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Medical electrode and method

  • US 5,520,683 A
  • Filed: 05/16/1994
  • Issued: 05/28/1996
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/16/1994
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A low impedance medical electrode for use in defibrillation electrocautery and electrosurgery and for use with a power supply for providing a more uniform current distribution for contacting an exposed surface of skin of a living body of a patient comprising a flexible carrier layer formed of an insulating material, a layer of conductive material carried by the carrier layer, said layer of conductive material being separated into at least two segments with a space therebetween so that the two segments are electrically isolated from each other, a continuous layer of hydrogel material containing an electrolyte overlying said segments and being disposed in said space, said hydrogel material having a bulk resistivity of less than 250 ohm centimeters and connector means connected to the segments and adapted to be connected to the power supply whereby substantially equal current flow can be achieved from each segment through the skin of the patient without sharp transitions in current flow between the segments and the space between the segments, said connector means including at least one resistor having a resistivity of no greater than approximately 9.5 ohms for controlling the flow of current in one segment with respect to the other segment.

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