KR102670283B1 - Skin-attachable patch comprising electroconductive gel and sensor for measuring biological signal thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a microstructured layer comprising a microadhesive pattern and a conductive gel; A guide structure layer formed on the fine structure layer; and a metal electrode film layer attached to the guide structure layer, wherein the guide structure layer includes a conductive gel. The present invention relates to a skin-attachable patch and a sensor for measuring biological signals including the same. The patch has the advantage that the conductive gel contained in the fine structure layer and the guide structure layer provides a vertical conductive path between the skin and the electrode film layer, enabling precise measurement of bioelectrical signals.

Description

{Skin-attachable patch comprising electroconductive gel and sensor for measuring biological signal thereof}

The present invention relates to a skin-attachable patch containing a conductive gel and a sensor for measuring biosignals containing the same.

The concept of wearable smart devices (WEARABLE SMART DEVICES or System) was first presented at MIT's MEDIA LAB in the United States in the mid-1980s, and with the rapid development of smartphones, the concept of IoT (Internet of Things) became known. Now, things and people can share information through networks. Accordingly, the new concept of ‘wearable smart device’ has emerged in the world, adding the meaning of a so-called recognizable device by being applied to various objects in a network that was only possible within a computer.

In this way, ‘wearable smart devices’ have become easy to find around us. Wearable smart devices refer to “anything that can be attached to the body or object and linked to an external computer to collect detailed information, analyze, change the body, and perform healing actions.” It also includes applications that can be linked to some computing functions. In other words, it refers to electronic devices that go beyond being carried around like a smartphone, tablet, or laptop and are used closer to the user's body.

Such wearable devices are products that can be easily carried like smartphones. They are portable devices in the form of glasses, watches, and bracelets (bands) that have been released to date, and heart rate monitors in the form of electrodes that can be attached to the skin. , a device that can perform sensing and network connection functions by using physical changes such as body temperature and kinetic energy as an energy source. It is an attachable device that can be directly attached to the skin like an electrode, and can be directly implanted or taken in the body. The device can be classified into an implantable device.

Wearable devices are currently mostly in the form of accessories such as glasses, watches, and bracelets, but in the near future, they are expected to develop into clothing-type or skin-attachable devices. Accordingly, sensors can also be used as ultra-flexible skin devices that can be used for attachable wearables. Research on attachable sensors is actively underway. An attachable sensor refers to a device that has biological signals (respiration, heart rate, body temperature), strain measurement, temperature measurement, and wireless communication functions built into a material with flexibility, safety, and elasticity.

The skin-attached sensor as described above must be attached to the skin and continuously collect biosignals, but there is a problem in that the adhesive strength is reduced due to deformation and bending of the skin, causing it to rupture or peel off from the skin.

Korean Patent Publication No. 2018-0051715

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention includes a microstructure layer including a microadhesive pattern and a conductive gel; A guide structure layer formed on the fine structure layer; and

It includes a metal electrode film layer attached to the guide structure layer, wherein the guide structure layer includes a conductive gel, and the conductive gel of the guide structure layer is connected to the conductive gel of the fine structure layer through a vertical electric path. , to provide a skin-attachable patch.

Additionally, the present invention provides a sensor for measuring biosignals including the electrode according to the present invention.

However, the problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

The present invention provides a microstructured layer comprising a microadhesive pattern and a conductive gel;

A guide structure layer formed on the fine structure layer; and

It includes a metal electrode film layer attached to the guide structure layer,

The guide structure layer includes a conductive gel,

The conductive gel of the guide structure layer is connected to the conductive gel of the fine structure layer through a vertical electrical path.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the micro adhesive patterns are arranged to be spaced apart from each other,

It may have a structure in which a conductive gel is filled in the space between the micro adhesive patterns.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the microadhesion pattern may have the form of microcilia.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the fine cilia include a main body portion; and a protrusion on the upper surface of the main body, wherein the width of the protrusion may be longer than the width of the main body, and the thickness of the protrusion may be smaller than the thickness of the main body.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the micro adhesive layer and guide structure layer,

It may contain one or more polymers selected from the group consisting of polydimethylsiloxane, polyurethane acrylate, polyimide, polyethylene glycol diacrylate, and polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the conductive gel may have an electrical resistance of 5 kΩ or less.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the conductive gel includes polypyrrole, polyaniline, polyethylenedioxythiophene, polystyrenesulfonic acid, polyacetylene, polythiophene, polyparaphenylene, polyphenylene sulfide, and polyparaphenylenevinyl. It may be one or more types selected from the group consisting of ren.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the pattern may have a lattice structure forming a partition, and a portion of the partition may be provided with a tentacle structure.

Additionally, the present invention provides a sensor for measuring biological signals, including the patch according to the present invention.

Conventionally, skin-attached electrodes were manufactured using wet or dry methods, and had problems such as difficulty in stable use or lack of signal accuracy. However, the present invention includes a conductive gel inside the micro-adhesive structure, enabling both wet and dry mechanisms. By providing a usable skin-attachable patch, high-quality biological signals can be acquired using the patch of the present invention.

In addition, a guide structure layer supplemented with conductive gel is included between the electrode film and the microadhesive pattern, preventing leakage and drying of the conductive gel, and the conductive gel included in the guide structure layer is used to protect the skin and the electrode film. By providing this vertical conductive path, precise measurement of bioelectrical signals is possible.

In addition, the conductive gel and the electrode film on which the vertical conductive path is formed can implement a horizontal conductive path through a coating patterned with a conductive material, enabling the formation of a vertical/horizontal selective path, such as body temperature, pulse wave (pressure), It can be used as a sensor electrode that can measure various signals such as blood sugar.

The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects described above, and should be understood to include all effects that can be inferred from the configuration of the invention described in the detailed description or claims of the present invention.

Figure 1 is a diagram showing an exploded view of a patch according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2a shows the shapes of a fine structure layer and a guide structure layer according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2b shows a side view of a microstructure layer according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2c shows the shape of microcilia according to one embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3a shows a top cross-section of a microstructure layer according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3b shows various examples of patterns and tentacle structures of the present invention.
Figure 4 shows the vertical and horizontal conductive paths of the patch of the present invention.
Figure 5 is a diagram showing step by step the manufacturing method of a fine structure layer and a guide structure layer according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 6 is a step-by-step diagram showing a method of manufacturing a metal electrode film layer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. In describing the present invention, if a detailed description of a related known function or configuration is judged to unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted. Additionally, the terms used in this specification are terms used to appropriately express preferred embodiments of the present invention, and may vary depending on the intention of the user, operator, or customs in the field to which the present invention belongs. Therefore, definitions of these terms should be made based on the content throughout this specification. The same reference numerals in each drawing indicate the same members.

Throughout the specification, when a member is said to be located “on” another member, this includes not only cases where a member is in contact with another member, but also cases where another member exists between the two members.

Throughout the specification, when a part “includes” a certain component, this does not mean excluding other components, but rather means that it can further include other components.

Hereinafter, the skin-attachable patch 1000 of the present invention and the sensor 2000 for measuring biological signals including the same will be described in detail with reference to examples and drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these examples and drawings.

As shown in Figure 1, the present invention provides a microstructure layer comprising a microadhesion pattern and a conductive gel;

A guide structure layer formed on the fine structure layer; and

It includes a metal electrode film layer attached to the guide structure layer,

The guide structure layer includes a conductive gel,

The conductive gel of the guide structure layer is connected to the conductive gel of the fine structure layer through a vertical electrical path, providing a skin-attachable patch.

Additionally, the present invention provides a sensor for measuring biological signals, including the skin-attached patch.

As shown in Figure 1, the patch 1000 of the present invention includes a microstructure layer 100, including a microadhesive pattern 101 and a conductive gel 102; A guide structure layer 200 formed on the fine structure layer 100; and a metal electrode film layer 300 attached on the guide structure layer 200.

Referring to FIG. 2A, the guide structure layer 200 includes a conductive gel 202, and the conductive gel of the guide structure layer may be connected to the conductive gel of the fine structure layer through a vertical electric path.

As an embodiment of the present invention, the micro-structure layer 100 is formed with a micro-adhesion pattern, the micro-adhesion patterns 101 are arranged to be spaced apart from each other by a set interval, and the space between the micro-adhesion patterns 101 is It may have a structure filled with conductive gel 102. As an example, an aspect of the structure is shown in Figure 2b. A conductive gel 102 is filled between the micro adhesive patterns 101 installed at a predetermined interval. The microstructure layer 100 is a part that is in direct contact with the skin, and has a structure in which the microadhesion patterns are spaced apart from each other as described above and a conductive gel is filled between them, so that skin adhesion can be improved.

Conventional skin-attached electrodes are used to measure bioelectrical signals such as EMG, EEG, and ECG, and have been manufactured using a wet or dry method. In the case of the wet adhesive method, salt (NaCl, Cl, KCl)-based conductive gel is mainly used, which has the advantage of enabling a stable mechanical and electrical connection with the skin, but it is difficult to control the application area of the conductive gel and leaves residue after use. It dries over time and has limitations in maintaining conductivity. Additionally, short circuits may occur due to interference between conductive gels. In the case of the dry adhesive method, it is mainly used by connecting metal (gold, titanium) electrodes directly to the skin, and is easy to use, but the skin contact resistance impedance is large when measuring skin electrical signals, and it has limitations of being vulnerable to noise. Accordingly, the present invention uses a micro-adhesive pattern and a micro-structured layer filled with conductive gel between them, and is characterized by applying both wet and dry adhesive methods, and overcomes the disadvantages of existing wet electrodes (conductive gel drying, electrode By compensating for short circuits due to interference from conductive gels) and shortcomings of dry electrodes (high skin contact resistance, unstable biosignals), signal stability is ensured and excessive use and loss of conductive gels is prevented.

As shown in FIG. 2A, the guide structural layer of the present invention has a structure in which a base layer 201 is provided with a space filled with a conductive gel 202. The space filled with the conductive gel may have a circular cross-section when observed from above as shown in the drawing, but may have a different cross-section depending on the type of electrode, the area to which it is attached, the type of bio-signal to be collected, etc. It will be clear that you can have it. For example, it may freely have a circular, square, hexagonal, trapezoidal, or triangular structure.

The thickness of the fine structure layer of the present invention may be 1 to 100 um, and the thickness of the guide structure layer may be 10 to 1000 um. The electrode of the present invention is capable of stable and precise signal measurement in an electrode having a thickness within the above range, while maintaining adhesion.

The space provided in the guide structure layer and filled with the conductive gel 202 may have a length of 80 to 1000 um in diameter based on its circular shape. If it has a diameter in the above range, it can effectively support the role of a conductive gel in the microstructure layer and can efficiently transmit biosignals from the skin to the electrode.

As an embodiment of the present invention, the microadhesion pattern may have the form of microcilia. More specifically, as shown in Figure 2c, the fine cilia include a main body portion 11; and a protrusion 12 on the upper surface of the main body, which has an inverted T shape in the drawing. By including the protrusion 12 as described above, the adhesion to the skin surface can be increased, and this structure can prevent the filled conductive gel from being lost.

The width l of the protrusion 12 is longer than the width L of the main body 11, and the thickness h of the protrusion 12 is thinner than the thickness H of the main body. You can do this. In the above shape, the electrode of the present invention shows optimal adhesion to the skin. Preferably, the width and length (l) of the protrusion 12 may be 10 to 100 um, the width and length (L) of the main body 11 may be 10 to 60 um, and the thickness of the protrusion 12 (h) may be 1 to 20 um, and the thickness (H) of the main body may be 5 to 80 um. The microcilium structure of the present invention has the above shape, so that the microadhesion pattern does not interfere with the attachment of the electrode and lowers the impedance to enable efficient electrical connection.

As an embodiment of the present invention, the microadhesion pattern and guide structure layer include polymers such as polydimethylsiloxane, polyurethane acrylate, polyimide, polyethylene glycol diacrylate, or polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate. However, it is not limited to the above types as long as it is a polymer capable of forming micro-fine structures and has biocompatibility.

As an embodiment of the present invention, the conductive gel may have an electrical resistance of 5 kΩ or less. The conductive gel has an electrical resistance of 5 kΩ or less and can form a conductive path to the electrode when in contact with the skin.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the conductive gel is selected from polypyrrole, polyaniline, polyethylenedioxythiophene, polystyrenesulfonic acid, polyacetylene, polythiophene, polyparaphenylene, polyphenylene sulfide, or polyparaphenylenevinylene. It may include one or more of them. It is preferable to use a conductive gel that is both conductive and biocompatible, and a viscoelastic gel such as a salt-based (NaCl, Cl, KCl) commercial gel can also be used.

As an embodiment of the present invention, the micro-adhesion pattern in the micro-structure layer may have a lattice structure in which the micro-adhesion pattern forms partition walls, and a portion of the partition walls may be provided with a tentacle structure.

As an example, an upper cross-section of the microstructure layer having the microadhesion pattern is shown in FIG. 3A. As shown in FIG. 3A, it can be seen that the micro-adhesion pattern 101 has a square grid-like pattern and that a portion of the partition wall is provided with a tentacle structure t.

The tentacle structure has a head portion on a long stem. Due to this tentacle structure, drying of the conductive gel can be prevented more efficiently, loss of the conductive gel can be prevented, and adhesion can be improved. It plays a role. The tentacle structure may have a length of 0.01 to 10 um including the stem and head portion, but is not limited thereto, and the length of the tentacle structures may be different from or the same as each other.

The grid-like pattern may have various structures such as a square grid, a hexagonal grid, a circular grid, and a cross-shaped grid, as shown in the top left of FIG. 3B, and the tentacle structure also has a structure as shown in the top right of FIG. 3B. It can have various structures. For example, as shown at the bottom of FIG. 3B, the guide structure layer is formed in a pattern having a hexagonal lattice structure, and tentacles having different lengths may be formed on a portion of the surface of the partition wall of the lattice structure. there is.

As another embodiment of the present invention, the component forming the lattice structure may have a structure in which a conductive gel is formed and a polymer of a fine pattern layer is formed therebetween. In this case, the conductive gel forms a lattice and can be used as an electrode that can be easily electrically connected horizontally.

A metal electrode film layer is formed on the guide layer. The metal electrode film layer may be freely patterned with a conductive material depending on the shape of the guide structure layer and the fine structure layer, the area to which it is attached, and the type of biological signal to be obtained. As shown in Figure 4, the patterning of the conductive material forms a horizontal conductive path, which is connected to the vertical conductive path formed by the microstructure layer and the guide structure layer, so that the vertical/horizontal conductive path is formed in the electrode of the present invention. By effectively forming, the quality of the collected biosignals can be increased.

The manufacturing method of the microstructure layer and guide structure layer of the present invention is summarized in Figure 5. As shown in Figure 5, the present invention prepares a silicon wafer, deposits a lift-off resist (LOR) on the wafer, deposits a photoresist (SU-8), and then exposes the photoresist. A grid-shaped pattern was developed, the LOR was etched, and a grid-shaped mold was produced through this. A polymer material was applied onto the manufactured mold, and a circular shape was stamped on it to form a space containing the conductive gel. After curing the polymer material, the spaces between the microadhesion patterns were filled with conductive gel to complete the microstructure layer and guide structure layer.

In addition, the manufacturing method of the metal electrode film layer of the present invention is summarized and shown in FIG. 6. As shown in Figure 6, a metal electrode pattern was formed using a conductive material through a photolithography process, and a film was bonded to the pattern to manufacture a metal electrode film layer. The electrode of the present invention can be completed by attaching the metal electrode film layer on the guide layer.

The pattern of the electrode is only an example and is not limited to the above pattern, and the pattern can be changed depending on the shape of the guide structure layer, the shape of the fine structure layer, the area used for the electrode, the type of biological signal to be measured, etc. will be clear.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the conductive material for forming the metal electrode pattern is one selected from the group consisting of carbon nanomaterials, gold nanowires, titanium nanowires, silver nanowires, platinum thin films, and gold thin films. It could be more than that. However, this is an example and is not limited to this if it is a conductive material. Additionally, the film combined with the metal electrode pattern can be used without limitation as long as it is a film material that does not affect the impedance of the electrode and does not change its shape due to the temperature of the electrode.

Additionally, the present invention can provide a sensor 2000 for measuring biosignals including the patch 1000.

A biological signal may be measured through the sensor, and the measured signal may include a control unit capable of processing the measured signal through a biological signal transmission unit electrically connected to the sensor; Memory capable of storing processed data; and a wireless communication module capable of transmitting the data recorded in the memory to a communication device (such as a smartphone, computer, or laptop).

Accordingly, the present invention can provide a device for measuring biological signals, including the sensor and the main body. Biosignals that can be collected through the sensor of the present invention may be electrocardiogram, electromyogram, body temperature, blood sugar, or pulse. The main body may include a display to check the status of the device and the collected signals.

Additionally, the device may include a battery capable of supplying power to the main body. The battery may be a rechargeable battery or a non-rechargeable battery. Examples of suitable batteries may include, for example, lithium-ion batteries, nickel batteries (e.g., nickel-cadmium batteries), alkaline batteries, and/or the like.

Although the embodiments have been described with limited drawings as described above, those skilled in the art can apply various technical modifications and variations based on the above. For example, the described techniques are performed in a different order than the described method, and/or components of the described system, structure, device, circuit, etc. are combined or combined in a different form than the described method, or other components are used. Alternatively, appropriate results may be achieved even if substituted or substituted by an equivalent.

Therefore, other implementations, other embodiments, and equivalents of the claims also fall within the scope of the following claims.

1000: Skin-attached patch
100: fine structure layer
200: Guide structural layer
300: Metal electrode film layer
101: Micro adhesive pattern
102: Conductive gel
201: base layer
202: Conductive gel
11: main body
12: protrusion
t: tentacle structure

Claims (9)

a microstructured layer comprising a microadhesive pattern and a conductive gel;
A guide structure layer formed on the fine structure layer; and
It includes a metal electrode film layer attached to the guide structure layer,
The guide structure layer includes a conductive gel,
A skin-attachable patch, wherein the conductive gel of the guide structure layer is connected to the conductive gel of the fine structure layer through a vertical electrical path.
According to paragraph 1,
The micro adhesive patterns are arranged to be spaced apart from each other,
A skin-attachable patch having a structure in which a conductive gel is filled in the space between the micro-adhesive patterns.
According to paragraph 2,
A skin-attachable patch, wherein the microadhesive pattern has the form of fine cilia.
According to paragraph 3,
The fine cilia include a main body; And comprising a protrusion on the upper surface of the main body,
The width of the protrusion is longer than the width of the main body,
The thickness of the protrusion is smaller than the thickness of the main body,
Skin-attached patch.
According to paragraph 1,
The fine structure layer and guide structure layer are,
A skin-attachable patch comprising at least one polymer selected from the group consisting of polydimethylsiloxane, polyurethane acrylate, polyimide, polyethylene glycol diacrylate, and polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate.
According to paragraph 1,
The conductive gel is,
A skin-attached patch having an electrical resistance of 5 kΩ or less.
According to clause 6,
The conductive gel is one selected from the group consisting of polypyrrole, polyaniline, polyethylenedioxythiophene, polystyrenesulfonic acid, polyacetylene, polythiophene, polyparaphenylene, polyphenylene sulfide, and polyparaphenylenevinylene. The above is a skin-attachable patch.
According to paragraph 1,
The pattern has a lattice structure forming partitions,
A skin-attachable patch, wherein a portion of the partition wall is provided with a tentacle structure.
A sensor for measuring biosignals, comprising the skin-attached patch of any one of claims 1 to 8.