Electrode construction, assembly thereof, package therefor and method

• US 5,452,718 A
• Filed: 11/26/1993
• Issued: 09/26/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Physiometrix, Inc. (Pfizer Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Physiometrix, Inc. (Pfizer Inc.)
• Inventors: Clare, Christopher R., Highe, Albert J., Imran, Mir A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamm, William E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Getzow, Scott M.
• Application Number:
  US08/159,798
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• Field of Search: 128/639, 128/640, 607/152, 607/115, 439/909, 439/846, 439/843, 439/859, 439/860
• US Class Current: 600/396
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0217 Electrolyte containing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0017 transmitting optical signals transmission by light H04B10/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/291 for electroencephalography [EEG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6814 Head
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/909 Medical use or attached to human body

Abstract

An electrode construction comprising a support structure, a conductive electrode material carried by the support structure and having a length and a width and having proximal and distal extremities, said support structure including a compliant sleeve having an open end and surrounding the distal extremity of the conductive electrode material while permitting the conductive electrode material to protrude through the open end, and conductive contact means making contact with the proximal extremity of the conductive electrode material.

Claims

1. An electrode construction comprising a support structure, a conductive electrode material carried by the support structure and having a length and a width and having proximal and distal extremities, said support structure including a compliant sleeve having an open end and surrounding the distal extremity of the conductive electrode material while permitting the conductive electrode material to protrude through the open end, and conductive contact means making contact with the proximal extremity of the conductive electrode material, said support structure including a flexible substrate having first and second surfaces, said substrate being formed of at least a layer of conductive material for providing said second surface, said compliant sleeve being adherent to the second surface of said substrate, said sleeve having a recess therein which extends from the open end to said second surface, said conductive material being disposed in the said recess and serving as said second surface.

2. An electrode construction as in claim 1 wherein said substrate is provided with at least one tab extending outwardly from the sleeve and being accessible from the exterior of the sleeve.

3. An electrode construction as in claim 2 wherein said substrate includes a layer of conductive material.

4. An electrode construction as in claim 2 wherein said at least one tab is formed of a material permitting the tab to be bent at a substantially right angle.

5. An electrode construction of claim 1 wherein four tabs are provided that are spaced apart circumferentially by 90°

.

6. An electrode construction as in claim 1 wherein said support structure includes a base being disposed adjacent to the first surface of the substrate.

7. An electrode construction as in claim 6 wherein said base and sleeve are formed of the same material.

8. An electrode construction as in claim 7 wherein said base and sleeve are formed of a thermoplastic elastomeric composition.

9. A socket assembly for use with a cylindrical electrode construction having flexible extending tabs extending outwardly therefrom, first and second mating parts formed of an insulating material and having aligned bores extending therethrough adapted to receive the electrode construction, a conductive ring carried by the first and second parts and circumscribing at least one of the bores in the first and second parts, a conductive cable extending through the first and second parts and having a plurality of conductors and means forming a connection between one of said conductors and said conductive ring.

10. A socket assembly as in claim 9 together with a strip of elastic material secured between the first and second parts.

11. A combination of a socket assembly and an electrode construction, the socket assembly comprising first and second mating parts having aligned bores extending therethrough, a conductive ring carried by the first and second parts and being circumferentially disposed about at least one of the bores and being accessible from the aligned bores, a cable extending into the socket assembly having at least one conductor and means for connecting said at least one conductor to said conductive ring, said electrode construction comprising a flexible substrate having first and second surfaces and being formed of at least a layer of conductive material providing said second surface, a support structure carried by said flexible surface substrate, said support structure being formed of an insulating material and providing a compliant sleeve having an open end with a recess extending form the open end to the layer of conductive material, a conductive electrode material disposed within the recess and making contact with the layer of conductive material and being accessible from the open end of the sleeve, said substrate having at least one tab extending outwardly from the sleeve, said electrode construction being slidably mounted in said aligned bores and said at least one tab being bent in a direction so that it extends generally parallel to the sleeve and makes contact with the conductive ring in the socket assembly.

12. A combination as in claim 11 together with an elastic strip disposed between the first and second parts.

13. An electrode construction assembly comprising a flexible substrate having first and second surfaces, said substrate being formed of at least a layer of conductive material providing said second surface, a plurality of cut-outs provided in said substrate, said cut-outs being formed so that there is provided a substantially circumscribed central area with transversely extending areas extending between the cut-outs and being in communication with the central area, a compliant body of material bonded to the first and second surfaces overlying and underlying each circumscribed area but being free of the outwardly extending portions, a recess formed in each compliant body and serving to provide a compliant sleeve having an open end, conductive electrode material disposed in the recesses in the compliant sleeves and making contact with the conductive layer and extending through the open ends of the sleeves.

14. An assembly as in claim 13 wherein said flexible substrate is in the form of an elongate strip and wherein said compliant masses are disposed longitudinally of the strip.

15. In a method for manufacturing an electrode construction assembly, providing a flexible substrate having first and second surfaces with the substrate being formed of at least a layer of conductive material for providing the second surface, forming a plurality of sets of cut-outs in the substrate with each of the set of cut-outs providing a circumscribed central area at least one transversely extending area extending between the cut-outs, forming a body of compliant material on the first and second surfaces overlying and underlying the circumscribed area but being free of the at least one transversely extending area, forming a recess in the compliant body which opens to the conductive layer to provide a compliant sleeve having an open end, filling the recesses with a conductive electrode material so that it makes contact with the layer of conductive material and extends out of the open end of the sleeve.

16. A method as in claim 15 together with the step of separating the compliant mass from the flexible substrate at the cut-outs so that there remains the transversely extending area to provide a tab extending from the compliant mass.

17. A method as in claim 15 together with the step of cutting the flexible substrate into strips with each of the strips having a plurality of the compliant mass thereon.

18. A package comprising a plurality of electrode constructions, each electrode construction comprising a flexible substrate having first and second surfaces, said substrate being formed of at least a layer of conductive material providing said second surface, a support structure mounted on the substrate and providing a compliant sleeve having an open end, a conductive electrode material disposed in the sleeve and protruding through the open end of the sleeve and in contact with the layer of conductive material providing said second surface and an openable enclosure having an interior enclosing said plurality of electrode constructions and engaging the substrates of the electrode constructions to support the electrode construction so that the conductive electrode material of the electrode construction is out of contact with the interior of the enclosure.

19. A package as in claim 18 wherein said substrate includes outwardly extending tabs and wherein said means engaging the substrate to support the electrode constructions includes means for supporting said outwardly extending tabs.

20. A combination of a socket assembly and an electrode construction, the socket assembly comprising first and second mating parts having first and second aligned bores extending therethrough, said first part having an annular recess therein opening into said first bore and providing an annular shoulder, a conductive ring carried by the first and second parts and circumferentially disposed about the first bore and opening into the annular recess and being accessible through the annular recess, a cable extending into the socket assembly having at least one conductor and means for connecting said at least one conductor to said conductive ring, said electrode construction comprising a flexible substrate having first and second surfaces and being formed of at least a layer of conductive material providing said second surface, a support structure carried by said flexible substrate, said support structure being formed of an insulating material and providing a compliant sleeve having an open end with a recess extending from the open end to the layer of conductive material, a conductive electrode material disposed within the recess and making contact with the layer of conductive material and being accessible from the open end of the sleeve, said substrate having at least two tabs extending outwardly and radially of the sleeve, said electrode construction being slidably mounted in a forward direction through the first bore and into the second bore so that said at least two tabs are bent in a direction away from and generally parallel to the sleeve with the distal extremities of the tabs being disposed in the annular recess and engaging the annular shoulder so that the electrode construction is retained in a position in the socket assembly so that it can only move in a forward direction and cannot move in a rearward direction.