Medical electrode assembly - Patent Review 4543958

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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is known in the prior art to produce highly efficient yet inexpensive medical electrodes by applying a layer or stripe of conductive paint such as a silver paint to a nonconductive plastic substrate, one portion of the paint layer being bridged to the skin of a subject under examination, such as a patient, by means of an electrolyte layer or sponge and another portion of the conductive paint remaining exposed for connection to peripheral equipment such as monitoring equipment, stimulating equipment or the like.

In the present invention, a stripe of conductive paint is applied to a substrate comprising integrally formed electrode segments partially separated by weakenings which allow individual electrode segments or groups of electrode segments to be severed from a larger supply. For convenient dispensing of the electrodes from the larger supply, the supply is stored as a roll of connected electrode segments in a protective housing or conditioner having a slot through which conditioned electrode segments may be sequentially removed.

In one embodiment, the protective housing confines a humidifying solution which moisturizes an atmosphere delivered through a ventilation opening to the electrode segments stored in the housing which are thereby provided with a sufficient moisture or humidity to preserve the tackiness and electrical conductivity of a polymeric film tailored to perform at such humidity as both an adhesive and an electrolyte, the humidified electrode segments being directly attachable to the skin of a subject without further preparation.

In another embodiment, the electrode conditioner carries in it a supply of activating fluid and a fluid application means which activates the electrode segments as they are removed, thus relieving the requirement for a controlled humidity environment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a strip of integrally connected medical electrodes in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 1A is a greatly enlarged fragmentary section illustration taken along the line 1A--1A through the thickness of a portion of the strip of FIG. 1, where coated by a conductive adhesive composition.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a single medical electrode in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view with exaggerated thickness taken substantially along the line 3--3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of an electrode conditioner in accordance with the present invention, this figure illustrating a portion of a strip of electrodes and adjacent release paper projecting out of an exit opening of the conditioner.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, partly exploded perspective view of the conditioner of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of a portion of a second embodiment of an electrode conditioner in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 7 is a partly exploded fragmentary perspective illustration of a medical electrode of this invention and a cable connector for electrically connecting the electrode to peripheral equipment.

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the cable conductor of FIG. 7 with the electrode connected thereto.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to the drawings in greater detail, FIGS. 1, 1A, 2 and 3 illustrate a nonconductive substrate 10 which was initially an indefinitely long strip of uniform width and thickness. In the preferred embodiment of this invention, the substrate comprises a flexible and dimensionally stable sheet of plastic material such as polyethylene terephthalate which may have a thickness in the range of 1/2 mil (0.00127 cm) to 20 mils (0.0508 cm). Such substrate is sold under the