Fabric Cover Integrated Electrodes for Non-Adhering ECG Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ECG measurement methods using adhesive electrodes can cause damage to neonates or infants and are time-consuming to apply, which is critical in neonatal care where timely intervention is often necessary.
Innovation Solution
A fabric cover with integrated electrodes that allow direct, non-adhering contact with the patient, featuring a sensor array with dynamically switching capabilities to ensure continuous and accurate ECG signal acquisition even as the patient moves, using a combination of measurement and dedicated driven electrodes to reduce noise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If adhesive electrodes are used to measure ECG signals, then measurement precision is improved, but the patient's skin is damaged and application time increases
Solution Approach 1:
A fabric cover serves as an intermediary between the electrodes and the patient's skin. The fabric cover includes a plurality of electrodes integrated into it, allowing the electrodes to contact the skin indirectly through the fabric material, thereby avoiding direct adhesive contact and skin damage while still enabling ECG signal measurement
2Measurement precision
If adhesive electrodes are used to measure ECG signals, then measurement precision is improved, but application time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The electrodes are pre-integrated into the fabric cover during manufacturing, eliminating the need for separate electrode application steps. The fabric cover with embedded electrodes is ready for immediate use, significantly reducing application time while maintaining measurement precision
Solution Approach 2:
The fabric cover and electrodes are merged into a single integrated unit. The electrodes are embedded within the fabric structure, combining the functions of the fabric cover and the electrode array into one component that can be applied as a single piece, reducing the number of steps required for application
3Object-affected harmful factors
If non-adhering electrodes are used, then skin damage is reduced, but contact stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The fabric cover is designed to be flexible and adaptable to patient movement. The fabric material allows the electrodes to maintain dynamic contact with the skin as the patient moves, adjusting to position changes while maintaining electrical contact without requiring adhesive bonding
4Reliability
If multiple electrodes are used to ensure continuous monitoring, then measurement reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fabric cover with integrated electrodes serves multiple functions: it provides mechanical support, electrical insulation between adjacent electrodes, electrical connection to the electrode array, and a comfortable interface with the patient's skin. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components and simplifies the overall device structure while enabling continuous monitoring with multiple electrodes
Data Source
AI summary
Various methods and systems are provided for a fabric cover including a plurality of integrated electrodes for measuring an electrocardiogram signal of a patient in direct contact with at least a subset of the plurality of integrate electrodes. As one example, a fabric cover for an infant incubator or warmer includes a plurality of electrodes spaced apart from one another within a measurement area of a surface of the fabric cover adapted to have direct contact with a patient, the plurality of electrodes including a topmost electrode extending across an entire width of the measurement area, a bottommost electrode extending across the entire width of the measurement area, and a set of electrodes arranged between the topmost electrode and bottommost electrode, in a direction perpendicular to the width, within the measurement area.