Electrode for, and method of, indicating signal characteristics at particular positions in a patient's body
First Claim
1. In combination for producing signals indicative of body characteristics of a patient,a first material having properties of generating heat when exposed to air and becoming porous when heated, anda second material having properties of conducting heat and electricity,the first material being constructed to be disposed on the patient'"'"'s skin to become heated and to heat the patient'"'"'s skin when the first material becomes exposed to air,the patient'"'"'s skin having properties of becoming porous when heated,the first material being constructed to be attached to the patient'"'"'s skin to become porous and heat the patient'"'"'s skin and to open pores in the patient'"'"'s skin, when heated, for passage of ions through the opened pores in the patient'"'"'s skin and through the first material to obtain a generation of an electrical current in the second material.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A chadd disposed on a patient'"'"'s skin generates heat at a substantially constant temperature for an extended period of time (e.g., hours and days) when exposed to air. The chadd becomes porous when heated and produces a porosity in the patient'"'"'s skin as a result of the heat generation to pass ions through the pores in patient'"'"'s skin to a layer disposed on the chadd. The layer (e.g., silver or silver chloride) has properties of converting the ions to electrons. The electrons pass to an electrical lead disposed on the layer. The electrical lead passes an electrical signal (produced from the electrons) to a terminal. An amplifier connected to the terminal amplifies the signal without changing the characteristics of the signal and without producing noise.
27 Citations
56 Claims
-
1. In combination for producing signals indicative of body characteristics of a patient,
a first material having properties of generating heat when exposed to air and becoming porous when heated, and a second material having properties of conducting heat and electricity, the first material being constructed to be disposed on the patient'"'"'s skin to become heated and to heat the patient'"'"'s skin when the first material becomes exposed to air, the patient'"'"'s skin having properties of becoming porous when heated, the first material being constructed to be attached to the patient'"'"'s skin to become porous and heat the patient'"'"'s skin and to open pores in the patient'"'"'s skin, when heated, for passage of ions through the opened pores in the patient'"'"'s skin and through the first material to obtain a generation of an electrical current in the second material.
-
12. In a combination for producing signals indicative of body characteristics of a patient at a particular position,
a first material having characteristics of being oxidized and becoming porous when exposed to air to generate heat at a particular temperature as a result of the air exposure and to expose the pores of the patient'"'"'s skin and the first material for the passage of ions through the patient'"'"'s skin and the first material at a particular position on the patient'"'"'s body, a wrapper disposed around the first material to prevent the first material from being exposed to air and from being oxidized at the particular position on the patient'"'"'s body, and a second material having characteristics of electrical and heat conductivity, the second material having first and second surfaces and being juxtaposed to the first material at the first surface and being operative to convert the flow of the ions through the patient'"'"'s skin and the first material to an electrical signal when the first material becomes unwrapped from the wrapper and wherein at least a portion of the wrapper is removable from the first material to expose the first material to air at the particular position on the patient'"'"'s body.
-
19. A method of producing signals having characteristics indicative of body characteristics of a patient at a particular position on the patient'"'"'s body, including the steps of:
-
providing a chadd for disposition on the patient'"'"'s skin at the particular position on the patient'"'"'s body, the chadd having properties of opening pores in the chadd when the chadd becomes heated, and generating heat in the chadd to open the pores in the patient'"'"'s skin and the chadd at the particular position and provide for the passage of ions through the pores in the patient'"'"'s skin and pores in the chadd, and providing an electrode on the chadd to convert the ions to an electrical signal. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
-
-
25. A method of producing signals having characteristics indicative of body characteristics of a patient at a particular position on a patient'"'"'s body, including the steps of:
-
providing a chadd having properties of becoming oxidized when exposed to air, the chadd being wrapped to prevent the chadd from being oxidized, unwrapping the chadd to provide for the oxidation of the chadd, disposing the unwrapped chadd at the particular position on the patient'"'"'s body, exposing the unwrapped chadd to air to provide for a heating of the chadd and the patient'"'"'s skin and an opening of pores in the chadd and the patient'"'"'s skin and a flow of ions in the skin through the pores in the patient'"'"'s skin and the chadd, and providing the unwrapped chadd on the patient'"'"'s skin to heat the patient'"'"'s body at the particular position and open the pores in the patient'"'"'s skin for the flow of ions through the pores in the patient'"'"'s skin at the particular position, and providing a layer on the chadd to convert the flow of ions through the patient'"'"'s skin and the chadd to an electrical signal. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
-
-
32. A method of producing signals having characteristics indicative of body characteristics of a patient at a particular position on the patient'"'"'s body, including the steps of:
-
providing a chadd at the particular position on the patient'"'"'s body, the chadd having characteristics of becoming porous and of producing pores in the patient'"'"'s skin and of passing ions from the pores in the patient'"'"'s skin through the pores in the chadd, when the chadd is heated, providing a layer on the chadd with characteristics of converting the ions in the pores in the chadd to an electrical signal, and providing an electrical lead on the layer with characteristics of passing the electrical signal converted by the layer. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
-
-
42. In combination for producing signals indicative of body characteristics of a patient at a particular position in the patient'"'"'s body,
a chadd constructed to be disposed on the patient'"'"'s skin at the particular position in the patient'"'"'s body and constructed to be oxidized, and to provide ions in the oxidation, when exposed to air, a layer of a material disposed on the chadd and having properties of producing electrons responsive to the ions from the chadd, and an electrical lead disposed on the layer and having properties of producing an electrical signal in response to the electrons produced in the layer.
-
51. In combination for producing signals indicative of body characteristics of a patient at a particular position in the patient'"'"'s body,
a chadd constructed to be disposed on the patient'"'"'s skin at the particular position in the patient'"'"'s body and constructed to be oxidized when exposed to air, the chadd having openings for exposure to air to generate heat for increasing the temperature of the chadd, when the chadd is exposed to air, for making the chadd and the patient'"'"'s skin porous at the particular position to obtain the flow of ions in the patient'"'"'s body through the patient'"'"'s skin and the chadd at the particular position, and a layer of an electrically conductive material on the chadd for converting the ions to electrons indicative of the ions passing to the layer.
Specification