, 49. The seams 40 form a subdivision of the pocket 27 illustrated in FIGS. 5 to 10.

[0190] The seam 31 is provided in order to form the pockets 27, 34, 35. Openings 29 of the pockets 27, 34, 35 remain, in order to dispose the support-pad parts 26, 32, 33 in the pockets 27, 34, 35 and to remove them therefrom.

[0191] The illustrated exemplary embodiments of FIGS. 5 to 12 may be combined with one another in any desired manner.

[0192] 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.