Disposable electrode

• US 3,901,218 A
• Filed: 10/26/1973
• Issued: 08/26/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Martin Buchalter
• Original Assignee: Martin Buchalter
• Inventors: Buchalter, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaudet, Richard A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cohen, Lee S.
• Application Number:
  US05/409,884
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• Field of Search: 128/2.6E,2.1E,DIG.4,417,418,404,172.1,410,411
• US Class Current: 600/392
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/25 Bioelectric electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/257 using adhesive means, e.g. adhesive pads or tapes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/274 using snap or button fasteners

Abstract

The disposable medical electrode includes a disk formed of a semi-rigid plastic material having a recessed embossment located centrally thereof. A metallic electrical contact is mounted on the disk centrally of the embossment and has portions thereof located on both sides of the disk. An absorbent pad positioned in the recessed embossment has absorbed therein an electrically conductive gel for forming an electrical contact between the patient on whom the electrode is positioned and the electrical contact thereby to permit electrical signals from the patient to be detected with the electrode by appropriate electrical equipment connected thereto. The disk has an adhesive applied thereto for firmly securing the electrode to the patient'"'"''"'"'s skin.

Claims

1. A disposable medical electrode comprising a disk of hard semi-rigid material having a recessed embossment formed centrally thereof and opening towards the side of the disk to be secured to a patient and a flat peripheral flange completely surrounding the embossment for securing the disk to the patient, a metallic electrical contact mounted on said disk centrally of said recessed embossment and having portions thereof located on opposite sides of said embossment, and an absorbent pad positioned in and substantially filling said recessed embossment, said pad being in electrical contact with said metallic electrical contact and having absorbed therein an electrically conductive gel;

said flat peripheral flange having a flat outer surface surrounding said recess on said one side of the disk, said flat surface having an adhesive coating thereon; and

a carrier sheet formed of a plastic sheet material having a release coating thereon engaged and releasably secured to the entire flat surface of said peripheral flange on said one side of the disk, covering the recess and pad therein and sealing said recess about the entire periphery thereof on said one side of the disk whereby the pad and gel in the recess are protected and sealed therein with a vapor barrier on all sides thereof formed by said disk and carrier sheet to prevent evaporation of gel in the recess prior to use of the disk, said adhesive coating on the flat surface of said peripheral flange serving to adhere the disk to the patient when in use.

2. The electrode as defined in claim 1 wherein said absorbent pad is a sponge.

3. The electrode as defined in claim 2 wherein said disk is circular in plan and said recessed embossment is generally cylindrical in shape having an open end opening towards said one side of said disk.

4. The electrode as defined in claim 2 wherein said electrical contact member comprises a two section contact having a first section located in said recessed embossment on said one side of said disk including an extension pin extending through said disk to the opposite side thereof and a second section located on the opposite side of said disk including a female extension receiving said extension pin in mating engagement to form an electrical connection therebetween, said absorbent pad and gel tHerein being positioned in contact with said first section of said contact member to provide electrical communication therebetween.

5. The electrode as defined in claim 2 wherein said disk is circular in plan and said recessed embossment is generally square in plan, having an open end opening towards said one side of said disk.

6. The electrode as defined in claim 1 wheein said release coating is a silicone release coating.

7. A disposable medical electrode comprising, in combination, a circular support disk formed of a semi-rigid hard plastic material, said disk having an embossed recess formed at a central portion of the disk opening towards one side of said disk whereby the opposite side of said disk has a raised central portion formed therein, said disk having an aperture therein at the center of said recess and a flat peripheral flange completely surrounding the embossment for securing the disk to the patient;

a two-piece electrical contact member secured to said raised central portion of the disk including a first contact piece located in said recess on said one side of the disk including an extension pin extending through said apertures and a second contact piece located on the opposite side of said disk including a female extension member receiving and mating with said extension member of said first contact piece to form an electrical connection therebetween; and

an absorbent sponge positioned in said recess in contact with said first contact piece, said sponge having absorbed therein an electrically conductive gel whereby, when said one side of the electrode is secured to a patient with said sponge in contact with the patient'"'"''"'"'s skin, an electrical connection is formed between the skin and said second contact piece thereby to permit electrical signals from the patient to be detected;

said flat peripheral flange having a flat outer surface surrounding said recess on said one side of the disk, said flat surface having an adhesive coating thereon;

a carrier sheet formed of a plastic sheet material having a silicone release coating thereon engaged and releasably secured to said adhesive coating on the entire flat surface of said peripheral flange, said carrier sheet extending across the entire recess and covering said recess and sponge therein thereby sealing said recess about the entire periphery thereof on said one side of the disk whereby the pad and gel in the recess are protected and sealed therein with a vapor barrier formed on all sides thereof by said disk and carrier sheet to prevent evaporation of gel in the recess prior to use of the disk, said adhesive coating on the flat surface of said peripheral flange serving to adhere the disk to the patient when the disk is in use.

8. The electrode as defined in claim 7 wherein said embossed recess is generally circular in plan.

9. The electrode as defined in claim 7 wherein said embossed recess is square in plan.