JP6802730B2 - Electrodes for measuring biological information - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to electrodes for measuring biological information such as electrodes for measuring electroencephalogram and electrodes for measuring electrocardiogram.

In recent years, various information about a living body, for example, biological information such as pulse wave, electrocardiogram, myoelectricity, body fat, and brain wave has been measured. Unlike ordinary electrodes, the electrodes for measuring biological information used for measuring such biological information are required to have the property of being able to stably contact the living body, and various electrodes have been proposed. Among living organisms, in particular, electrodes for measuring biological information used by pressing against a scalp with hair or skin with body hair have been required to have a property of stably contacting the skin while avoiding hair growing from the skin.

As one of such bioelectrodes for measuring biometric information, for example, an electroencephalogram detection electrode composed of a base plate and a plurality of inverted U-shaped metal members integrally or firmly attached to the base plate is disclosed. (For example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-94979

The electroencephalogram detection electrode described in Patent Document 1 has a configuration in which a curved portion at the tip of an inverted U-shaped metal member is crushed into a substantially plate shape having a thickness of 0.8 mm or less. For this reason, there is a problem that the contact (resistance value) is not stable when the force of pressing against the skin of the subject is weak, and the subject suffers when pressed with a strong force for stable contact.

Therefore, the present invention accurately measures biological information without causing pain even when it comes into contact with a living body such as skin, which can appropriately contact the surface of the living body while suppressing the burden on the living body such as skin. It is an object of the present invention to provide an electrode for measuring biological information that can be stably performed.

The electrode for measuring biological information of the present invention is an electrode for measuring biological information that measures information on the living body in contact with the living body, and includes a rigid body, a plurality of conductors, and terminals, and has a plurality of electrodes. The conductor is arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the rigid body, and the tips of a plurality of the conductors can come into contact with the living body in a state where one end of the rigid body is in contact with the living body, and the terminal It is characterized by being electrically connected to.

The plurality of the conductors may be arranged along the outer peripheral surface of the rigid body, and the tip portions may be aligned in one direction.
Since the conductor is arranged along the outer peripheral surface of the rigid body, the tip portion aligned in one direction is located near one end portion of the rigid body. Therefore, by applying pressure to the rigid body to raise the vicinity of one end, the contact between the tip of the conductor and the surface of the living body can be more ensured. Therefore, the accuracy and stability of the measurement of biological information can be improved.

The rigid body is an electrode having conductivity, and may be electrically connected to the terminal.
By using an electrode having conductivity as a rigid body, biological information can be measured by using an electric signal from a rigid body in addition to an electric signal from a plurality of conductors. Therefore, the contact resistance of the electrode for measuring biological information in a state where one end of the rigid body is in contact with the living body is lowered, and a stable contact resistance can be obtained. Further, as compared with the case where the biological information is measured using only the electric signal input from the conductor, the time required from the start of acquisition of the electric signal until the accurate and stable measurement becomes possible can be shortened. ..

The conductor may be configured to have a plurality of conductive carbon fibers and a binder of synthetic resin that connects the carbon fibers to each other.
Since the conductor has a plurality of carbon fibers having conductivity, it can be brought into contact with the living body elastically. Further, by joining the carbon fibers together using a synthetic resin as a binder, it is possible to impart a certain degree of rigidity and to form electrodes having various shapes. Therefore, it is possible to form an electrode having a plurality of conductors that can reliably capture the biological surface in the vicinity of one end with less burden on the biological surface.

The conductor may be elastically deformable, and the tip of the conductor may protrude from one end of the rigid body when viewed from the side.
With this configuration, the conductor is elastically deformed after the tip comes into contact with the surface of the living body and before one end of the rigid body comes into contact with the surface of the living body. By applying the force generated by the elastic deformation of the conductor to the tip portion, the tip portion can be more reliably brought into contact with the surface of the living body. Therefore, the contact between the tip of the conductor and the surface of the living body becomes closer, and the accuracy and stability in the measurement of the biological information are improved.

The electrode for measuring biological information of the present invention includes a plurality of electrode legs composed of the rigid body and the conductor, and the terminal may be electrically connected to the plurality of electrode legs. ..
With this configuration, biological information can be measured using electrical signals acquired from a plurality of electrode legs. Therefore, even if there is a difference in the electrical signal from the surface of the living body depending on the measurement location, the influence of the measurement location can be mitigated and the accuracy and stability in the measurement of the biological information can be improved.

The plurality of electrode legs may be integrated.
With this configuration, a plurality of rigid bodies and a plurality of conductors can be handled as one. Therefore, it becomes easy to handle the electrode for measuring biological information at the time of measurement. Here, "integral" means that a plurality of electrode legs can be handled as a group at the time of measurement. For example, the relative positional relationship of the plurality of electrode legs is fixed in advance. Examples include a structure in which the electrodes are assembled, a structure in which the electrodes can be assembled together, and a structure in which rigid bodies constituting a plurality of electrode legs are integrally molded.

According to the present invention, biological information can be obtained as an electric signal transmitted to a terminal via a plurality of conductors in contact with a living body. For this reason, for example, even when hair or body hair is interposed between a living body surface such as skin and one end of a rigid body, the tips of a plurality of conductors can be brought into contact with the living body surface. There is no need to press the body against the living body with a strong force. In addition, by pushing the rigid body into the living body with which one end is in contact and applying pressure to the living body surface, the living body surface around the contacting portion rises, so that a plurality of rigid bodies are arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the rigid body. The contact between the tip of the conductor and the surface of the living body is stabilized. Therefore, according to the electrode for measuring biological information of the present invention, it is possible to stably obtain low contact resistance while suppressing the burden on the living body, so that the accuracy and stability in measuring biological information can be improved.

It is explanatory drawing explaining the structure of the electrode for measuring biological information in 1st Embodiment, (a) the side surface of the electrode and the end face of the side which comes into contact with the surface of a living body, (b) the side surface of a rigid body and the end face of one end, ( c) Cross section of terminal and multiple conductors and end face of tip of multiple conductors Explanatory drawing of the mode in which the electrode for measuring biological information in contact with the skin in the first embodiment, (a) a front view in a state of being in contact with the skin and pushed in, (b) the alternate long and short dash line AA in FIG. 2 (a). Sectional view cut in the direction indicated by the more arrow Enlarged view of the main part of FIG. 2 (b) Explanatory drawing of modification 1, modification 2 and modification 3 of the electrode for measuring biological information in the first embodiment It is explanatory drawing of the aspect which brought contact | contact | contact | contact | contact | contact | contact | contact | state | region | region | region | It is explanatory drawing of the electrode for measuring biological information which has a plurality of electrode legs in 2nd Embodiment, (a) the perspective view seen from the top surface side, (b) the perspective view seen from the bottom surface side. Cross-sectional view taken along the direction indicated by the arrow from the alternate long and short dash line AA in FIG. 6A. It is explanatory drawing of the electrode in the comparative example, (a) the state before contact with the skin, (b) the state at the time of contact with the skin, (c) the state pressed against the skin. Explanatory drawing of carbon fiber in comparative example

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, members having the same function are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description of the members once described will be omitted as appropriate. Further, in the following description, as an example, a case where the biometric information measurement electrode is brought into contact with the hair or the skin with body hair (living body) which is a part of the living body to measure the biometric information will be described. The electrode for measuring biological information may be one that comes into contact with a part of the living body other than the hair or the skin having hair.

[First Embodiment]
The electrode for measuring biological information (hereinafter, also appropriately referred to as “electrode”) in the present embodiment is a rigid body that comes into contact with a biological surface such as skin in order to appropriately contact the biological surface while suppressing the burden on the living body. And, a plurality of conductors having conductivity and arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the rigid body are used. Then, in a state where one end of the rigid body is in contact with the living body, the tips of the plurality of conductors are configured to be in contact with the living body.

On the other hand, it is conceivable to use a fibrous conductor that can be elastically deformed by softly contacting the surface of the living body, but it is difficult to accurately measure biometric information with a bioelectrode using this fibrous conductor. Is assumed to be. First, this will be explained using a comparative example.

(Comparison example)
8 (a) to 8 (c) exemplify the bioelectrode 900 of a comparative example using a fibrous conductor such as carbon fiber. In FIG. 8, one fiber or a bundle of a plurality of fibers is schematically shown as a conductor 911. Note that FIG. 8A shows a state before the bioelectrode 900 is brought into contact with the skin 40, and FIG. 8B shows a state at the time when the bioelectrode 900 is brought into contact with the skin 40. c) shows a state in which the bioelectrode 900 in contact with the skin 40 is pressed against the skin 40.

As shown in FIG. 8A, the bioelectrode 900 includes a conductive bundle 910 formed by bundling conductors 911 in which fibers such as a plurality of carbon fibers are joined by a binder. Then, one end 911a of the conductor 911 constituting the conductive bundle 910 included in the biological electrode 900 is a tip portion in contact with the skin 40 of the living body (see FIG. 8B), and the other end 911b is It is a base end portion electrically connected to the terminal portion 930 from which measurement information is taken out.

When measuring biological information using such a biological electrode 900, it is necessary to bring the conductive bundle 910 and the skin 40 into contact with each other reliably and stably. Specifically, when measuring biometric information, one end 911a, which is the tip of the conductor 911, is brought into contact with the skin 40 (see FIG. 8B), and further, the bioelectrode 900 and the skin. The bioelectrode 900 is pressed against the skin 40 to ensure contact with the 40. However, since the fibers forming the conductor 911 are not rigid and can be elastically deformed, when pressed against the skin 40, the vicinity of the end portion 911a of the conductor 911 bends as shown in FIG. 8C. It ends up.

If the conductor 911 forming the conductive bundle 910 bends in the vicinity of the end portion 911a, the contact between the skin 40 and the conductor 911 is not stable. When the contact state is unstable, the contact area changes and the contact resistance changes, so that the measurement of biological information cannot be performed accurately and stably.

As shown in FIG. 8B, if the end portion 911a of the conductor 911 of the conductive bundle 910 is brought into contact with the skin 40 with an extremely weak force, the tip portion of the conductor 911 does not bend. However, since the skin 40, which is a part of the human body or the like, moves, when the skin 40 is brought into contact with an extremely weak force, the end portion 911a cannot follow the movement of the skin 40 and is separated from the skin 40. When the contact is made with an extremely weak force, the contact state between the end portion 911a and the skin 40 is not stable, and the biological information cannot be measured accurately. Therefore, when measuring the biological information, it is necessary to press the biological electrode 900 toward the skin 40 with a certain force. However, when the bioelectrode 900 is pressed against the skin 40, it bends near the end 911a of the conductor 911, as shown in FIG. 8C.

Further, when a suitable carbon fiber is used as the fibrous conductor, when the conductor 911 bends in the vicinity of the end portion 911a, the contact portion of the conductor 911 with the skin 40 changes and the resistance increases. There is also a problem called. Here, this will be described based on the characteristics of the carbon fiber. FIG. 9 is an explanatory view showing carbon fibers.

As shown in FIG. 9, the carbon fiber (CF) has a specific resistance in the fiber axis direction (broken arrow A in FIG. 9) and a specific resistance in the direction perpendicular to the fiber axis (broken arrow B in FIG. 9). And are very different. Specifically, the specific resistance of the carbon fiber shown by the broken line arrow A in the fiber axis direction is about 2 to 3 orders of magnitude lower than the specific resistance in the direction perpendicular to the fiber axis shown by the broken line arrow B. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8C, when the conductor 911 bends in the vicinity of the end portion 911a, it comes into contact with the skin 40 on the side surface (side surface of the carbon fiber) of the conductor 911, so that the end of the conductor 911 Compared with the case where the portion 911a (end face of the carbon fiber) is in contact with the skin 40, the contact resistance between the conductor 911, and thus the conductive bundle 910 and the skin 40 is higher.

As described with reference to FIGS. 8 (a) to 8 (c) and FIG. 9, when the conductor 911 forming the conductive bundle 910 bends in the vicinity of the end portion 911a, the conductive bundle 910 is formed. The contact resistance fluctuates due to the fluctuation of the contact area between the conductor 911 and the skin 40 and the fluctuation of the region of the conductor 911 in contact with the skin 40. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8C, if the tip of the conductor 911 forming the conductive bundle 910 is bent, it becomes impossible to measure the biological information stably and accurately.

Therefore, in the electrode for measuring biological information of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 1A to 1C, the conductor 120 that comes into contact with the living body in a state where one end 110a of the rigid body 110 is in contact with the living body is provided. The rigid body 110 has a structure that surrounds the outer peripheral surface 110c. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the tip portions 120a of the plurality of conductors 120 from bending as shown in FIG. 8C. Further, by pushing one end 110a of the rigid body 110 into the contacting living body to raise the living body surface around the contacting portion, the tip portions 120a of the plurality of conductors 120 on the outer peripheral surface 110c of the rigid body 110 and the living body surface can be brought into contact with each other. The contact is stabilized, and biological information can be measured stably and accurately. An embodiment of the electrode for measuring biological information of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG.

(Electrodes for measuring biological information)
FIG. 1 is an explanatory view for explaining the structure of the biometric information measuring electrode 100 according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 1A is a side surface of the biometric information measuring electrode 100 and an end face on the side in contact with the biological surface. 1 (b) shows the side surface of the rigid body 110 and the end face of one end 110a, and FIG. 1 (c) shows the cross section of the terminal 130 and the plurality of conductors 120 and the tip end 120a of the plurality of conductors 120. Shows the end face of. In the end faces of FIGS. 1 (a) and 1 (c), each of the plurality of conductors 120 is not shown for easy viewing.

As shown in FIG. 1A, the biological information measuring electrode 100 includes a rigid body 110, a plurality of conductors 120, and a terminal 130. The biological information measurement electrode 100 is three-dimensionally formed, and has the same shape in the front and depth directions of the paper surface.

First, the rigid body 110 of the electrode 100 for measuring biological information has a function of raising the living body (skin) around the one end 110a by pushing the one end 110a in contact with the living body (skin). As a result, the tip portions 120a of the plurality of conductors 120 arranged on the outer peripheral surface 110c of the rigid body 110 are surely brought into contact with the living body, and the contacted state is stabilized. In addition, in FIGS. 1A and 1B, a substantially cylindrical rigid body 110 having one end 110a having a gentle arc shape in cross section is shown, but the shapes of the one end 110a and the rigid body 110 are different. The present invention is not limited to this, and for example, one end 110a may be a flat surface, and the rigid body 110 may be a polygonal prism having a polygonal cross section.

Further, it is preferable that the rigid body 110 has conductivity from the viewpoint of stability and accuracy in measuring biological information, and that the rigid body 110 itself also functions as an electrode (rigid body electrode). Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the other end 110b of the rigid body 110 and the terminal 130 (base 130k described later) are electrically connected to the living body. This is because the electrical information of the living body can be acquired from the contacting one end 110a and transmitted to the other end 110b electrically connected to the terminal 130. In this case, it is preferable that the rigid body 110 has a structure in which conductive carbon fibers are joined together so that the respective fiber axial directions are the same by using a synthetic resin binder.

However, since the electrode 100 for measuring biological information can obtain electrical information of the living body through a plurality of conductors 120 arranged on the outer peripheral surface 110c of the rigid body 110, the rigid body 110 has conductivity. It does not have to be. In this case, the rigid body 110 raises the biological surface around the one end 110a to stabilize and ensure the contact between the tip 120a of the conductor 120 and the biological surface, thereby improving the stability and accuracy in the biological information measurement. Improve.

Next, the conductor 120 of the electrode 100 for measuring biological information has conductivity and has an elongated fibrous shape. As shown in FIG. 1A, the rigid body 110 is surrounded by the rigid body 110. A plurality of the fibers are arranged so as to cover the outer peripheral surface 110c. Further, the conductor 120 uses a carbon fiber having conductivity, and is formed by connecting a plurality of carbon fibers with a binder of a synthetic resin. At that time, the axial directions of the fibers are set to be the same.

The tip portion 120a, which is one end of the conductor 120, is provided at a position where it can come into contact with the living body in a state where the one end 110a of the rigid body 110 is in contact with the living body (skin). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1A, the tip portion 120a of the conductor 120 is the tip portion thereof along a direction parallel to the central axis of the rigid body 110 (broken line arrow C in FIG. 1A). The portions 120a are provided so as to cover the outer peripheral surface 110c of the rigid body 110 so that the portions 120a are aligned in the vicinity of one end portion 110a of the rigid body 110.

By bringing the one end 110a of the rigid body 110 into contact with the living body, it is not necessary for all of the tips 120a of the plurality of conductors 120 to come into contact with the living body, but from the viewpoint of stable and accurate measurement, the tip 120a It is preferable to come into contact with the living body to which most of them come into contact.

Further, the tip portions 120a of the plurality of conductors 120 covering the outer peripheral surface 110c of the rigid body 110 are the one end portions 110a of the rigid body 110 as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1C when viewed from the side. It is provided so as to be located on substantially the same surface. Therefore, by bringing one end 110a of the rigid body 110 into contact with the living body, the tip 120a of the conductor 120 can be brought into contact with the living body. From this state, by pushing one end 110a of the rigid body 110 into the living body, the living body around the rigid body 110 can be raised, and the contact of the tip portion 120a with the living body can be ensured and stable. The electric signal related to the biological information acquired from the tip portion 120a is transmitted to the terminal 130 via the base end portion 120b which is the other end portion of the conductor 120 connected to the terminal 130.

The conductor 120 may be provided with its tip portion 120a at a position where it can come into contact with the living body when one end portion 110a of the rigid body 110 is brought into contact with the living body and pushed in. Therefore, the conductor 120 does not necessarily have to be provided so as to be in contact with the outer peripheral surface 110c of the rigid body 110. For example, there may be some gap between the conductor 120 and the outer peripheral surface 110c of the rigid body 110.

Further, if the conductor 120 is arranged along the outer peripheral surface 110c of the rigid body 110 at a predetermined position where the tip end 120a can come into contact with the living body when the one end 110a of the rigid body 110 comes into contact with the living body. Good. For example, the entire or part of the conductor 120 may be fixed to the rigid body 110 or the terminal 130. Each conductor 120 may be arranged so as to bend from the viewpoint of absorbing the swelling of the living body around one end 110a when the rigid body 110 is pushed into the living body and reducing the burden on the living body.

The terminal 130 of the electrode 100 for measuring biological information has a function of connecting the electrode 100 for measuring biological information to a measuring device (not shown), and transmits an electric signal from the living body obtained via the conductor 120. Tell the measuring device. Specifically, the terminal 130 is connected to a lead wire (not shown) and a terminal (not shown), and the terminal and the measuring device are connected to measure an electric signal from a living body. Telling the device.

Further, the terminal 130 is formed of a conductive metal material or the like, and is configured to have a disk-shaped base portion 130k and a convex portion 130t protruding from the central portion of the base portion 130k. .. Then, the base portion 130k of the terminal 130 and the base end portions 120b of the plurality of conductors 120 are fixed and connected by, for example, a conductive adhesive (see FIGS. 1A and 1C). ).

As a result, the terminal 130 holds the plurality of conductors 120 and is electrically connected to the plurality of conductors 120. That is, the terminal 130 has a function of a holding member for holding the conductor 120 in addition to the function of a terminal for taking out an electric signal. Therefore, by holding the base end portion 120b of the conductor 120 at the terminal 130, it is possible to bend the entire conductor 120 within a certain range when a pressing force is applied to the tip end portion 120a of the conductor 120. .. Then, each conductor 120 can be arranged on the outer peripheral surface 110c of the rigid body 110 in a state where the conductor 120 can be bent.

The terminal 130 and the base end portion 120b of the conductor 120 may be electrically connected even if they are not directly connected. For example, a plurality of conductors 120 may be held by a holding member having conductivity, and the holding member and the terminal 130 may be connected via a lead wire or the like.

Further, the terminal 130 displaces the rigid body 110 and the plurality of conductors 120 within a predetermined range via a bellows body that can be expanded and contracted in one direction, a spring body or a rubber body that is elastic and deformable in one direction, and the like. It may be configured to be held as possible. In this case, the terminal 130 has a function as a holding member for holding the rigid body 110 and the conductor 120 and a function of buffering contact between the living body and the electrode, and has a function of one end 110a of the rigid body and a tip 120a of the conductor 120. The range in which the contact pressure with the living body can be adjusted becomes wider.

(Contact between electrodes and living body)
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a mode in which the electrode 100 for measuring biological information in the present embodiment is brought into contact with the skin 40 (living body). FIG. 2A shows the front surface in a state where the electrode is brought into contact with the skin 40 (living body) and pushed in, and FIG. 2B shows the direction indicated by the arrow from the alternate long and short dash line AA in FIG. 2A. The cut cross section is shown. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a main part of the portion surrounded by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 2 (b).

As shown in FIGS. 2 (a), 2 (b) and 3, the conductor 120 is arranged along the outer peripheral surface 110c of the rigid body by bringing one end 110a of the rigid body 110 into contact with the skin 40. The tip portion 120a and the skin 40 come into contact with each other, and an electric signal related to biological information can be obtained from the tip portion 120a. Then, by pushing the electrode 100 for measuring biological information into the skin 40, the skin 40 around one end 110a of the rigid body 110 is raised, and the raised portion of the skin 40 and the tip portion 120a of the conductor 120 are surely contacted. And it will be stable. Therefore, stability and accuracy in the measurement of biological information are improved.

Further, since the conductor 120 is provided along the outer peripheral surface 110c of the rigid body 110, the conductor 120 bends in the vicinity of the tip end portion 120a in a state where one end portion 110a of the rigid body 110 is pushed into the skin 40. While preventing it, the tip portion 120a can be stably arranged between the rigid body 110 and the skin 40. As a result, the tip portion 120a of the conductor 120 can be stably brought into contact with the skin 40, and fluctuations in contact resistance due to fluctuations in the contact area and contact portion can be prevented. Therefore, by using the biometric information measuring electrode 100 of the present embodiment, it is possible to measure the biometric information accurately and stably.

(Modification example)
4 (a), 4 (b), and 4 (c) are explanatory views of Deformation Example 1, Deformation Example 2, and Deformation Example 3 of the electrode 100 for measuring biological information.
The biometric information measuring electrode A100 of the first modification is shown in FIG. 4 (see FIGS. 2A, 2B and 3) in a state where the tip 120a of the conductor 120 is not in contact with the skin 40 (see FIGS. 2A, 2B and 3). As shown in a), the tip portion 120a of the conductor 120 may be configured to protrude from one end portion 110a of the rigid body 110 when viewed from the side. In this case, from the viewpoint of ensuring that the tip portion 120a is in contact with the skin 40 without causing fluctuations in the contact area and the contact portion due to bending near the tip portion 120a, a conductor is formed from one end portion 110a of the rigid body 110. The length L1 of 120 up to the tip portion 120a is preferably 0.5 mm or less.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4B, the biological information measurement electrode B100 of the second modification has a configuration in which one end 110a of the rigid body 110 projects from the tip 120a of the conductor 120 when viewed from the side. May be. In this case, when one end 110a comes into contact with the skin 40 (see FIGS. 2A, 2B and 3), the tip 120a of the conductor 120 and the skin 40 do not come into contact with each other. By pushing the rigid body 110 into the skin 40, it can be brought into contact with the tip portion 120a of the conductor 120. The length L2 from the tip portion 120a to the one end portion 110a is preferably 0.5 mm or less from the viewpoint of setting an appropriate range in which pain does not occur when the rigid body 110 is pushed into the skin 40.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4C, the biological information measurement electrode C100 of the modified example 3 has a tubular member 121 arranged so as to cover the plurality of conductors 120 when viewed from the side. You may be. At that time, the tip portion 120a of the conductor 120 is exposed from the tip portion 121a of the tubular member 121. The length L3 that exposes the tip portion 120a from the tip portion 121a is preferably 0.8 mm or more and 1.2 mm or less. This makes it possible to prevent problems such as damage to the fibrous conductor 120 and disconnection. The tubular member 121 may be a conductive material such as iron or an insulating material such as a synthetic resin.

(Contact between electrodes and scalp)
The contact with a living body, which has a high density of body hair and makes it difficult to make stable contact with the electrodes, will be described below by taking the hair 42 and the scalp 41 as an example.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a mode in which the electrode 100 for measuring biological information in the present embodiment is brought into contact with the scalp 41. FIG. 5A schematically shows a state in which the biometric information measuring electrode 100 is in contact with the scalp 41, and FIG. 5B schematically shows a state in which the biometric information measuring electrode 100 is pushed into the scalp 41. ..

FIG. 5 shows a case where the hair 42 is interposed between the biometric information measuring electrode 100 and the scalp 41. As shown in FIG. 5A, when the electrode 100 for measuring biological information is lightly brought into contact with the scalp 41, the hair 42 is present between the scalp 41 and the rigid body 110, so that one end 110a and the vicinity of the hair are present. A gap is formed between the hair and the scalp 41a, and the two cannot make stable contact with each other. However, in the biometric information measurement electrode 100 of the present embodiment, since a plurality of conductors 120 are arranged on the outer peripheral surface 110c of the rigid body 110, a plurality of conductors 120 are provided in a state where one end 110a is lightly contacted with the scalp 41. The tip portion 120a of the conductor 120 and the scalp 41 come into contact with each other, and biological information can be acquired. In this way, biological information can be obtained from the tip portion 120a of the conductor 120 without pushing the rigid body 110 into the scalp 41 and burying the hair 42 in the scalp 41.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5B, by pushing the rigid body 110 into the scalp 41 and raising the scalp 41 around one end 110a, the contact between the tips 120a of the plurality of conductors 120 and the scalp 41 is more stable. And can be ensured. Further, since the conduction between the biometric information measuring electrode 100 and the scalp is ensured from the time when the biometric information measuring electrode 100 is lightly brought into contact with the scalp, when the rigid body 110 is pushed into the scalp 41, it is excessively applied to the scalp 41. No need to apply force.
As described above, the biometric information measuring electrode 100 of the present embodiment has the conductor 120 and the scalp even when the hair 42 is present between the tip of the electrode (one end 110a and the tip 120a) and the scalp 41. The contact resistance can be kept low by the contact with 41.

[Second Embodiment]
In the present embodiment, a plurality of electrode legs 140 composed of a rigid body 110 and a conductor 120 are provided, and the terminal 230 has a plurality of electrode legs 140 having a configuration of being electrically connected to the plurality of electrode legs 140. The provided electrode 200 for measuring biological information will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7.
FIG. 6A is a perspective view of the biometric information measuring electrode 200 of the present embodiment as viewed from the top surface side, and FIG. 6B is a perspective view of the biometric information measuring electrode 200 of the present embodiment as viewed from the bottom surface side. It is a perspective view. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken from the alternate long and short dash line AA in FIG. 6A in the direction indicated by the arrow.

As shown in FIGS. 6 (a), 6 (b) and 7, the biometric information measuring electrode 200 in the present embodiment is provided with a plurality of electrode legs 140 having a rigid body 110 and a conductor 120, and a plurality of electrode legs 140 are provided. The electrode legs 140 are connected to the terminals 230. By providing the plurality of electrode legs 140, the contact portion with the skin 40 is increased, the contact resistance is lowered, and the contact failure is also reduced, as compared with the case where the electrode legs 140 are one. Therefore, the measurement of biological information can be performed stably and accurately. The electrode legs 140 are not limited to the nine sets as shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 6 (a) and 6 (b), the terminal 230 of the electrode 200 for measuring biological information includes a base portion 230k that integrally holds a plurality of electrode legs 140 and an external measuring device ( It is provided with a convex portion 230t used for input / output with (not shown).

The base portion 230k of the terminal 230 is formed in a disk shape by a conductive metal material or the like. Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the substrate portion 230k is fixedly connected to the other other end portion 110b of the plurality of rigid bodies 110 and the base end portion 120b of each conductor 120 by a conductive adhesive or the like. In this way, the plurality of electrode legs 140 (the plurality of rigid bodies 110 and the respective conductors 120) are integrally held by the terminal 230 and electrically connected to the terminal 230.

The convex portion 230t of the terminal 230 is formed in a cylindrical shape by a conductive metal material or the like. The convex portion 230t is fixed and connected to the central portion of the base portion 230k in the shape of a disk with a conductive adhesive. Further, the convex portion 230t is electrically connected to the plurality of electrode legs 140 via the base portion 230k.
The terminal 230 has a function of connecting to a measuring device (not shown) as in the first embodiment, and measures an electric signal from the skin 40 obtained via the conductor 120. I'm telling you.

The plurality of electrode legs 140 do not have to be directly held by the base portion 230k of the terminal 230. For example, the electrode legs 140 are provided on the base portion 230k via a bellows body that can be expanded and contracted (deformable) in one direction, and a spring body or rubber body that is elastic and deformable in one direction. May be good. In this case, the base portion 230k of the terminal 230 and the electrode legs 140 may not be directly connected, and may be electrically connected by, for example, a lead wire.

The biometric information measuring electrodes 100 and 200 of the first and second embodiments configured as described above are provided with a plurality of conductors 120 so as to surround the outer peripheral surface 110c of the rigid body 110. Therefore, when measuring biological information, the one end 110a of the rigid body 110 is brought into contact with the living body (skin 40) to ensure the continuity between the living body and the conductor 120, and the rigid body 110 is pushed in. The living body around the one end 110a can be raised, and the tips 120a of the plurality of conductors 120 can be surely brought into contact with the living body. Therefore, the stability and accuracy in the measurement of biological information are improved.

Further, in the biological information measurement electrode 200 of the second embodiment, a plurality of electrode legs 140 are integrally supported by the base portion 230k, and the tips of the plurality of electrode legs 140 are attached to the living body (skin 40) from the terminal 230 side. When pressed, the tips 120a of the plurality of conductors 120 can be pressed against the living body. This makes it easier to measure biological information with good stability and accuracy.

(Measuring method)
The biometric information measuring electrodes 100 and 200 according to the first and second embodiments of the present invention are pressed against the living body surface to bring one end 110a of the rigid body 110 and the tip 120a of the conductor 120 into contact with the living body. By collecting the electric signal from the one end 110a and the tip 120a, it can be collected as an electric signal related to biological information. The type of living body to be measured is not particularly limited. Examples of living organisms include mammals and birds with hair and wings. Specific examples of mammals include pet animals such as dogs and cats, domestic animals such as cows, wild species such as monkeys, and humans. Specific examples of birds include domestic animals such as chickens and pigeons, and wild species such as toki and grouse. Seeds are mentioned. When a human is a measurement target and an electroencephalogram is measured, it is possible to come into contact with the scalp even if there is hair at the measurement site. The type of measurement signal is also not limited. As described above, it may be an electroencephalogram, or it may be an electric signal related to the operation of the heart (a signal for obtaining an electrocardiogram is given as a specific example).

100,200, A100, B100, C100 Electrode for measuring biological information 110 Rigid body 110a One end 110b Other end 110c Outer peripheral surface 120 Conductor 120a Tip 120b Base end 121 Cylindrical member 121a Tip 130, 230 Terminal 130k, 230k Base part 130t, 230t Convex part 140 Electrode leg 40 Skin 41 Scalp 41a Scalp near hair 42 Hair 900 Bioelectrode 910 Conductive bundle 911 Conductor 911a End (tip)
911b End 930 Terminal CF Carbon fiber A Carbon fiber fiber axis direction B Direction perpendicular to carbon fiber fiber axis C Direction parallel to the central axis of the rigid body L1, L2 From one end of the rigid body to the tip of the conductor Length up to L3 The length to expose the tip of the conductor from the tip of the tubular member

Claims (7)

An electrode for measuring biological information that measures information on the living body in contact with the living body.
It has a rigid body, multiple conductors, and terminals.
The plurality of the conductors are arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the rigid body, and the tip portions of the plurality of the conductors can come into contact with the living body in a state where one end of the rigid body is in contact with the living body. An electrode for measuring biological information, which is electrically connected to the terminal. The biometric information measurement according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of the conductors are arranged along the outer peripheral surface of the rigid body, and the tip portions are aligned in one direction. electrode. The electrode for measuring biological information according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the rigid body is an electrode having conductivity and is electrically connected to the terminal. Claims 1 to 3 are characterized in that the conductor is composed of a plurality of conductive carbon fibers and a binder of synthetic resin for joining the carbon fibers to each other. The electrode for measuring biological information according to any one. The conductor is elastically deformable and can be elastically deformed.
The electrode for measuring biological information according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the tip portion of the conductor protrudes from one end portion of the rigid body when viewed from the side. It is provided with a plurality of electrode legs composed of the rigid body and the conductor.
The electrode for measuring biological information according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the terminal is electrically connected to a plurality of the electrode legs. The electrode for measuring biological information according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of electrode legs are integrated.