EEG electrode and EEG electrode locator assembly

• US 6,640,122 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2001
• Issued: 10/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Advanced Brain Monitoring
• Original Assignee: Advanced Brain Monitoring
• Inventors: Davis, Eugene F., Manoli, Samir, Berka, Christine, Levendowski, Daniel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): COHEN, LEE S
• Application Number:
  US09/900,988
• Publication Number:
  US 20010044573A1
• Time in Patent Office: 841 Days
• Field of Search: 600/383, 600/390, 600/393, 600/395-397, 600/544, 600/372, 607/139, 607/153
• US Class Current: 600/383
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/291 for electroencephalography [EEG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6803 Head-worn items, e.g. helmets, masks, headphones or goggles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6804 Garments; Clothes

Abstract

The EEG electrode and EEG electrode locator assembly may be used in combination with an EEG electrode locator headgear including a plurality of locator straps connectable to one or more of the EEG electrode locators that form an electrode locator assembly with the EEG electrode, for accurately positioning one or more of the EEG electrodes relative to the user'"'"'s scalp, and for biasing the plurality of electrodes toward the user'"'"'s scalp. The EEG electrode is adapted to be received in and cooperate with an EEG electrode locator ring, to form the electrode locator assembly. The EEG electrode includes a dispenser assembly adapted to dispense an electrically conductive gel onto the user'"'"'s scalp to prepare the user'"'"'s scalp. The dispenser assembly includes a base member and a porous foam pad lower cover to provide padding for a comfortable scalp interface, absorbs the conductive gel to maintain a consistent volume of gel between the electrode base and scalp, and for conducting EEG signals from the scalp of the user to a corresponding electrode locator ring for communication to an EEG monitor.

Claims

1. An electroencephalograph (EEG) electrode locator assembly for use in combination with an EEG electrode locator headgear for accurate positioning of the EEG electrode locator assembly on the scalp of a user, the EEG electrode assembly comprising:

an EEG electrode locator member adapted to be mounted to EEG electrode locator headgear;

an EEG electrode received in and removably coupled with the EEG electrode locator member, so as to be removably electrically coupled to the EEG electrode locator headgear, the EEG electrode having an electrically conductive base for electrical communication with the scalp of a user for detecting EEG signals of the user; and

a porous foam pad attached to the EEG electrode base, wherein the EEG electrode base includes a housing and a surface, the housing defining a chamber for containing and dispensing an electrically conductive gel, and the surface defining a lower gel dispenser opening for dispensing the electrically conductive gel;

wherein the EEG electrode base has a surface defining a lower annular channel with an interior shoulder having a plurality of inwardly projecting tabs, and further comprising a bottom connector ring received in the lower annular channel of the EEG electrode base, the bottom connector ring having a plurality of slots corresponding to the inwardly projecting tabs of the EEG electrode base, for removably receiving and mating with the inwardly projecting tabs of the EEG electrode base, an annular groove being formed between the bottom connector ring and the housing of the EEG electrode base, an edge portion of the porous foam pad being removably received in the annular groove, whereby the porous foam pad is removably coupled to the EEG electrode base, and can be removed from the EEG electrode base and replaced by another porous foam pad by removing and replacing the bottom connector ring.

2. An electroencephalograph (EEG) electrode locator assembly for use in combination with an EEG electrode locator headgear for accurate positioning of the EEG electrode locator assembly on the scalp of a user, the EEG electrode assembly comprising:

an EEG electrode locator member adapted to be mounted to EEG electrode locator headgear; and

an EEG electrode received in and removably coupled with the EEG electrode locator member, so as to be removably electrically coupled to the EEG electrode locator headgear, the EEG electrode having an electrically conductive base for electrical communication with the scalp of a user for detecting EEG signals of the user, wherein the EEG electrode base includes a housing defining a chamber for containing and dispensing an electrically conductive gel;

wherein the EEG electrode base housing includes an upper, outer radial flange, with a plurality of slots formed in the housing and the outer radial flange, and an outer radial groove connected to each of the slots in the housing, for receiving and mating with a corresponding plurality of inner mounting tabs on the electrode locator member, respectively, for removably coupling the EEG electrode to the EEG electrode locator member.

3. An electroencephalograph (EEG) electrode locator assembly for use in combination with an EEG electrode locator headgear for accurate positioning of the EEG electrode locator assembly on the scalp of a user, the EEG electrode assembly comprising:

an EEG electrode locator member adapted to be mounted to EEG electrode locator headgear; and

an EEG electrode received in and removably coupled with the EEG electrode locator member, so as to be removably electrically coupled to the EEG electrode locator headgear, the EEG electrode having an electrically conductive base for electrical communication with the scalp of a user for detecting EEG signals of the user, said EEG electrode including a flexible gel fill cap, the flexible gel fill cap having a lower outer radial flange mounted to an upper outer radial flange of the EEG electrode base, wherein the EEG electrode base includes a housing defining a chamber for containing and dispensing an electrically conductive gel.

4. The EEG electrode locator assembly of claim 3, wherein the flexible gel fill cap includes an upper gel fill port, through which the electrically conductive gel may be introduced into the EEG electrode gel chamber.

5. The EEG electrode locator assembly of claim 3, wherein the flexible gel fill cap is formed of a flexible, resilient material.

6. The EEG electrode locator assembly of claim 3, wherein the flexible gel fill cap comprises an interior plunger portion for dispensing the conductive gel from the EEG electrode gel chamber.

7. An electroencephalograph (EEG) electrode for use in combination with an EEG electrode locator and an EEG electrode locator headgear for accurate positioning of the EEG electrode on the scalp of a user, the EEG electrode comprising:

an electrically conductive EEG electrode base for electrical communication with the scalp of a user for detecting EEG signals of the user, the EEG electrode receivable in and adapted to be removably coupled with the EEG electrode locator, so as to be removably electrically coupled to the EEG electrode locator headgear;

further comprising a porous foam pad attached to the EEG electrode base;

wherein the EEG electrode base includes a housing defining a chamber for containing and dispensing an electrically conductive gel; and

wherein the housing of the EEG electrode base has a surface defining a lower gel dispenser opening for dispensing the electrically conductive gel;

wherein the EEG electrode base has a surface defining a lower annular channel with an interior shoulder having a plurality of inwardly projecting tabs, and further comprising a bottom connector ring received in the lower annular channel of the EEG electrode base, the bottom connector ring having a plurality of slots corresponding to the inwardly projecting tabs of the EEG electrode base, an annular groove being formed between the bottom connector ring and the housing of the EEG electrode base, an edge portion of the porous foam pad being removably received in the annular groove, whereby the porous foam pad is removably coupled to the EEG electrode base, and can be removed from the EEG electrode base and replaced by another porous foam pad by removing and replacing the bottom connector ring.

8. An electroencephalograph (EEG) electrode for use in combination with an EEG electrode locator and an EEG electrode locator headgear for accurate positioning of the EEG electrode on the scalp of a user, the EEG electrode comprising:

an electrically conductive EEG electrode base for electrical communication with the scalp of a user for detecting EEG signals of the user, the EEG electrode receivable in and adapted to be removably coupled with the EEG electrode locator, so as to be removably electrically coupled to the EEG electrode locator headgear, wherein the EEG electrode base includes a housing defining a chamber for containing and dispensing an electrically conductive gel,

wherein the EEG electrode base housing includes an upper, outer radial flange, with a plurality of slots formed in the housing and the outer radial flange, and an outer radial groove connected to each of the slots in the housing, for receiving and mating with a corresponding plurality of inner mounting tabs on the electrode locator member, respectively, for removably coupling the EEG electrode to the EEG electrode locator member.

9. An electroencephalograph (EEG) electrode for use in combination with an EEG electrode locator and an EEG electrode locator headgear for accurate positioning of the EEG electrode on the scalp of a user, the EEG electrode comprising:

an electrically conductive EEG electrode base for electrical communication with the scalp of a user for detecting EEG signals of the user, the EEG electrode receivable in and adapted to be removably coupled with the EEG electrode locator, so as to be removably electrically coupled to the EEG electrode locator headgear, wherein the EEG electrode base includes a housing defining a chamber for containing and dispensing an electrically conductive gel; and

a flexible gel fill cap, the flexible gel fill cap having a lower outer radial flange mounted to an upper outer radial flange of the EEG electrode base.

10. The EEG electrode of claim 9, wherein the flexible gel fill cap includes an upper gel fill port, through which the electrically conductive gel may be introduced into the EEG electrode gel chamber.

11. The EEG electrode of claim 9, wherein the flexible gel fill cap is formed of a flexible, resilient material.

12. The EEG electrode of claim 9, wherein the flexible gel fill cap comprises an interior plunger portion for dispensing the conductive gel from the EEG electrode gel chamber.

13. An electroencephalograph (EEG) electrode comprising:

a conductive base member comprising a top surface and a bottom surface, said base member forming a chamber between the top surface and the bottom surface, said chamber configured to contain an electrically conductive gel;

a porous foam pad coupled to the bottom surface of the base member; and

a flexible gel fill cap coupled to the top surface of the conductive base member, said flexible gel fill cap in communication with the chamber, wherein said flexible gel fill cap is configured to receive the conductive gel.

14. The EEG electrode of claim 13 further comprising a bottom connector ring that is coupled to the conductive base member and secures the foam pad to the bottom surface of the conductive base member.

15. The EEG electrode of claim 14 further comprising an upper cap that is coupled to the top surface of the conductive base member and secures the flexible gel fill cap to the conductive base member.

16. The EEG electrode of claim 15, wherein the upper cap and the flexible gel fill cap are removably coupled to the top surface of the conductive base member.

17. The EEG electrode of claim 15, wherein the upper cap is configured for gripping and turning the cap.

18. The EEG electrode of claim 17, wherein the upper cap has a surface defining opposing outer indentations for gripping and turning the upper cap.

19. The EEG electrode of claim 14, wherein the bottom connector ring is removably coupled to the conductive base member.

20. The EEG electrode of claim 14, wherein the flexible gel fill cap comprises a flexible and resilient material capable of compression and inversion for dispensing the conductive gel through a pump action.

21. The EEG electrode of claim 13, wherein the EEG electrode is disposable.

22. The EEG electrode of claim 13, wherein the flexible gel fill cap comprises an upper gel fill port through which the electrically conductive gel may be introduced into the chamber of the conductive base member.

23. The EEG electrode of claim 13, wherein the bottom surface of the conductive base member has an opening for dispensing the conductive gel from the chamber.

24. The EEG electrode of claim 13, wherein the EEG electrode is adapted to be mounted to an EEG electrode locator.

25. The EEG electrode of claim 13, wherein the EEG electrode is removably coupled with an EEG electrode locator.

26. The EEG electrode of claim 25, wherein the electrode locator is adapted to be removably electrically coupled to an EEG headgear, the EEG electrode adapted to be in electrical communication with the scalp of a user such that EEG signals of the user are detected by the EEG electrode.

27. The EEG electrode of claim 25, wherein the EEG electrode is electrically coupled to the EEG electrode locator by a removable electrically conductive ring, said electrically conductive ring having a central opening adapted to receive the EEG electrode.

28. The EEG electrode of claim 25, wherein the EEG electrode locator has a surface defining a plurality of slots adapted for receiving at least one locator strap.

29. The EEG electrode of claim 28, further comprising a locator strap fitted through the plurality of slots.

30. The EEG electrode of claim 25, wherein the EEG electrode locator comprises means for connecting with an electrical connector.

31. The EEG electrode of claim 25, wherein the EEG electrode locator is removably coupled to an EEG headgear.