Detecting bipotential with an ionic varistor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10617315-B2
Application number	US-201615282926-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2016
Priority date	Sep 30, 2016
Publication date	Apr 14, 2020
Grant date	Apr 14, 2020

Abstract

In various embodiments, methods and systems, of an ionic varistor system is provided. The ionic varistor system includes an electrolyte-membrane assembly having a liquid electrolyte that is enclosed in a solid electrolyte membrane. The ionic varistor system further includes conductive contacts operably coupled to the electrolyte-membrane assembly. The electrolytic-membrane assembly is operably coupled to an electrical potential surface. As the ionic concentration in the electrical potential surface is increased or decreased, some ions diffuse through the solid electrolyte membrane, causing the ions to mix with the liquid electrolyte to achieve an electrostatic equilibrium state that is thermally and mechanically stable. The liquid electrolyte and the diffused ions create an encapsulated ion channel in the electrolyte-membrane assembly. The electrical conductivity of the encapsulated ion channel increases as the ion concentration increases such that the complete electrolyte-membrane assembly produces electrical resistance. The ion concentration is measured as indicator of electrical potential of the electrical potential surface.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An ionic varistor system, comprising:
an electrolyte-membrane assembly having a liquid electrolyte that is enclosed by a solid electrolyte, the solid electrolyte having ionomer ionic properties that support extending ionic flows from an electrical potential surface; and
a pair of conductive contacts operably coupled to the electrolyte-membrane assembly to provide an electrical connection between the pair of conductive contacts and the electrolytic-membrane assembly.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the solid electrolyte is a mechanically rigid fast solid ionic conductor constructed as a separator layer that isolates the liquid electrolyte from an electrical potential surface.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the solid electrolyte, when conductive, remains dry on at least the electrical interface with the electrical potential based at least in part on the ionomer ionic properties that provide thermal and mechanical stability in the solid electrolyte.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the solid electrolyte is configured to be operably coupled to an electrical potential surface to extend ionic flows from the electrical potential surface to the electrolyte-membrane assembly, when diffused ions from the electrolyte potential surface create an ion channel with the electrolyte-membrane assembly.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein an ion concentration of the liquid electrolyte is measurable via the pair of conductive contacts as an indicator of an electrical potential of the electrical potential surface.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pair of conductive contacts are located at a top portion and a bottom portion, respectively, of the electrolyte-membrane assembly.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pair of conductive contacts are operably coupled to corresponding wires, wherein the wires receive electrical signals for measuring electrical characteristics in the liquid electrolyte.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein a conductive contact of the pair of conductive contacts comprises a metal contact operably coupled to the electrolyte-membrane assembly, the metal contact pierces through the electrolyte-membrane assembly contacting the liquid electrolyte.

9. A method for implementing an ionic varistor system, the method comprising:
identifying ionic flows using an electrolyte-membrane assembly having a liquid electrolyte that is at least partially enclosed in a solid electrolyte, the solid electrolyte having ionomer ionic properties that support extending ionic flows from an electrical potential surface, wherein the electrolyte-membrane assembly is operably coupled to one or more conductive contacts; and
detecting a measure of electrical potential of the electrical potential surface.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein identifying ionic flows is based on diffused ions from the electrolyte potential surface that create an ion channel with the electrolyte-membrane assembly.

11. The method of claim 10 , where the diffused ions mixed with the liquid electrolyte achieve an electrostatic equilibrium state comprising the membrane extending the ionic flows from the electrical potential surface and in a stable thermal and mechanical state due to the ionomer ionic properties.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the electrolyte-membrane assembly is operably coupled to a biopotential measurement device, wherein the biopotential measurement device is one of the following:
an electrocardiogram (ECG);
an electroencephalogram (EEG);
an electromyography (EMG); or
an electro-oculogram (EOG).

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein detecting the measure of electrical potential of the electrical potential surface is based on transmitting an electrical signal through the one or more conductive contacts operably coupled to the electrolyte-membrane assembly.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the solid electrolyte, when conductive, remains dry on at least the electrical interface with the electrical potential based at least in part on the ionomer ionic properties that provide thermal and mechanical stability in the solid electrolyte.

15. An ionic varistor system, the system comprising:
an electrolyte-membrane assembly having a liquid electrolyte that is at least partially enclosed by a solid electrolyte, the solid electrolyte having ionomer ionic properties that support extending ionic flows from an electrical potential surface; and
one or more conductive contacts operably coupled to the electrolyte-membrane assembly to provide an electrical connection between the one or more conductive contacts and the electrolytic-membrane assembly.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the liquid electrolyte is enclosed on a first side by the solid electrolyte and on a second side by a liquid electrolyte enclosure.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the solid electrolyte is a mechanically rigid fast solid ionic conductor constructed as a separator layer that isolates the liquid electrolyte from an electrical potential surface, wherein the solid electrolyte when conductive remains dry on at least the electrical interface with the electrical potential based at least in part on the ionomer ionic properties that provide thermal and mechanical stability in the solid electrolyte.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the ionic varistor system is configured for:
identifying ionic flows using the electrolyte-membrane assembly; wherein the electrolyte-membrane assembly is operably coupled to one or more conductive contacts; and
detecting a measure of electrical potential of the electrical potential surface.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein identifying ionic flows is based on diffused ions from the electrical potential surface that create an ion channel with the electrolyte-membrane assembly.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the diffused ions mixed with the liquid electrolyte achieve an electrostatic equilibrium state comprising a membrane extending the ionic flows from the electrical potential surface and in a stable thermal and mechanical state due to the ionomer ionic properties.

Assignees

• Cherkashin Lev
• Gordon John Carroll
• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Cherkashin Lev
• Gordon John Carroll

Classifications

• A61B2562/0209

  Special features of electrodes classified in A61B5/24, A61B5/25, A61B5/283, A61B5/291, A61B5/296, A61B5/053 · CPC title

• G01N27/04

  by investigating resistance · CPC title

• G01N27/327

  Biochemical electrodes {, e.g. electrical or mechanical details for in vitro measurements} · CPC title

• G01N27/40

  Semi-permeable membranes or partitions · CPC title

• A61B5/0492

  Human Necessities · mapped topic