Biomedical sensors usable on un-prepared contact surfaces

• US 8,626,259 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2010
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rhode Island Board of education (STATE OF RHODE ISLAND)
• Original Assignee: State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
• Inventors: Besio, Walter G
• Primary Examiner(s): Cohen, Lee S
• Application Number:
  US12/908,065
• Publication Number:
  US 20110054288A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,175 Days
• Field of Search: 600/383, 600/544, 600/393
• US Class Current: 600/383
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/291 for electroencephalography [EEG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6843 Monitoring or controlling sensor contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/685 Microneedles

Abstract

A biomedical sensor is disclosed that provides at least first and second electrical nodes for connection to medical equipment. The biomedical sensor includes a plurality of protruding electrodes that extend from a common base. At least one of the protruding electrodes is coupled to the first electrical node, and at least two of the protruding electrodes are coupled to the second electrical node. At least one of the plurality of protruding electrodes is adjustable in length such that each of the plurality of protruding electrodes is adapted to contact a non-planar surface of a subject.

Claims

1. A biomedical sensor providing at least first, second and third electrical nodes for connection to medical equipment, said biomedical sensor comprising a plurality of protruding electrodes that extend from a common base, at least one of said protruding electrodes being coupled to the first electrical node, and at least two of said protruding electrodes being coupled to the second electrical node, at least one of said plurality of protruding electrodes being adjustable in length such that each of said plurality of protruding electrodes is adapted to contact a non-planar surface of a subject, said second and third electrical nodes being arranged in a functionally polar configuration to facilitate the determination of Laplacian voltage potentials Δ

ν

₀ at the first electrical node, wherein said third electrical node is provided by an outermost ring of conductors having a radius r that is employed to sense an outer region so as to provide a shielding function that prioritizes only signals below the biomedical sensor, wherein the shielding function is provided by using the approximation

2. The biomedical sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one of said plurality of protruding electrodes that is adjustable in length is spring biased in an extended position.

3. The biomedical sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of protruding electrodes is spring biased in an extended position.

4. The biomedical sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein said plurality of protruding electrodes are spaced from one another such that the protruding electrodes are adapted to contact a surface of a subject without interference by material that is attached to the contacting surface of the subject.

5. The biomedical sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least two of said protruding electrodes that are coupled to the second electrical node surround said at least one of said protruding electrodes that is coupled to the first electrical node.

6. A biomedical sensor providing at least first, second and third electrical nodes for connection to medical equipment, said biomedical sensor comprising a plurality of protruding electrodes that extend from a common base, at least one of said protruding electrodes being coupled to the first electrical node, and at least two of said protruding electrodes being coupled to the second electrical node, said plurality of protruding electrodes being spaced from one another such that the protruding electrodes are adapted to contact a surface of a subject without interference by material that is attached to the contacting surface of the subject, said second and third electrical nodes being arranged in a functionally polar configuration wherein said polar configuration includes an outer ring of connected protruding electrodes having a radius r that provides a shielding function to facilitate the determination of voltage potentials at the first electrical node, wherein said third electrical node is provided by the outer ring of connected protruding electrodes that are employed to sense an outer region such that a shielding function is provided that prioritizes only signals below the biomedical sensor, wherein the shielding function is provided by using the approximation

7. The biomedical sensor as claimed in claim 6, wherein said plurality of protruding electrodes are adjustable in length such that each of said plurality of protruding electrodes may contact a non-planar surface.

8. The biomedical sensor as claimed in claim 6, wherein said at least two of said protruding electrodes that are coupled to the second electrical node surround said at least one of said protruding electrodes that is coupled to the first electrical node.

9. The biomedical sensor as claimed in claim 8, wherein said third electrical node includes at least four protruding electrodes.

10. The biomedical sensor as claimed in claim 9, wherein at least one of said protruding electrodes includes a hydrogel.

11. A biomedical sensor providing at least first, second and third electrical nodes for connection to medical equipment, said biomedical sensor comprising a plurality of protruding electrodes that extend from a common base, at least one of said protruding electrodes being coupled to the first electrical node, at least one of said protruding electrodes being coupled to the second electrical node, and at least one protruding electrode being coupled to the third electrical node, said plurality of protruding electrodes being spaced from one another such that the protruding electrodes are adapted to contact a surface of a subject without interference by material that is attached to the contacting surface of the subject, said first, second and third electrical nodes being arranged in a functionally tri-polar configuration to facilitate the determination of Laplacian voltage potentials Δ

ν

₀ at the first electrical node, wherein said third electrical node includes an outer ring of protruding conductors having a radius r that are employed to sense an outer region so as to provide a shielding function that prioritizes only signals below the biomedical sensor, wherein the shielding function is provided by using the approximation

12. The biomedical sensor as claimed in claim 11, wherein said plurality of protruding electrodes are adjustable in length such that each of said plurality of protruding electrodes may contact a non-planar surface.

13. The biomedical sensor as claimed in claim 11, wherein said plurality of protruding electrodes includes at least five protruding electrodes that are each coupled to an independent electrical node.

14. A biomedical sensor providing at least first, second and third electrical nodes for connection to medical equipment, said biomedical sensor comprising a plurality of protruding electrodes that extend from a common base, at least one of said protruding electrodes being coupled to the first electrical node, at least one of said protruding electrodes being coupled to the second electrical node, and at least one protruding electrode being coupled to the third electrical node, at least one of said plurality of protruding electrodes being adjustable in length such that each of said plurality of protruding electrodes is adapted to contact a non-planar surface of a subject, said first, second and third electrical nodes being arranged in a functionally tri-polar configuration wherein said tri-polar configuration includes an outer ring of connected protruding electrodes having a radius r that provides a shielding function to facilitate the determination of voltage potentials at the first electrical node, wherein said third electrical node is provided by the outer ring of connected protruding electrodes that are employed to sense an outer region such that the shielding function prioritizes only signals below the biomedical sensor, wherein the shielding function is provided by using the approximation

15. The biomedical sensor as claimed in claim 14, wherein said at least one of said plurality of protruding electrodes that is adjustable in length is spring biased in an extended position.

16. The biomedical sensor as claimed in claim 14, wherein each of said plurality of protruding electrodes is spring biased in an extended position.

17. The biomedical sensor as claimed in claim 14, wherein each of said plurality of protruding electrodes includes an elastomeric spring that is biased in an extended position.

18. The biomedical sensor as claimed in claim 14, wherein each of said plurality of protruding electrodes includes an electrically conductive fluid within each of the protruding electrodes.

19. The biomedical sensor as claimed in claim 14, wherein each of said plurality of protruding electrodes includes a plurality of electrically conductive extensions that extend from a distal end of each said protruding electrode.

20. A method of applying a biomedical sensor to a patient, said biomedical sensor providing at least first, second and third electrical nodes for connection to medical equipment, and said biomedical sensor comprising a plurality of protruding electrodes that extend from a common base, said method comprising the steps of:

coupling at least one of the plurality of protruding electrodes to the first electrical node;

coupling at least some of the plurality of protruding electrodes to the second electrical node;

coupling at least some of the plurality of protruding electrodes to the third electrical node such that said first, second and third electrical nodes are arranged in a functionally polar configuration;

contacting a site of a subject with distal ends of each of said plurality of protruding electrodes, said step of contacting the site of the subject including passing distal ends of each of said plurality of protruding electrodes through material that is attached to a contacting surface at the site of the subject;

coupling the first, second and third electrical nodes to the medical equipment, said functionally polar configuration facilitating the determination of Laplacian voltage potentials Δ

ν

₀ at the first electrical node; and

sensing an outer region of the subject using the third electrical node that includes an outer ring of the plurality of protruding electrodes coupled to the third electrical node, the outer ring having a radius r, so as to provide a shielding function that prioritizes only signals below the biomedical sensor, wherein the shielding function is provided by using the approximation

21. The method as claimed in claim 20, wherein said material that is attached to the contacting surface at the site of the subject is hair.

22. The method as claimed in claim 20, wherein said step of contacting the site of the subject with the distal ends of each of said plurality of protruding electrodes further includes adjusting the length of at least one of said plurality of protruding electrodes such that each of said plurality of protruding electrodes may contact a non-planar surface at the site of the subject.

23. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein said at least one of said plurality of protruding electrodes that is adjustable in length is spring biased in an extended position.

24. The method as claimed in claim 20, wherein said steps of coupling the first, second and third electrical nodes to the medical equipment includes sending wireless transmission signals.

25. A method of applying a biomedical sensor to a patient, said biomedical sensor providing at least first, second and third electrical nodes for connection to medical equipment, and said biomedical sensor comprising a plurality of protruding electrodes that extend from a common base, said method comprising the steps of:

coupling at least one of the plurality of protruding electrodes to the first electrical node;

coupling at least some of the plurality of protruding electrodes to the second electrical node;

coupling at some of the plurality of protruding electrodes to the third electrical node such that said first, second and third electrical nodes are arranged in a functionally polar configuration;

contacting a site of a subject with distal ends of each of said plurality of protruding electrodes, said step of contacting the site of the subject including adjusting the length of at least one of said plurality of protruding electrodes such that each of said plurality of protruding electrodes contacts a non-planar surface at the site of the subject;

coupling the first, second and third electrical nodes to the medical equipment, said third electrical node including an outer ring of protruding electrodes having a radius r that provides a shielding function to facilitate the determination of voltage potentials at the first electrical node such that a shielding function prioritizes only signals below the biomedical sensor, wherein the shielding function is provided by using the approximation

26. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein said at least one of said plurality of protruding electrodes that is adjustable in length is spring biased in an extended position.

27. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein said step of contacting the site of the subject with the distal ends of each of said plurality of protruding electrodes further includes receiving between the distal ends of each of said plurality of protruding electrodes, material that is attached to a contacting surface at the site of the subject.

28. The method as claimed in claim 27, wherein said material that is attached to the contacting surface at the site of the subject is hair.

29. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein said steps of coupling the first and second electrical nodes to the medical equipment includes sending wireless transmission signals.