JP2022012318A - Biomedical electrode - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a biological electrode capable of reliably contacting an electrode leg with a scalp and enhancing safety at the time of use.
SOLUTION: A biological electrode 1A according to the present invention has a substrate portion 10 and one end thereof is provided on the substrate portion 10 and extends diagonally downward of the substrate portion 10 so as to have a region in contact with the living body at the other end. A plurality of electrode legs 20A having a surface surface are provided, and the electrode legs 20A are obliquely provided on the outer peripheral surface 101 or the upper surface of the substrate portion 10.
[Selection diagram] Fig. 1

Description

The present invention relates to biological electrodes.

As an electrode used for measuring biological information such as electroencephalogram, pulse wave, electrocardiogram, myoelectricity, and body fat, there is a biological information measuring electrode (biological electrode) in which a plurality of electrode legs are arranged in a comb-teeth shape. The measurement of biological information is performed by acquiring an electric signal (voltage or current) related to biological information by bringing a biological electrode into contact with a living body such as skin. At this time, if there is body hair such as hair at the measurement site, the electrode legs are arranged in a comb-teeth shape on the biological electrode in order to scrape it off and make it easier to contact the skin.

When measuring brain waves from a certain part of the hair as biometric information, the hair is scraped off and the electrode legs are brought into contact with the scalp so that the hair is not caught between the electrode legs and the scalp. In addition, biological electrodes are often used by being attached to the surface of the scalp for a relatively long time.

Therefore, when using the biological electrode in contact with the living body, the subject (user) can safely use it even when an external impact is applied to the biological electrode while improving the stability of contact between the electrode legs and the living body. The development of bioelectrodes that can be used is under consideration.

As such a biological electrode, for example, a second surface that is rotatably provided on a device to be mounted on a living body and that faces the first surface and the first surface on the side to be mounted on the device. A biological signal detection electrode including a rotating portion having a surface and a plurality of electrode terminals provided so as to project obliquely with respect to the second surface is disclosed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent No. 5651122

In the biological signal detection electrode of Patent Document 1, since a plurality of electrode terminals are arranged obliquely with respect to the second surface, the hair is scooped up by the rotation of the detection electrode, and the squeezing property is improved. However, since the hair that has been scooped up and scraped off easily slips off the electrode terminals, the hair that has been scraped off tends to be caught between the electrode terminals and the scalp. With the biological signal detection electrode of Patent Document 1, since the hair can not be sufficiently separated, the electrode terminal cannot be sufficiently applied to the scalp, and the contact between the scalp and the electrode terminal may become unstable. ..

Further, in the electrode for detecting biological signals of Patent Document 1, since the electrode terminal is installed on the second surface and is located between the scalp and the second surface, the electrode for detecting biological signals is attached to the scalp of the user. When a person or an object comes into contact with the biological signal detection electrode or the user falls over while wearing the scalp, a strong stress applied to the electrode terminals is applied to the scalp. Therefore, the electrode terminals may strongly press and damage a part of the living body such as the user's scalp and skull. Further, when the electrode terminal is broken, the end portion or the bent portion of the broken electrode terminal is pressed against the scalp, which may further damage the scalp.

One aspect of the present invention is to provide a biological electrode capable of reliably contacting the electrode legs with the scalp and enhancing safety during use.

One aspect of the biological electrode according to the present invention is to have a substrate portion, one end of which is provided on the substrate portion, extends diagonally downward of the substrate portion, and has a region on the surface of the other end that can come into contact with the living body. A plurality of electrode legs are provided, and the electrode legs are obliquely provided on the outer peripheral surface or the upper surface of the substrate portion.

In the biological electrode according to one aspect of the present invention, the electrode legs can be reliably brought into contact with the scalp, and safety during use can be enhanced.

It is a perspective view which shows the appearance of the biological electrode which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is another perspective view which shows the appearance of a biological electrode. It is a figure in the I-I direction view of FIG. It is a figure in the II-II direction view of FIG. FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. It is a figure of IV-IV direction view of FIG. It is a figure which shows an example which measures the brain wave of a patient or the like using the inspection apparatus provided with the biological electrode. It is a figure which shows an example of another structure of a biological electrode. It is a figure which shows an example of another structure of a biological electrode. It is a front view of the biological electrode which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a bottom view of a biological electrode. FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the biological electrode according to the third embodiment as viewed from the direction III-III of FIG. It is a front view of the biological electrode which concerns on 4th Embodiment, and is the figure seen from the I-I direction of FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a biological electrode as viewed from the direction III-III of FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the biological electrode according to the fifth embodiment as viewed from the direction III-III of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the appearance of the biological electrode which concerns on 6th Embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, in order to facilitate understanding of the description, the same reference numerals are given to the same components in each drawing, and duplicate description is omitted. The scale of each member in the drawing may differ from the actual scale. In the present specification, the tilde "-" indicating a numerical range means that the numerical values described before and after the tilde are included as the lower limit value and the upper limit value unless otherwise specified.

[First Embodiment]
<Biological electrodes>
The biological electrode according to the first embodiment will be described. The living body means a human body and animals such as cows, horses, pigs, monkeys, birds, dogs, and cats. The biological electrode according to the present embodiment can be suitably used for a living body, especially for a human body. In the present embodiment, as an example, a case where the biological electrode is an electroencephalogram measuring electrode that is brought into contact with the scalp, which is a part of the living body, to measure biological information will be described. The biological electrode according to the present embodiment may be any as long as it is in contact with a part of the living body to measure biological information. For example, the living body is brought into contact with a part of the skin other than the scalp where hair or the like is present. Information may be measured.

1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the biological electrode according to the present embodiment, FIG. 2 is another perspective view showing the appearance of the biological electrode according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 3 is FIG. 1. It is a figure in the I-I direction view of. The alternate long and short dash line in FIGS. 1 to 3 indicates the central axis J of the biological electrode. The central axis J is the central axis when the biological electrode is installed in the living body. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the biological electrode 1A includes a substrate portion 10, a plurality of electrode legs 20A in contact with the scalp (12 in FIG. 2), and a terminal portion 30, and a plurality of electrodes. The legs 20A are arranged in a comb-teeth shape on the outer peripheral surface 101 of the substrate portion 10. In the biological electrode 1A, the hair is scraped off by the electrode legs 20A, and the tip of the electrode legs 20A is brought into contact with the scalp.

In the present specification, a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system in three-axis directions (X-axis direction, Y-axis direction, Z-axis direction) is used, the direction parallel to the central axis J of the biological electrode is the Z-axis direction, and the central axis J is used. In the plane orthogonal to each other, one of the two directions orthogonal to each other is the X-axis direction, and the other is the Y-axis direction. The terminal portion 30 side of the biological electrode is the + Z axis direction, and the opposite direction is the −Z axis direction. In the following description, the + Z-axis direction may be referred to as "up" and the-Z-axis direction may be referred to as "down".

It is preferable that the base portion 10, the electrode legs 20A and the terminal portion 30 constituting the biological electrode 1A have appropriate flexibility. The material (base material) forming the base portion 10, the electrode legs 20A and the terminal portion 30 preferably has a shore A hardness of 60 or more, more preferably 75 ° or more, and more preferably 90 ° or more. More preferred. When the shore A hardness is 60 or more, the deformation of the electrode legs 20A is suppressed when the electrode legs 20A are used to scrape the hair, and the hair can be scraped. Shore A hardness is still the hardness value of the material as measured after a given time by ASTM D2240-15 (2015), "Standard Test Method for Rubber Property-Durometer Hardness". Hardness can be measured with a Rex Hybrid hardness tester (Rex Gauge Company, Inc., Buffalo Grove, IL) equipped with an A probe.

The materials forming the base portion 10, the electrode legs 20A and the terminal portion 30 include conductive elastomers, insulating elastomers, other insulating materials, thermosetting resins, thermoplastic resins and other resin materials; carbon materials; metals; conductive. Resin ceramics and the like can be used. The insulating material is a material having no conductivity or extremely low conductivity. Further, the substrate portion 10, the electrode legs 20A and the terminal portion 30 may be made of the same material or may be made of different materials. In the present embodiment, the substrate portion 10, the electrode legs 20A, and the terminal portion 30 are integrally formed of the same conductive elastomer, and are conductive from the electrode legs 20A to the terminal portion 30. When an insulating material is used as a material for forming the substrate portion 10, the electrode legs 20A, and the terminal portion 30, it is necessary to electrically connect the living body and the terminal portion 30 for extracting biological information. In this case, for example, it can be achieved by forming a conductive coating film (see the conductive layer 60 in FIG. 8) on at least a part of the surface of the substrate portion 10, the electrode legs 20A, and the terminal portion 30. This conductive layer can be suitably formed by surface coating with silver paste, carbon paste, conductive polymer or the like, vapor deposition of gold or the like, sputtering or the like.

The type of the conductive elastomer is not particularly limited. The conductive elastomer can be obtained, for example, by uniformly mixing the conductive filler with the non-conductive elastomer having rubber elasticity at a constant blending ratio. The substrate portion 10, the electrode legs 20A, and the terminal portion 30 can have a moderately low elastic modulus by being molded containing a non-conductive elastomer having rubber elasticity. Therefore, when the biological electrode 1A is used, the substrate portion 10, the electrode legs 20A, and the terminal portion 30 are likely to be deformed by following the uneven shape of the living body such as the scalp, so that the contact with the scalp or the like can be ensured. At the same time, it is possible to relieve the pressing force on the scalp and the like.

The type of the above-mentioned conductive filler is not particularly limited as long as it has conductivity. Examples of the conductive filler include carbon materials such as graphite, carbon black, carbon nanotubes, carbon nanohorns or carbon fiber (carbon fiber); aluminum, gold, silver, copper, iron, platinum, chromium, tin, indium and antimony. Metals such as titanium or nickel; conductive ceramics such as so-called ABO ₃ type perovskite type composite oxides and the like can be mentioned, but the present invention is not limited thereto. These conductive fillers may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Among these, it is preferable to use a carbon material. The carbon material is resistant to corrosion and has high corrosion resistance, and can have high conductivity at low cost, so that it has excellent economic efficiency. Further, since the carbon material is non-magnetic, for example, the biological electrode 1A can be used simultaneously for the measurement of biological information, the measurement of MRI, and the like. Further, the carbon material can prevent the subject from inducing allergies (metal allergies) or the like like the metal material.

Examples of the above-mentioned non-conductive elastomer include silicone rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, ethylene propylene diene rubber, isoprene rubber, butadiene rubber, styrene butadiene rubber, nitrile rubber, chloroprene rubber, acrylic nitrile butadiene rubber, butyl rubber, urethane rubber, and fluorine. Examples include rubber. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Among these, it is preferable to use silicone rubber. Silicone rubber has high durability because it is not easily corroded by a solvent and is not easily deformed even after repeated use. In addition, silicone rubber is harmless to the skin and has excellent biocompatibility. Further, the silicone rubber has rubber elasticity, low hardness and high conductivity.

Examples of the insulating material that is not a conductive elastomer include the above-mentioned non-conductive elastomers; ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), tetrafluoroethylene / perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer (PFA), and tetrafluoro. Fluorine-based resins such as ethylene / hexafluoropropylene copolymer (FEP) and tetrafluoroethylene / ethylene copolymer (ETFE); polypropylene (PP), polyacetal (POM), polyamide (PA), polyimide (PI), poly Ether Etherketone (PEEK), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polycarbonate (PC), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), ABS resin, liquid crystal polymer (LCP) and the like can be used. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more. The ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene refers to polyethylene having a weight average molecular weight increased to several million (for example, one million) or more.

As the thermosetting resin, an epoxy resin, a urethane resin, or the like can be used. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

As the thermoplastic resin, an acrylic resin or the like can be used. Examples of the acrylic resin include polyacrylic acid, polyacrylic acid ester, polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polymethylα-trifluoromethylacrylate (PTFMA), polytrifluoroethyl α-chloroacrylate (PCLEF) and the like.

As the carbon material, the metal and the conductive ceramics used as the material for forming the base portion 10, the electrode legs 20A and the terminal portion 30, the carbon material, the metal and the conductive ceramics used as the material for forming the above-mentioned conductive filler. Materials similar to ceramics can be used.

In the present embodiment, among the materials exemplified above, the epoxy resin and the acrylic resin can be stably produced by the 3D printer while the biological electrode 1A has appropriate flexibility. Etc. are preferably used.

[Hypokeimenon]
The substrate portion 10 is a member that supports a plurality of electrode legs 20A. FIG. 4 is a view in the II-II direction view of FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the substrate portion 10 is formed in a substantially circular shape in a plan view (when viewed from the + Z axis direction).

[Electrode legs]
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a plurality of electrode legs 20A are provided on the outer peripheral surface 101 of the substrate portion 10 in an annular shape (12 in FIG. 2). One end of the electrode leg 20A is provided on the outer peripheral surface 101 of the substrate portion 10, and extends diagonally downward from the position provided on the outer peripheral surface 101. That is, the electrode legs 20A are formed in a spiral (helix) shape from the outer peripheral surface 101 toward the lower side (-Z axis direction) of the substrate portion 10.

The spiral shape refers to a spiral winding shape that draws a spiral wound with a constant diameter along the central axis, and the tip portion of the electrode leg 20A is from the outer peripheral surface 101 of the base portion 10 in the plan view of the base portion 10. The electrode legs 20A are formed so as to draw a locus along the central axis J of the circle while rotating.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the electrode legs 20A are integrally molded with the base portion 10 and the terminal portion 30. The electrode legs 20A may be formed separately from the substrate portion 10. In this case, the electrode legs 20A may be fixed to the substrate portion 10 by using a method of joining the electrode legs 20A to the substrate portion 10 with a conductive adhesive, a method of fitting a part of the electrode legs 20A into the substrate portion 10 and fixing the electrode legs 20A, or the like. preferable. As a result, the electrode leg 20A is electrically connected to the base portion 10, so that the terminal portion 30 is electrically connected to the electrode leg 20A. A known bonding member can be used as the conductive adhesive or the like.

One end of the electrode leg 20A is provided on the outer peripheral surface 101 of the base portion 10, and the leg main body 21A spirally curved from the outer peripheral surface 101 diagonally downward from the outer peripheral surface 101 and the leg main body. It is provided at the tip end of 21A, and includes a tip portion 22 having a region on the surface that can come into contact with a scalp or the like which is a living body. The tip portion 22 is preferably formed in a curved shape with a rounded tip, and is formed in a spherical shape in the present embodiment. The tip portion 22 may be formed in a conical shape having a rounded tip in addition to the spherical shape.

The tip portion 22 is a portion formed in a spherical shape, and is a peripheral region of the tip that comes into contact with the scalp or the like, which is a living body, and the tip that may come into contact with the living body when the biological electrode 1A is tilted or the like. including. In the present embodiment, the surface of the tip portion 22 is referred to as a "region A in contact with a living body (hereinafter referred to as" region A ")".

As shown in FIG. 3, the electrode leg 20A has an angle θ1 formed between the tip portion 22 and the horizontal surface in front view, and is formed from the outer peripheral surface 101 to the tip portion 22 of the base portion 10. The angle θ2 or less formed between the leg body 21A and the horizontal surface is preferable. When the angle θ1 is equal to or less than the angle θ2, the contact angle of the tip portion 22 with the scalp can be made small, so that the tip portion 22 is likely to be entangled with the hair and the hair is easily scraped.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the electrode legs 20A have a groove portion (tip groove portion) 221 on the surface of the tip portion 22 which is the region A. The IV-IV directional view of FIG. 1 is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, six tip groove portions 221 are formed radially at substantially equal angles when the tip portion 22 of the electrode legs 20A is viewed from the tip portion 22 in the + Z axis direction. Since the electrode leg 20A has the tip groove portion 221 at the tip portion 22, the hair is easily caught by the tip groove portion 221 when the tip portion 22 of the electrode leg 20A is pressed against the scalp to scrape the hair. The effect of enhancing the squeezing property can be obtained. Further, since the electrode leg 20A has the tip groove portion 221 at the tip portion 22, the electrochemical reaction of converting ions to electrons due to the edge effect generated in the tip groove portion 221 is increased, the effective contact surface is increased, and the local area is increased. The contact impedance can be reduced by increasing the contact pressure, and the equilibrium reaction can be accelerated by accelerating the potential convergence. Further, the electrode leg 20A can also hold the liquid in the tip groove portion 221 by having the tip groove portion 221 at the tip portion 22.

The liquid contained in the tip groove portion 221 can be used as long as it is a liquid such as water or an electrolytic solution (saline solution) that does not harm the living body.

The cross-sectional shape of the tip groove portion 221 is formed in a substantially U-shape in a cross-sectional view, but may be formed in a substantially V-shape or the like.

Further, the width of the tip groove portion 221 can be appropriately set, and it is sufficient that the hair can be easily caught by the tip groove portion 221 to improve the squeezing property of the hair, and the liquid can be held while increasing the contact area with the scalp. The width of 221 is, for example, preferably 100 μm to 1 mm, more preferably 150 μm to 500 μm, and even more preferably 150 μm to 300 μm. In this embodiment, the width means the maximum value (maximum width) of the width from the bottom of the tip groove portion 221 to the surface side. Even when the cross-sectional shape of the tip groove portion 221 is formed in a substantially V shape in cross-sectional view, the width means the maximum width, that is, the value of the width on the surface of the tip portion 22.

Further, the maximum depth of the tip groove portion 221 can be appropriately set, and it is sufficient that the hair can be easily caught by the tip groove portion 221 to improve the squeezing property of the hair, and the liquid can be held while increasing the contact area with the scalp. The maximum depth of the groove portion 221 is, for example, preferably 100 μm to 1 mm, more preferably 150 μm to 900 μm, and further preferably 180 μm to 800 μm.

[Conductive layer]
As shown in FIG. 5, the biological electrode 1A preferably has a conductive layer 13 having good biological signal detection at the tip portion 22 of the electrode legs 20A. By having the conductive layer 13 on the surface of the tip portion 22 of the electrode leg 20A, the biological electrode 1A has a scalp and a biological electrode 1A more than when the tip portion 22 of the electrode leg 20A is in direct contact with the scalp. Since the contact impedance between the two can be lowered and the equilibrium of the potential can be accelerated, the stabilization of the biological signal to be detected can be accelerated. In addition, a biological electrode whose portion in contact with a living body is made of metal may cause a metal allergy depending on the user. When the conductive layer 13 is formed of a resin containing a conductive polymer without using metal, even if the conductive layer 13 comes into contact with the scalp, it does not cause metal allergy to the user and can be used safely. .. Therefore, the biological electrode 1A can be used safely by all users. The conductive layer 13 may be a non-polarized metal electrode such as silver silver chloride if the user is not concerned about metal allergies. By using the non-polarizing electrode for the conductive layer, the same biological signal detection performance as that of the conductive polymer can be obtained.

In the present embodiment, since the base portion 10, the electrode legs 20A and the terminal portion 30 are integrally formed by using the conductive elastomer, the continuity with the base portion 10, the electrode legs 20A and the terminal portion 30 is ensured. .. Therefore, the conductive layer 13 may be formed only on the tip portion 22, but may be formed on other portions of the electrode legs 20A in addition to the surface of the tip portion 22. Further, the conductive layer 13 may be formed on a part or the entire surface of the substrate portion 10, the electrode legs 20A, and the terminal portion 30. For example, when the substrate portion 10, the electrode legs 20A and the terminal portion 30 are formed of an insulating material, the conductive layer 13 is a substrate portion in order to ensure the continuity of the substrate portion 10, the electrode legs 20A and the terminal portion 30. 10. It is necessary to form the electrode legs 20A and the terminal portion 30 on a part or the entire surface.

The conductive layer 13 preferably contains a conductive polymer. Examples of the conductive polymer include polythiophene-based conductive polymer, polyaniline-based conductive polymer, polypyrrole-based conductive polymer, polyacetylene-based conductive polymer, polyphenylene-based conductive polymer and derivatives thereof, and these. Complexes and the like can be used. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Among these, polyaniline is a type of dopant on poly3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (PEDOT), which is a type of polythiophene, because it has a lower contact impedance with living organisms such as the scalp and has high conductivity. It is preferable to use PEDOT / PSS, which is a complex doped with a certain polystyrene sulfonic acid (poly4-styrene sulfonate; PSS).

The thickness of the conductive layer 13 is preferably 1 μm to 5 μm. Within this range, the conductive layer 13 can have the required conductivity, so that an electric signal transmitted from the scalp or the like can be stably energized, and wear due to sliding with the hair or the scalp or the like can be carried out. Practical durability can also be obtained. The thickness of the conductive layer 13 means an average value of the thicknesses of the conductive layer 13. For example, in the cross section of the conductive layer 13, when several points (for example, about 6 points) are measured at an arbitrary place, the average value of the thicknesses of these measurement points is referred to. Further, in the present embodiment, the thickness means the length of the layer in the direction perpendicular to the contact surface of the conductive layer 13.

The conductive layer 13 may have a porous structure having a large number of pores on the surface and inside thereof. A porous body having a porous structure can be formed by a known method, for example, it can be formed by binding and fixing fibers to each other with a binder and connecting a plurality of fibers in a mesh shape. ..

As a material for forming the fiber, a metal, a metal oxide, carbon, a carbide, cellulose, polyester or the like can be used. The fiber has an average thickness (average diameter) of 1 nm to 100 μm when the thickness of the fiber is expressed by a diameter equivalent to a circle. The thickness of the fiber can be determined by using a known method such as a light scattering device, a laser microscope, and a scanning electron microscope (SEM). For example, the fibers are observed with an SEM or the like, and the length in the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of an arbitrarily selected predetermined number (for example, 10 to 200) fibers (length in the radial direction of the fibers) is measured. Then, by calculating the average value, the average diameter can be obtained.

The fiber is preferably nanofiber. When nanofibers are used, nanofibers can be entangled with each other better than fibers with each other, so that fine pores can be formed by a bond obtained by binding a plurality of fibers with a binder.

The binder functions as a binder for binding the fibers to each other, and can include a conductive polymer and a synthetic resin (binder resin). The binder resin may not be contained in the case where the fibers can be sufficiently bonded to each other even if the binder is only a conductive polymer and the shape of the conductive layer 13 can be maintained. As the conductive polymer, the above-mentioned conductive polymer can be used. The binder resin includes polycarbonate resin, polyarylate resin, styrene-butadiene resin, styrene-acrylonitrile resin, styrene-maleic acid resin, acrylic acid resin, styrene-acrylic acid resin, polyethylene resin, ethylene-vinyl acetate resin, and chlorination. Polyethylene resin, polyvinyl chloride resin, polypropylene resin, ionomer resin, vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate resin, alkyd resin, polyamide resin, urethane resin, polysulfone resin, diallyl phthalate resin, ketone resin, polyvinyl butyral resin, polyester resin, polyether resin Thermoplastic resins such as silicone resins, epoxy resins, phenolic resins, urea resins, melamine resins and the like; epoxy-acrylic acid resins (specifically, acrylic acid derivative adducts of epoxy compounds), etc. Various resins such as a photocurable resin of a urethane-acrylic acid resin (specifically, an acrylic acid derivative adduct of a urethane compound) can be used. Among these resins, a resin having a small curing shrinkage is preferable, and for example, a silicone resin is preferable. These binder resins may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[Terminal part]
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the terminal portion 30 is provided on the upper side (+ Z axis direction) of the base portion 10, and as shown in FIG. 4, a substantially central portion (center) of the upper surface of the base portion 10 in a plan view. It is provided at the position where the axis J passes).

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the terminal portion 30 is a rod-shaped protruding portion 31 provided so as to project in the + Z axis direction at a substantially central portion (position where the central axis J passes) on the upper surface of the base portion 10 in a plan view. And a connecting portion 32 rotatably provided on the protruding portion 31.

The protrusion 31 has a holding portion 311 whose outer peripheral shape is smaller than the other portions in the central portion thereof, and is provided in a state where the connecting portion 32 is rotatably fitted around the outer periphery of the holding portion 311. ..

At least a part of the upper surface, the bottom surface and the inner peripheral surface of the connecting portion 32 is in contact with the protruding portion 31. The connecting portion 32 is a cylindrical member and has a notch 321 on the side surface. From the notch 321 the connection portion 32 can be detached from the terminal portion 30 and can maintain the connection with the terminal portion 30 in a state where the holding portion 311 can rotate around the axis thereof. The connecting portion 32 can be formed by using the same conductive elastomer or the like as the substrate, or by using a metal such as gold, silver, or copper.

Since the protruding portion 31 of the terminal portion 30 is integrally molded with the base portion 10, it is electrically connected to the base portion 10. Since the connecting portion 32 of the terminal portion 30 is fitted into the holding portion 311 of the protruding portion 31 and is in contact with the holding portion 311, it is electrically connected to the base portion 10 via the protruding portion 31.

In the biological electrode 1A, the substrate portion 10, the electrode legs 20A, and the terminal portion 30 all have conductivity. Therefore, the electrode legs 20A are electrically connected from the tip portion 22 to the connection portion 32 of the terminal portion 30. It is preferable that a conductive viscous fluid such as conductive grease is interposed in the contact portion between the connecting portion 32 and the holding portion 311. By interposing the conductive viscous fluid at the interface, the conductivity of the connecting portion 32 and the holding portion 311 can be stabilized. In addition, as a method for improving or stabilizing the conductivity of the contact portion between the connecting portion 32 and the holding portion 311, a sliding brush as used for a variable resistor may be incorporated, or a conductive resin such as a soft conductive sponge may be incorporated. May intervene.

The terminal unit 30 is connected to the measurement unit 53 (see FIG. 7) of the inspection device 50 (see FIG. 7). Specifically, the wiring 52 (see FIG. 7) is wired to the connection portion 32 of the terminal portion 30 via a clip terminal or the like, and the connection portion 32 is connected to the wiring 52 (see FIG. 7). The wiring 52 (see FIG. 7) and the measuring unit 53 (see FIG. 7) are connected to each other. The terminal portion 30 measures biological information (electrical signal) from a living body (scalp or the like) obtained from the tip portion 22 of the electrode leg 20A via the base portion 10 via the terminal portion 30 (see FIG. 6). It is transmitted to and measured as biological information (brain wave).

An example of a method for manufacturing the biological electrode 1A will be described. The base portion 10, the electrode legs 20A, and the protruding portion 31 of the terminal portion 30 are integrally manufactured by a 3D printer using a material (resin, metal, etc.) forming the base portion 10, the electrode legs 20A, and the terminal portion 30. At the same time, the connection portion 32 of the terminal portion 30 is manufactured.

Further, the base portion 10, the electrode legs 20A and the terminal portion 30 can be formed into a desired shape by other known molding methods such as injection molding (injection molding), compression molding (compression molding), and extrusion molding (transfer molding). Each may be molded. When using these molding methods, a mold corresponding to the shapes of the base portion 10, the electrode legs 20A, and the terminal portion 30 can be used. After molding the base portion 10, the electrode legs 20A and the terminal portion 30, the base portion 10, the electrode legs 20A, and the protruding portion 31 of the terminal portion 30 are, for example, a conductive adhesive or a conductive paste (not shown). Join with.

When an injection molding method or the like is used, after injection molding, the raw material supply pipe (for example, spool, runner, etc.) to which the raw material (resin, metal, etc.) for molding the base portion 10 and the electrode legs 20A is supplied is the base portion 10, the electrode. It is connected to the leg 20A and the terminal portion 30, respectively. For example, when the raw material supply pipe is connected to the base portion 10, the electrode legs 20A and the terminal portion 30, at least a part of the raw material supply pipe is formed even after the base portion 10, the electrode legs 20A and the terminal portion 30 are molded. It is preferable that the substrate portion 10, the electrode legs 20A and the terminal portion 30 are connected to each other. If the raw material supply pipe is connected to the base portion 10, the electrode legs 20A and the terminal portion 30, respectively, the raw material supply pipe can be used as a gripper for the base portion 10, the electrode legs 20A and the terminal portion 30. For example, when the tip portion 22 of the electrode leg 20A is immersed in a solution containing a conductive polymer at the time of forming the conductive layer 13, the raw material supply pipe is used as a gripper of the electrode leg 20A to be conductive to the tip portion 22. The layer 13 can be easily formed. It should be noted that the raw material supply pipe can be appropriately determined at which position of the product in order to perform suitable molding.

After molding the base portion 10, the electrode legs 20A and the terminal portion 30, the connection portion 32 of the terminal portion 30 is fitted into the holding portion 311 of the terminal portion 30.

Next, the surface of the tip portion 22 is activated by using a method of irradiating with vacuum ultraviolet light (excimer UV light) by excimer or a method of plasma treatment in a mixed gas containing Ar and oxygen. By activating the surface of the tip portion 22, the adhesion between the tip portion 22 and the conductive layer 13 can be improved when the conductive layer 13 is formed. This makes it possible to prevent the conductive layer 13 from being easily peeled off from the tip portion 22 when a physical force is applied by cleaning or wiping the tip portion 22.

When the method of irradiating the excimer UV light is used, the surface of the tip portion 22 is irradiated with the excimer UV light. The excimer UV light is UV light having a wavelength of 240 nm or less in the atmosphere, and has a predetermined wavelength (center wavelength) depending on the type of the dischargeable gas. As the discharge gas, Ar ₂ (wavelength 126 nm), Kr ₂ (wavelength 146 nm), ArBr (wavelength 165 nm), Xe ₂ (wavelength 172 nm), KrI (wavelength 191 nm), KrCl (wavelength 222 nm) and the like can be used. It is assumed that the irradiation lamp that emits excimer UV light is, for example, a dielectric barrier discharge lamp filled with Xe gas. In this case, the dielectric barrier discharge lamp is in an excimer state (Xe ₂ ^* ) in which Xe atoms are excited, and when the excimer state is dissociated into Xe atoms again, light having a wavelength of about 172 nm is generated. By irradiating oxygen with light having a wavelength of 172 nm, high-concentration ozone is generated. By the action of this ozone, the surface of the portion of the substrate portion 10, the electrode leg 20A and the terminal portion 30 to be irradiated with the Exima UV light is modified, and a highly hydrophilic group (for example, a hydroxyl group (OH group), an aldehyde) is modified. A group (CHO group) and a carboxyl group (COOH group) are formed. By irradiating the tip portion 22 of the electrode leg 20A with Exima UV light, the surface of the tip portion 22 can be activated, so that the tip portion 22 can be activated. The surface of the portion 22 can be changed to hydrophilic. As a result, the wettability of the surface of the tip portion 22 to the liquid can be enhanced. Therefore, the method of irradiating the excima UV light is simple only for the tip portion 22. Since it can be activated, it can be effectively used when the base portion 10, the electrode legs 20A and the terminal portion 30 are made of a conductive material. In the present embodiment, at least the tip portion 22 can be used. As long as the surface of the substrate portion 10 can be activated, the portion other than the tip portion 22 of the substrate portion 10 and the entire substrate portion 10 and the terminal portion 30 may be irradiated with Exima UV light.

Further, when the method of plasma treatment in a mixed gas containing Ar and oxygen is used, the entire surface of the base portion 10, the electrode legs 20A and the terminal portion 30 is activated by plasma. As a result, the entire surface of the base portion 10, the electrode legs 20A, and the terminal portion 30 can be changed to hydrophilicity in addition to the surface of the tip portion 22. As a result, the wettability of the entire surface of the substrate portion 10, the electrode legs 20A, and the terminal portion 30 including the tip portion 22 to the liquid can be improved. Therefore, it can be effectively used regardless of whether the substrate portion 10, the electrode legs 20A, and the terminal portion 30 are made of a conductive material or an insulating material.

When corona discharge or frame treatment is used, the entire surface of the base portion 10, the electrode legs 20A and the terminal portion 30 is surface-treated by the corona discharge or the frame treatment, so that the base portion 10, the electrode legs 20A and the terminal portion 30 are subjected to surface treatment. A polar group (functional group) is generated on the surface. Thereby, as in the case of using the plasma treatment method, the entire surface of the substrate portion 10, the electrode legs 20A and the terminal portion 30 can be changed to hydrophilicity in addition to the surface of the tip portion 22. As a result, the wettability of the entire surface of the substrate portion 10, the electrode legs 20A and the terminal portion 30 to the liquid can be enhanced, so that the substrate portion 10, the electrode legs 20A and the terminal portion 30 can be made of either a conductive material or an insulating material. It can be effectively used even when it is formed of.

Next, the conductive layer 13 containing the conductive polymer is formed on the surface of the tip portion 22. First, a solution containing a conductive polymer is applied to at least the tip portion 22 to form a coating layer. As a method of applying a solution containing a conductive polymer to at least the surface of the tip portion 22, a dipping method in which the tip portion 22 is immersed in a solution containing the conductive polymer, or a solution containing the conductive polymer is at least the tip portion. A spray method or the like sprayed on 22 can be used.

Then, the coating layer formed on the tip portion 22 is dried to cure the coating layer. As a result, the conductive layer 13 is formed on the surface of the tip portion 22. In the present embodiment, since the base portion 10, the electrode legs 20A, and the terminal portion 30 are formed of the conductive elastomer, it is sufficient that the conductive layer 13 is formed on the surface of the tip portion 22. In general, the step of forming the conductive layer 13 is often repeated a plurality of times depending on the solid component ratio and the viscosity of the coating solution in order to obtain the desired film thickness and accuracy of the conductive layer 13.

By forming the conductive layer 13 on the tip portion 22 of the electrode leg 20A, the biological electrode 1A can be obtained.

Next, an example of a case where an electroencephalogram is measured as biological information of a subject by using an inspection device provided with a biological electrode 1A according to an embodiment will be described. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of measuring an electroencephalogram of a subject using an inspection device provided with a biological electrode 1A.

As shown in FIG. 7, the inspection device 50 includes a biological electrode 1A, a cap 51 to be put on the head of a subject, a wiring 52, a measurement unit 53, and a display unit 54.

The cap 51 has the shape of a hat or a helmet so as to cover the head and forehead of the user (subject), and is made of synthetic resin, cloth, or the like. The biological electrodes 1A are provided on the cap 51 at a plurality of locations (for example, 21 locations) at predetermined intervals, and are attached to the user's scalp, forehead, etc. (scalp, etc.) 55 at arbitrary locations. The wiring 52 is, for example, a lead wire or the like, one end of which is connected to the connection portion 32 constituting the terminal portion 30, and the other end of which is connected to the measurement portion 53. The measuring unit 53 has a signal analysis unit 532 that analyzes biological information signals (electrical signals) from the power supply unit 531 and 55 such as the scalp and measures brain waves as biological information. The display unit 54 is a monitor and displays the brain wave 541 analyzed by the signal analysis unit 532. The brain wave 541 is classified into, for example, an α wave (8 Hz to 13 Hz), a β wave (14 Hz to 30 Hz), a θ wave (4 Hz to 7 Hz), and a δ wave (0.5 Hz to 3 Hz) according to the frequency.

The biological electrode 1A is fixed to the cap 51, and the tip portion 22 of the electrode leg 20A is brought into contact with the measurement site of the head via the conductive layer 13 (see FIG. 5). At this time, since there is hair at the measurement site, the tip portion 22 gets on the hair and often does not come into contact with the scalp 55 or the like. Therefore, when the biological electrode 1A is installed on the scalp, a plurality of electrode legs 20A are rotated around the axis of each central axis J, and the electrode legs 20A and the skin (scalp) surface are brought into contact with each other while scraping the hair. .. When the biological electrode 1A is installed on a portion without hair such as the forehead, it is not necessary to rotate the biological electrode 1A, and the tips 22 of the plurality of electrode legs 20A can be brought into contact with the forehead surface. good.

When the power supply unit 531 is turned on and the measurement is started, the current from the scalp or the like 55 is transmitted as an electric signal from the scalp or the like 55 to the tip portion 22 of the electrode legs 20A via the conductive layer 13 (see FIG. 5). The transmitted electric signal is transmitted from the tip portion 22 through the biological electrode 1A to the wiring 52 and the measuring portion 53 in this order. The signal analysis unit 532 analyzes the transmitted electric signal and displays an electroencephalogram (for example, α wave, β wave, θ wave, etc.) 541 on the display unit 54.

As described above, the biological electrode 1A includes the base portion 10 and a plurality of electrode legs 20A extending diagonally downward of the base portion 10, and the electrode legs 20A are placed on the outer peripheral surface 101 of the base portion 10 and the outer peripheral surface 101. It is installed diagonally starting from. In the biological electrode 1A, when the base portion 10 is rotated around the central axis J, the electrode legs 20A can easily penetrate between the hairs, so that the hairs can easily be entangled with the leg body 21A of the electrode legs 20A. can do. When the substrate portion 10 is rotated around the axis of the central axis J, the angle of contact between the diagonally arranged electrode legs 20A and the scalp is rotated in the wide angle direction, so that the scraped hair can be easily pushed upward. , It becomes easy to move the electrode leg 20A to the base portion 10 side. As a result, the electrode legs 20A can smoothly and stably scrape the hair from the tip portion 22 side to the base portion 10 side. Therefore, it is possible to improve the squeezing property of the hair by the electrode legs 20A.

Further, since the biological electrode 1A is attached with the electrode legs 20A starting from the outer peripheral surface 101 of the base portion 10, the biological electrode 1A is erroneously used for the living body from the outside while the biological electrode 1A is attached to the user's scalp or the like. When a strong load of a predetermined value or more is applied to the electrode 1A toward the scalp side, the electrode legs 20A are easily bent, and the electrode legs 20A can be easily deformed. Further, in the biological electrode 1A, the electrode legs 20A are attached obliquely to the outer peripheral surface 101 starting from the outer peripheral surface 101 of the substrate portion 10, and when a load is applied from the outside, the electrode legs 20A are attached to the substrate portion 10. It can be easily separated from the outer peripheral surface 101. Furthermore, since the electrode legs 20A are attached to the outer peripheral surface of the substrate portion 10, the electrode legs 20A that are deformed, separated, or broken in the middle due to an external force are located outside the substrate portion 10, and are formed with the substrate portion 10 and the scalp. It can be made difficult to be caught between. Therefore, the biological electrode 1A makes it difficult for the electrode legs 20A, which are deformed, separated or broken by an external force, to be sandwiched between the base portion 10 and the scalp, thereby strongly pressing the surface of the scalp and biting into the surface of the scalp. It can be suppressed. As a result, it is possible to prevent the electrode legs 20A from damaging the scalp, so that the safety of the user can be ensured even if the user falls down when using the biometric information measuring electrode 10A.

For example, in the biological electrode 1A, by attaching the electrode legs 20A to the outer peripheral surface 101 of the substrate portion 10, an external force is applied to the biological electrode 1A, and the height of the electrode legs 20A in the front view of the biological electrode 1A is the external force. When the height is equal to or less than a predetermined value (for example, 2/3) when the height is not applied, it can be easily separated at the joint portion between the substrate portion 10 and the electrode leg 20A. Since the electrode legs 20A are attached starting from the outer peripheral surface 101 of the base portion 10, they have appropriate elasticity, and even if an external force of a certain magnitude is applied to the biological electrode 1A, the electrode legs 20A and the base portion The joint with 10 is not separated. Even if a large external force is applied to the biological electrode 1A, if the bonding state between the base portion 10 and the electrode legs 20A is maintained, the tip portion 22 strongly bites into the scalp and the possibility of damaging the scalp increases. In the present embodiment, the biological electrode 1A has the electrode legs 20A attached to the outer peripheral surface 101 of the substrate portion 10, and when an external force is applied to the biological electrode 1A, the height of the electrode legs 20A in the front view of the biological electrode 1A is high. When the height becomes equal to or less than a predetermined height, damage to the scalp can be suppressed by facilitating separation at the joint portion between the substrate portion 10 and the electrode legs 20A.

As described above, the biological electrode 1A can improve the hair separation property of the electrode legs 20A and can prevent the electrode legs 20A from damaging the scalp. Therefore, the electrode legs 20A can be attached to the scalp. It can be surely contacted and the safety at the time of use can be enhanced.

Further, in the biological electrode 1A, the electrode legs 20A can be formed in a spiral shape along the outer peripheral surface 101 of the substrate portion 10. As a result, the hair that has been scraped off by the electrode legs 20A can be made difficult to fall toward the scalp along the electrode legs 20A, so that the scraping property of the hair can be further improved. Further, the biological electrode 1A can be formed by spirally bending the electrode legs 20A to increase elasticity, so that it can be easily deformed along the surface of the scalp and a load is applied. It can be deformed and easily bent. Therefore, the biological electrode 1A can relieve the contact stress of the electrode leg 20A on the scalp, and also causes the electrode leg 20A to bend when a predetermined load is applied to the biological electrode 1A from the outside toward the living body side. It can be done smoothly.

In the front view of the biological electrode 1A, the electrode leg 20A has an angle θ1 formed between the tip portion 22 and the horizontal surface as a starting point of the outer peripheral surface 101 of the base portion 10, and the outer peripheral surface 101 to the tip portion thereof. It can be configured so that the angle θ2 or less formed between the leg body 21 of the electrode leg 20A formed over 22 and the horizontal surface is formed. As a result, the contact angle formed between the tip portion 22 and the scalp can be made smaller, so that the hair can be more easily entangled with the tip portion 22, and the hair can be more easily separated. can. Further, since the contact effect of the tip portion 22 on the scalp can be alleviated, the burden on the scalp can be further reduced.

The biological electrode 1A can be provided with a conductive layer 13 having good biological signal detection at the tip portion 22 of the electrode legs 20A. As a result, the conductive layer 13 comes into contact with the surface of the scalp or the like, and the conductive layer 13 and the surface of the scalp or the like are made conductive, so that the contact impedance between the scalp or the like and the conductive layer 13 can be lowered. It becomes easier to acquire electrical signals from the scalp and the like. Therefore, since the biological electrode 1A can maintain an electrical connection with the scalp or the like, biological information (electroencephalogram) can be easily and stably measured. In particular, when the conductive layer 13 is formed by using PEDOT / PSS among the conductive polymers, the contact impedance between the scalp and the conductive layer 13 can be made lower, so that an electric signal is transmitted from the scalp or the like. Is easier to acquire, and biological information can be measured more stably.

In this way, the biological electrode 1A can stably measure the biological information (electroencephalogram) obtained from the scalp by reliably contacting the electrode legs 20A with the scalp, and even when a load is applied from the outside, the biological electrode 1A can be stably measured. It is possible to prevent the electrode legs 20A deformed, separated or broken by an external force from damaging the scalp, and to ensure the safety of the user. Therefore, the biological electrode 1A is suitable as a biological electrode for measuring various biological information such as brain waves, pulse waves, electrocardiograms, myoelectrics, and body fat of animals other than humans by contacting the skin. Can be used for.

In this embodiment, the substrate portion 10 may have a hollow structure.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the base conductive layer 60 electrically connected to the conductive layer 13 may be formed on the entire surface of the electrode legs 20A. Thereby, for example, even when the base portion 10 is made of an insulating material, the continuity between the tip portion 22 and the electrode legs 20A can be ensured. Since the same conductive polymer as the conductive layer 13 is used as the conductive polymer, the description of the conductive polymer is omitted. The thickness of the base conductive layer 60 may be as long as it is conductive, and may be, for example, about 0.2 μm to 2 μm.

In the present embodiment, the biological electrode 1A has the electrode legs 20A attached starting from the outer peripheral surface 101 of the substrate portion 10, but as shown in FIG. 9, the electrode legs 20A are attached to the upper surface (+ Z axis direction) of the substrate portion 10. The side surface) 102 may be attached as a starting point. Further, the upper surface and the outer peripheral surface 101 of the substrate portion 10 may be attached as starting points.

In the present embodiment, the biological electrode 1A has twelve electrode legs 20A, but can be appropriately changed depending on the size of the substrate portion 10 and the like, and one electrode leg 20A may be used.

In the present embodiment, the shape of the tip portion 22 may be a rounded conical shape or a flat shape having an end face that can come into contact with the scalp.

In the present embodiment, the tip groove portion 221 does not necessarily have to be provided in the tip portion 22, and the hair can be moved by the tip portion 22, the diameter of the electrode leg 20A is small, or the electrode leg 20A has an edge. It is not necessary if it is.

In the present embodiment, the base portion 10, the terminal portion 30, and the electrode legs 20A may be made of different materials. At this time, it is preferable that the substrate portion 10 and the electrode legs 20A are bound by a binding member made of synthetic resin. As the binding member, a synthetic resin such as an epoxy resin or a urethane resin can be used. Further, as the binding member, in addition to the synthetic resin, a synthetic resin having elasticity such as rubber may be used. Further, the joint portion between the substrate portion 10 and the electrode leg 20A may be joined with an elastic adhesive that can be peeled off by a load due to an external force. The elastic adhesive may have a predetermined elasticity in the cured state. Examples of the elastic adhesive include silicone-based, silylated urethane-based, modified silicone-based, silylated urethane-based and derivatives thereof; rubber-based adhesives; modified silicone-type epoxy matrix-based, non-crosslinkable resins such as acrylic; fillers and the like. A crosslinkable adhesive resin or the like having a reduced elastic coefficient by adding a plasticizer can be used.

In the present embodiment, the base portion 10, the electrode legs 20A, and the terminal portion 30 may be made of different materials. For example, the terminal portion 30 can be formed of a conductive material such as a metal material. The terminal portion 30 can be fixedly connected to the connection surface of the base portion 10 with the terminal portion 30 by, for example, a conductive adhesive or a conductive paste. As a result, the terminal portion 30 can be electrically connected to the base portion 10 integrally formed with the electrode leg 20A, so that the terminal portion 30 can be electrically connected to the tip portion 22 of the electrode leg 20A via the base portion 10. Can be connected to.

[Second Embodiment]
The biological electrode according to the second embodiment is a modification of the shape of the leg body 21 of the electrode leg 20A included in the biological electrode 1A according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a front view of the biological electrode according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 11 is a bottom view of the biological electrode. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the biological electrode 1B according to the present embodiment is the biological electrode 1A according to the first embodiment described above, in place of the electrode legs 20A, from the base portion 10 to the tip portion 22. It has an electrode leg 20B formed so as to spread continuously toward the side.

The electrode leg 20B is formed so that the leg body 21B draws a locus in which the tip portion 22 of the electrode leg 20B extends outward while rotating from the outer peripheral surface 101 of the substrate portion 10. Therefore, at least a part of the tip portion 22 is located outside the outer peripheral surface 101 of the base portion 10 in a plan view. When the electrode leg 20B includes the leg body 21B, the hair is easily entangled with the leg body 21B, and the hair scraped by the electrode leg 20B can be made more difficult to fall along the electrode leg 20B on the scalp side. Further, the electrode legs 20B are more easily deformed and can be further easily bent. Further, even when a strong external force is applied to the electrode legs 20B and the electrode legs 20B are broken, it is possible to further reduce the fact that the broken electrode legs 20B are pushed by the base portion 10 and press the scalp.

Therefore, by providing the electrode legs 20B, the biological electrode 1B can further enhance the hair separation property, make the contact with the scalp more reliably, and further prevent the electrode legs 10B from damaging the scalp. It can be facilitated and the safety at the time of use can be further enhanced.

In the present embodiment, the electrode legs 20B may be formed so that the leg body 21B gradually spreads from the substrate portion 10 to the tip portion 22 side.

[Third Embodiment]
The biological electrode according to the third embodiment is a modification of the configuration of the electrode legs 20A included in the biological electrode 1A according to the first embodiment described above.

FIG. 12 is a partial cross-sectional view of the biological electrode according to the present embodiment as viewed from the direction III-III of FIG. As shown in FIG. 12, the biological electrode 1C according to the present embodiment is a joint portion between the biological electrode 1A according to the first embodiment and the base portion 10 of the leg body 21A constituting the electrode leg 20A. A notch 23 is provided in the vicinity of the above. The notch 23 can weaken the bonding strength between the substrate portion 10 and the electrode legs 20A.

The notch 23 can be formed in the circumferential direction of the leg body 21A, and is preferably formed on the base portion 10 side of the leg body 21A from the viewpoint of weakening the bonding strength between the base portion 10 and the electrode legs 20A. ..

As for the shape of the notch 23 in the cross-sectional view, the notch 23 can be formed in a substantially V shape in the cross-sectional view of the leg body 21A. The notch 23 may be formed in a substantially U shape in a cross-sectional view of the leg body 21A.

Further, a plurality of notches 23 may be formed in the circumferential direction or the axial direction of the leg body 21A.

The notch 23 is preferably formed so as to separate the base portion 10 and the leg body 21A when a predetermined load is applied. Therefore, the position, shape, number, etc. of the notch 23 are designed so that the base portion 10 and the leg body 21A are separated by the notch 23 when a predetermined load is applied.

Since the biological electrode 1C is provided with a notch 23 at the joint portion of the electrode leg 20A with the base portion 10, the electrode leg 20A is easily deformed by the notch 23, so that an external impact is applied to the biological electrode 1A. At that time, the electrode legs 20A around the notch 23 are deformed, so that the electrode legs 20A can reduce the pressure on the surface of the scalp. Further, when a constant load is applied to the biological electrode 1C from the outside, the electrode leg 20A and the base portion 10 are separated by the notch 23, so that the electrode leg 20A strongly presses the surface of the scalp and the surface of the scalp. It is possible to suppress the biting into. Further, since the contact pressure of the tip portion 22 of the electrode leg 20A to the scalp when the biological electrode 1C is attached to the scalp can be reduced, the pain in the scalp can be alleviated.

In the present embodiment, the notch 23 may be provided at the joint portion of the base portion 10 with the electrode leg 20A, or may be provided at both the base portion 10 and the electrode leg 20A.

[Fourth Embodiment]
The biological electrode according to the fourth embodiment is a modification of the configuration of the substrate portion 10 included in the biological electrode 1A according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a front view of the biological electrode according to the present embodiment, and is a view seen from the I-I direction of FIG. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the biological electrode as viewed from the direction III-III of FIG. As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the biological electrode 1D according to the present embodiment is the electrode leg 20A directly on the outer peripheral surface 101 of the base portion 10 in the biological electrode 1A according to the first embodiment. However, a plate-shaped protruding portion 15 is provided on the outer peripheral surface 101 of the base portion 10, and the electrode legs 20A are fixed to the lower surface 151 of the protruding portion 15. The protruding portion 15 can be formed by using the same materials as the base portion 10, the electrode legs 20A, and the terminal portion 30.

In the biological electrode 1D, the electrode leg 20A is fixed to the lower surface 151 of the protruding portion 15, so that even if the electrode leg 20A is broken when an external impact is applied to the biological electrode 1A, the broken electrode leg 20A can be used. It can be made more difficult to be pinched between the base portion 10 and the scalp. Therefore, it is possible to more stably suppress the broken electrode leg 20A from pressing the scalp and damaging the scalp.

Further, in the biological electrode 1D, it is preferable that the position of the lower surface 151 of the protruding portion 15 is higher than the position of the lower surface of the base portion 10. As a result, even when an impact is applied to the biological electrode 1D from the outside and a positional shift occurs, the protruding portion 15 can be made difficult to hit the scalp. Further, since the electrode legs 20A can be made more difficult to be pinched between the base portion 10 and the scalp, damage to the scalp can be further suppressed.

In this embodiment, the protruding portion 15 may be formed of a material different from that of the base portion 10, the electrode legs 20A, and the terminal portion 30.

[Fifth Embodiment]
The biological electrode according to the fifth embodiment is a modification of the configuration of the substrate portion 10 included in the biological electrode 1A according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the biological electrode according to the present embodiment as viewed from the direction III-III of FIG. As shown in FIG. 15, in the biological electrode 1E according to the first embodiment, the cushioning material 16 is provided on the outer peripheral surface 101 of the substrate portion 10 in the biological electrode 1A according to the first embodiment. The electrode legs 20A are fixed to the lower surface 161 of the above.

The cushioning material 16 can be formed, for example, by molding a material made of a silicon or urethane foamed synthetic resin material, a silicon gel, or the like with a conductive filler. As the conductive filler, the above-mentioned conductive filler used as a material for forming the substrate portion 10, the electrode legs 20A and the terminal portion 30 can be used. When the cushioning material 16 is formed of a foamed synthetic resin material, a silicon gel, or the like, a conductive film such as a conductive layer 13 may be formed on the surface thereof.

By fixing the electrode legs 20A to the lower surface 161 of the cushioning material 16, the biological electrode 1E can relieve the pressing force of the electrode legs 20A on the scalp when an external impact is applied to the biological electrode 1C. .. Further, since the contact pressure of the tip portion 22 of the electrode leg 20A to the scalp when the biological electrode 1E is attached to the scalp can be reduced, the pain in the scalp can be alleviated.

[Sixth Embodiment]
The biological electrode according to the sixth embodiment is provided with a protrusion on the leg body 21A of the electrode leg 20A included in the biological electrode 1A according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 16 is a front view of a biological electrode according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 16, the biological electrode 1F according to the present embodiment is the biological electrode 1A according to the first embodiment described above, on the side surface of the leg body 21A constituting the electrode leg 20A, on the substrate portion 10 side. It has a protruding protrusion 70.

The protrusion 70 is a side surface of the leg body 21A on the base portion 10 side, and is provided at a substantially central portion of the height of the leg body 21A. The protrusion 70 has two tapered surfaces 71 that are formed along the side surface of the leg body 21A and are inclined along a direction orthogonal to the side surface of the leg body 21A. The two tapered surfaces 71 are formed so that the inclination approaches toward the tip portion 22 side.

In the biological electrode 1F, by providing the protrusion 70 on the side surface of the leg body 21A constituting the electrode leg 20A, the hair is easily caught on the protrusion 70, and the hair scraped by the electrode leg 20A is along the electrode leg 20A. It can be made difficult to fall to the scalp side. Therefore, the biological electrode 1F can further enhance the hair separation property.

In the present embodiment, the protrusion 70 is formed so as to have two tapered surfaces 71, but it may be any shape as long as the hair is easily caught.

In the present embodiment, the protrusion 70 may be provided on the tip 22 side in the height direction of the leg body 21A, or may be provided on the base 10 side.

In the present embodiment, two or more protrusions 70 may be provided on the side surface of the leg body 21A along at least one of the length direction and the circumferential direction of the leg body 21A.

As described above, the embodiments have been described, but each of the above embodiments is presented as an example, and the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The above embodiment can be implemented in various other embodiments, and various combinations, omissions, replacements, changes, etc. can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and variations thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 1F Biological electrode 10 Base part 101 Outer peripheral surface 13 Conductive layer 15 Protruding part 16 Cushioning material 20A, 20B Electrode leg 22 Tip part 221 Tip groove part 23 Notch 30 Terminal part 70 Protruding part A region

Claims (8)

The base part and
It comprises a plurality of electrode legs, one end of which is provided on the substrate and extends diagonally downward of the substrate and has a region of contact with a living body on the surface of the other end.
A biological electrode in which the electrode legs are obliquely provided on the outer peripheral surface or the upper surface of the substrate portion. The biological electrode according to claim 1, wherein the electrode legs are formed in a spiral shape along the outer peripheral surface of the substrate portion. The biological electrode according to claim 2, wherein the electrode legs are formed so as to spread continuously or stepwise from the base portion to the tip portion side. The biological electrode according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a notch is provided in at least one of the joint portion of the substrate portion and the electrode leg. A protrusion is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the substrate portion, and a protrusion is provided.
The biological electrode according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the electrode legs are fixed to the lower surface of the protruding portion. A cushioning material is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the substrate portion, and a cushioning material is provided.
The biological electrode according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the electrode legs are fixed to the lower surface of the cushioning material. The biological electrode according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the electrode leg has at least one protrusion on its side surface. The biological electrode according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a conductive layer containing a conductive polymer is provided in at least the region of the electrode legs.

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