Systems and methods for conductive gel deployment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016271384-A1
Application number	US-201615072590-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 17, 2016
Priority date	Mar 19, 2015
Publication date	Sep 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electrode system includes a gel deployment receptacle configured to release a conductive gel onto a body of a subject and a fluid pump in fluid communication with the gel deployment receptacle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electrode system, comprising:
a gel deployment receptacle configured to release a conductive gel onto a body of a subject; and a fluid pump in fluid communication with the gel deployment receptacle.

2 . The electrode system of claim 1 , wherein the electrode system is capable of delivering a defibrillation current.

3 . The electrode system of claim 2 , wherein the electrode system is disposed within a wearable defibrillator device.

4 . The electrode system of claim 1 , wherein the conductive gel is capable of conducting a defibrillation current.

5 . The electrode system of claim 1 , wherein the fluid pump receives a fluid at a first pressure and outputs the fluid at a second pressure higher than the first pressure.

6 . The electrode system of claim 5 , wherein the fluid pump is an air pump.

7 . The electrode system of claim 5 , wherein the second pressure is between about 10 psig and about 20 psig.

8 . The electrode system of claim 1 , wherein the gel deployment receptacle comprises:
a shell defining a gel chamber housing a conductive gel; a fluid inlet in fluid communication with the gel chamber; and a plurality of apertures in fluid communication with the gel chamber.

9 . The electrode system of claim 8 , wherein the gel chamber is defined on a first side of the shell.

10 . The electrode system of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of apertures includes a plurality of shell apertures defined in a second side of the shell.

11 . The electrode system of claim 10 , further comprising a gel conduit in fluid communication with the gel chamber and the plurality of shell apertures.

12 . The electrode system of claim 11 , wherein the conductive gel is housed within a bladder disposed within the gel chamber.

13 . The electrode system of claim 12 , wherein the fluid inlet is in fluid communication with an internal volume of the gel chamber and an external surface of the bladder.

14 . The electrode system of claim 12 , wherein the gel conduit is in fluid communication with the bladder.

15 . The electrode system of claim 12 , further comprising a seal disposed one of at an opening in the bladder, within the gel conduit, or between the bladder and the plurality of shell apertures, the seal configured to rupture responsive to a pressure of a fluid received at the fluid inlet.

16 . The electrode system of claim 12 , wherein the bladder is disposed proximate a first end of the shell and the gel conduit extends from the bladder in a direction toward a second end of the shell.

17 . The electrode system of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of shell apertures comprises at least one first shell aperture disposed at a first distance from the bladder and at least one second shell aperture disposed at a second distance from the bladder, the second distance being greater than the first distance.

18 . The electrode system of claim 17 , wherein a cross-sectional area of the at least one second shell aperture is greater than a cross-sectional area of the at least one first shell aperture.

19 . The electrode system of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of shell apertures comprises a first pair of shell apertures, each of the first pair of shell apertures being disposed at the first distance from the bladder and having a same cross-sectional area.

20 . The electrode system of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of shell apertures comprises a plurality of pairs of shell apertures disposed along a length of the gel conduit, each shell aperture of a respective pair of shell apertures disposed at a same distance from the bladder and having a same cross-sectional area, each respective pair of shell apertures being disposed at a different distance from the bladder than each other pair of shell apertures.

21 . The electrode system of claim 20 , wherein a cross-sectional area of each shell aperture of the respective pairs of shell apertures increases with an increased distance from the bladder.

22 . The electrode system of claim 11 , wherein the gel conduit comprises a trunk and a plurality of pairs of branches extending from the trunk, each of the plurality of pairs of branches providing fluid communication between the trunk and one of the plurality of shell apertures.

23 . The electrode system of claim 22 , wherein each of the branches has a cross-sectional area approximately equal to a cross-sectional area of the shell aperture with which the branch is in fluid communication.

24 . The electrode system of claim 22 , wherein the trunk comprises a cross-sectional area approximately equal to a sum of the cross-sectional areas of the plurality of branches.

25 . The electrode system of claim 11 , configured to dispense the conductive gel, responsive to a pressure of a fluid received at the fluid inlet, through the gel conduit and through the plurality of shell apertures.

26 . The electrode system of claim 11 , wherein cross-sectional areas of the plurality of shell apertures vary along a length of the gel conduit to cause a flow rate of the conductive gel through each of the plurality of shell apertures to be within about 10% of another of the plurality of shell apertures.

27 . The electrode system of claim 26 , wherein the plurality of shell apertures are configured to distribute the conductive gel evenly over one of the second side of the shell or over a conductive layer disposed on the second side of the shell.

28 . The electrode system of claim 11 , wherein the fluid pump is disposed on the shell and in fluid communication with the fluid inlet.

29 . The electrode system of claim 11 , further comprising a conductive layer disposed proximate to the second side of the shell.

30 . The electrode system of claim 29 , further comprising a plurality of conductive layer apertures defined in the conductive layer, each respective conductive layer aperture circumscribing a respective shell aperture of the plurality of shell apertures.

31 . The electrode system of claim 11 , disposed in a garment including a monitor, the monitor in communication with at least one electrical component of the electrode system.

32 . The electrode system of claim 31 , wherein the monitor is in communication with the at least one electrical component of the electrode system by one of an inductive coupling system including a first coil disposed on the electrode system and a second coil disposed in the garment, a capacitive coupling system including a first conductive plate or sheet disposed on the electrode system and a second conductive plate or sheet disposed in the garment, an infrared signal communication system, conductive hook and loop fasteners, conductive snaps, one or more conductive magnets and associated conductive magnetic contacts.

33 . The electrode system of claim 32 , wherein the one of the conductive hook and loop fasteners, the conductive snaps, or the one or more conductive magnets and associated conductive magnetic contacts maintain the electrode system in a desired orientation relative to the garment.

34 . The electrode system of claim 11 , further comprising:
a plurality of therapy electrodes each including a gel chamber and a fluid inlet in communication with the gel chamber; and a common distribution no

Assignees

• Zoll Medical Corp

Inventors

• Kaib Thomas E
• Freeman Gary A
• Amsler Phillip Hier

Classifications

• A61N1/0484

  Garment electrodes worn by the patient · CPC title

• A61N1/046 Primary

  Specially adapted for shock therapy, e.g. defibrillation · CPC title

• A61N1/0492

  Patch electrodes (A61N1/0412, A61N1/0428 take precedence) · CPC title