DEVICE FEATURES AND DESIGN ELEMENTS FOR LONG-TERM ADHESION

• US 20110279963A1
• Filed: 05/12/2011
• Published: 11/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iRhythm Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: iRhythm Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Willis, William F., Righter, William H., Day, Mark J., Livingston, Peter H., Park, Shena H., Kumar, Uday N.
• Granted Patent: US 8,560,046 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.31
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0406 specially shaped apparatus housings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0468 Built-in electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/25 Bioelectric electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/259 using conductive adhesive means, e.g. gels
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/282 Holders for multiple electrodes for introduction into the body A61B5/287
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/291 for electroencephalography [EEG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/389 Electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6832 using adhesives A61B5/259 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6833 Adhesive patches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/68335 including release sheets or liners
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor

Abstract

An electronic device for long-term adhesion to a mammal includes a housing with an electronic component. There is a first wing and a second wing, each being integrally formed with the housing. An electrode is positioned on a bottom surface of each of the wings, the electrodes electrically connected to the electronic component. An adhesive layer is provided for adhesion to a surface of the mammal. The adhesive layer is coated on a portion of the bottom surfaces of the wings. The adhesive layer is not coated on the electrode or on a bottom surface of the housing. A method of applying an electronic device to a mammal includes removing a first adhesive cover from a first wing of the electronic device to expose an electrode and an adhesive coated on a bottom surface of the first wing. There is a step of placing the exposed electrode into contact with the mammal by adhering the adhesive coated bottom of the first wing to the mammal. There is a step of removing a second adhesive cover from the second wing of the electronic device to expose an adhesive coated on a bottom surface of the second wing and another exposed electrode. There is a step of placing the another exposed electrode into contact with the mammal by adhering the adhesive coated bottom of the second wing to the mammal. After performing the removing and the placing steps, the housing is unattached to the mammal, but is held in position on the mammal using the adhesive coated bottoms of the first and the second wings.

Claims

1. An electronic device for tong-term adhesion to a mammal, the device comprising:

a housing having an electronic component contained therein;

a first wing and a second wing, each wing integrally formed with the housing;

an electrode positioned on a bottom surface of each of the wings wing, the electrodes electrically connected to the electronic component; and

an adhesive layer for adhesion to a surface of the mammal, the adhesive layer coated on a portion of the bottom surfaces of the wings, wherein the adhesive layer is not coated on the electrode or on a bottom surface of the housing.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic component includes a processor within the housing, the processor having a memory with computer readable instructions to record signals from the first and second electrodes while the electronic device is attached to the mammal.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a flap connected to each wing, the flaps extending below the housing, wherein the adhesive layer is coated on a bottom surface of the flap.

4. The electronic device of claim 3, further comprising a connector segment, the connector segment configured to connect the flaps together.

5. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the connector segment is located at least partially below the housing, but is not attached to the housing.

6. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the adhesive layer is coated on a bottom surface of the flap.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein all electronic components are within the housing such that the wing is free from electronic components.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a hinge portion between the housing the wing, the hinge portion configured to allow the device to bend between the housing and the wing.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the adhesive for adhesion to a surface of the mammal is an adhesive that can absorb fluids.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the adhesive that can absorb fluids is a hydrocolloid adhesive.

11. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the wings and the housing are made from the same material.

12. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the wings and the housing are made from different materials.

13. The electronic device of claim 12 wherein the wings are made from a fabric.

14. The electronic device of claim 12 wherein the material used to make the wings includes a synthetic fiber.

15. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the wing is more flexible than the housing.

16. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the bottom surface of the wing and the bottom surface of the flap are contiguous.

17. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the wing and the flap are composed of the same material.

18. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the flaps and the connector are contiguous.

19. The electronic device of claim 3, further comprising at east one hole extending through the connector segment.

20. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the adhesive for adhesion to a surface of the mammal is a pressure-sensitive adhesive.

21. The electronic device of claim 20 wherein the pressure sensitive adhesive is selected from the group consisting of:

a polyacrylate, a polyisobutlene, and a polysiloxane.

22. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the housing is thicker at a center of the housing than at edges of the housing.

23. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a diffusion barrier between the adhesive layer and each of the wings.

24. The electronic device of claim 1 further comprising:

an additional adhesive layer and material layer between the wing and the adhesive layer for adhesion to the mammal, the material layer configured to prevent diffusion of adhesive components from the adhesive layer to the wing.

25. The electronic device of claim 23 further comprising a polyester diffusion harrier.

26. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the housing is unattached to the mammal when the electrodes are in contact with the mammal.

27. An electronic device for long-term adhesion to a mammal, the device comprising:

a housing;

a first wing extending laterally from the housing;

a second wing extending laterally from the housing without overlapping the first wing;

a first electrode positioned on a bottom surface of the first wing;

a second electrode positioned on a bottom surface of the second wing;

an electronic memory within the housing, the electronic memory configured to receive and store an electronic signal from the first and second electrodes while the electronic device is attached to the mammal; and

an adhesive layer on a portion of a bottom surface of the first wing and the second wing and not on a bottom surface of the housing, wherein when the device is worn on the mammal only the adhesive layer is attached to the mammal.

28. The electronic device of claim 27, wherein the portion of the bottom surface of the first wing and the second wing does not include the first and second electrodes.

29. The electronic device of claim 27, wherein the first wing, the second wing, and the housing are formed from the same material.

30. The electronic device of claim 27, wherein the first wing, the second wing and the housing integrally form a monolithic structure.

31. The electronic device of claim 27, wherein an angle formed by the first wing, the second wing, and the housing is between approximately 90°

and 180°

.

32. The electronic device of claim 31, wherein the angle is approximately 180°

.

33. The electronic device of claim 31, wherein the angle is approximately 135°

.

34. The electronic device of claim 27, further comprising a first wire connecting the first electrode and the processor and a second wire connecting the second electrode and the processor, the first and second wires extending within the body and the first and second wings.

35. The electronic device of claim 34, wherein the first and second wires each include slack between the electrode and the processor.

36. The electronic device of claim 35, wherein the slack is located in a portion of each wing that is configured to bed or flex.

37. The electronic device of claim 27, wherein there is a first hinged portion between the first electrode and the processor and a second hinged portion between the second electrode and the housing.

38. The electronic device of claim 27, wherein at least a portion of the body uncovered is not adhered to the mammal when signals from the electrodes are being recorded in memory.

39. The electronic device of claim 27, further comprising a first flap connected to the first wing medial to the first electrode and a second flap connected to the second wing medial to the second electrode, wherein each flap extends below the housing.

40. The electronic device of claim 39, further comprising a connector segment, the connector segment configured to connect the flaps together.

41. The electronic device of claim 35, wherein the connector segment is located at least partially below the housing, but is not attached to the housing.

42. A method of applying an electronic device having a housing, a first wing and a second wing to a mammal for long-term adhesion, the method comprising:

removing a first adhesive cover from the first wing of the electronic device to expose an electrode and an adhesive coated on a bottom surface of the first wing;

placing the exposed electrode into contact with the mammal by adhering the adhesive coated bottom of the first wing to the mammal;

removing a second adhesive cover from the second wing of the electronic device to expose an adhesive coated on a bottom surface of the second wing and another exposed electrode; and

placing the another exposed electrode into contact with the mammal by adhering the adhesive coated bottom of the second wing to the mammal;

wherein after performing the removing and the placing steps the housing is unattached to the mammal, but is held in position on the mammal using the adhesive coated bottoms of the first and the second wings.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the electronic device comprises a first flap connected to the first wing and a second flap connected to the second wing, the first and second flaps each extending below the housing,

wherein the step of removing a first adhesive cover from the first wing further comprises exposing an adhesive coated on a bottom surface of the first flap, and wherein the step of removing a second adhesive cover from the second wing further comprises exposing an adhesive coated on a bottom surface of the second flap.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein after performing the removing and the placing steps the housing is held in position on the mammal using only the adhesive coated bottoms of the first wing, the second wing, the first flap and the second flap.

45. A method of applying an electronic device having a housing, a first wing and a second wing to a mammal for long-term adhesion, the method comprising:

removing a first adhesive cover from the first wing of the electronic device to expose an electrode and an adhesive coated on a bottom surface of the first wing;

removing a second adhesive cover from the second wing of the electronic device to expose an adhesive coated on a bottom surface of the second wing and another exposed electrode; and

placing the exposed electrodes into contact with the mammal by adhering the adhesive coated on the bottom of the first and the second wings to the mammal;

wherein after performing the removing and the placing steps the housing is unattached to the mammal, but is held in position on the mammal using the adhesive coated bottoms of the first and the second wings.