Skin Screw Electrodes with Parallel Teeth for Stable EEG
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing EEG electrodes face challenges with hair interference, adhesive issues, pain during insertion, and instability due to body movement, leading to high labor and facility costs and limited clinical acceptance.
Innovation Solution
The development of electrodes with small, parallel teeth that penetrate the skin's stratum corneum for secure attachment without pain, using magnetic leads for connection, and optional rubber rings for protection, allowing for quick and stable attachment on hairy skin without pre-treatment, and enabling wireless operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional EEG electrodes are used with adhesive and wire leads, then electrical recording can be achieved, but the electrodes become unstable due to body movement and require frequent reattachment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the adhesive-mechanical attachment system with a screw-threaded mechanical fastening system. The screw electrode threads directly into the skin, providing a secure mechanical anchor that resists displacement from body movement, thereby improving reliability and reducing the need for reattachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrode is divided into distinct functional segments: the screw-threaded insertion portion for secure attachment, the body portion for housing electronic components, and the contact portion for electrical recording. This segmentation allows each component to optimize its specific function, with the screw portion dedicated solely to stable mechanical anchoring.
2Reliability
If needle electrodes are inserted under the skin for improved electrical access, then electrical contact is enhanced, but the procedure becomes painful and raises safety concerns
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the insertion parameter from sharp needle penetration to gradual screw-threaded advancement. The threaded design allows the electrode to be slowly screwed into the skin along the grain, distributing the mechanical stress over time and tissue, which reduces acute pain while maintaining effective electrical contact with underlying tissues.
Solution Approach 2:
The screw-threaded structure acts as an intermediary mechanism between the external electrode and the skin tissue. Instead of direct needle penetration, the threads gradually work the electrode into the skin, providing a transitional insertion process that reduces trauma and pain while achieving the same electrical access goal.
3Ease of operation
If wire leads are used to connect electrodes to recording devices, then electrical signals can be transmitted, but the leads become tangled and act as tethers limiting patient movement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces flexible wire leads with a rigid, integrated connector system that attaches directly to the electrode body. This mechanical substitution eliminates the flexible wire portion that causes tangling, while maintaining electrical signal transmission through the rigid connector structure, thereby improving patient mobility without sacrificing signal transmission capability.
4Manufacturing precision
If manual electrode placement procedures are used, then proper electrode positioning can be achieved, but the process becomes time-consuming and increases labor costs
Solution Approach 1:
The screw electrode design enables self-service placement where the electrode guides its own insertion through the threaded structure. The self-tapping threads automatically create the insertion path and secure the electrode in place, reducing the skill level and time required for proper positioning while maintaining placement accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrode incorporates pre-formed screw threads that are created during manufacturing before clinical use. These pre-formed threads perform the preliminary action of creating the insertion path, eliminating the need for manual skin preparation or complex positioning techniques during patient application, thereby speeding up installation while maintaining precision.
Data Source
AI summary
Electrodes providing excellent recording and physical stability. Electrodes are disclosed that may include a plurality of small teeth that possess a novel design shape and orientation. The shallow and relatively long teeth run parallel to the rim of the electrode that presses against the patient’s skin. When the electrode is twisted onto skin, the tiny teeth penetrate the stratum corneum and move nearly horizontally under the stratum corneum, thus anchoring the electrode securely to the skin. The electrodes cause minimal discomfort to the patient since the small teeth do not extend to the pain fibers which are located in deeper layers of the skin. The electrodes may be fabricated in a variety of geometries including cylindrical, disk, and blunt bullet or top shapes. In some instances, the electrodes may be connected to detachable leads having magnetic properties.