Method and apparatus for minimizing skin injury with electrode use

Claim 2

A bioelectrode for mitigating the presence of deleterious ions adjacent a patient's skin, said bioelectrode being adapted for connection to a source of electrical power, said bioelectrode comprising: electrical contacting means for connecting said source of electrical power with a patient's skin; and ion conversion means for removing deleterious ions, said ion conversion means being in electrical communication with said contacting means and interposed between said contacting means and the patient's skin, whereby deleterious ions generated by said electrode adjacent the patient's skin are removed from adjacent the patient's skin, thereby reducing skin irritation and injury.

Claim 3

The bioelectrode as claimed in claim 1, wherein said electrical contacting means comprises a metal electrode, said bioelectrode further comprising: a housing, defining an interior cavity therein, said housing having an aperture adapted to communicate said interior cavity with a patient's skin, said metal electrode being disposed within said housing and, said ion conversion means being disposed within said housing and interposed between said metal electrode and the patient's skin; and dispensing means for releasing a compound to the patient's skin, said dispensing means being in electrical communication with said ion conversion means and said metal electrode and adapted to contact the patient's skin, whereby an electrical current from said source of electrical power generates deleterious ions and said deleterious ions are scavenged by said ion conversion means, effectively removing said deleterious ions from solution, and minimizing said deleterious ions from contacting the patient's skin, thereby reducing skin injury.

Claim 4

The bioelectrode as claimed in claim 5, wherein said dispensing means includes an absorbent pad.

Claim 5

A bioelectrode as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said ion conversion means includes an ion-exchange resin in fluid communication with said contacting means and the patient's skin.

Claim 6

The bioelectrode as claimed in claim 4, and further including retaining means, said retaining means being disposed within said housing, for retaining said ion-exchange resin between said metal electrode and the patient's skin.

Claim 7

The bioelectrode as claimed in claim 5, wherein said retaining means includes an electroconductive gel for mixing with said ion-exchange resin and retaining said ion-exchange resin interposed between said metal electrode and the patient's skin.

Claim 8

A bioelectrode as claimed in any one of claims 1, 2 or 3, wherein said ion conversion means includes a sacrificial electrode, interposed between said contacting means and the patient's skin, said sacrificial electrode oxidatively-reductively converting said deleterious ions.

Claim 9

A bioelectrode as claimed in any one of claims 1, 2, 3 or 7, wherein said ion conversion means is selected from the group consisting of magnesium, zinc, or aluminum.

Claim 10

The bioelectrode as claimed in any one of claims 2, 3, 7 or 8, further including at least one sheet of an insulative material interposed between said ion conversion means and said metal electrode.

Claim 11

The bioelectrode as claimed in claim 1, wherein said electrical contacting means comprises first and second metal electrodes and further including: a housing including a common dividing wall and defining a first, and second interior cavities, said common dividing wall separating said first and second interior cavities, said ion conversion means comprising ion-exchange resin disposed within said first and second interior cavities, said first and second metal electrodes being disposed within said interior cavities, said first and second metal electrodes in electrical communication with said source of electrical power and said ion-­exchange resin; a first and second retainers disposed within said interior cavities to retain said ion-exchange resin therein; at least one absorbent pad for absorbing and releasing said medicine, said absorbent pad in electrical communication with said ion-exchange resin and in contact with the patient's skin, whereby an electrical current from said power source generates deleterious ions and said deleterious ions are reversibly bound to said ion-­exchange media, effectively removing said deleterious ions from solution, to minimize contact of said deleterious ions with the patient's skin, thereby reducing skin injury.

Claim 12

The bioelectrode as claimed in claim 10, wherein said housing has a back end and defines a third interior cavity remote from said back end, and said source of electrical power is a battery received within said third interior cavity.

Claim 13

The bioelectrode as claimed in claims 10 or 11, wherein said common dividing wall has an extension extending from said common dividing wall.

Claim 14

The bioelectrode as claimed in claim 12 wherein said at least one absorbent pad is tilted relative a substantially horizontal plane.

Claim 17

The method for minimizing skin injury, as set forth in claim 14, wherein said step of removing deleterious ions includes interposing an ion-exchange resin between said electrode and the patient's skin.

Claim 18

The method for minimizing skin injury as set forth in claim 14, wherein said step of removing deleterious ions includes interposing a metal which oxidative-reductively converts said deleterious ions to a more benign species.