ARRANGEMENT AND METHOD FOR CARRYING OUT ELECTRODE MEASUREMENTS

• US 20150238106A1
• Filed: 05/12/2015
• Published: 08/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bittium Biosignals OY
• Original Assignee: Mega Electronics Ltd
• Inventors: Lappalainen, Reijo, MERVAALA, Esa, MYLLYMAA, Katja, MYLLYMAA, Sami, Toyras, Juha
• Granted Patent: US 9,770,184 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0215 Silver or silver chloride containing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/14 Coupling media or elements to improve sensor contact with skin or tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/164 the sensor is mounted in or on a conformable substrate or carrier
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/182 Electrical shielding, e.g. using a Faraday cage
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/25 Bioelectric electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/259 using conductive adhesive means, e.g. gels
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/291 for electroencephalography [EEG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/398 Electrooculography [EOG], e.g. detecting nystagmus; Electroretinography [ERG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6814 Head
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6823 Trunk, e.g., chest, back, abdomen, hip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/684 Indicating the position of the sensor on the body

Abstract

An arrangement is disclosed for carrying out electrode measurements on the surface of the skin of a patient'"'"'s head for recording the electrical activity of the brain, the arrangement including a matrix electrode configuration, which includes a body part of non-conductive material conforming to the contours of the surface of the skin. The arrangement includes electrodes for producing the measurement data connected to the body part, means for transmitting the measurement data connected to the body part, and a measurement data unit for receiving the measurement data transmitted by the means for further processing of the measurement data. The body part can include an electrode placement configuration for maintaining the mutual placements of the electrodes with respect to one another and an active attachment surface located between the electrodes and the surface of the skin to produce measurement data.

Claims

1. An arrangement for carrying out electrode measurements on a surface of a skin of a patient'"'"'s head for recording electrical activity of the brain, the arrangement, comprising:

a matrix electrode configuration, which includes a body part of non-conductive material conforming to contours of the surface of the skin, and which arrangement includes electrodes for producing measurement data connected to the body part;

means for transmitting the measurement data connected to the body part;

a measurement data unit for receiving the measurement data transmitted by the means for further processing of the measurement data, and which body part includes an electrode placement configuration for maintaining mutual placements of the electrodes with respect to one another, and an electroconductive active attachment surface located between the electrodes and the surface of the skin for forming an electroconductive attachment contact between the electrodes and the surface of the skin for transmitting measurable signals from the patient'"'"'s head to the electrodes through the electroconductive active attachment surface to produce measurement data, the electroconductive active attachment surface including hydrogel or other electroconductive adhesive material which adheres to the skin in order to form a stable and essentially interference-free attachment contact between the electrodes and the surface of the skin;

an electrode configuration of spiral structure being in contact with hairless skin areas through the electroconductive active attachment layer; and

a grounding layer formed completely or partly over the body part to prevent external electrical interferences by isolating the grounding layer with an isolation layer from the electroconductive active attachment surface and the means for transmitting the measurement data.

2. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the body part comprises:

an electrode placement configuration for maintaining the mutual placements of the electrodes with respect to one another for easy attachment of the matrix sensor construction in the hairless skin areas of the patient'"'"'s head by means of the active attachment surface, each electrode attaching to a measuring point in the hairless skin areas of the head.

3. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electroconductive active attachment surface comprises:

an electroconductive surface and a non-conductive surface.

4. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the arrangement for carrying out electrode measurements comprises:

at least one electrode attached in the patient'"'"'s chest area for carrying out cardiac measurements.

5. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the matrix electrode configuration comprises:

two EOG electrodes, which identify eye movements.

6. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the arrangement for carrying out electrode measurements comprises:

different sizes of matrix electrode configurations to fit different head sizes of patients.

7. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the arrangement for carrying out electrode measurements comprises:

at least two reference electrodes and at least two ground electrodes, and wherein when measuring, an electrode combination can be selected between the at least two reference electrodes and the at least two ground electrodes to produce the measurement data.

8. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the arrangement for carrying out electrode measurements comprises:

a spiral matrix electrode configuration.

9. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the arrangement for carrying out electrode measurements is MRI and CT imaging compatible.

10. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

at least the matrix electrode configuration packed into a package, on an outside of which can be seen dimensioning indicators provided for ensuring a correct matrix electrode configuration size without opening the package.

11. A method for carrying out electrode measurements on a surface of a skin of a patient'"'"'s head for recording electrical activity of the brain, the method, comprising:

placing a matrix electrode configuration on the surface of the skin of the patient head, wherein the matrix electrode configuration comprising;

a body part of non-conductive material conforming to contours of the surface of the skin, and which includes electrodes for producing measurement data connected to the body part,

an electrode placement configuration for maintaining mutual placements of the electrodes with respect to one another,

an electroconductive active attachment surface located between the electrodes and the surface of the skin for forming an electroconductive attachment contact between the electrodes and the surface of the skin for transmitting measurable signals from the patient'"'"'s head to the electrodes through the electroconductive active attachment surface to produce measurement data, the electroconductive active attachment surface including hydrogel or other electroconductive adhesive material which adheres to the skin in order to form a stable and essentially interference-free attachment contact between the electrodes and the surface of the skin,

an electrode configuration of spiral structure being in contact with hairless skin areas through the electroconductive active attachment layer, and

a grounding layer formed completely or partly over the body part to prevent external electrical interference by isolating the grounding layer with an isolation layer from the electroconductive active attachment surface and a means for transmitting the measurement data;

transmitting the measurement data connected to the body part to a measurement data unit;

receiving the measurement data on the measurement data unit and processing the measurement data.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the body part comprises:

an electrode placement configuration for maintaining the mutual placements of the electrodes with respect to one another for easy attachment of the matrix sensor construction in the hairless skin areas of the patient'"'"'s head by means of the active attachment surface, each electrode attaching to a measuring point in the hairless skin areas of the head.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the electroconductive active attachment surface comprises:

an electroconductive surface and a non-conductive surface.

14. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the arrangement for carrying out electrode measurements comprises:

at least one electrode attached in the patient'"'"'s chest area for carrying out cardiac measurements.

15. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the matrix electrode configuration comprises:

two EOG electrodes, which identify eye movements.

16. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the arrangement for carrying out electrode measurements comprises:

fitting different sizes of matrix electrode configurations to different head sizes of patients.

17. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the arrangement for carrying out electrode measurements comprises:

at least two reference electrodes and at least two ground electrodes; and

when measuring, selecting an electrode combination between the at least two reference electrodes and at least two ground electrodes to produce the measurement data.

18. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the arrangement for carrying out electrode measurements comprises:

a spiral matrix electrode configuration.

19. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the arrangement for carrying out electrode measurements is MRI and CT imaging compatible.

20. The method as claimed in claim 11, comprising:

at least the matrix electrode configuration packed into a package, on an outside of which can be seen dimensioning indicators provided for ensuring a correct matrix electrode configuration size without opening the package.