Electrode Device for Amplitude-Integrated Electroencephalography

Abstract

An electrode device for aEEG is disclosed. The electrode device includes a housing mounted on an adhesive element to adhere the electrode device to a skin surface of a patient; an electrode plate placed in the housing; and a wire connection for the electrode plate. The housing has a first protruding part that includes a conical-shaped hole for injecting and removing an electroconductive gel and that is disposed in the housing inclined outwardly at an angle between 50 degree and 80 degree with respect to the longitudinal direction of the skin surface. The housing also has a second protruding part that includes a hole for the introduction of the wire connection in order to be attached to the electrode plate. The second protruding part is disposed on the axis of the housing

Claims

1. An electrode device for amplitude-integrated electroencephalography (aEEG), comprising: a housing mounted on an adhesive element to adhere the electrode device to a skin surface of a patient; an electrode plate placed in the housing at a certain distance from a support surface of the housing forming a hollow space; a wire connection for the electrode plate, said wire connection having a given length and comprising a proximal end and a distal end; the housing comprising a first protruding part and a second protruding part, the first protruding part including a first hole, and the second protruding part including including a second hole through which the proximal end of the wire connection is introduced and attached to the electrode plate, the second protruding part being disposed on the axis of the housing, wherein the first protruding part is disposed in the housing inclined outwardly at an angle between 50-degree and 80-degree with respect to a contact surface of the electrode device, the first hole having a conical-shaped geometry and being for injecting an electroconductive gel inside the hollow space.

2. The electrode device of claim 1, wherein the first protruding part is disposed at a 60 or 65 degree angle with respect to the contact surface of the electrode device.

3. The electrode device of claim 1, wherein the wire connection further comprises a connector on said distal end.

4. The electrode device of claim 1, wherein the adhesive element is a flexible adhesive pad comprising an adhesive layer provided on a lower surface thereof.

5. The electrode device of claim 1, wherein the adhesive element is a double-sided tape.

6. The electrode device of claim 1, wherein the attachment of the wire connection to the electrode plate comprises one or more welding points.

7. The electrode device of claim 1, wherein the wire connection further comprises an insulating layer.

8. The electrode device of claim 7, wherein the insulating layer is made of a material comprising silicone, Polyvinyl chloride, Polyethylene, Polyvinylidene fluoride and/or Polypropylene.

9. The electrode device of claim 7, further comprising one or more sealing elements disposed either between the housing and the insulating layer of the wire connection or over the housing and the first protruding part.

10. The electrode device of claim 1, wherein the length of the wire connection is less than 50 millimeters.

11. The electrode device of claim 1, wherein the length of the wire connection is between 0.5 and 2 meters.

12. The electrode device of claim 1, wherein the housing is made of a polymer, ceramic or metallic material; and the electrode plate is made of, or comprises a coating made of, Silver (Ag), Gold (Au), Silver/Silver-Chloride (Ag/AgCl), Tin, Stainless Steel, Platinum, Cooper, Lead, Nichrome, or a conductive non-magnetic polymer.

13. The electrode device of claim 1, wherein the first protruding part further comprises a plug for closure thereof.

14. The electrode device of claim 1, wherein the electrode plate comprises a first gap adapted to allow the electroconductive gel to flow through and a second gap adapted to fix a rotating position of the electrode plate to the housing using a clamping element.

15. The electrode device of claim 1, wherein a bottom surface of the housing configured to receive contact with the adhesive element has a given curvature.

16. The electrode device of claim 1, wherein the housing is made of a translucent and flexible material.

17. The electrode device of claim 1, wherein the wire connection has a spiral shape.

18. The electrode device of claim 1, wherein the support surface comprises a plurality of supporting structures configured to sustain the electrode plate, and the electrode device further comprises an encapsulating element positioned on top of the electrode plate.

19. The electrode device of claim 1, further comprising a third protruding part that is symmetrically arranged with regard to the first protruding part, the third protruding part including a conical-shaped hole for removing the electroconductive gel from the hollow space.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] The previous and other advantages and features will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of embodiments, with reference to the attached figures, which must be considered in an illustrative and non-limiting manner, in which:

[0036] FIGS. 1A-1C illustrate different views of the proposed electrode device, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] FIGS. 2A-2C illustrate different views of another embodiment of the proposed electrode device.

[0038] FIG. 3 illustrates another embodiment of the proposed electrode device. In this case, the surface of the housing configured to contact the adhesive element is curved. The adhesive element comprises a double-sided tape.

[0039] FIGS. 4A-4B illustrate another embodiment of the proposed device in which the surface of the housing configured to contact the adhesive element is curved. In this case the adhesive element comprises a double-sided tape. FIG. 4B is an enlarged view of section B outlined in FIG. 4A.

[0040] FIGS. 5A-5E illustrate different views of another embodiment of the proposed electrode device. FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate different views of another embodiment of the proposed electrode device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0041] With reference to FIGS. 1A-1C, therein a first embodiment of the proposed electrode device is showed. The electrode device 1 of this embodiment includes a housing 10, for example made of a polymeric, ceramic or metallic material, which is mounted or arranged on a flexible adhesive pad 13A to adhere the electrode device 1 to a skin surface of a patient. The flexible adhesive pad 13A has an adhesive layer provided on a lower/bottom surface thereof to allow said adhesion of the electrode device 1 to the skin surface. As seen in the figures, the flexible adhesive pad 13A has a larger diameter than the housing 10.

[0042] The electrode device 1 also includes an electrode plate 11 horizontally disposed (i.e. parallel or substantially parallel to the skin surface of the patient) inside the housing 10 at a certain distance therein forming a hollow space 19. In particular, the electrode plate 11 is made of, or comprises a coating made of, Silver (Ag), Gold (Au), or Silver/Silver-Chloride (Ag/AgCl). In other embodiments however any other good electrical conductor material such as Tin, Stainless Steel, Platinum, Cooper, Lead, or Nichrome, among others, can be used. In some other embodiments, the electrode device 1 is fully MRI-compatible and/or radiolucent. In this case, conductive and non-magnetic materials should be used for the electrode plate 11 and/or wire connection 12.

[0043] Also, the electrode device 1 includes a flexible wire connection 12 for the electrode plate 11. The wire connection 12 is fixed to the electrode plate 11 by one of its extremes using at least one welding point, the other extreme being attached to a touchproof connector 14. It should be noted that in other embodiments, in this case not illustrated, the connector used can be of different type, for example a male snap connector, among others. Likewise, it should be noted that in other embodiments, an adhesive element comprising a double-sided tape 13B (see FIG. 3 and FIGS. 4A and 4B for example) can be used instead of the flexible adhesive pad 13A. In yet other embodiments, the adhesive element comprises a hydrocolloid adhesive; thus the electrode device 1 is for single-patient use and it is disposable.

[0044] In some embodiments, the housing 10 is translucent and flexible. By being translucent skin check (irritation), gel check (from drying or spilling) and electrode plate check (from movements or change in color for checking the Ag/AgCI coating, corrosion . . . ) are easily possible. By being flexible a better interaction with the skin is further enabled (skin injures due to the reduction to stress concentrations caused by rigid materials is avoided).

[0045] The housing 10 has two protruding parts 16, 17. In this particular embodiment, the first protruding part 16 is located inclined outwardly at an angle of approximately 60°-65° with regard to the longitudinal direction of the skin surface (or with regard to the contact surface of the electrode device 1). It should be noted that in other embodiments, in this case not illustrated, the first protruding part 16 can be located at an angle between 50° and 80° with respect to the contact surface of the electrode device 1. The first protruding part 16 includes a conical-shaped hole 15 to allow the injection and removal of an electroconductive gel or hydrogel. The second protruding part 17 is located about the axis of the housing 10 and includes a second hole for the upright introduction of the wire connection 12.

[0046] Any biocompatible electroconductive gel can be used in accordance with the present disclosure. The electroconductive gel can be replaced via a blunt needle through the conical-shaped hole 15 but the needle is blocked by the geometry of the hole to avoid skin injuries.

[0047] Particularly, the electrode device 1 of FIGS. 1A-1C also includes an insulting layer 18 surrounding the wire connection. Different materials can be used as insulating layer for example silicone, Polyvinyl chloride, Polyethylene, Polyvinylidene fluoride and/or Polypropylene, among others.

[0048] With regard to FIGS. 2A-2C, therein another embodiment of the proposed electrode device 1 is illustrated. In this case, different to the embodiment of FIGS. 1A-1C, the hollow space 19 is reduced since the electrode plate 11 is pierced in two parts: one opening 20 is disposed to fit with the conical-shaped hole 15 to allow the electroconductive gel to flow through; the other opening (not seen in the figures) is used for the fixation of the electrode plate 11 to the housing 10, for example via a clamping or fixing element.

[0049] FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment in which a bottom surface 10C of the housing 10 that contacts the adhesive element comprises a curvature to better fit with the skull. The size of the housing 10 in this case is reduced. In this embodiment, particularly, the adhesive element comprises a double-sided tape 13B.

[0050] FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate another embodiment in which the bottom surface 10C of the housing 10 is curved. In this embodiment, the adhesive element comprises a double-sided tape 13B and the electrode plate 11 is not pierced.

[0051] In some embodiments, sealing elements can be also disposed between the housing 10 and the insulating layer 18 of the wire connection 12. In some embodiments also, the first protruding part 16 can comprise a plug for closure thereof.

[0052] With regard to FIGS. 5A-5E, therein another embodiment of the proposed electrode device 1 is shown. According to this embodiment, the wire connection 12 has a curved/spiral shape and the support surface comprises a plurality of supporting structures (or simply supports) 21 that hold the electrode plate 11. The electrode device 1 (see the two different sections of FIGS. 5A and 5B) also has an encapsulating element 22 positioned on top of the electrode plate 11 that isolates the wire-plate connection for the electroconductive gel. A gap 24 between the encapsulating element 22 and the housing 10 allows the electroconductive gel to flow from the hollow space 19 between the electrode plate 11 and the skin to the second protruding part 17. A sealing element 23 is also included covering an upper part of the housing 10 and the first hole 15, such that drying of the gel is reduced. To replace the electroconductive gel, the sealing element 23 has to be lifted to release the first protruding part 16 to insert a blunt needle and to visually check the drain of the gel through the second protruding part 17.

[0053] FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate another embodiment of the proposed electrode device 1. The electrode device 1 of this embodiment is similar to the electrode device 1 of previous FIGS. 5A-5C but in this case the housing 10 besides the two protruding parts 16, 17 described above further has a (third) protruding part 25, which is symmetric to the protruding part 16. The protruding part 25 also includes a conical-shaped hole 26. The third protruding part 25 allows an easier replacement of the electroconductive gel in case the viscosity of the gel is too low, the gel used dries fast or in case the gel only remains in the bottom surface of the electrode plate 11. In this embodiment, to replace the electroconductive gel, after lifting the sealing element 23, a blunt needle can be inserted in the first 16 or third 25 protruding part and drained by the other one.

[0054] It will be understood that various details of the presently disclosed matter may be changed without departing from the scope of the presently disclosed matter. Furthermore, the previous description is for the purpose of illustration only, and not for the purpose of limitation.

[0055] As used herein, the term “about” and/or “substantially”, when referring to a value or to feature, are meant to encompass variations of in some embodiment's ±10%, in some embodiment's ±5%, from the specified value or feature, as such variations are appropriate to perform the disclosed device.

[0056] The scope of the present disclosure is defined in the following set of claims.