KR20060122186A - Electrode for appling on living organism - Google Patents

Abstract

An electrode for applying on a living organism is provided to be suitable for stimulating a living body or guiding a living body signal by applying a plurality of signals and a plurality of living body parts. In an electrode for applying on a living organism, an electric conductive film is formed by depositing a metal or a carbon on one side or both sides of a support film. The support film is selected from a woven substance, manufactured by a non-woven fabric, a woven fabric, a paper, and a conductive carbon fiber, or a thermoplastic resin film.

Description

Electrode for electrode application {ELECTRODE FOR APPLING ON LIVING ORGANISM}

1A is a cross-sectional view illustrating an electrode for a bioelectrode according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

1B is a cross-sectional view showing an electrode for a living electrode according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

2 shows an example of metal deposition on a porous film according to the present invention.

3A is an exploded view of an electrode for a bioelectrode according to one embodiment of the present invention.

3B is an exploded view of an electrode for a living electrode according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

3C is an exploded view of an electrode for a biological electrode according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

4 is an exploded view of an electrode for a living electrode according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a cross-sectional view of an electrode for a bioelectrode according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 6 is a stage of the electrode for a bioelectrode according to another embodiment according to the present invention.

The present invention relates to an electrode for biological application. In particular, the present invention relates to a biological application electrode having excellent flexibility and electrical conductivity to give electrical stimulation to a living body or to receive an electrical signal generated from the living body and to measure the living body signal.

In general, the electrode for bio-application refers to a pottery contacting a living body to guide an electrical phenomenon or an electrical stimulus, which can be classified into two types. That is, there are a biological signal induction electrode for deriving an electrical phenomenon from the living body, and a biological stimulation electrode for introducing an external electrical stimulation into the living body. As the electrode for guiding a biological signal, for example, an electrode for measuring a patient's condition by measuring a biological signal such as an electrocardiogram, an electrocardiogram, or an EEG. In addition, the electrode for biological stimulation includes an electrode for relieving analgesic by relaxing electric muscles or ligaments by applying electrical stimulation to the skin using an external electric signal generated, for example, a low frequency treatment device.

The electrode for biological application generally includes an adhesive layer for adhering to a living body and an electrically conductive film provided on the adhesive layer. By the way, the electrode for bio-application should have flexibility because it should be attached to the skin of the living body of the various areas with the flexion, and also have electrical conductivity because it must transmit an electrical signal. Since the metal plate has excellent electrical conductivity but lacks shape restoring force and flexibility, there is a limit to using the metal plate itself as an electrically conductive film of an electrode for biological application. In the prior art, a layer prepared by adding an electrically conductive material such as carbon to a resin has been widely used as an electrically conductive film of an electrode for biological application. However, since the resin is an insulator, even if an electrically conductive substance such as carbon is added thereto, the electrode has a problem of high resistance. When the resistance of the electrode is high, when the electrode is connected to the outside or the body through the wire or the snap, the intensity of the stimulus is concentrated locally around the wire or the snap provided in the electrode, and the electrical signal is not evenly distributed over the entire surface of the electrode. The intensity of the magnetic poles are not the same on the entire electrode surface. This makes it difficult to deliver a finely divided and precise signal, which makes it difficult to accurately measure the electrical signal of the living body or does not efficiently give electrical stimulation to the living body, causing inconvenience to the user. In addition, the higher the resistance, the weaker the electrical consumption. This problem becomes larger as the area of the electrode becomes larger. In addition, when too much electrical conductive material such as carbon is added to the resin in order to increase the electrical conductivity, there is a problem in that the processability of the electrically conductive film is deteriorated.

The present inventors have found that the above-mentioned problems of the prior art can be solved by using a film in which metal or carbon is deposited on one or both surfaces of the support film as the electrically conductive film for the electrode for a biological application.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrically conductive film for a biological application electrode having excellent flexibility and electrical conductivity, and a biological application electrode composed of the same.

The present invention provides an electrically conductive film for a biological application electrode formed by depositing metal or carbon on one or both surfaces of the support film.

In addition, the present invention provides an electrode for a biological application composed of an electrically conductive film formed by depositing a metal or carbon on one or both sides of the support film.

The electrode for biological application according to the present invention may further include a protective layer provided on the upper surface of the electrically conductive film and / or an adhesive layer provided on the lower surface of the electrically conductive film.

The biological application electrode may further include a snap that connects an upper surface and a lower surface of an electric conductive film or an electric wire provided on an upper surface of the electrically conductive film to transmit an electrical signal to an external device or a living body.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail.

The present invention can provide a biological application electrode excellent in both electrical conductivity and flexibility by using a film formed by depositing metal or carbon on one or both surfaces of the support film as the electrically conductive film for the electrode for biological applications.

In the present invention, the material of the support film may be a material inherently porous, such as nonwoven fabric, woven fabric, paper, woven fabric made of conductive carbon fiber, or a non-porous synthetic resin film. The support film may be a film in which a hole is formed artificially through the film in the non-porous film. The method of forming a hole in the support film is not particularly limited, and methods known in the art, for example, mechanical methods such as punching, can be used. The porous film does not need to have a uniform hole. In addition, the porous film includes a breathable film manufactured by a method of mixing an inorganic material and a resin and calendering or t-die extrusion in addition to the film having an artificial hole formed as described above.

The material constituting the support film may be a synthetic resin or a natural material. Specific examples of the synthetic resin may include thermoplastic resins such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride, nylon, and the like, but are not limited thereto.

When the support film is a porous film, the size of the hole formed in the porous film is not particularly limited, but when metal or carbon is deposited, the metal or carbon may be deposited to the inner wall surface of the hole formed in the porous film. It is preferable that it is micrometer or more. The upper limit of the pore size is not particularly limited as long as it does not exceed the total surface area of the electrode, and can be arbitrarily determined by those skilled in the art according to the size and use of the electrode.

When the support film is non-porous, an electrical signal may be transmitted between the upper and lower surfaces of the electrically conductive film according to the present invention by penetrating a support film on which metal or carbon is deposited or provided on the support film. The snap configuration will be described later. On the other hand, when the support film is porous, since metal or carbon is deposited to the inside of the hole, an electrical signal can be transmitted between the upper and lower surfaces of the electrically conductive film according to the present invention. If more than one hole is formed, since the electrical signal can be transmitted between the upper surface and the lower surface of the metal or carbon deposited film, the formation density of the hole is not particularly limited. However, in order to transmit electrical signals more efficiently, it is preferable that holes are formed continuously in the porous film.

In the present invention, the shape of the support film or the support film on which the metal or carbon is deposited may be flat as illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B, and may be vertical as shown in FIG. 6. The form of the electrically conductive film according to the present invention is not limited to a particular form as long as it is suitable for application to a living body.

The metal to be deposited on the surface of the support film is preferably a metal having excellent electrical conductivity. For example, at least one metal selected from the group consisting of titanium, stainless steel, chromium, nickel, copper, silver, gold, aluminum, and alloys thereof. Can be. The deposition thickness of the metal or carbon is not particularly limited, but is preferably 2 μm or less for the mechanical properties of the electrode such as flexibility.

As a method of depositing metal or carbon on the support film, a method known in the art may be used. For example, when the support film and the metal or carbon particles to be deposited are placed in a high vacuum container and the container is heated, the metal or carbon particles may evaporate to condense and adhere to the surface of the cold support film. In the case of performing metal or carbon deposition after applying the adhesive primer to the support film, the deposition efficiency may be further improved. Although the kind of primer which can be used at this time is not limited, For example, PE (polyethylene) type | system | group or PP (polypropylene) type primer can be used normally. The application of the primer may be performed at any time before or after forming a hole in the support film.

When the support film is a porous film, when the metal or carbon is deposited, the metal or carbon particles are preferably deposited on the inner wall surface of the through hole of the porous film as shown in FIG. 2. The metal or carbon deposition may be formed on both sides of the support film, but when the metal or carbon deposited support film is provided with a snap penetrating the upper and lower portions thereof, even if only one surface of the support film is deposited with metal or carbon, The electrical conductivity of the electrode to be achieved can be achieved. If the support film is porous, it is possible to achieve electrical conductivity between the top and bottom surfaces of the film without having the snap. However, if the support film is non-porous, metal or carbon is deposited only on one surface of the support film as described above. When provided with the snap as described above it can achieve the electrical conductivity between the upper surface and the lower surface of the support film. When metal or carbon is applied to the support film by plating rather than deposition, the chemical solvent used for plating may adversely affect the living body.

The electrode for a biological application according to the present invention is not provided with a separate adhesive layer, and may be used by attaching an adhesive material including water to one surface of the electrode immediately before using the electrode and attaching it to a human body.

In addition, the electrode for biological applications according to the present invention may be provided with a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer on the lower surface of the electrically conductive film. The constituent material of the adhesive layer is not limited as long as it can be in contact with the skin of the living body, but is preferably made of an electrically conductive material to help the electrical signal transmission of the electrode. For example, the adhesive layer is preferably made of a hydrogel, preferably an electrically conductive hydrogel. In the present invention, a drug for treatment or a skin-absorbable material for health assistance may be included in the adhesive layer.

In the present invention, a method for forming an adhesive layer on the lower surface of the electrically conductive film is a method of adhering to the lower surface of the electrically conductive film, for example, using a hydrogel adhesive layer in the form of a sheet. In this case, the adhesion efficiency may be increased by using an acrylic adhesive between the electrically conductive film and the hydrogel sheet to maintain the strength of the adhesion.

In the present invention, in order to protect the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer may be provided with a release film on the lower surface of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, which is peeled off immediately before using the electrode. At this time, the release film to which the silicone mold release agent with a release component was apply | coated can be used so that the peeled release film may be reattached to the electrode after use.

The electrode for biological application according to the present invention preferably includes a protective layer on the electrically conductive film. The protective layer is not limited to a specific material as long as it is intended to prevent functional damage of the electrically conductive film. For example, the protective layer may be made of a nonwoven fabric or a synthetic resin. The protective layer may prevent separation from the electrically conductive film, for example, by adhering a nonwoven or thermoplastic polymer in the form of a film to the electrically conductive film using an adhesive. In addition, after depositing the metal or carbon on the lower surface of the protective layer in the same manner as is performed to form an electrically conductive film, the metal or carbon is deposited on the lower surface of the protective layer on which the metal or carbon is deposited using the adhesive A method of adhering to the electrically conductive film can be used.

The biological application electrode according to the present invention may include a wire or a snap for electrical connection with an external device for stimulating a living body or measuring a biological signal.

The wire may be provided on the electrically conductive film, and the method of connecting the electrically conductive film and the wire is not particularly limited, and an adhesive or an adhesive tape may be used. For example, after applying the adhesive on the electrically conductive film, the wire can be attached to the electrode according to the present invention by placing the wire on the surface of the conductive film coated with the adhesive.

The snap is placed, for example, with the female snap on the top surface of the protective layer as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B and the male snap passes through the electrically conductive film and the protective layer from the bottom of the electrically conductive film and is disposed on the top surface of the protective layer. By matching the female snap, the snap can be provided to the electrically conductive film. In addition, as shown in FIG. 3C, a male snap is attached to the upper surface of the electrically conductive film with an adhesive, and a female snap is disposed on the upper surface of the protective layer, and then the male snap and the push snap may be assembled to match. . Either way can achieve the same effect.

Electrodes according to the invention may comprise both wires and snaps. Biologically applied electrodes according to the present invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Since the surface of the biological application electrode according to the present invention is completely conductive, the electrical resistance is much lower than that of the electrode pad made of a mixture of a conventional resin and an electrically conductive material. Therefore, it is possible to accurately and precisely transmit an external low frequency signal or an electrical signal in a living body regardless of the electrode size. Therefore, the electrode according to the present invention can minimize the loss of the electrical signal due to the resistance and can uniformly transmit the electrical signal on the entire surface of the electrode, thereby maximizing the therapeutic effect or accurate bio signal measurement. In addition, since the electrode according to the present invention is excellent in efficiency, it can not only transmit various stimulus signals but also can be applied to various parts of the body. In addition, the electrode for biological applications according to the present invention is excellent in electrical conductivity because it becomes a complete conductor regardless of the thickness of the conductive film. Biological application electrode according to the present invention can solve a variety of problems according to the size or shape of the existing electrode for biological applications due to the above effects.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the following examples. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited by the following examples.

Example 1

Titanium metal was deposited on a 0.15 mm thick Kolon nonwoven C305NW in vacuum at a thickness of 700 nm. This had a sheet resistance of 10 ohms.

Example 2

Titanium metal was deposited on a Kolon nonwoven C303NW having a thickness of 0.12 mm in a vacuum at a thickness of 800 nm. Its sheet resistance was 2 ohms.

Example 3

A film made of Polymernet's elastomer No. 9565, a 0.3-mm-thick polypropylene (PP) and EPDM material, was formed by mechanically punching 0.2 mm in diameter through a punching method, and then Metals were deposited to a thickness of 700 nm. Its sheet resistance was 2 ohms.

Example 4

After application of 1502 primer of Exia Co., Ltd. to a polyethylene film having a thickness of 0.2 mm, a continuous hole having a diameter of 0.5 mm was formed, and stainless was deposited at a thickness of 400 nm in vacuum. Its sheet resistance was 10 ohms.

Example 5

An acrylic adhesive was applied to the upper and lower surfaces of a 0.15 mm thick Kolon nonwoven fabric C305NW, and eight holes having a diameter of 0.5 mm penetrating the upper and lower surfaces were made per 1 cm ² . Subsequently, titanium metal was deposited on the nonwoven fabric at a thickness of 1000 nm in vacuo. Its sheet resistance was 4 ohms.

Example 6

Metal deposition was performed on the nonwoven fabric in the same manner as in Example 5, except that a stainless metal was deposited at a thickness of 500 nm instead of titanium. Its sheet resistance was 7 ohms.

Example 7

Exia 1502 primer was applied to the upper and lower surfaces of the breathable polyethylene film having a thickness of 0.3 mm, and a continuous hole having a diameter of 0.5 mm penetrating the upper and lower surfaces was manufactured using a punching machine. Subsequently, stainless metal was deposited to a thickness of 1000 nm in vacuo. Its sheet resistance was 5 ohms.

Example 8

After applying a heat-resistant acrylic adhesive on the upper and lower surfaces of 0.4 mm thick paper, a continuous hole having a diameter of 0.2 mm penetrating through the upper and lower surfaces was made, and stainless metal was deposited at a thickness of 400 nm in vacuum. Its sheet resistance was 6 ohms.

Example 9

Titanium metal was deposited on a 0.15 mm thick Kolon nonwoven C305NW in vacuum at a thickness of 700 nm. Its sheet resistance was 10 ohms. Subsequently, a titanium metal was deposited on a lower surface of the protective polypropylene film having a thickness of 0.3 mm at a thickness of 1000 nm in a vacuum, and then a protective layer was formed by adhering this to the above-described metal deposited nonwoven fabric using an adhesive for polypropylene.

Example 10

After applying an acrylic adhesive on the upper and lower surfaces of the polyurethane sheet having a thickness of 1 mm, a continuous hole having a diameter of 0.3 mm penetrating the upper and lower surfaces was formed. After passing through the polymer sheet in which the holes were formed by using a male snap, a stainless metal was deposited to a thickness of 800 nm in a vacuum through the sheet of the male snap. Its sheet resistance was 5 ohms.

Example 11

After passing through a 0.3 mm thick polyurethane film using male snap, the bottom surface of the polyurethane film was deposited with a thickness of 1000 nm in a vacuum. The sheet resistance of this metal deposited surface was 2 ohms.

The sheet resistance measurement results of the electrically conductive films prepared in Examples 1 to 11, the sheet resistance of the electrically conductive film of the bio-applicable electrode made of a synthetic resin film to which the conventional carbon is added is generally about 50 to 150 ohms, Compared with the difficulty of obtaining less than 30 ohms, it shows that the electrically conductive film according to the embodiment of the present invention is very excellent. In addition, in the above embodiment, since the thickness of the vacuum-deposited film is 2000 nm or less, the flexibility of the raw material may be maintained almost as it is, and the metal may have electrical conductivity. This indicates that the present invention has an excellent effect as compared to the loss of flexibility of the raw material and hardening according to the amount of carbon added in the electrically conductive film made of a synthetic resin to which carbon is added.

The electrode for biological application according to the present invention is excellent in flexibility and electrical conductivity by including a layer made of a film on which metal or carbon is deposited, rather than a resin layer containing an electrically conductive material such as a metal plate or carbon as an electrically conductive film. . Therefore, the electrode for biological application according to the present invention can be applied to various signals and various biological parts, and thus is very useful as a biological stimulation electrode or a biological signal induction electrode.

Claims (16)

An electrically conductive film for a biological application electrode formed by depositing a metal or carbon on one or both sides of the support film. The electrically conductive film of claim 1, wherein the support film is selected from nonwoven fabric, woven fabric, paper, woven fabric made of conductive carbon fiber, and a thermoplastic resin film. The electrically conductive film of claim 1, wherein the support film is a porous film having one or more through holes having a diameter of 1 μm or more. The electrically conductive film of claim 3, wherein metal or carbon is vacuum deposited on an outer surface of the porous film and an inner surface of a through hole formed in the porous film. The electrically conductive film of claim 1, wherein the supporting film on which the metal or carbon is deposited is in a planar or vertical form. According to claim 1, wherein the metal deposited on the support film is one or more selected from the group consisting of titanium, stainless, chromium, nickel, copper, silver, gold, aluminum and alloys thereof. For electrically conductive film. The electrically conductive film of claim 1, wherein the supporting film on which the metal or carbon is deposited is prepared by applying an adhesive primer to one or both surfaces of the supporting film and then depositing the metal or carbon. The method of claim 1, wherein the support film on which the metal or carbon is deposited is coated with an adhesive on one or both surfaces of a film selected from nonwoven fabric, woven fabric, paper, and thermoplastic polymer resin, and forms pores penetrating the top and bottom of the film. After that, an electrically conductive film for an electrode for a living application, which is prepared by depositing a metal or carbon. The electrode for biological application which consists of an electrically conductive film in any one of Claims 1-8. The electrode of claim 9, further comprising a protective layer on the electrically conductive film. The electrode of claim 10, wherein the lower surface of the protective layer is metal or carbon deposited. The electrode of claim 9, further comprising an adhesive layer on a lower surface of the electrically conductive film. The electrode of claim 9, wherein a wire for connecting with an external device is provided on the electrically conductive film. The electrode of claim 9, further comprising a snap penetrating the electrically conductive film. The electrode of claim 10, wherein the electrode for biological application is provided with a snap, which snap is attached to the electrically conductive film and penetrates through the protective layer. The electrode for living body application according to claim 9, wherein the electrode for living body application is for stimulating a living body or inducing a living body signal.

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