Wearable ECG EDA Electrode Configuration for Biometric Contact Quality

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Solution Overview

Problem

Wearable electronic devices face challenges in comfortably obtaining biometric measurements, leading to reduced user utilization of device capabilities.

Innovation Solution

A method and wearable device design that determine and adjust contacts between electrodes and user input sources to ensure quality data acquisition for biometric measurements, incorporating multiple leads for ECG and EDA measurements within a compact form factor.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If multiple electrodes are used for ECG and EDA measurements, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebiometric measurement qualityVSAvoidelectrode configuration complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines ECG and EDA measurement capabilities into a single wearable device by integrating multiple electrodes (first electrode on bottom surface, second electrode on top surface) that serve dual purposes for both ECG and EDA measurements, thereby improving measurement precision while managing device complexity through functional consolidation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The electrodes are designed to perform multiple functions: the first electrode on the bottom surface and the second electrode on the top surface can be used for both ECG measurements (when user touches the top surface) and EDA measurements (when user places fingers on the top surface), making the device universal and reducing the need for separate dedicated electrode sets

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Measurement precision

If contact quality is strictly monitored with threshold requirements, then measurement precision is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontact qualityVSAvoiduser comfort
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system continuously monitors contact quality by determining whether the first contact (bottom electrode) and second contact (top electrode) exceed respective thresholds, and provides real-time feedback to the user through instructions to adjust or maintain contact, ensuring measurement precision while guiding users through the process

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system determines contact quality before acquiring biometric data and provides preliminary instructions to users to adjust their contact posture, ensuring optimal measurement conditions are established before data collection begins, thereby preventing poor quality measurements without requiring users to understand complex technical parameters

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4185197B1Wearable ECG and EDA with multi-lead and single-lead connections
Publication Date: 2025.04.02 FITBIT LLC
  • EP4185197B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4185197B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4185197B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3D

AI summary

A wellness tracking device includes a plurality of electrodes to receive biometric data from a user. The electrodes may receive an input from the user and transmit information, such as electrical data related to the heart or skin conductance, in order to measurement one or more physical properties. The electrodes may be arranged within the form factor provided by the wellness tracking device and also electrically isolated to provide independent data acquisition for the electrodes. Arrangement of the electrodes may be particularly selected to provide an ergonomic arrangement to enable the user to comfortably provide input data.