X-ray transmissive transcutaneous stimulating electrode

Abstract: A disposable transcutaneous electrode (10) comprising, a sheet electrode member (21) of electrically conductive carbon filled polymer, an electrically conductive metal/metal coating (23) on at least a major portion of the lower side of the electrode member. A pad of electrically conductive gel (25) having an upper surface underlies the metal/metal chloride coating on the lower side of the electrode member. A current distributing mat (27) conductively adhered to the upper side of the sheet electrode member has a perimeter spaced inwardly of the perimeter of the electrode member and includes an open mesh metallized carbon fiber web having a carbon impregnated pressure sensitive adhesive composition on upper and lower sides of the web. The mat (27) is configured to be electrically conductive along the surfaces of the mat and transverse to the surfaces of the mat. Defibrillating energy is conducted to or from the upper side of the mat by, e.g., a sheathed electrical conductor, a conductive post stud, a metal tab conductor or similar element. The sheet electrode member and the current distributing mat are configured to be X-ray transparent and capable of conducting energy at levels sufficient for defibrillation.

Description: FIELD OF INVENTION The present application relates to a transcutaneous stimulating or defibrillating electrode, and more particularly to a multi-function defibrillating electrode that is also X-ray transmissive. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Various X-ray transmissive monitoring electrodes have heretofore been made to facilitate X-ray examination of a patient without requiring removal of the electrodes or significantly impairing the X-ray image. Examples of X-ray transmissive monitoring electrodes are disclosed in U.S. patents 4,050,453; 4,257,424; 4,370,984; 4,674,511; 4,685,467; 4,442,315; 4,539,995; and 5,265,579. Monitoring electrodes are very small, for example in the order of a few square centimeters and need only carry very low electrical signals in the order of milliamps. In general, such X-ray transmissive monitoring electrodes are not capable of conducting and distributing the high levels of energy required in transcutaneous stimulation and defibrillation electrodes. Defibrillation electrodes must be capable of conducting the high energy level required for defibrillation, up to 360 Joules or more, and must also distribute the energy over a relatively large area of the patients's epidermis to achieve adequate current density distribution within the ventricles. The ANSI/AAMI presently specify that the minimum active area of individual self-adhesive electrodes used for adult defibrillation and pacing shall be at least 50 square centimeters and that the total area of the two electrodes shall be at least 150 square centimeters. Some prior defibrillation electrodes such as disclosed in U.S. Patents 4,895,169 and 5,330,526, provide an electrically conductive metal plate having an area to substantially cover the skin contacting gel pad, for distributing the energy over the area of the pad. Patent 4,748,983 provides an electrode body formed of a porous granular or fibrous carbon impregnated with an electrolytic solution that covers the upper surface of a skin contacting gel pad. Some other stimulations and defibrillation electrodes disclosed in U.S. Patents 4,226,247; 4,239,046; 4,722,354; 5,356,428 and 5,366,497 provide a conductive backing for covering the skin contacting pad and which is formed of expanded metal or metal strands that are woven or formed into an open mesh. Some of the above patents indicate that the backing is radiolucent or have at least some degree of X-ray transmissivity. In addition, some of the above patents also indicate that the defibrillation electrode disclosed in the patents are combination electrodes that can also function as monitoring electrodes between defibrillation pulses. However, it remains a problem to improve the X-ray transparency of defibrillation electrodes and the ability of the defibrillation electrodes to reliably function as monitoring electrodes promptly after transmission of a defibrillation pulse through the electrode. In addition, problems have been encountered with prior art stimulation and defibrillator electrodes, particularly after application of repeated high level defibrillation or cardiac pacing pulses, with irritation and burning of the patient's skin due to high current density around the perimeter of electrodes. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a disposable transcutaneous electrode which is X-ray transparent and capable of conducting energy sufficient for defibrillation, and which has improved current density distribution between the electrode and the skin surface of the patient to efficiently deliver the energy without burning the patient's skin. Accordingly, the present invention as defined by claims 1 to 23 provides a disposable transcutaneous electrode comprising, a sheet electrode member of electrically conductive polymer having upper and lower sides and an outer perimeter, an electrically conductive silver/silver chloride coating on at least a major portion of the lower side of the electrode member, a pad of electrically conductive gel having an upper surface underlying the silver/silver chloride coating on the lower side of the electrode, a removable carrier sheet on a lower surface of the pad for covering the latter prior to use, a current distributing mat having upper and lower surfaces and an outer perimeter spaced inwardly of the outer perimeter of the electrode member, the mat including an open mesh metallized carbon fiber web having a carbon impregnated pressure sensitive adhesive composition on upper and lower sides of the web, the mat being configured to be electrically conductive along the surfaces of the mat and transverse to the surfaces of the mat, the mat having the lower surface conductively adhered to the upper side of the sheet electrode member, means for conducting defibrillating energy to or from the upper side of the mat and a medical device, the sheet electrode member and the current distributing mat being configured to be X-ray transparent and capable of conducting energy at levels sufficient for defibrillation and electro-surgery. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig.1 is a top plan view of the electrode, with certain layers cut away to illustrate details of intermediate layers; Fig. 2 is an exploded longitudinal sectional view of the electrodes; Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the electrode, with certain layers broken away to illustrate the under side of intermediate layers; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view through heated sealing jaws, illustrating flattening of the electric insulation adjacent the end of the conductors; Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view illustrating assembly of the conductor between layers of an electrically conductive mat; Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view illustrating application of the electrodes to a patient and connection to a defibrillating and ECG apparatus. DETAILED DESCRIPTION An exploded view of a disposable transcutaneous electrode 10 embodying the present invention is illustrated in Fig. 2. In general, the electrode comprises a sheet electrode member 21 of electrically conductive carbon filled polymer; an electrically conductive metal/metal chloride coating 23 (and preferably a silver/silver chloride coating) on at least a major portion of the lower side of the electrode member; a pad of electrically conductive gel 25 underlying the metal/metal chloride coating on the lower side of the electrode member, and a current distributing mat 27 having a lower surface conductively adhered to the upper side of the sheet electrode member, for conducting energy to or from the upper side of the electrode member. The electrode is configured to be X-ray transparent and capable of conducting electrical energy at levels sufficient for defibrillation. As used herein the phrase "X-ray transparent" is defined as the quality of being at least substantially invisible at X-irradiation levels used in routine X-rays of a patient's chest. The gel pad 25 is preferably a skin compatible hydrogel having good ability to retain moisture content and adhesive tack. The gel may, for example, comprise a hydrogel marketed by Ludlow Technical Products division of Ludlow Corporation, under the trademark "Promeon", product number RG73P. It is desirable to laterally confine the gel pad 25 during storage and use, and the gel pad is preferably disposed within an opening 28' in a base frame 28 of X-ray transparent and electrically insulative foam such as .08 to .16 cm thick PE foam, and a removable release carrier sheet 31, for example of PTFE, is attached to the underside of the base frame 28 by a skin compatible adhesive coating 29 on the underside of the base frame. The carrier sheet underlies the gel pad 25 and covers the latter prior to use. An electrically insulative cover sheet 33 of X-ray transparent and electrically insulative foam such as .08 cm to .16 cm thick PE foam having an adhesive layer 34, overlies the current distributing mat 27 and the electrode member 21 and is adhered by the adhesive layer 34 to the upper side of the base frame 28. The gel pad 25 is of a type that adhesively connects the electrode member to the patient's skin and the adhesive 29 on the underside of the base frame 28 aids in adhering the electrode member to the patient's skin during use. Alternatively, the frame 28 could be omitted and the adhesive layer on the outer periphery of the cover sheet 33 used to adhere the electrode to the patient's skin. Means are provided for conducting energy to and from the upper side of the current distributing mat 27 and a medical device. In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1-6, the energy conducting means comprises an electrical conductor 35 having an electrically insulative sheath 36a and a unsheathed end portion 35a that is conductively adhered to the upper side of the current distributing mat 27. The current distributing mat preferably includes a second mat portion 27' arranged to overlie the mat 27 and the unsheathed end portion 35a of the conductor 35. The electrode member 21 is formed of a thin flexible sheet of electrically conductive polymer film such as graphite filled polyvinyl chloride film preferably having a thickness of the order of two to four mils. An example of carbon filled polymer which can be used is thin carbon filled PVC available from Burkhardt/Freeman, Holyoke, Mass., under the trademark "Conduction." The carbon filled sheet electrode member is X-ray transparent and the coating 23 of metal/metal chloride is applied in a layer or layers to the lower face of the electrode member as by silk screening or by flexographic printing. If the coating 23 is silver/silver chloride , it is preferably less than ten microns in thickness, which is sufficient to provide good electrical conductivity without impairing the X-ray transparency of the electrode member. A carbon filled PVC material with silver/silver chloride coating on the underside suitable for use as an electrode member is available from Prime Label And Screen, Inc., New Berlin, Wisconsin. Alternatively, the metal/metal chloride coating can comprise a single layer, chloride-coated metallic foil coated with a conductive acrylic adhesive. The metallic foil may comprise silver, tin, copper, nickel, gold, aluminum, platinum, chromium, cadmium, pladmium, zinc, antimony, or indium covered with an adhesive such as the Arclad 8001 bonding tape or Arclad EC2 adhesive described below. The electrode member 21 has a surface area dimensioned to distribute energy over an area of the patient's epidermis to achieve proper current density distribution within the ventricles of the patient's heart. The ANSI standards for the size of defibrillation electrodes published by AAMI presently recommends that the minimum active area of individual self-adhesive electrodes used for adult defibrillation and pacing shall be at least 50 cm 2 and that the total area of two electrodes used in defibrillation shall be at least 150 cm 2 . The electrode member 21 has an area of at least 50 cm 2 and preferably about 80 cm 2 or more so that a pair of the electrodes used for defibrillation can be of the same size. 15 cm 2 is the minimum electrode area recommended for pediatric transthoracic use and the area of the electrode member 21 of the present invention for pediatric use can be made correspondingly smaller. The carbon filled polymer electrode 21 is conductive in the plane of the electrode and transverse to the plane electrode and the metal/metal chloride coating on the under side of the electrode member is also conductive in the plane of the coating and transverse to the plane of the coating. The carbon filled polymer electrode member has a surface resistance substantially higher than the surface resistance of the metal/metal chloride coating and it has been found that the carbon filled polymer electrode member with a silver/silver chloride coating is not alone capable for transmitting and distributing the high levels of energy encountered in defibrillation over the entire surface of the electrode member. In the present invention, the current distributing mat 27 is configured to have electrical conductivity in the of the mat and transverse to the plane of the mat and a higher current carrying capacity than the sheet electrode member. The current distributing mat includes a non-woven open mesh metallized carbon fiber web having an electrically conductive carbon impregnated pressure sensitive adhesive composition on the upper and lower sides of the web. The web of the current distribution mat is thin and preferably less than five mills in thickness and is comprised of semi-metallic fibers such as carbon fibers which are metal plated or coated before or after being formed into a web with a metal coating that is 35% to 40% by weight of the metal plated carbon fiber web. The semi-metallic carbon fibers are X-ray transparent before plating or coating and the metal plating or coating of the fibers of the web is sufficiently think for example less than ten microns in thickness, and such that the thin open-mesh web formed of the metal plated fibers remains X-ray transparent. The electrically conductive pressure sensitive adhesive that is applied to opposite sides of the web is loaded with sufficient carbon or graphite for good electrical conductivity and such that the composite web and adhesive provide a mat that is electrically conductive in the plane of the mat and transverse to the plane of the mat. An example of a conductive double face pressure sensitive tape with a conductive carrier which can be used for the mat is a thin pressure sensitive bonding tape available from Adhesives Research, Inc., Glen Rock, Pa. under the trademark "Arclad," product No. 8001. This tape comprises a non-woven open mesh mat or carrier formed of metal coated carbon filaments having a metal coating of a few microns, for example five or six microns in thickness, and such that the metal coated mat is X-ray transparent. The electrically conductive pressure sensitive adhesive comprises a pressure sensitive adhesive impregnated with carbon or graphite for conductivity. U.S. Patent No. 5,082,595 assigned to Adhesive Research, Inc. discloses a method of making such a double faced pressure sensitive adhesive tape with conductivity in X, Y and Z axes. Alternatively, the current distributing mat 27 may comprise a solid metallic foil or fine screen mesh covered with a conductive polymer adhesive for attaching the mat to the sheet electrode 21. The foil is on the order of 0.001-0.002 inches thick and suitable metals include copper or tin. Other metals may be used, such as gold, silver, nickel, aluminum, platinum, chromium, cadmium, pladmium, zinc, antimony, and indium. However, the cost of certain of these metals could make their use unlikely. If the monitoring aspects of the electrode are important, the foil should comprise a metal halide. (Of course, the use of metal foils for the current distributing mat adversely affects the x-ray transmissivity of the electrode.) Suitable adhesives include the Arclad 8001 bonding tape described above. EC2 adhesive by Adhesive Research can also be used. Published literature indicates that, when a metal plate electrode having an electrolytic gel coating on its underside, is placed on the skin and used to delivery current, the current density is very much higher under the perimeter of the electrode than under the center. A similar problem occurs at the energy accepting electrode of a set of such defibrillation electrodes. The mat 27 is arranged to distribute current over a central area of the electrode member 21 and has an outer perimeter 27p spaced inwardly of the perimeter 21p of the electrode member. The mat is sized to distribute the current more uniformly over the central portion of the electrode member to inhibit arcing through the central portion of the electrode member, and is spaced inwardly from the perimeter of the electrode member to avoid conveying high current levels to the outer periphery of the electrode member. For example, with an electrode member having an area of about 80 cm 2 , a mat area of about 25 cm 2 has been found sufficient to distribute the energy of defibrillation pulses over a sufficiently large area to overcome arcing through the electrode member. The metal/metal chloride coating an be applied to the entire under side of the electrode member. However, in order to reduce the possibility of skin irritation at the periphery of the electrode member, the outer perimeter of the metal/metal chloride coating 23 is preferably spaced inwardly from the perimeter 21p of the electrode member and outwardly of the perimeter 27p of the conductive mat. The metal/metal chloride coating is preferably formed in two layers each of a few microns in thickness with one layer designated 23' having an outer perimeter 23p' spaced inwardly of the perimeter 21p of the electrode member and a second layer 23" having an outer perimeter 23p" spaced inwardly from the perimeter 23p' and outwardly of the perimeter 27p of the current distributing mat 27. The layers 23', 23'' are applied in successive layers on the electrode member 21 to allow a first layer to dry before applying the second. The layer 23'' is preferably applied first with layer 23' underlying the layer 23''. The dual layers provide higher electrical conductivity in the are where the metal/metal chloride layers overlap, with the conductivity stepping down in the single layer and decreasing to the conductivity of the carbon filled polymer of the electrode member 21 in the area outwardly of the metal/metal chloride coating. The area where the layers overlap, which corresponds to the area of coating 23', is preferably made substantially equal to the minimum active electrode area prescribed by ANSI/AAMI. For example, the layers 23' and 23'' can each have a thickness of about 3 to 5 microns, with a combined thickness in the area of overlap of about six to ten microns. In addition, the outer perimeter of the layers 23' and 23'' are advantageously serrated or undulated, for example as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. This arrangement further decreases the current density by increasing the effective perimeter of the electrode member and minimized the likelihood of skin burns or irritation. In the embodiment of Figs. 1-5, electrical conductors 35 are provided to conduct current to or from the electrode member. In some applications it is desirable that the conductors also be X-ray transparent. X-ray transparent conductors are preferably formed of metallized carbon fiber tows with an insulating sheath formed of an X-ray transparent material. The carbon fiber tows are preferably of a size having between 3,000 to 12,000 fibers and metal plated with a metal coating that is about 20% to 50% by weight of the metal plated carbon fiber tow. The higher weights plating on the larger size tows provides improved current carrying capacity for repeated defibrillation pulses. Standard carbon fiber tows are made from a polyacrylonitrile precursor and are referred to as pan base carbon fiber and are commercially available from Amoco Performance Products, Inc., Atlanta, GA. In general, the carbon fiber tows are made by procedures described in U.S. Patent 3,677,705 by heating polymeric fiber, e.g. acrylonitrile polymers or copolymers tin two stages, one to remove volatiles and carbonize and the other to convert amorphous carbon into crystal and carbon. During such procedures, the carbon changes from amorphous to single crystal and then orients into fibrous carbon. The fibrous carbon has a fiber diameter in the range of about 5 to 8 microns and the number of fibers in the tow can vary in a wide range from a few hundred to many thousand. The carbon fiber tows can be metal plated or coated by vacuum deposition for example as disclosed in U.S. Patent 4,132,828; by vapor deposition for example as disclosed in U.S. Patent 3,733,213; by electroplating such as disclosed in U.S. Patent 4,661,403; or by chemical vapor deposition such as by thermo decomposition of nickel carbonyl gas. In general, unplated pan base carbon fiber tows have a low density and are X-ray transparent as compared to metal wires of comparable size. Pan base carbon fiber tows have a longitudinal electrical resistance that is very high and longitudinal thermal conductivity that is very low as compared to metal wires of comparable size. Carbon fiber tows also exhibit anisotropic electrical conductivity which presents a problem when making electrical connection to other devices. The addition of the metal coating on the carbon fiber tows converts the conduction from anisotropic to isotropic, thereby alleviating the problem. Since the density of the carbon fiber tows is very low as compared to the density of the metal coating, a metal coating of 30% to 40% by weight of the metal plated carbon fiber tow is very thin and is X-ray transparent. The metal coating is preferably nickel which provides good electrical conductivity and corrosion resistance at moderate costs, but other metal such as copper or silver or gold could be used alone or in combination with the nickel coating. The unsheathed end portion 35a of the conductor is spread or fanned out as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 and pressed against the upper side of the conductive mat 27 to electrically connect the conductor to the mat and through the mat to the electrode member 21. In order to assure good conductivity and sealing of the fibers, the mat preferably includes a second section 27' arranged to overlie the unsheathed end portion of the conductor. Conveniently, the sections 27 and 27' of the mat can be formed in one piece and folded over so that they are interconnected at one end as shown in Fig. 5 In order to minimize the likelihood of pulling the conductors relative to the mat, the sheath 36 is preferably heat softened and flattened against the conductors 35 as by heated jaws 51 as shown in Fig. 4, prior to attachment of the conductor to the conductive mat. The sheath is preferably flattened over a length indicated at 36a sufficient to extend outwardly beyond the perimeter of the electrode 21 but inwardly of the perimeter of the cover, to minimize displacement of the gel pad. In electrode applications where x-ray transparency of the conductors is nor required, the conductors can be formed of metal, preferably multi-stand conductors which can be spread out, to increase the contact area between the conductor and the conductive mat. When metal conductors are used, the electrode remains X-ray transparent, and only the metal wires and to a lesser extent the sheath, show up on the X-rays. Further, if the conductive mat is a metal foil, the conductor may be attached to the conductive mat by solder.

Claims: A disposable transcutaneous electrode comprising, a sheet electrode member of electrically conductive polymer having upper and lower sides and an outer perimeter, an electrically conductive silver/silver chloride coating on at least a major portion of the lower side of the electrode member, a pad of electrically conductive gel having an upper surface underlying the silver/silver chloride coating on the lower side of the electrode, a removable carrier sheet on a lower surface of the pad for covering the latter prior to use, a current distributing mat having upper and lower surfaces and an outer perimeter spaced inwardly of the outer perimeter of the electrode member, the mat including an open mesh metallized carbon fiber web having a carbon impregnated pressure sensitive adhesive composition on upper and lower sides of the web, the mat being configured to be electrically conductive along the surfaces of the mat and transverse to the surfaces of the mat, the mat having the lower surface conductively adhered to the upper side of the sheet electrode member, means for conducting defibrillating energy to or from the upper side of the mat and a medical device, the sheet electrode member and the current distributing mat being configured to be X-ray transparent and capable of conducting energy at levels sufficient for defibrillation and electro-surgery. An electrode according to Claim 1, wherein the means for conducting defibrillation energy comprise an electrical conductor sheathed in an electrical insulating material and having an unsheathed end portion conductively adhered to the mat. An electrode according to Claim 1, wherein the electrical resistance of the mat in directions paralleling the surface of the mat is less than the electrical resistance of the sheet electrode member in directions paralleling the upper side of the sheet electrode member. An electrode according to Claim 1, wherein the silver/silver chloride coating has an outer edge spaced inwardly of the outer perimeter of the sheet electrode. An electrode according to Claim 1, wherein the silver/silver chloride coating includes first and second layers, the first layer having an outer edge spaced inwardly of the outer perimeter of the sheet electrode member and the second layer having an outer edge spaced inwardly of the outer edge of the first layer. The electrode of claim 1, wherein the polymer is carbon filled and the means for conducting defibrillating energy is an electrical conductor sheathed in an electrical insulating material and having an unsheathed end portion conductively adhered to the mat. An electrode according to Claim 6, including a second mat having a metallized carbon fiber web and electrically conductive pressure sensitive adhesive composition on upper and lower sides, the end portion of the conductor being adhered to the upper side of the first-mentioned mat and the lower side of the second mat overlying and adhered to the end portion of the conductor and at least a portion of the upper side of the first-mentioned mat. An electrode according to Claim 7, wherein said conductor comprises an X-ray transparent metal coated carbon fiber tow. An electrode according to Claim 8, wherein the metal coating on the carbon fiber tow is about 20% to 50% by weight of the metal coated fiber tow. An electrode according to Claim 8, wherein the tow of carbon fibers has greater than six thousand fibers. An electrode according to Claim 6, wherein said conductor comprises an X-ray transparent nickel plated carbon fiber tow. An electrode according to Claim 6, wherein said conductor comprises a multiple strand metallic conductor. An electrode according to Claim 6, wherein the sheath is formed of a thermoplastic material and the sheath is best softened and flattened to a thickness less than the normal thickness of the sheath along a length contiguous to the unsheathed end portion. An electrode according to claim 6, further comprising a cover member of electrical insulating material attached to the upper sheet electrode and mat wherein said electrode forms a set of disposable transcutaneous electrode including an energy delivery electrode and an energy accepting electrode. An electrode set according to Claim 14, wherein each electrode includes a second mat having a metallized carbon fiber web and electrical resistance of the mat in directions paralleling the surface of the mat is less than the electrical resistance of the sheet electrode member in directions paralleling the upper side of the sheet electrode member. An electrode set according to Claim 14, wherein the silver/silver chloride coating on each electrode has an outer edge spaced inwardly of the outer perimeter of the sheet electrode member. An electrode set according to Claim 14, wherein the silver/silver chloride coating on each electrode includes first and second layers, the first layer having an outer edge spaced inwardly of the outer perimeter of the sheet electrode member and the second layer having an outer edge spaced inwardly of the outer edge of the first layer. An electrode set according to Claim 14, wherein the electrical conductor associated with each electrode comprises an X-ray transparent metal coated carbon fiber tow. An electrode set according to Claim 18, wherein the metal coating on the carbon fiber tow is at least 30% by weight of the metal coated carbon fiber tow. An electrode set according to Claim 19, wherein tow of carbon fibers has greater than six thousand fibers. An electrode set according to Claim 14, wherein the electrical conductor associated with each electrode comprises an X-ray transparent nickel plated carbon fiber tow. An electrode set according to Claim 14, wherein the electrical conductor associated with each electrode comprises a multiple strand metallic conductor. An electrode of claim 6, without the removable carrier and the mat having surface electrical resistance, measured in directions paralleling the surfaces of the mat, less than the surface electrical resistance of the sheet electrode member measured in directions paralleling the sides of the sheet electrode member.

Inventors: FERRARI R KEITH, FERRARI, R. KEITH
Applicants: FERRARI R KEITH, FERRARI, R. KEITH
Application year: 1996
Main classification: A61N1
IPC codes: A61N1, A61B6, A61B5