Compression garments having stretchable and conductive ink

• US 8,948,839 B1
• Filed: 07/14/2014
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Life Company Limited (Aiful Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Life Company Limited (Aiful Corporation)
• Inventors: Longinotti-Buitoni, Gianluigi, Aliverti, Andrea
• Primary Examiner(s): Stoklosa, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Antiskay, Brian M
• Application Number:
  US14/331,142
• Publication Number:
  US 20150040282A1
• Time in Patent Office: 204 Days
• Field of Search: 600/372, 600/382, 600/384, 600/386, 600388-389, 600/393, 600/395, 600508-509, 607/149, 607/152
• US Class Current: 600/382
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/24 Detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6804 Garments; Clothes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6805 Vests
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6806 Gloves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6807 Footwear
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7405 using sound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

Garments having one or more stretchable conductive ink patterns thereon. Described herein are garments (including compression garments) having one or more highly stretchable conductive ink pattern formed of a composite of an insulative adhesive, a conductive ink, and an intermediate gradient zone between the adhesive and conductive ink. The conductive ink typically includes between about 40-60% conductive particles, between about 30-50% binder; between about 3-7% solvent; and between about 3-7% thickener. The stretchable conductive ink patterns may be stretched more than twice their length without breaking or rupturing.

Claims

1. A wearable electronics device, the device comprising:

a garment comprising a fabric; and

at least one stretchable and conductive ink pattern on the garment, wherein the conductive ink pattern comprises;

a layer of conductive ink having;

between about 40-60% conductive particles, between about 30-50% binder;

between about 3-7% solvent; and

between about 3-7% thickener;

a layer of an elastic adhesive on the garment; and

a gradient region between the conductive ink and the adhesive, the gradient region comprising a nonhomogeneous mixture of the conductive ink and the adhesive wherein the concentration of conductive ink decreases from a region closer to the layer of conductive ink to the layer of elastic adhesive;

wherein the thickness of the layer of the elastic adhesive is greater than the thickness of the gradient region and the thickness of the gradient region is a same or greater thickness than the conductive ink.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the garment comprises a compression fabric and is configured to exert a pressure of between about 3 mm Hg and about 70 mmHg on a subject'"'"'s body surface to allow a stable and continuous positioning of the garment onto the subject'"'"'s body.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the conductive particles comprise particles of carbon black.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the conductive particles comprise particles of one or more of:

carbon black, graphene, graphite, silver metal powder, copper metal powder, or iron metal powder.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the binder comprises formaldehyde-free binder.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the binder comprises acrylic binder.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the solvent comprises propylenyc glycol.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the thickener comprises polyurethanic thickener.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the elastic adhesive comprises a thereto-adhesive water-based glue that is electrically insulative.

10. The device of claim 1, further comprising an insulating resin at least partially over the layer of conductive ink.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the conductive ink pattern comprises a plurality of layers of the conductive ink.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein a resistivity of the conductive trace is less than about 10 Kohms/square.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein a resistivity of the conductive pattern varies with applied stretch.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the conductive ink pattern is configured to stretch up to 500% of a resting length without breaking.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein conductive ink pattern is formed as a sensor.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the conductive ink pattern is formed as a trace.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein the conductive ink pattern is configured as an electrode.

18. The device of claim 1, further comprising a conductive thread coupled to the garment and connected at one end to the conductive ink pattern.

19. A wearable electronics device, the device comprising:

a garment comprising a compression fabric; and

at least one stretchable and conductive ink pattern on the garment having a sheet resistivity of less than about 10 Kohms/square, wherein the conductive ink pattern is stretchable up to at least about 200% without breaking, and comprises;

a layer of conductive ink having;

between about 40-60% conductive particles, between about 30-50% binder;

between about 3-7% solvent; and

between about 3-7% thickener;

a layer of an elastic adhesive on the garment;

a gradient region between the conductive ink and the adhesive, the gradient region comprising a nonhomogeneous mixture of the conductive ink and the adhesive wherein the concentration of conductive ink decreases from a region closer to the layer of conductive ink to the layer of elastic adhesive;

wherein the thickness of the layer of the elastic adhesive is greater than the thickness of the gradient region and the thickness of the gradient region is a same or greater thickness than the conductive ink; and

an insulating resin over at least a portion of the layer of conductive ink.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the conductive particles comprise particles of one or more of:

carbon black, graphene, graphite, silver metal powder, copper metal powder, or iron metal powder.

21. The device of claim 19, wherein the binder comprises acrylic binder.

22. The device of claim 19, wherein the solvent comprises propylenyc glycol.

23. The device of claim 19, wherein the thickener comprises polyurethanic thickener.

24. The device of claim 19, wherein the elastic adhesive comprises a thermo-adhesive water-based glue that is electrically insulative.

25. The device of claim 19, wherein the conductive ink pattern is configured as an electrode.

26. The device of claim 19, further comprising a conductive thread coupled to the garment and connected at one end to the conductive ink pattern.

28. The device of claim 20, wherein the conductive thread is stitched onto the compression fabric.

29. The device of claim 20, wherein the conductive thread is glued onto the compression fabric.

27. A wearable electronics device, the device comprising:

a garment comprising a compression fabric;

at least one stretchable and conductive ink pattern on the garment, wherein the conductive ink pattern comprises;

a layer of conductive ink having;

between about 40-60% conductive particles, between about 30-50% binder;

between about 3-7% solvent; and

between about 3-7% thickener;

a layer of an elastic adhesive on the garment; and

a gradient region between the conductive ink and the adhesive, the gradient region comprising a nonhomogeneous mixture of the conductive ink and the adhesive wherein the concentration of conductive ink decreases from a region closer to the layer of conductive ink to the layer of elastic adhesive;

wherein the thickness of the layer of the elastic adhesive is greater than the thickness of the gradient region and the thickness of the gradient region is a same or greater thickness than the conductive ink; and

a conductive thread coupled to the compression fabric and electrically connected at one end region to the conductive ink, wherein the conductive thread extends along garment in a sinusoidal or zig-zag pattern.