DEVICES FOR APPLYING CONDUCTIVE GEL-PADS TO ELECTRODES AND ELECTRODES PRODUCED THEREBY

• US 20090155594A1
• Filed: 07/21/2008
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ropheka Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: Ropheka Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: PRECHT, Terrence A., KROOG, Helmuth Otto, KREINER, Fred William, KRUG, Eric M., EVANS, Thomas D., MANN, John, EVANS, Todd
• Granted Patent: US 8,931,536 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/411.100
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/125 characterised by the manufacture of electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/259 using conductive adhesive means, e.g. gels
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/17 Surface bonding means and/or assemblymeans with work feeding or handling means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31504 Composite [nonstructural laminate]

Abstract

Described herein are devices for applying conductive gels to electrodes and the gel-laminated electrodes produced thereby. The devices permit the reuse of the electrodes by easily applying fresh gels to them for each subsequent use. In a first example embodiment, all of the components of the laminating device are provided in a single housing. In a second example embodiment, the gel applying and drive components are housed within the device, and a replaceable cartridge houses the gels and the gel delivery components. Also described herein are dispensers for storing and dispensing conductive gels that can be readily applied to and removed from an electrode.

Claims

1. A device for laminating to an electrode a conductive gel-pad from a series of gel-pads having at least one protective liner, the device comprising:

a delivery mechanism including at least one take-up roller that is operable to reel in the liner and deliver the gel-pad to a ready position adjacent the electrode;

an applicator mechanism including a carriage and a pressure roller, wherein the carriage supports the electrode and the pressure roller applies a compressive force to the electrode to laminate the gel-pad thereto; and

a drive mechanism including at least one actuator operably coupled to the delivery mechanism and the applicator mechanism to drive the take-up roller and the pressure roller.

2. The laminating device of claim 1, wherein the carriage moves between an extended position and a retracted position, wherein in the extended position the electrode can be loaded thereonto and in the retracted position the electrode is in the ready position within the laminating device.

3. The laminating device of claim 1, wherein the drive mechanism includes a carriage-driving linkage with an engagement element and the carriage includes an engagement element that mates with and is driven in one direction by the carriage engagement element to move the carriage from an extended position to a retracted position.

4. The laminating device of claim 1, wherein the carriage has a gel-pad opening through which a portion of the electrode is exposed and through which the gel-pad extends in the ready position.

5. The laminating device of claim 3, wherein the gel-pad has a leading edge, the carriage includes a blade with a tapered edge positioned adjacent the gel-pad opening, and the leading edge of the gel-pad in the ready position is pinched between the tapered edge of the blade and the electrode on the carriage so that the gel-pad is carried with the carriage when the carriage is moved to the extended position.

6. The laminating device of claim 1, wherein the delivery mechanism includes a separator mechanism having at least one plate with a separating edge positioned so that the drive mechanism drives the at least one take-up roller to pull the at least one liner across the plate and back around the separating edge to peel the liner from the gel-pad while delivering the gel-pad to the ready position adjacent the electrode.

7. The laminating device of claim 1, wherein the delivery mechanism includes a separator mechanism having two plates that are spring-biased together in compression to apply a braking force to the gel-pads routed between the plates.

8. The laminating device of claim 1, wherein the carriage includes a tray and an elevator, wherein the tray has an opening through which a portion of the electrode is exposed and through which the gel-pad extends in the ready position, and wherein the elevator supports the electrode and is spring-biased away from the tray toward an elevated position in which the electrode is displaced away from the gel-pad in the ready position.

9. The laminating device of claim 8, wherein the pressure roller moves from a displaced position away from the carriage to a compressing position, wherein in the compressing position the pressure roller compresses against the electrode in the elevator to depress the electrode and the elevator to a compressing position.

10. The laminating device of claim 9, wherein the drive mechanism includes a cam and a cam follower, the cam follower is coupled to the pressure roller, and the pressure roller is moved from the displaced position to the compressing position by the drive mechanism driving the cam.

11. The laminating device of claim 1, wherein the delivery mechanism includes a second pressure roller that cooperates with the applicator pressure roller to impart motion to the carriage to move the carriage from a retracted position to an extended position, wherein the pressure rollers further cooperate to compress the gel-pad onto the electrode as the carriage is moved to the extended position.

12. A method of laminating the electrode of claim 1 with the conductive gel-pad of claim 1, the method comprising:

providing one of the laminating devices of claim 1;

loading one of the electrodes into the carriage of the laminating device;

operating the delivery mechanism to advance the gel-pad to the ready position; and

operating the applicator mechanism to compress the electrode and the gel-pad together.

13. A gel-pad-laminated electrode produced by the method of claim 12.

19. The laminating device of claim 1, wherein the carriage includes a tray and an elevator, wherein the tray has an opening through which a portion of the electrode is exposed and through which the gel-pad extends in the ready position, and wherein the elevator supports the electrode and is spring-biased away from the tray toward an elevated position in which the electrode is displaced away from the gel-pad in the ready position.

20. The laminating device of claim 19, wherein the pressure roller moves from a displaced position away from the carriage to a compressing position, wherein in the compressing position the pressure roller compresses against the electrode in the elevator to depress the electrode and the elevator to a compressing position.

21. The laminating device of claim 20, wherein the drive mechanism includes a cam and a cam follower, the cam follower is coupled to the pressure roller, and the pressure roller is moved from the displaced position to the compressing position by the drive mechanism driving the cam.

14. A device for use with a replaceable gel-pad cartridge to laminate an electrode, the cartridge including a series of gel-pads, a liner covering the gel-pads, and a delivery mechanism including at least one take-up roller that is operable to reel in the liner and sequentially deliver the gel-pads to a ready position adjacent the electrode, the device comprising:

an applicator mechanism including a carriage and a pressure roller, wherein the carriage supports the electrode and the pressure roller applies a compressive force to the electrode to laminate the gel-pad in the ready position thereto; and

a drive mechanism including at least one actuator operably coupled to the delivery mechanism and the applicator mechanism to drive the take-up roller and the pressure roller.

15. The laminating device of claim 14, wherein the carriage moves between an extended position and a retracted position, wherein in the extended position the electrode can be loaded thereonto and in the retracted position the electrode is in the ready position within the laminating device.

16. The laminating device of claim 14, wherein the drive mechanism includes a carriage-driving linkage with an engagement element and the carriage includes an engagement element that mates with and is driven in one direction by the carriage engagement element to move the carriage from an extended position to a retracted position.

17. The laminating device of claim 14, wherein the carriage has a gel-pad opening through which a portion of the electrode is exposed and through which the gel-pad extends in the ready position.

18. The laminating device of claim 17, wherein the ready-positioned gel-pad has a leading edge, the carriage includes a blade with a tapered edge positioned adjacent the gel-pad opening, and the leading edge of the gel-pad in the ready position is pinched between the tapered edge of the blade and the electrode on the carriage so that the gel-pad is carried with the carriage when the carriage is moved to the extended position.

22. The laminating device of claim 14, wherein the drive mechanism includes a driver that engages and drives the take-up roller and a driver that engages and drives the pressure roller.

23. A method of laminating the electrode of claim 14 with the ready-positioned gel-pad of claim 14, the method comprising:

providing one of the laminating devices and one of the gel-pad cartridges of claim 14;

loading one of the electrodes into the carriage of the laminating device;

operating the delivery mechanism to advance the gel-pad to the ready position; and

operating the applicator mechanism to compress the electrode and the gel-pad together.

24. A gel-pad-laminated electrode produced by the method of claim 23.

25. A replaceable gel-pad cartridge for use with a laminating device to laminate an electrode, the laminating device including an applicator mechanism including a carriage and a pressure roller and including a drive mechanism that drives the pressure roller, the cartridge comprising:

a length of gel-pad tape including a series of gel-pads and a liner covering the gel-pads; and

a delivery mechanism including at least one take-up roller that is operable to reel in the liner and sequentially deliver the gel-pads to a ready position adjacent the electrode, wherein the take-up roller is driven by the drive mechanism.

26. The cartridge of claim 25, wherein the delivery mechanism includes a separator mechanism having at least one plate with a separating edge positioned so that the drive mechanism drives the at least one take-up roller to pull the at least one liner across the plate and back around the separating edge to peel the liner from the gel-pad while delivering the gel-pad to the ready position adjacent the electrode.

27. The cartridge of claim 25, wherein the delivery mechanism includes a separator mechanism having two plates that are spring-biased together in compression to apply a braking force to the gel-pads routed between the plates.

28. The cartridge of claim 25, wherein the delivery mechanism includes a second pressure roller that cooperates with the applicator pressure roller to impart motion to the carriage to move the carriage from a retracted position to an extended position, wherein the pressure rollers further cooperate to compress the gel-pad onto the electrode as the carriage is moved to the extended position.

29. The cartridge of claim 25, wherein the drive mechanism includes a take-up roller driver and a pressure roller driver, and wherein the take-up roller is engaged and driven by the take-up roller driver and the pressure roller is engaged and driven by the pressure roller driver.