DRY ELECTRODE

• US 20100185077A1
• Filed: 06/22/2009
• Published: 07/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Chang, Wen-Ying, CHANG, CHENG-HUNG, Ouyang, Yi-Shiang
• Granted Patent: US 8,644,904 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/396
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/25 Bioelectric electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 5/56 of plastics

Abstract

A flexible dry electrode and the manufacturing method thereof are provided. The electrode has an electroplated uneven surface and at least one hole and is made of porous material.

Claims

1. A dry electrode, comprising:

a main layer having a first uneven surface and a second surface opposite to the first uneven surface;

a conductive layer embedded into the main layer; and

a fixing unit connected to the second surface of the main layer.

2. A dry electrode according to claim 1, wherein the first uneven surface comprises a plurality of protrusions and a plurality of concavities, each of the plurality of protrusions has a width, each of the plurality of concavities has a depth, and the width and the depth have a range from 100 um to 1000 um.

3. A dry electrode according to claim 1, wherein the main layer is made of a flexible material.

4. A dry electrode according to claim 3, wherein the flexible material is a conductive polymeric material being one selected from a group consisting of a compositive conductive material, a structural conductive material and a combination thereof.

5. A dry electrode according to claim 4, wherein the compositive conductive material is one selected from a group consisting of a carbon black, a metal power, a metal piece, a metal fiber, a carbon fiber and a combination thereof.

6. A dry electrode according to claim 4, wherein the structural conductive material is one selected from a group consisting of a polyacetylene, a polypyrrole, a polyphenylene sulfide, a poly (phthalocyanine) compound, a polyaniline, a polythiophene and a combination thereof.

7. A dry electrode according to claim 1, wherein the main layer is made of a flexible conductive porous plastic.

8. A dry electrode according to claim 1, wherein the dry electrode further comprises an electroplating layer coated on the first uneven surface and made of a material being one selected from a group consisting of a silver, a chlorine silver, a gold, a titanium, a platinum, a stainless steel, an alumni oxide, a carbon, a carbon fiber, a carbon nanotube, a graphite, a diamond and a combination thereof.

9. A dry electrode according to claim 1 further comprising a connector electrically coupled to the conductive layer, and outputting an electric signal.

10. A dry electrode according to claim 1, wherein the fixing unit covers the main layer and comprises a cohering layer, an insulating layer and an isolating layer, the cohering layer provides a mechanically cohering strength for fixing the dry electrode on a target surface when the dry electrode is used, the insulating layer provides an insulation for the dry electrode, and the isolating layer provides a faraday shield for the dry electrode.

11. A dry electrode according to claim 1 further comprising at least one through hole penetrating the main layer.

12. A dry electrode, comprising:

a main body having an uneven surface and a second surface opposite to the uneven surface, and being made of a flexible material; and

a conductive element embedded into the main body.

13. A dry electrode according to claim 12, wherein the main body is formed of a porous material.

14. An electrode according to claim 12 further comprising a through hole penetrating the main body.

15. A method for manufacturing an electrode, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a flexible conductive material;

(b) causing the flexible conductive material to form an uneven surface;

(c) etching the flexible conductive material; and

(d) forming an electroplate on the flexible conductive material to form the electrode.

16. A method according to claim 15 further comprising a step (a0) of embedding a conductive layer into the conductive material.

17. A method according to claim 15 further comprising a step (e) of forming a hole through the electrode.

18. A method according to claim 15, wherein the step (d) is performed by a reactive ion etching (RIE).

19. A method according to claim 15, wherein the flexible conductive material comprises a polymer, a conductive element and a vesicant.

20. A method according to claim 15, wherein the flexible conductive material is one selected from a group consisting of a vesicant conductive plastic, a porously conductive plastic and a combination thereof.