Patent ID: 7542796

Claim:
A method for obtaining an electrical signal from a patient at the patient's skin, said method comprising: locating a dermal area of said patient; a user statically contacting, with a probe, said dermal area and allowing said probe to dynamically vary a pressure applied by said probe to said dermal area, said probe comprising: a stationary element to stabilize said probe against said dermal area; a probe tip operably connected to a biasing element to apply said pressure to said dermal area; a detector operably connected to said probe tip to detect an electrical signal at the patient's skin corresponding to said pressure; a feedback ioop connected to said detector to provide a feedback signal containing information with respect to said electrical signal at the patient's skin; said biasing element connected to said feedback loop to receive said feedback signal and operating to dynamically adjust said pressure in accordance with said feedback signal; and obtaining, from said probe, an electrical signal at the patient's skin.