Extended Wear Electrocardiography Patch

摘要

Physiological monitoring can be provided through a wearable monitor that includes a flexible extended wear electrode patch and a removable reusable monitor recorder. The wearable monitor sits centrally on the patient's chest along the sternum, which significantly improves the ability to sense cutaneously cardiac electric signals, particularly those generated by the atrium. The electrode patch is shaped to fit comfortably and conformal to the contours of the chest approximately centered on the sternal midline. The electrode patch is made from a type of stretchable spunlace fabric. To counter patient bending motions and prevent disadhesion of the electrode patch, the outward-facing aspect of the backing, to which a (non-stretchable) flexible circuit is fixedly attached, stretches at a different rate than the backing's skin-facing aspect, where a skin adhesive removably affixes the electrode patch to the skin.

主权项

1. An extended wear electrocardiography patch, comprising:
a flexible backing formed of an elongated strip of stretchable spunlace material with a narrow longitudinal midsection tapering evenly inward from both ends of the elongated strip; a layer of adhesive applied on a contact surface of the flexible backing, the flexible backing defining a pair of openings on both ends; a flexible circuit axially affixed to an outward-facing the flexible backing and comprising a pair of circuit traces both originating within one of the ends of the elongated strip; a pair of electrocardiographic electrodes electrically coupled to each of the circuit traces and respectively affixed to and conductively exposed on the contact surface of each end of the elongated strip through each of the openings, wherein the flexible circuit forms an unstretchable structure such that upon movement of the flexible backing, the electrodes shift away from the openings in the flexible backing and the outward-facing surface of the flexible backing stretches at a different rate than the contact surface of the flexible backing; conductive gel provided in each of the openings and in electrical contact with the pair of electrocardiographic electrodes; and a non-conductive receptacle securely adhered on one of the ends of the elongated strip opposite the contact surface and formed to removably receive an electrocardiography monitor, the non-conductive receptacle comprising electrode terminals aligned to electrically interface the pair of circuit traces to the electrocardiography monitor.