← Back to Patent Explorer
US4570637A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Electrode

Assignee: Andover Medical Inc
•
Filing: 1983-10-20
•
Granted: 1986-02-18
•
Expires: 2003-10-20
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract An improved medical electrode is particularly adapted for transmitting DC currents. The electrode includes (1) an electrically conductive substrate electrically connected to a stud member and chemically inert with respect to the electrically and ionically conductive material, such as a gel, coupling the electrode to the skin of the user, and (2) a predetermined amount of an electrically-conductive material, preferably silver, disposed on the substrate in spaced relationship to the stud member and interfacing with the electrically and ionically conductive material.

Inventors

  • 👤 Robert L. Gomes
  • 👤 Joseph P. Maffione

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-25 04:33
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61N; A61N1/00; A61N1/02; A61N1/04; A61N1/0404; A61N1/0472; A61N1/0492; A61B; A61B5/00; A61B5/24; A61B5/25; A61B5/251; A61B5/257; A61B5/263; A61B5/265; A61B5/266; A61B2562/00; A61B2562/02; A61B2562/0209; A61B2562/0215

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim 132 words
In a medical electrode of the type including an electrically conductive stud member and a first electrically conductive material for electrically coupling the electrode to skin the improvement comprising: a substrate including a second electrically conductive material substantially chemically inert with respect to said first electrically conductive material and electrically coupled to said stud member, and a layer of a third electrically conductive material ionically reactive with said first electrically conductive material when current is transmitted therebetween, said layer being disposed on said substrate physically spaced from said stud member and electrically interfacing with said first electrically conductive material so as to define an electrical path from said first electrically conductive material, through said layer to said second electrically conductive material and from said second electrically conductive material to said stud member.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 132 words
In a medical electrode of the type including an electrically conductive stud member and a first electrically conductive material for electrically coupling the electrode to skin the improvement comprising: a substrate including a second electrically conductive material substantially chemically inert with respect to said first electrically conductive material and electrically coupled to said stud member, and a layer of a third electrically conductive material ionically reactive with said first electrically conductive material when current is transmitted therebetween, said layer being disposed on said substrate physically spaced from said stud member and electrically interfacing with said first electrically conductive material so as to define an electrical path from said first electrically conductive material, through said layer to said second electrically conductive material and from said second electrically conductive material to said stud member.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 29 words
A medical electrode according to claim 1, wherein said layer of third electrically conductive material is disposed on said substrate in a pattern radially spaced from said stud member.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 22 words
A medical electrode according to claim 2, wherein said pattern of said layer is a ring disposed concentrically around said stud member.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 17 words
A medical electrode according to claim 3, wherein said substrate and said stud member are secured together.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 23 words
A medical electrode according to claim 1, wherein said layer of said third electrically conductive material is of a predetermined thickness and weight.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 15 words
A medical electrode according to claim 5, wherein said third electrically conductive material is silver.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 78 words
A medical electrode according to claim 6, wherein said first electrically conductive material includes negative ions and said silver ionically reacts with said negative ions as a function of time when a DC current is transmitted along said electrical path, wherein said predetermined thickness and weight is selected in part as a function of the expected level of said DC current so that said layer completely reacts with said first electrically conductive material at predetermined useful operating life.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 36 words
A medical electrode according to claim 7, wherein said negative ions are chloride ions and said layer reacts with said chloride ions to form silver chloride when a DC current is transmitted along said electrical path.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 29 words
A medical electrode according to claim 1, further including a sheet impervious to said first electrically conductive material disposed between said stud member and said first electrically conductive material.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 39 words
A medical electrode according to claim 1, further including a removable carrier sheet impervious to said first electrically conductive material and a porous pad which contains said first electrically conductive material and is in contact with said carrier sheet.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 25 words
A medical electrode according to claim 10, further including a ring of material secured to said substrate and having an aperture which receives said pad.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 17 words
A medical electrode according to claim 1, wherein said substrate includes an electrically conductive synthetic polymeric material.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3977392A Cited
US4166453A Cited
US4243051A Cited
US4422461A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1989-02-17 1989-08-19 1990-02-18 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1993-02-17 1993-08-19 1994-02-18 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1997-02-17 1997-08-19 1998-02-18 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag