Biomedical Electrode Pad Retainer Mesh Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current biomedical electrode pads face issues with sticky gel layers causing discomfort, uneven current distribution, and short lifespan due to frequent removal and application, leading to hot spots and reduced effectiveness in long-term or repeated use.
Innovation Solution
A biomedical electrode pad design featuring a soft, flexible contact member with a retainer mesh that allows for good electrical contact through openings, preventing direct skin contact and ensuring long-term functionality, combined with a carrier and backing layer for mechanical support and attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a gel layer is used to contact the skin directly, then good electrical contact is achieved, but the gel causes discomfort due to its sticky nature and deteriorates with frequent removal and application
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a non-sticky gel layer as an intermediary between the electrode terminal and the skin, eliminating direct contact between the skin and the deteriorating gel. This mediator layer provides the necessary electrical contact properties without the harmful sticky characteristics, resolving the contradiction between reliable electrical contact and skin comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrode pad is segmented into multiple functional layers: electrode terminal, non-sticky gel layer, and stabilizing mesh layer. This segmentation allows each layer to perform its specific function independently - the gel layer provides electrical contact without stickiness, while the mesh layer prevents deterioration, thereby solving the contradiction through functional separation.
2Productivity
If the electrode pad is designed for repeated use, then cost-effectiveness improves, but the gel layer deteriorates leading to uneven current distribution and hot spots
Solution Approach 1:
The stabilizing mesh layer is incorporated beforehand into the electrode pad structure to prevent gel layer deterioration before it occurs. This preventive measure ensures that the gel layer maintains its integrity and electrical properties throughout repeated usage, avoiding uneven current distribution and hot spots while enabling cost-effective repeated use.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrode pad combines multiple materials with complementary properties: a conductive gel layer for electrical contact, a non-sticky gel layer for comfort, and a stabilizing mesh layer for structural integrity. This composite structure ensures reliable current distribution during repeated usage by preventing gel deterioration while maintaining electrical conductivity.
3Reliability
If the gel layer is made softer for better skin contact, then electrical contact improves, but the gel becomes more prone to deterioration and sticking
Solution Approach 1:
The gel contact layer is segmented into two distinct functional layers: a soft gel layer that provides good electrical contact with the skin, and a non-sticky gel layer that prevents deterioration and sticking. This segmentation allows the soft gel layer to maintain its compliance for good contact while the non-sticky layer protects against deterioration, resolving the contradiction between contact quality and structural stability.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to an electrode pad comprising at least one electrode (E) with an electrode terminal (120). A contact member (140) such as a hydrogel is disposed on said electrode terminal (120) and covered by a retainer mesh (150). In a preferred embodiment, the electrode terminal may for example be a silver electrode (120) disposed on a flexible foil (10), and the contact member (140) may be disposed in the aperture (131) of a backing layer (130). The retainer mesh (150) is designed to allow for an electrical contact of the contact member (140) to an object such as the body of a person while at the same time mechanically retaining the contact member (140). Moreover, the electrode pad may comprise an array of several electrodes(E) disposed on a carrier (110), said carrier having a slit separating at least two neighboring electrodes.