Biological signal sensor on a body surface

• US 20060004273A1
• Filed: 05/24/2005
• Published: 01/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lobodzinski S. Suave
• Original Assignee: Lobodzinski S. Suave
• Inventors: Lobodzinski, S. Suave
• Application Number:
  US11/136,076
• Publication Number:
  US 20060004273A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/395
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0215 Silver or silver chloride containing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/25 Bioelectric electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/256 Wearable electrodes, e.g. having straps or bands
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/265 containing silver or silver chloride
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/266 containing electrolytes, conductive gels or pastes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/28 for electrocardiography [ECG]

Abstract

An electrically conductive fiber and a coupled biomedical sensor are described. An electrically conductive core of the fiber includes a multiplicity of synthetic conductive filaments and an outer nonconductive fiber layer. The sensor area of the electrically conductive fiber is coated by thin film of silver ink and thin film of silver-silver chloride ink. The electrically conductive fiber'"'"'s porous surface contacts the thin silver ink coating and the silver coating contacts the silver-chloride ink coating. A surface of the biomedical sensor is coated by a thick film of ionically conductive media, containing an electrolyte, in contact with the silver-chloride coating. The electrolyte diffuses into a porous structure of electrically conductive yarn.

Claims

1. A biomedical sensor, comprising:

an electrically conductive fiber, comprising;

a fiber core, comprising a plurality of electrically conductive filaments, each filament having a porous outer surface; and

a coating adjacent to the fiber core; and

an ionically conductive medium, comprising an electrolyte, the medium being in electrical communication with the electrically conductive fiber;

wherein the coating is deposited on the porous outer surfaces of the plurality of filaments.

2. The biomedical sensor of claim 1, wherein the coating comprises a film comprising silver, the film having a thickness of about 1 to about 7 microns.

3. The biomedical sensor of claim 1, wherein the coating comprises a film comprising silver, the film having a thickness of about 5 microns.

4. The biomedical sensor of claim 2, wherein the coating is a first coating, and further comprising a second coating that comprises a film comprising silver-silver chloride, the film having a thickness of about 1 to about 5 microns.

5. The biomedical sensor of claim 1, wherein the coating is a first coating, and further comprising a second coating that comprises a film comprising silver-silver chloride, the film having a thickness of about 3 microns.

6. The biomedical sensor of claim 4, wherein the silver coating contacts the fiber core, and wherein the silver-silver chloride coating contacts the ionically conductive medium.

7. The biomedical sensor of claim 1, configured such that the electrolyte diffuses into the fiber core of the electrically conductive fiber.

8. The biomedical sensor of claim 2, wherein the silver film coating comprises:

a silver powder comprising a plurality of particles having a diameter of between about 20 nm and about 30 nm; and

a hydrophobic or hydrophilic polymeric binder in contact with the plurality of particles.

9. The biomedical sensor of claim 8, further comprising a resin in or on the silver film coating;

and

a cross-linking agent that cross-links molecules in the coating.

10. The biomedical sensor of claim 4, wherein the silver-silver chloride coating comprises:

a chlorided silver powder comprising a plurality of particles having a diameter of approximately 20 nm to approximately 50 nm; and

a hydrophobic or hydrophilic polymeric binder in contact with the plurality of particles.

11. The biomedical sensor of claim 1, wherein at least a part of one end of the electrically conductive fiber forms a lead wire, and wherein the lead wire is not contacting the coating.

12. The biomedical sensor of claim 1, wherein at least a part of the electrically conductive fiber core forms a lead wire, wherein the lead wire is at least partially covered by an electrically nonconductive layer of yarn.

13. The biomedical sensor of claim 4, wherein at least a part of one end of the electrically conductive fiber core forms a lead wire termination, wherein the lead wire termination is not contacted by any of the silver coating, the silver-silver chloride coating, and the ionically conductive medium.

14. The biomedical sensor of claim 2, wherein the silver coating comprises at least one of silver powder, silver halide, (hfa)Ag(COD), (hexafluoroacetylacetonato) silver(I) (1,5-cyclo-octadiene), and (hfa)Cu(BTMS).

15. The biomedical sensor of claim 4, wherein the fiber core has a thickness of approximately 0.05 mm to approximately 0.1 mm, wherein the silver coating has a thickness of approximately 1 micron to approximately 5 microns, and wherein the silver-silver chloride coating has a thickness of approximately 1 micron to approximately 5 microns.

16. The biomedical sensor of claim 1, wherein the plurality of filaments comprises a material selected from the group consisting of polyaniline, copper sulfide, silver surface treated polyamide, and acrylonitrile.

17. The biomedical sensor of claim 1, wherein the coating comprises carbon powder comprising at least one of graphite powder and carbon black powder.

18. The biomedical sensor of claim 2, wherein a content of silver in the silver coating ranges from approximately 60 weight percent to about 90 weight percent.

19. The biomedical sensor of claim 8, wherein a content of the hydrophobic or hydrophilic polymeric binder in the silver film coating ranges from approximately 10 weight percent to approximately 40 weight percent.

20. The biomedical sensor of claim 10, wherein a content of the silver-silver chloride in the silver-silver chloride coating is less than approximately 50 weight percent, and wherein a content of the hydrophobic polymeric binder in the silver-silver chloride coating ranges from approximately 40 weight percent to approximately 50 weight percent.

21. The biomedical sensor of claim 1, wherein an average adsorbing surface area of the electrically conductive fiber is greater than approximately 600 m²/g, and wherein a diameter of the conductive fiber core ranges from approximately 0.05 mm to approximately 0.1 mm.