Electrode apparatus and system

• US 20060047194A1
• Filed: 08/31/2004
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Teledyne Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Teledyne Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Grigorov, Ilya L.
• Application Number:
  US10/930,935
• Publication Number:
  US 20060047194A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/372
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0215 Silver or silver chloride containing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0217 Electrolyte containing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/028 Microscale sensors, e.g. electromechanical sensors [MEMS]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/25 Bioelectric electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/257 using adhesive means, e.g. adhesive pads or tapes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/263 characterised by the electrode materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/266 containing electrolytes, conductive gels or pastes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/28 for electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/291 for electroencephalography [EEG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/296 for electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0476 Array electrodes (including any electrode arrangement with more than one electrode for at least one of the polarities)

Abstract

An electrode apparatus and system for obtaining a bio-potential signal. The electrode includes a substrate having a first and second surface. The substrates supports a plurality of discrete conductive structures that are disposed on the first surface of the substrate. The plurality of discrete conductive structures extend outwardly beyond the first surface of the substrate and present an electrically conductive surface to a surface of a stratum corneum layer of skin without penetrating the stratum corneum layer. The system includes the electrode in communication with the electrode for receiving the bio-potential signal from the electrode.

Claims

1. An electrode for obtaining a bio-potential signal, comprising:

a substrate having a first surface and a second surface; and

a plurality of discrete conductive structures disposed on the first surface of the substrate, wherein the plurality of discrete conductive structures extend outwardly beyond the first surface of the substrate, and wherein the plurality of discrete conductive structures present an electrically conductive surface to a surface of a stratum corneum layer of skin without penetrating the stratum corneum layer.

2. The electrode of claim 1, further comprising a first metallic conductive region on the first surface of the substrate.

3. The electrode of claim 2, wherein the plurality of discrete conductive structures are formed on the first metallic conductive region on the first surface of the substrate.

4. The electrode of claim 2, further comprising a second metallic conductive region on the second surface of the substrate.

5. The electrode of claim 4, wherein the first and second metallic conductive regions are in electrical communication.

6. The electrode of claim 5, further comprising a terminal in electrical communication with the second metallic conductive region.

7. The electrode of claim 1, wherein the plurality of discrete conductive structures comprises single layer stud-bump structures.

8. The electrode of claim 1, wherein the plurality of discrete conductive structures comprises multi-layer stud-bump structures.

9. The electrode of claim 1, wherein the plurality of discrete conductive structures have a diameter that ranges from 25 microns to 150 microns.

10. The electrode of claim 1, wherein the plurality of discrete conductive structures have a diameter that ranges from 50 microns to 100 microns.

11. The electrode of claim 1, wherein the plurality of discrete conductive structures have a height that ranges from 10 microns to 250 microns.

12. The electrode of claim 1, wherein the plurality of discrete conductive structures have a height that ranges from 35 microns to 120 microns.

13. The electrode of claim 1, wherein the plurality of discrete conductive structures have a pitch to diameter ratio in the range of approximately 1 to 100.

14. The electrode of claim 1, wherein the plurality of discrete conductive structures have a pitch to diameter ratio in the range of approximately 1 to 10.

15. The electrode of claim 1, wherein the plurality of discrete conductive structures have a height to pitch ratio in the range of approximately 0.01 to 10.

16. The electrode of claim 1, wherein the plurality of discrete conductive structures have a height to pitch ratio in the range of approximately 0.1 to 5.

17. The electrode of claim 1, wherein the plurality of discrete conductive structures comprises 10-10,000 discrete conductive structures.

18. The electrode of claim 1, further comprising an amplifier in communication with the plurality of discrete conductive structures.

19. The electrode of claim 18, further comprising a signal detector in communication with the amplifier.

20. The electrode of claim 18, further comprising a processor in communication with the amplifier.

21. The electrode of claim 18, further comprising a wireless device in communication with the amplifier.

22. The electrode of claim 1, wherein the plurality of discrete conductive structures are formed of any one of Mg, Al, Ti, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Pt, Pd, In, Sn, W, Au, Ag, Ir, Pb, Pd, Tb, non-metals Si, P, S, Cl, Ge, C, N, O, alloys thereof, and compounds thereof.

23. The electrode of claim 1, wherein the substrate and the plurality of discrete conductive structures conform to a top layer of the stratum corneum and forms a region for trapping bodily ionics that form a conducting electrolyte in the region.

24. The electrode of claim 1, wherein the substrate and the plurality of discrete conductive structures conform to a top layer of the stratum corneum and forms a region for trapping a combination of bodily ionics and non-bodily non-ionic liquids that form a conducting electrolyte in the region.

25. The electrode of claim 1, wherein the substrate and the plurality of discrete conductive structures conform to a top layer of the stratum corneum and forms a region for trapping a combination of bodily ionics and non-bodily ionic liquids that form a conducting electrolyte in the region.

26. The electrode of claim 1, wherein the substrate and the plurality of discrete conductive structures conform to a top layer of the stratum corneum and forms a region for trapping a combination of bodily ionics and non-bodily ionics that form a conducting electrolyte in the region.

27. An electrode for obtaining a bio-potential signal, comprising:

means for supporting comprising a first surface and a second surface; and

means for contacting a surface of a stratum corneum layer of skin and electrically conducting a current disposed on the first surface of the means for supporting, wherein the means for contacting extend outwardly beyond the first surface of the means for supporting, and wherein the means for contacting present an electrically conductive surface to the surface of the stratum corneum layer of skin without penetrating the stratum corneum layer.

28. An electrode system, comprising:

an electrode for obtaining a bio-potential signal, the electrode comprising;

a substrate having a first surface and a second surface; and

a plurality of discrete conductive structures disposed on the first surface of the substrate, wherein the plurality of discrete conductive structures extend outwardly beyond the first surface of the substrate, and wherein the plurality of discrete conductive structures present an electrically conductive surface to a surface of a stratum corneum layer of skin without penetrating the stratum corneum layer; and

a remote device in communication with the electrode for receiving the bio-potential signal from the electrode.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the electrode further comprises a first metallic conductive region on the first surface of the substrate.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the plurality of discrete conductive structures are formed on the first metallic conductive region on the first surface of the substrate.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein the electrode further comprises a second metallic conductive region on the second surface of the substrate.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the first and second metallic conductive regions are in electrical communication.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the electrode further comprises a terminal in electrical communication with the second metallic conductive region.

34. The system of claim 28, wherein the plurality of discrete conductive structures comprises single layer stud-bump structures.

35. The system of claim 28, wherein the plurality of discrete conductive structures comprises multi-layer stud-bump structures.

36. The system of claim 28, wherein the plurality of discrete conductive structures have a diameter that ranges from 25 microns to 150 microns.

37. The system of claim 28, wherein the plurality of discrete conductive structures have a diameter that ranges from 50 microns to 100 microns.

38. The system of claim 28, wherein the plurality of discrete conductive structures have a height that ranges from 10 microns to 250 microns.

39. The system of claim 28, wherein the plurality of discrete conductive structures have a height that ranges from 35 microns to 120 microns.

40. The system of claim 28, wherein the plurality of discrete conductive structures have a pitch to diameter ratio in the range of approximately 1 to 100.

41. The system of claim 28, wherein the plurality of discrete conductive structures have a pitch to diameter ratio in the range of approximately 1 to 10.

42. The system of claim 28, wherein the plurality of discrete conductive structures have a height to pitch ratio in the range of approximately 0.01 to 10.

43. The system of claim 28, wherein the plurality of discrete conductive structures have a height to pitch ratio in the range of approximately 0.1 to 5.

44. The system of claim 28, wherein the plurality of discrete conductive structures comprises 10-10,000 discrete conductive structures.

45. The system of claim 28, wherein the electrode further comprises an amplifier in communication with the plurality of discrete conductive structures.

46. The system of claim 45, wherein the electrode further comprises a signal detector in communication with the amplifier.

47. The system of claim 45, wherein the electrode further comprises a processor in communication with the amplifier.

48. The system of claim 45, wherein the electrode further comprises a wireless device in communication with the amplifier.

49. The system of claim 28, wherein the plurality of discrete conductive structures are formed of any one of Mg, Al, Ti, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Pt, Pd, In, Sn, W, Au, Ag, Ir, Pb, Pd, Tb, non-metals Si, P, S, Cl, Ge, C, N, O, alloys thereof, and compounds thereof.

50. The system of claim 28, wherein the substrate and the plurality of discrete conductive structures conform to a top layer of the stratum corneum and forms a region for trapping bodily ionics that form a conducting electrolyte in the region.

51. The system of claim 28, wherein the substrate and the plurality of discrete conductive structures conform to a top layer of the stratum corneum and forms a region for trapping a combination of bodily ionics and non-bodily non-ionic liquids that form a conducting electrolyte in the region.

52. The system of claim 28, wherein the substrate and the plurality of discrete conductive structures conform to a top layer of the stratum corneum and forms a region for trapping a combination of bodily ionics and non-bodily ionic liquids that form a conducting electrolyte in the region.

53. The system of claim 28, wherein the substrate and the plurality of discrete conductive structures conform to a top layer of the stratum corneum and forms a region for trapping a combination of bodily ionics and non-bodily ionics that form a conducting electrolyte in the region.

54. The system of claim 28, wherein the remote device is a terminal.

55. The system of claim 54, wherein the terminal is a video monitor.

56. The system of claim 54, wherein the terminal is an ECG monitor.

57. The system of claim 28, wherein the remote device is a recorder.

58. The system of claim 57, wherein the recorder is a tape.

59. The system of claim 58, wherein the tape is an ECG tape.