Wearable electrode apparatus and manufacture thereof

• US 20040118166A1
• Filed: 11/12/2003
• Published: 06/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: King's Metal Fiber Technologies Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: King's Metal Fiber Technologies Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Chen, Cheng-Yi, Huang, Hong-Hsu, Kuo, Chun-Jong
• Granted Patent: US 6,915,668 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 66/202
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0408 Use-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0452 Specially adapted for transcutaneous muscle stimulation [TMS]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0456 Specially adapted for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation [TENS]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0484 Garment electrodes worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0492 Patch electrodes A61N1/0412, A61N1/0428 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/14 Other fabrics or articles characterised primarily by the use of particular thread materials
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/24 wearing apparel
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2401/16 antistatic; conductive

Abstract

The invention provides a wearable electrode apparatus and manufacture thereof. The wearable electrode apparatus includes a garment and 2M terminals. The garment includes 2M electrically conductive portions. Each of the terminals is disposed on one of the 2M electrically conductive portions, respectively, for purpose of connection with an external apparatus. In particular, a semi-garment is first formed and cut out from a fabric according to a pattern of the garment. The electrically conductive portions are formed together with or after the formation of the semi-garment. Then, the semi-garment with the electrically conductive portions is formed into the garment.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating a wearable electrode apparatus, comprising the steps of:

knitting a fabric comprising 2N spaced electrically conductive fabric strips made of a yarn consisting of textile fibers and metal fibers, wherein N is a natural number;

according to a pattern of a garment, cutting out a semi-garment from the fabric, the semi-garment comprising 2M electrically conductive portions formed from the 2N electrically conductive fabric strips, wherein M is a natural number less than or equal to N;

providing each of the 2M electrically conductive portions of the semi-garment with a respective terminal for connection with an external apparatus; and

fabricating the semi-garment with the terminals into the garment as said wearable electrode apparatus.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the yarn contains the metal fibers in an amount between 10 to 100 volume percentage.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the fabric also comprises K spaced electrically insulating fabric strips, the 2N electrically conductive fabric strips and the K electrically insulating fabric strips are disposed alternately, K is a natural number equal to or larger than (2N−

1).

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the yarn is made by a blending process or a twisting process.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the metal fibers are Ni—

Cr alloy fibers or stainless steel fibers.

6. A wearable electrode apparatus, comprising:

a garment made from a semi-garment comprising 2M spaced electrically conductive portions, wherein M is a natural number;

2M terminals, each of the 2M terminals being disposed onto one of the 2M electrically conductive portions, respectively, for connection with an external apparatus.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the yarn contains the metal fibers in an amount between 10 to 100 volume percentage.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the yarn is made by a blending process or a twisting process.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the metal fibers are Ni—

Cr alloy fibers or stainless steel fibers.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the semi-garment is formed by the steps of:

knitting a fabric comprising 2N spaced electrically conductive fabric strips made of a yarn consisting of textile fibers and metal fibers, wherein N is a natural number equal to or larger than M;

according to a pattern of the garment, cutting out the semi-garment from the fabric, wherein the 2M electrically conductive portions of the semi-garment are formed from the 2N electrically conductive fabric strips.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the fabric also comprises K spaced electrically insulating fabric strips, the 2N electrically conductive fabric strips and the K electrically insulating fabric strips are disposed alternately, K is a natural number equal to or larger than (2N−

1).

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the semi-garment is formed by the steps of:

preparing 2M electrically conductive pieces cut out from a first fabric made of a yarn consisting of textile fibers and metal fibers;

according to a pattern of the garment, cutting out the semi-garment from a second fabric, wherein 2M predetermined and spaced portions, which each corresponds to one of the 2M electrically conductive pieces, are defined on the semi-garment; and

mounting each of the electrically conductive pieces onto the corresponding portion thereof on the semi-garment to form the 2M spaced electrically conductive portions of the semi-garment.

13. A method of fabricating a wearable electrode apparatus, comprising the steps of:

preparing 2M electrically conductive pieces cut out from a first fabric made of a yarn consisting of textile fibers and metal fibers, wherein M is a natural number;

according to a pattern of a garment, cutting out a semi-garment from a second fabric, wherein 2M predetermined and spaced portions, which each corresponds to one of the 2M electrically conductive pieces, are defined on the semi-garment;

mounting each of the electrically conductive pieces onto the corresponding portion thereof on the semi-garment;

providing each of the electrically conductive pieces mounted on the semi-garment with a respective terminal for connection with an external apparatus; and

fabricating the semi-garment with the terminals into the garment as said wearable electrode apparatus.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the yarn contains the metal fibers in an amount between 10 to 100 volume percentage.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the yarn is made by a blending process or a twisting process.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the metal fibers are Ni—

Cr alloy fibers or stainless steel fibers.