Device for transmitting an electric signal detected by contact with the skin surface

• US 20060122471A1
• Filed: 08/24/2005
• Published: 06/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Draeger Safety Incorporated (Dragerwerk AG)
• Original Assignee: Draeger Safety Incorporated (Dragerwerk AG)
• Inventors: Sattler, Frank, Sliepen, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,154,071 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/1281 with incorporated means for medical monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/282 Holders for multiple electrodes for introduction into the body A61B5/287
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/048 Electrodes characterised by a specific connection between lead and electrode
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0484 Garment electrodes worn by the patient

Abstract

A device for transmitting electric signals detected by contact with the skin surface to an evaluating unit. The device has a stack of at least two layers of clothing (3, 7) with an electric path or electric line connection (4, 8) through each of the layers of clothing (3, 7). The lowermost layer of clothing (3) is provided with an electrode (2) contacting the skin surface of the body (1) of the wearer of the clothing and with an electrically conductive surface (5) on the side facing away from the skin surface. Each additional layer of clothing (7) stacked on the lowermost layer of clothing (3) is provided with an electrically conductive surface (6, 9) each on the underside and the top side. A carrying belt (11) is led over the stack of layers of clothing (3, 7) is provided with an electrically conductive surface (10), which faces the topmost layer of clothing (7) and which is connected to the evaluating unit (14) by means of an electric line (12).

Claims

1. A device for transmitting an electric signal detected by contact with the skin surface of the wearer to an evaluating unit, the device comprising:

a stack of at least two layers of clothing with an electric line connection through each of the layers of clothing, said layers of clothing including a lowermost layer of the clothing adjacent to the skin of the wearer and one or more additional layer of the clothing;

an electrode contacting the skin surface of the body of the wearer of the clothing, said lowermost layer of the clothing being provided with said electrode;

an electrically conductive surface on a side of said lowermost layer of the clothing facing away from the skin surface;

an electrically conductive surface on an underside of each said one or more additional layer of the clothing; and

an electrically conductive surface on a top side of each said one or more additional layer of the clothing;

a carrying belt led over the stack of said layers of clothing;

a belt electrically conductive surface, said carrying belt provided with said belt electrically conductive surface facing a topmost layer of clothing;

an evaluating unit; and

an electric line connecting said belt electrically conductive surface with said evaluating unit.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the carrying belt is connected to a respirator on the back of the wearer of the clothing, so that the weight of the respirator presses the carrying belt onto the stack of said layers of clothing.

3. A device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising at least one additional electrode to provide a plurality of electrodes wherein said lowermost layer of clothing is provided with said plurality of electrodes, wherein one of said electrodes is a reference electrode for an ECG measurement.

4. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein each of said electrically conductive surfaces have a size of a few square cm and are oriented such that they overlap at least partially when the pieces of clothing associated with the layers of clothing are put on by the wearer of the clothing.

5. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the electric line is integrated within the carrying belt.

6. A device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a mission command center wherein the evaluating unit is operatively connected to said mission command center in a wireless manner.

7. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said electrically conductive surfaces comprise a bonded structure, a welded structure, a sintered structure, a woven structure, an embroidered structure, a knitted structure or a tufted structure.

8. A device in accordance with claim 1, said electrically conductive surfaces are structured or designed in the form of Velcro fasteners, so that the position of the individual layers of clothing and of the carrying belt in relation to one another and to the conductive surfaces can be fixed.

9. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein electrically conductive threads, plug-in or push contact elements, which contact through one or more said layers of clothing, are provided for the electric line connection through the layers of clothing.

10. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein for the electric line connection through the layers of clothing, the clothing is provided with holes or with cut-out patterns, so that the electrode and/or the electrically conductive surfaces can be electrically contacted through the layers of clothing.

11. A device for transmitting an electric signal detected by contact with the skin surface of the wearer to an evaluating unit, the device comprising:

a skin adjacent layer of clothing adjacent to the skin of the wearer;

an electrode contacting the skin surface of the body of the wearer of the clothing, said skin adjacent layer of the clothing being provided with said electrode;

a skin adjacent clothing layer electrically conductive surface on a side of said skin adjacent layer of clothing facing away from said skin surface;

a skin adjacent clothing layer electric path from said skin adjacent clothing layer electrically conductive surface to said electrode;

an additional layer of the clothing cooperating with said skin adjacent layer of clothing to form layered clothes;

an inner additional clothing layer electrically conductive surface on an inner side of said additional layer of the clothing;

an outer additional clothing layer electrically conductive surface on an outer side of said additional layer of the clothing;

an additional layer electric path from said inner additional clothing layer electrically conductive surface to said outer additional clothing layer electrically conductive surface;

an evaluating unit; and

an electrical connection with an associated electrical connection connecting said outer additional clothing layer electrically conductive surface with said evaluating unit.

12. A device in accordance with claim 11, further comprising:

a carrying belt positioned over said layered clothes, said electrical connection associated with said electrical connection comprising a belt electrically conductive surface, said carrying belt provided with said belt electrically conductive surface facing the layered clothes;

a respirator, wherein said carrying belt is connected to said respirator on the back of the wearer of the clothing, so that the weight of the respirator presses the carrying belt onto the layered clothes.

13. A device in accordance with claim 11, further comprising at least one additional electrode to provide a plurality of electrodes wherein said skin adjacent layer of clothing is provided with said plurality of electrodes, wherein one of said electrodes is a reference electrode for an ECG measurement.

14. A device in accordance with claim 11, wherein each said electrically conductive surface has a size of a few square cm and is oriented positioned overlapping at least partially with an adjacent electrically conductive surface of the layered clothes.

15. A device in accordance with claim 12, wherein the electric line is integrated within the carrying belt.

16. A device in accordance with claim 11, further comprising a mission command center wherein the evaluating unit is connected to said mission command center via wireless transceivers.

17. A device in accordance with claim 11, wherein said electrically conductive surfaces comprise a bonded structure, a welded structure, a sintered structure, a woven structure, an embroidered structure, a knitted structure or a tufted structure.

18. A device in accordance with claim 11, said electrically conductive surfaces are structured or designed in the form of hook and loop fasteners or with an adjacent hook and loop fastener, so that the position of the individual layers of clothing and of the carrying belt in relation to one another and to the conductive surfaces can be fixed.

19. A device in accordance with claim 11, wherein electrically conductive threads, plug-in or push contact elements, which contact through one or more said layers of clothing, are provided for the electric path through the layers of clothing and/or for the electric path through the layers of clothing, the clothing is provided with holes or with cut-out patterns, so that the electrode and/or the electrically conductive surfaces can be electrically contacted through the layers of clothing.

20. A method of transmitting an electric signal detected by contact with the skin surface of the wearer to an evaluating unit, the method comprising:

providing a skin adjacent layer of clothing with an electrode for contacting the skin surface of the body of the wearer of the clothing and with a skin adjacent clothing layer electrically conductive surface on a side of said skin adjacent layer of clothing facing away from said skin surface and with a skin adjacent clothing layer electric path from said skin adjacent clothing layer electrically conductive surface to said electrode;

donning the skin adjacent layer of clothing by the wearer to be adjacent to the skin of the wearer with the electrode contacting the skin surface of the body of the wearer;

providing an additional layer of the clothing with an inner additional clothing layer electrically conductive surface on an inner side of said additional layer of the clothing and with an outer additional clothing layer electrically conductive surface on an outer side of said additional layer of the clothing and with an additional layer electric path from said inner additional clothing layer electrically conductive surface to said outer additional clothing layer electrically conductive surface;

donning the additional layer of the clothing by the wearer so the skin adjacent layer and the additional layer cooperate to form layered clothes with an electrically conductive path from said electrode to said outer additional clothing layer electrically conductive surface;

providing an evaluating unit; and

providing an electrical connection connecting said outer additional clothing layer electrically conductive surface with said evaluating unit.