Adjustable geometry wearable electrodes

Inventors

Bachelder, Bradley G. • Chao, Xingjuan

Assignees

Ceribell Inc

Abstract

The present disclosure provides systems, apparatuses, and methods for use of wearable electrode assemblies. The electrode assemblies improve comfort by providing increased overall surface area of their bottom surfaces, which make contact with the patient's scalp and hair. Collapse, compression, or telescoping of the bottom surface will thereby decrease the direct force and/or pressure applied by the distal member or members of the bottom surfaces to the skin. This may be advantageous in patients who have little to no hair in electrode contact areas, patient populations that are particularly skin-sensitive, and/or patients which must wear the electrode assemblies of an extended time period. The electrode assemblies further include structures to dispense and/or maintain conductive gel placed over the patient's skin, thereby maintaining electrical connection quality, and/or to facilitate the clearing of skin and/or hair prior to establishing an electrical connection.

Core Innovation

The invention relates to an electrode assembly that includes an electrode body defining an interior reservoir for storing a tissue conductive fluid or gel and having a bottom opening to dispense the tissue conductive fluid or gel. The electrode body further includes a skin preparing surface adjacent the bottom opening and is configured to cooperate with an adaptor for an external dispenser of the tissue conductive fluid or gel. The external dispenser is removably coupled to the electrode body so the external dispenser is moveable by one or more of translation, rotation, or pivoting about a central axis of the electrode body.

The adaptor and the skin preparing surface cooperate such that relative movement clears one or more of skin or hair of the subject with the skin preparing surface of the electrode body. The skin preparing surface comprises a plurality of elongate elements, and the motion capabilities are tied to clearing skin or hair while delivering the tissue conductive fluid or gel. The use of the interior reservoir and the bottom opening defines the dispensing function within the electrode body.

In related refinements, skin preparation and guidance are enhanced using stencil elements with slots that receive or guide the external dispenser in relation to the skin preparing surface, including guiding relative movement and constraining motion with respect to a central axis. Additional refinements include an adaptor configured with a valve to prevent backflow of the tissue conductive fluid or gel. The document also describes wearable electrode carrier systems for EEG/EKG/EMG with electrical contact indicators and optional patient motion tracking for continuous monitoring.

Claims Coverage

The independent claim coverage centers on an electrode assembly that combines a tissue-conductive fluid or gel reservoir with a bottom opening, an adaptor for an external dispenser, and a skin preparing surface having elongate elements that clear skin or hair through controlled relative movement. Dependent refinements add specific guidance and motion constraints, backflow prevention, and specific external dispenser types.

Across the independent claim and dependent refinements, the inventive coverage is directed to an electrode body with an interior reservoir and bottom-opening dispensing of tissue conductive fluid or gel, a skin preparing surface with elongate elements for clearing skin or hair, and an adaptor that removably couples to an external dispenser so relative movement can occur via translation, rotation, and/or pivoting about a central axis. Additional claim coverage narrows these concepts through stencil/slot guidance for relative motion, backflow prevention via a valve, concave reservoir configuration, and enumerated external dispenser types.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications

No documented applications found