Electrode arrangement for applying electrical signals to the skin of an animal

• US 20060173523A1
• Filed: 05/27/2005
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oxford Bioelectronics Ltd
• Original Assignee: Wound Solutions Limited
• Inventors: Moretti, Andrea, Southgate, John P., Rainey, Christopher J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,742,829 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/152
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0468 Specially adapted for promoting wound healing
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0476 Array electrodes (including any electrode arrangement with more than one electrode for at least one of the polarities)
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/048 Electrodes characterised by a specific connection between lead and electrode
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0492 Patch electrodes A61N1/0412, A61N1/0428 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/205 for promoting a biological process

Abstract

An electrode arrangement for applying electrical signals to skin of an animal comprising a flexible electrically non-conductive substrate, at least one electrode provided on a first surface of the substrate for applying electrical signals to the skin when placed on the skin, at least one connector connected to a respective electrode for providing electrical signals to the respective electrode and an electrically non-conductive sealing arrangement connected to the substrate for sealing the substrate and the skin to prevent ingress of moisture to the at least one electrode and to the at least one connector at the connection to the respective electrode. The or each electrode comprises a plurality of spaced electrically conductive elements to allow flexion of the electrode arrangement and electrically conductive material between the plurality of spaced electrically conductive elements to form a two-dimensional electrically conductive path across at least a portion of the first surface of the substrate.

Claims

1. An electrode arrangement for applying electrical signals to skin of an animal comprising:

a flexible electrically non-conductive substrate;

at least one electrode provided on a first surface of the substrate for applying electrical signals to the skin when placed on the skin;

at least one connector connected to a respective electrode for providing electrical signals to the respective electrode; and

an electrically non-conductive sealing arrangement connected to the substrate to seal the substrate and the skin to prevent ingress of moisture to said at least one electrode and to said at least one connector at the connection to the respective electrode.

2. An electrode arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the electrically non-conductive sealing arrangement is connected to a peripheral region of the substrate and disposed around said at least one connector.

3. An electrode arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the sealing arrangement comprises adhesive material for adhering the substrate and the skin.

4. An electrode arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the first surface of the substrate includes a peripheral region where there is no electrode provided and the adhesive material of the sealing arrangement is applied to said peripheral region.

5. An electrode arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the sealing arrangement is positioned over a second surface of the substrate opposed to said first surface.

6. An electrode arrangement according to claim 5, wherein electrical components are provided on the second surface of the substrate.

7. An electrode arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the or each electrode comprises a plurality of interconnected electrically conductive elements to form a two-dimensional electrically conductive path across at least a portion of the first surface of the substrate.

8. An electrode arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of interconnected electrically conductive elements are arranged in a matrix to allow flexion of the electrode arrangement.

9. An electrode arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of interconnected electrically conductive elements are arranged in a mesh pattern to allow flexion of the electrode arrangement.

10. An electrode arrangement according to claim 1, wherein electrically conductive gel is provided on the or each electrode to provide an electrically conductive path to the skin.

11. An electrode arrangement according to claim 5, further comprising an electrical generator circuit on the second surface of the substrate for applying current to at least one electrode.

12. An apparatus for treating a wound comprising the electrode arrangement of claim 1 and an electrical generator circuit for applying current to at least one electrode via the respective at least one connector.

13. An electrode arrangement according to claim 11, comprising at least three electrodes and three connectors, wherein the electrical generator circuit is adapted to switch current to flow between different electrodes of the at least three electrodes.

14. An electrode arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the electrical generator circuit is adapted to switch the direction of the current between electrodes.

15. An electrode arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises an extended portion on which the at least one connector is disposed.

16. An electrode arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the substrate has a part annular shape.

17. An electrode arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the substrate has an annular shape.

18. An electrode arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is porous.

19. An electrode arrangement according to claim 1, wherein one or more elements of highly electrical resistant material is provided on a surface of the or each electrode.

20. An electrode arrangement according to claim 19, wherein the one or more elements of highly resistant material are interspaced by elements of electrically insulating material.

21. A device for use with the electrode arrangement according to claim 1 for absorbing fluid from a wound comprising:

one or more elements of absorbent material; and

a plurality of interconnected portions of electrically insulating material interposed between the elements of absorbent material.

22. An electrode arrangement for applying electrical signals to skin of an animal, comprising:

a flexible electrically non-conductive substrate; and

at least one electrode provided on a first surface of the substrate for applying electrical signals to the skin when placed on the skin;

wherein the substrate includes an extended portion comprising at least one electrically conductive region, the or each electrically conductive regions being in electrical contact with a respective electrode to form a connector to said electrode.

23. An electrode arrangement according to claim 22, wherein the or each electrode comprises a plurality of interconnected electrically conductive elements to form a two-dimensional electrically conductive path across at least a portion of the first surface of the substrate.

24. An electrode arrangement according to claim 23, wherein the plurality of interconnected electrically conductive elements are arranged in a matrix to allow flexion of the electrode arrangement

25. An electrode arrangement according to claim 23, wherein the plurality of interconnected electrically conductive elements are arranged in a mesh pattern to allow flexion of the electrode arrangement

26. An electrode arrangement according to claim 22, wherein electrically conductive gel is provided on the or each electrode to provide an electrically conductive path to the skin.

27. An electrode arrangement according to claim 22, wherein electrical components are provided on a second surface of the substrate opposed to said first surface.

28. An electrode arrangement according to claim 22, further comprising an electrical generator circuit on a second surface of the substrate opposed to said first surface for applying current to at least one said electrode via a respective at least one said connector.

29. An apparatus for treating a wound comprising the electrode arrangement of claim 22 and an electric generator circuit for applying current to at least one said electrode via a respective at least one said connector.

30. An electrode arrangement according to claim 28, comprising at least three electrodes and three connectors, wherein the electric generator circuit is adapted to switch current to flow between different electrodes of the at least three electrodes.

31. An electrode arrangement according to claim 28, wherein the electrical generator circuit is adapted to switch the direction of the current between electrodes.

32. An electrode arrangement according to claim 22, wherein the substrate has a part annular shape.

33. An electrode arrangement according to claim 22, wherein the substrate has an annular shape.

34. An electrode arrangement according to claim 22, wherein the substrate is porous.

35. An electrode arrangement according to claim 22, wherein one or more elements of highly electrical resistant material is provided on a surface of the or each electrode.

36. An electrode arrangement according to claim 35 wherein the one or more elements of highly resistant material are interspaced by elements of electrically insulating material.

37. An electrode arrangement for applying electrical signals to skin of an animal comprising:

a flexible electrically non-conductive substrate;

at least one electrode on a first surface of the substrate for applying electrical signals to the skin when placed on the skin; and

an electrical generator circuit on a second surface of the said substrate opposed to the first surface of said substrate to apply electrical signals to said at least one electrode.

38. An electrode arrangement according to claim 37, wherein the or each electrode comprises a plurality of interconnected electrically conductive elements to form a two-dimensional electrically conductive path across at least a portion of the first surface of the substrate.

39. An electrode arrangement according to claim 38, wherein the plurality of interconnected electrically conductive elements are arranged in a matrix to allow flexion of the electrode arrangement

40. An electrode arrangement according to claim 38, wherein the plurality of interconnected electrically conductive elements are arranged in a mesh pattern to allow flexion of the electrode arrangement

41. An electrode arrangement according to claim 37, wherein electrically conductive gel is provided on the or each electrode to provide an electrically conductive path to the skin.

42. An electrode arrangement according to claim 37, comprising at least three electrodes, wherein the electrical generator circuit is adapted to switch current to flow between different electrodes of the at least three electrodes.

43. An electrode arrangement according to claim 37, wherein the electrical generator circuit is adapted to switch the direction of the current between electrodes.

44. An electrode arrangement according to claim 37 wherein the electrical generator circuit comprises a waveform generator for generating current waveforms across said electrodes.

45. An electrode arrangement for applying electrical signals according to claim 44, wherein the waveform generator is pre-programmed with one or more programs to generate a pre-determined waveform or a pre-determined sequence of pre-determined waveforms.

46. An electrode arrangement according to claim 37, wherein the substrate has a part annular shape.

47. An electrode arrangement according to claim 37, wherein the substrate has an annular shape.

48. An electrode arrangement according to claim 37, wherein the substrate is porous.

49. An electrode arrangement according to claim 37, wherein one or more elements of highly electrical resistant material is provided on a surface of the or each electrode.

50. An electrode arrangement according to claim 49 wherein the one or more elements of highly resistant material are interspaced by elements of electrically insulating material.

51. An apparatus for treating a wound comprising:

a flexible electrically non-conductive substrate;

at least three electrodes on a first surface of the substrate for arranging around the wound;

at least three connectors each connected to a respective electrode adapted to allow current to flow to each of the at least three electrodes when connected to a current generator; and

an electrical generator circuit for applying current to said connectors and to switch current between pairs of electrodes.

52. An apparatus according to claim 51, wherein the electrical generator circuit is provided on a second surface of the substrate opposed to said first surface.

53. An electrode arrangement according to claim 51, wherein said at least three electrodes comprise a plurality of interconnected electrically conductive elements to form a two-dimensional electrically conductive path across at least three portions of the first surface of the substrate.

54. An electrode arrangement according to claim 53, wherein the plurality of interconnected electrically conductive elements are arranged in a matrix to allow flexion of the electrode arrangement.

55. An electrode arrangement according to claim 53, wherein the plurality of interconnected electrically conductive elements are arranged in a mesh pattern to allow flexion of the electrode arrangement.

56. An electrode arrangement according to claim 51, wherein electrically conductive gel is provided on each of the said at least three electrodes to provide an electrically conductive path to the skin.

57. An apparatus according to claim 51, wherein the electrical generator circuit is adapted to apply current to flow between different electrodes of the at least three electrodes.

58. An apparatus for treating a wound according to claim 51, wherein the electrical generator circuit is adapted to switch the direction of the current between said electrodes.

59. An apparatus for treating a wound according to claim 51 wherein the electrical generator circuit comprises a waveform generator for generating current waveforms across said electrodes.

60. An apparatus for treating a wound according to claim 59, wherein the waveform generator is pre-programmed with one or more programs to generate a pre-determined waveform or a pre-determined sequence of pre-determined waveforms.

61. An apparatus for treating a wound according to claim 51, wherein the substrate has an annular shape.

62. An electrode arrangement according to claim 51, wherein the substrate has a part annular shape.

63. An electrode arrangement according to claim 51, wherein the substrate is porous.

64. An electrode arrangement according to claim 51, wherein one or more elements of highly electrical resistant material is provided on a surface of the or each electrode.

65. An electrode arrangement according to claim 64 wherein the one or more elements of highly resistant material are interspaced by elements of electrically insulating material.

66. A device for use with the apparatus according to claim 51 for absorbing fluid from a wound comprising:

one or more elements of absorbent material; and

a plurality of interconnected portions of electrically insulating material interposed between the elements of absorbent material.

67. A method of treating a wound comprising:

placing at least three electrodes on the skin around the wound;

applying electrical current between electrodes of the at least three electrodes; and

switching the current to flow between different electrodes of the at least three electrodes.

68. A method according to claim 67, further comprising switching the direction of the current flow between electrodes of the at least three electrodes to cause current to change direction across the wound.

69. A method according to claim 67, wherein the current is switched at periodic intervals to flow between different electrodes of the at least three electrodes.

70. A method according to claim 67, wherein the current is switched to flow between different electrodes of the at least three electrodes in a pre-determined cycle.

71. A method according to claim 70, wherein the cycle is repeated.

72. A method according to claim 67, wherein a predetermined current waveform is applied across different electrodes of said at least three electrodes.