Medical electrodes and electrode patches for electric field therapy of tumors

Abstract

The present invention relates to a medical electrode and an electrode patch for electric field treatment of tumors. The medical electrode comprises a ceramic electrode sheet and a flexible circuit board. The flexible circuit board is provided with an electrode pad, which is an unclosed annular conductor. The electrode pad is welded to the ceramic electrode sheet through multiple welding points. The electrode patch comprises a patch substrate and a plurality of insulating electrodes as described above. The medical electrodes are distributed on the patch substrate, and the electrode pads on the plurality of medical electrodes are interconnected.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a medical electrode and an electrode patch for treating tumors with electric field. Background Art

[0002] Based on the biological effects of electric fields on cells and living tissues, the response of living cells to applied alternating electric fields is frequency-dependent. At low frequencies (below 1 kHz), alternating electric fields can stimulate nerves and muscles by depolarizing cell membranes. In addition, low-frequency or pulsed electric fields can also accelerate fracture healing. Under high-frequency conditions (frequencies above 10 MHz), alternating electric fields can cause tissue heating, which can be used for tumor ablation.

[0003] Due to the continued limitations of existing cancer therapies, including chemotherapy or radiotherapy, new treatment modalities, including electrical stimulation, have recently attracted widespread research and exploration or clinical application interest. Medium-frequency electric fields have long been considered to have no significant effect on biological processes because they alternate too quickly to cause effective neuromuscular stimulation, and low intensities can only cause limited heating effects. However, research and clinical findings in recent years have shown that when the electric field frequency is in the range of 100-500 kHz, the applied alternating electric field has a significant inhibitory effect on the growth rate of different cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo. This type of research subsequently led to the development of new electric field therapies in the field of tumor treatment. Specific technologies have been used in some countries for medical research and clinical treatment of brain tumors and other cancers.

[0004] Specific research results show that applying a low-intensity, medium-frequency alternating electric field can inhibit the division and growth of active tumor cells by disrupting mitosis. In addition, finite element simulation calculations have also proved that applying an electric field can affect the division and growth of tumor cells.

[0005] The electric field applying device for treating tumors mainly includes a power supply device and electrodes matched therewith. The electrodes in the prior art are not well designed in detail, and the structural stability and treatment effect of the electrodes are not ideal. Summary of the invention

[0006] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a medical electrode for electric field treatment of tumors and an electrode patch based thereon.

[0007] To solve the above problems, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is:

[0008] A medical electrode for electric field treatment of tumors, the key of which is that it includes a ceramic electrode sheet and a flexible circuit board, the flexible circuit board is provided with an electrode pad, the electrode pad is an unclosed annular conductor, and the electrode pad is welded to the ceramic electrode sheet through multiple welding points.

[0009] As a further improvement of the above medical electrode, a metal coating is provided on one side of the ceramic electrode sheet to ensure that each ceramic electrode sheet achieves an equipotential effect in the electric field, and the electrode pad is welded to the metal coating through a plurality of welding points.

[0010] As a further improvement of the above-mentioned medical electrode, a plurality of pad widening portions are evenly distributed on the electrode pad, and the welding points are located at the pad widening portions.

[0011] As a further improvement of the above-mentioned medical electrode, the shape of the electrode pad is an open circle, an ellipse or a polygon, or a circle or a polygon with a through hole.

[0012] As a further improvement of the above-mentioned medical electrode, a through hole is provided in the middle of the ceramic electrode sheet for welding a thermistor, two thermistor pads are provided in the middle of the flexible circuit board, the thermistor pads are welded to the thermistor, and the thermistor is placed in the through hole in the middle of the ceramic electrode sheet.

[0013] As a further improvement of the above medical electrode, the diameter of the metal coating is smaller than the diameter of the ceramic electrode sheet, and an annular insulating area is left between the metal coating and the edge of the ceramic electrode sheet to achieve an insulating effect.

[0014] As a further improvement of the above medical electrode, an annular insulating area is left at the edge of the metal coating and the through hole.

[0015] An electrode patch for electric field treatment of tumors, the key technology of which is that it includes a patch substrate and a plurality of medical electrodes as described above, the medical electrodes are distributed on the patch substrate, and the electrode pads on the plurality of medical electrodes are interconnected.

[0016] As a further improvement of the above electrode patch, at least one silicone positioning sheet is provided on the patch substrate, and a positioning groove adapted to the ceramic electrode sheet is provided on the silicone positioning sheet.

[0017] An electrode patch for electric field treatment of tumors, the key technology of which is that it includes a patch substrate and several medical electrodes as described above, the medical electrodes are distributed on the patch substrate, the electrode pads on several medical electrodes are interconnected, at least one silicone positioning sheet is provided on the patch substrate, the silicone positioning sheet is provided with a positioning groove adapted to the ceramic electrode sheet, a sealing hole is provided in the positioning groove, a sealant is applied through the sealing hole, the sealant insulates and seals the thermistor and the ceramic electrode metal coating, and the ceramic electrode sheet is bonded to the silicone positioning sheet.

[0018] The beneficial effects of adopting the above technical solution are:

[0019] The medical electrode provided by the present invention has a welding pad that adopts an open ring conductor. The open ring conductor is energized to form an open ring circuit, which can promote each medical ceramic electrode to achieve the effect of equipotential of the tumor treatment electric field, thereby ensuring the electrical connection reliability and stability of the electrode action; the open ring conductor is conducive to the welding connection between the welding pad and the ceramic electrode sheet, thereby enhancing the stability of its structure.

[0020] In the electrode patch provided by the present invention, the electrode pads on several medical electrodes are interconnected. This structure ensures that all medical electrodes are in a state of equipotential, thus guaranteeing the stability of the device and the therapeutic effect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] In order to more clearly illustrate the specific implementation methods of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the specific implementation methods or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some implementation methods of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0022] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the back structure of a medical electrode.

[0023] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a ceramic electrode sheet.

[0024] Figure 3 It is a structural diagram of a flexible printed circuit board.

[0025] Figure 4 and Figure 5 Schematic diagrams of the structures of two implementations of the pad.

[0026] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the electrode patch.

[0027] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the distribution of silicone positioning sheets on the patch substrate.

[0028] Figure 8 It is a structural diagram of a flexible printed circuit board.

[0029] Wherein: 1 ceramic electrode sheet, 2 flexible circuit board, 3 electrode pad, 4 pad widening portion, 5 thermistor pad, 6 wire, 7 metal coating, 8 through hole, 9 insulating area, 10 patch substrate, 11 gel patch, 12 silicone positioning sheet, 13 flexible circuit board, 14 sleeve, 15 wire, 16 positioning groove, 17 sealing hole, 18 accommodating groove, 19 thermistor, 20 insulating area. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention clearer, the invention is clearly and completely described below in conjunction with specific embodiments. It should be understood that the terms "center", "vertical", "lateral", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside" and "outside" indicate directions or positional relationships based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific direction, be constructed and operated in a specific direction, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0031] Example 1

[0032] like Figures 1 to 3 A medical electrode for electric field treatment of tumors is shown, which includes a ceramic electrode sheet 1 and a flexible circuit board 2, on which an electrode pad 3 is provided. The electrode pad is an open ring conductor, and the electrode pad 3 is welded to the ceramic electrode sheet 1 through multiple welding points (not shown).

[0033] The ceramic electrode sheet 1 is made of a ceramic sheet with a high dielectric constant and low loss, and its relative dielectric constant is greater than 10000. The ceramic electrode sheet 1 can be circular, elliptical or polygonal, and the polygon can be a regular polygon such as a regular triangle or a square. A circular shape is preferred, and the flexible circuit board 2 is a circular shape adapted thereto, and the diameter of the flexible circuit board 2 is smaller than the diameter of the ceramic electrode sheet 1.

[0034] The ceramic electrode sheet 1 is provided with a metal coating 7 on one side, and the electrode pad 3 is welded to the metal coating 7 through multiple welding points. The metal coating 7 is provided to facilitate welding the electrode pad 3 to the ceramic electrode sheet 1 on the one hand, and to ensure that all parts of the entire ceramic electrode sheet 1 are in a state of equipotential in the electric field on the other hand; in addition, the metal coating is polarized to ensure that the electrodes are oriented in the same direction and optimize the electric field. The metal coating 7 is a screen-printed silver layer.

[0035] The diameter of the metal coating 7 is smaller than the diameter of the ceramic electrode sheet 1 , and an annular insulating area 9 is left between the metal coating 7 and the edge of the ceramic electrode sheet 1 .

[0036] When the insulated electrode is in use, gel needs to be set on the other side of the ceramic electrode sheet 1 (the side without the metal coating 7), and the insulated electrode contacts the human skin through the gel. Since the gel is a colloid, it will undergo significant deformation after long-term use. The gel may be squeezed and penetrated into the periphery of the ceramic electrode sheet 1. If no annular insulating area 9 is left, the gel will easily contact the metal coating 7 to form an electrical short circuit, causing the insulated electrode to lose its due function.

[0037] like Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, a plurality of pad widening portions 4 are evenly distributed on the electrode pad 3, and the welding points are located at the pad widening portions 4. The widened pad widening portions 4 can ensure that the electrode pad 3 and the ceramic electrode sheet 1 are stably and tightly combined, and the welding operation is convenient.

[0038] like Figure 4 As shown, the shape of the electrode pad is an open circle, ellipse or polygon, a circle or polygon with a via. In this embodiment, the electrode pad 3 is an open octagonal structure, wherein the pad widening parts 4 with four widened sides are arranged at intervals.

[0039] Example 2

[0040] like Figure 4 As shown, the difference between this embodiment and embodiment 1 is that the electrode pad 3 is an open circular ring structure, and no widened pad widening portion is specially provided thereon for welding. A plurality of welding points can be provided according to actual needs, and the welding points are evenly distributed.

[0041] Example 3

[0042] like Figure 5 As shown, the difference between this embodiment and embodiment 1 is that the electrode pad 3 is an open regular octagonal structure, and no widened pad widening portion is specially provided thereon for welding. A plurality of welding points can be provided according to actual needs, and the welding points are evenly distributed.

[0043] Example 4

[0044] Based on Example 1, as a further optimization of the medical electrode, a through hole 8 (such as Figure 2 As shown in FIG. 1 ), two thermistor pads 5 are provided in the middle of the flexible circuit board 2, and the thermistor pads 5 are welded to the thermistor 19, and the thermistor 19 is placed in the through hole 8 in the middle of the ceramic electrode sheet 1. The thermistor 19 is used to monitor the electrode temperature in real time during treatment.

[0045] An annular insulating area 20 is left at the edge of the metal coating 7 and the through hole 8. By setting the insulating area 20, it is ensured that when the thermistor pad 5 is welded to the thermistor 19, the thermistor pad 5 does not contact the metal coating 7, thereby avoiding an electrical short circuit in the thermistor 19.

[0046] Example 5

[0047] like Figures 6 to 8As shown, an electrode patch for electric field treatment of tumors includes a patch substrate 10 and a plurality of insulated electrodes as described in any one of Examples 1-4, wherein the insulated electrodes are distributed on the patch substrate 10, and the electrode pads 3 on the plurality of medical electrodes are connected via wires 6.

[0048] At least one silicone positioning sheet 12 is disposed on the patch substrate 10 , and a positioning groove 16 adapted to the ceramic electrode sheet 1 is disposed on the silicone positioning sheet 12 , and a receiving groove 18 for placing the flexible circuit board 13 is disposed on the silicone positioning sheet 12 .

[0049] In this embodiment, there are three silicone positioning sheets 12, each of which is provided with three positioning grooves 16, for a total of nine medical electrodes. Each medical electrode corresponds to a circular flexible circuit board 2, and the flexible circuit board 13 of the entire electrode patch is in a "W"-shaped structure, and the six ends and three node parts of the flexible circuit board 13 are all circular flexible circuit boards 2.

[0050] The flexible circuit board 13 is connected to a wire 15 , and the wire 15 is connected to a main body of the electric field applying device. A sleeve 14 is provided at the connection between the circuit board 13 and the wire 15 to enhance protection.

[0051] The ceramic electrode sheet 1 is provided with a gel patch 11 , and the shape of the gel patch 11 matches the silicone positioning sheet 12 , that is, one gel patch 11 covers three ceramic electrode sheets 1 .

[0052] The patch substrate 10 is a medical non-woven fabric.

[0053] Example 6

[0054] Based on the above-mentioned embodiment 5, this embodiment provides an electrode patch in combination with the structure of the medical electrode in embodiment 4, wherein the silicone positioning sheet 12 is provided with a positioning groove 16 adapted to the ceramic electrode sheet 1, and the positioning groove 16 is provided with a sealing hole 17, through which a sealant (not shown) is applied, and the sealant insulates and seals the thermistor 19, and bonds the ceramic electrode sheet 1 to the silicone positioning sheet 10. This structure facilitates the assembly and fixation of the entire electrode patch, and also ensures the stability and reliability of the medical electrode, and avoids short circuit of the thermistor.

[0055] Similarly, the gel patch 11 is covered on the silicone positioning sheet 12. The gel on the gel patch tends to gradually enter the gap between the silicone positioning sheet 12 and the ceramic electrode sheet 1 during use. Therefore, the insulating area 9 is provided to avoid the electrical short circuit caused by the gel during long-term use. This can avoid taking measures to directly insulate and seal the silicone positioning sheet 12 and the ceramic electrode sheet 1, thereby reducing the cost of the electrode patch.

[0056] The shape of the sealing hole 17 can be circular or rectangular, etc., and its purpose is to facilitate the application of sealant to insulate and seal the thermistor 19, and to bond the ceramic electrode sheet 1 to the silicone spacer 10. The sealant is a thermally conductive insulating sealant.

[0057] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. However, these modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A medical electrode for electric field therapy of tumors, It is characterized in that It includes a ceramic electrode sheet and a flexible circuit board, wherein an electrode pad is arranged on the flexible circuit board, the electrode pad is an unclosed annular conductor, and the electrode pad is welded to the ceramic electrode sheet through multiple welding spots; a metal coating is arranged on one side of the ceramic electrode sheet, and the electrode pad is welded to the metal coating through multiple welding spots; a plurality of welding pad widening parts are evenly distributed on the electrode pad, and the welding spots are located on the welding pad widening parts; a through hole is arranged in the middle of the ceramic electrode sheet, and two thermistor welding pads are arranged in the middle of the flexible circuit board, the thermistor welding pad is welded to the thermistor, and the thermistor is placed in the through hole in the middle of the ceramic electrode sheet.

2. The medical electrode for electric field therapy of tumors according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The electrode pad is in the shape of an open circle, an ellipse or a polygon.

3. The medical electrode for electric field therapy of tumors according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The diameter of the metal coating is smaller than the diameter of the ceramic electrode sheet, and an annular insulating area is left between the metal coating and the edge of the ceramic electrode sheet to achieve an insulating effect.

4. The medical electrode for electric field therapy of tumors according to claim 1, It is characterized in that An annular insulating area is left at the edge of the metal coating and the through hole.

5. An electrode patch for electric field therapy of tumors, It is characterized in that It comprises a patch substrate and a plurality of medical electrodes as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the medical electrodes are distributed on the patch substrate, and the electrode pads on the plurality of medical electrodes are interconnected.

6. The electrode patch according to claim 5, It is characterized in that At least one silicone positioning sheet is arranged on the patch substrate, and a positioning groove matching the ceramic electrode sheet is arranged on the silicone positioning sheet.

7. An electrode patch for electric field therapy of tumors, It is characterized in that It includes a patch substrate and several medical electrodes as described in claim 1, the medical electrodes are distributed on the patch substrate, the electrode pads on several of the medical electrodes are interconnected, at least one silicone positioning sheet is provided on the patch substrate, the silicone positioning sheet is provided with a positioning groove matched with the ceramic electrode sheet, a sealing hole is provided in the positioning groove, a sealant is applied through the sealing hole, the sealant insulates and seals the thermistor and the ceramic electrode metal coating, and the ceramic electrode sheet is bonded to the silicone positioning sheet.

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