JP7204088B2 - Electrode fixing member and electrode fixing method - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an electrode fixing member and an electrode fixing method.

Patent Literature 1 describes an electrode device that is particularly effective for electromedical devices. The electrode device is supported by a band attached to the head like a headband, and the electrode device is movable along the band. The electrode device is constructed by detachably attaching an elastic body coated with a metal foil to a support base.

Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 49-108690

In the technique of Patent Literature 1, there is a problem that when the electrodes are attached to the head for a long period of time, the band shifts upward due to the shape of the head, and the attachment positions of the electrodes change.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve such problems. The purpose is to keep the position of the fixed electrode unchanged.

An electrode fixing member according to claim 1 is an electrode fixing member for fixing electrodes for applying electrical stimulation to the head of a subject, and is mounted around the head to cover the electrodes. It consists of one belt- shaped first part and a second part connected to the first part and worn on the chin of the subject, and the first part is fastened at one place to the head wherein the second portion is configured to be fastened at one location and configured to be worn over the chin, the electrode between the first portion and the subject's head; is fixed by sandwiching the electrode, and the electrode can be fixed at a desired position around the subject's head. As a result, even if the electrode is fixed to the head by the electrode fixing member for a long period of time, the second part prevents the first part from being displaced upward, and the position of the electrode fixed to the head is not changed. can be made Also, the electrodes can be fixed at desired locations around the head.

In the electrode fixing member according to claim 2, the second part has a part formed to surround the ear of the subject together with the first part, and the first part and the second part are attached to the subject. The subject's ears are exposed when the test is performed. As a result, the ear is not covered with the electrode fixing member, and even if the electrode fixing member is worn on the subject, daily activities are not hindered.

The electrode fixing member according to claim 3 is characterized in that the first portion has a width capable of covering the entire electrode. Thereby, the entire electrode can be pressed against the head by the first portion.

The electrode fixing member according to claim 4 is characterized in that the first portion and the second portion are made of a stretchable or elastic material. Thereby, the electrode fixing member can be attached to the head so as to match the size of the head.

The electrode fixing member according to claim 5 has a belt-like upper fixing member for fixing the electrode to the upper part of the subject's head, and both ends of the upper fixing member are attached to the first part. and a first attachment/detachment means for attachment/detachment. Thus, by using the upper fixing member, the electrodes can be fixed at desired positions on the upper part of the head (parietal region, frontal region, etc.).

The electrode fixing member according to claim 6 is characterized in that the upper fixing member has length adjusting means for adjusting the length. Thereby, when fixing the electrode to the upper part of the head using the upper fixing member, the length of the upper fixing member can be adjusted according to the size of the head.

The electrode fixing member according to claim 7 is characterized in that the upper fixing member has a width capable of covering the entire electrode. As a result, the entire electrode can be pressed against the head by the upper fixing member.

The electrode fixing member according to claim 8 has a cap for covering the subject's head to which the electrodes are fixed, and the cap is attached/detached to/from the first portion. characterized by having Thus, by covering the head with the cap after the electrodes are fixed to the subject's head, the fixed state of the electrodes can be maintained so that the electrodes fixed to the head are not displaced.

According to the present invention, even if the electrode is fixed to the head for a long period of time, the second part suppresses the upward displacement of the first part, so that the position of the electrode fixed to the head does not change. can be

It is a top view of the electric stimulator in an embodiment of the invention. It is a perspective view which shows the state which attached the sponge to the electrode of the electrical stimulator. (a) is a plan view of an electrode fixing band in Embodiment 1, and (b) is a bottom view of the same electrode fixing band. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which electrodes are fixed to the subject's head using an electrode fixing band. (a) is a plan view of the first modification of the electrode fixing band, and (b) is a bottom view of the first modification. (a) is a plan view of a second modification of the electrode fixing band, and (b) is a bottom view of the second modification. FIG. 10 is a plan view showing an upper band in Embodiment 2; FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which electrodes are attached to the subject's head using an electrode fixing band and an upper band. (a) is a plan view of an upper variable band in Embodiment 2, and (b) is a side view of the same upper variable band. FIG. 11 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a cap according to Embodiment 3;

Hereinafter, an electrical stimulator according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1)
As shown in FIG. 1, an electrical stimulation device 1 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention includes a device main body 2 internally provided with an electrical circuit for outputting electrical stimulation, and an electrical stimulator fixed to the subject's head. The main components are an electrode 3 for applying stimulation and an electrode cable 4 for connecting the electrode 3 to the device main body 2 .

The electrode cable 4 is composed of a bipolar conductor cord, the proximal end of the electrode cable 4 is detachably connected to the device main body 2, and the electrode 3 is detachably attached to the distal end of the electrode cable 4. The electrode 3 is composed of two circular electrodes 3a, 3b, and the circular electrodes 3a, 3b are composed of conductive silicon rubber. The shape of the electrode 3 is not limited to a circle, but may be any shape such as a square that can be fixed to the head and applied with electrical stimulation. On the surface of the device main body 2, there are an operation switch section 5 consisting of various switches for setting and changing stimulation conditions and starting and stopping the application of electrical stimulation, a liquid crystal display section 6 for displaying information such as set stimulation conditions, An LED display section 7 that flashes when current is being output to the electrode 3 is provided, and a power switch 8 for turning the power on and off is provided on the side surface of the device main body 2 . Electrodes 3 are fixed to the subject's head, and electrical stimulation is given to the subject by outputting current to the electrodes 3 according to the set stimulation conditions.

A sponge may be attached to the electrode 3 when the electrode 3 is fixed to the subject's head. FIG. 2 shows a state in which a sponge is attached to the circular electrode 3a (3b). Circular electrodes 3a (3b) indicated by dashed lines are provided with electrode terminals 9 for connection to electrode cables 4. As shown in FIG. The sponge 10 is composed of two circular sponges 10a and 10b whose peripheries are sewn together. One of the circular sponges 10a has a slit 11 for inserting and removing the circular electrode 3a (3b) and a slit 11 for exposing the electrode terminal 9. A square hole 12 and a circular hole 13 are provided to prevent the edge of the slit 11 from tearing when the circular electrode 3a (3b) is inserted or removed. The circular electrode 3a (3b) is inserted into the sponge 10 (between the two circular sponges 10a and 10b) through the slit 11, the sponge 10 is impregnated with physiological saline and fixed to the subject's head, and the electrode 3 is supplied with an electric current. is output, electrical stimulation is given to the subject through the sponge.

Next, an electrode fixing band (electrode fixing member) for fixing the electrodes 3 to the subject's head will be described. FIGS. 3A and 3B are diagrams of the electrode fixing band 14, and FIGS. 3A and 3B show the front and back surfaces of the electrode fixing band 14, respectively. The electrode fixing band 14 is worn on the head so that the back surface of the electrode fixing band 14 contacts the subject's head and the front surface is exposed to the outside. The electrode fixing band 14 has a strip-shaped peripheral band 15 (first portion), and a left band 16 and a right band 17 (second portion) connected to the peripheral band 15 at two points, respectively. The peripheral band 15, the left band 16 and the right band 17 are made of a stretchable or elastic material such as rubber, and the left band 16 and the right band 17 are connected to the peripheral band 15 by stitching, for example. there is

The peripheral band 15 has a body portion 15a and a detachable portion 15b connected to one end of the body portion 15a. The front surface of the body portion 15a is a hook-and-loop fastener (female), and the back surface of the detachable portion 15b is a hook-and-loop fastener (male). The peripheral band 15 is attached to the head by applying the central portion of the body portion 15a to the subject's forehead, winding the body portion 15a around the head, and fastening the back surface of the detachable portion 15b to the surface of the body portion 15a at the back of the head. The hook-and-loop fastener makes it easy to put on and take off.

The left band 16 is positioned on the left side of the face when the electrode fixing band 14 is attached to the subject. and a rear portion 16b. A fastening portion 18 is attached to the surface of the left band 16 from the front portion 16a to the rear portion 16b, and the surface of the fastening portion 18 is a hook-and-loop fastener (male). The right band 17 is positioned on the right side of the face when the electrode fixing band 14 is attached to the subject. and a detachable portion 17c connected to the end of the front portion 17a. The detachable portion 17 c has a hook-and-loop fastener (female) on the back surface, and the detachable portion 17 c of the right band 17 is fastened to the retaining portion 18 of the left band 16 . The front parts 16a, 17a and the rear parts 16b, 17b of the left band 16 and the right band 17 are formed so as to surround the subject's ears together with the surrounding band 15, and when the electrode fixing band 14 is attached to the subject, , the subject's ears are exposed.

Next, a method for fixing the electrodes 3 to the subject's head using the electrode fixing band 14 will be described. FIG. 4 shows a state in which the electrodes 3 are fixed to the right and left sides of the subject's forehead using the electrode fixing bands 14 . When fixing the electrode 3 to the head, the electrode 3 is sandwiched between the surrounding band 15 and the subject's head, the surrounding band 15 is wrapped around the head, and the surrounding band 15 is attached to the head by fastening at the back of the head. A step (first step) is performed. After that, the left band 16 and the right band 17 are hung on the subject's chin, and the attachment/detachment portion 17c of the right band 17 is fastened to the fastening portion 18 of the left band 16 (second step). In the first step, the electrodes 3 may be inserted between the peripheral band 15 and the subject's head after the peripheral band 15 is attached to the subject's head. By performing such steps, the electrode 3 is fixed to the subject's head using the electrode fixing band 14, and then the current is output to the electrode 3 to give electrical stimulation to the head.

Here, the peripheral band 15 is wide enough to cover the electrodes 3, and the width of the peripheral band 15 in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 3(a) is, for example, 70 mm. If different sized electrodes are used, the peripheral band 15 is adapted to cover the largest electrode. When the electrode 3 with the sponge 10 attached thereto is fixed to the head as shown in FIG. should be able to cover the Also, the peripheral band 15 preferably has a width sufficient to cover the entire electrode.

FIGS. 5A and 5B show a first modification of the electrode fixing band, and FIGS. 5A and 5B respectively show the front and back surfaces of the electrode fixing band 14a of the first modification. The difference from the electrode fixing band 14 of FIG. 3 is that the upper ends of the front parts 16a and 17a and the upper ends of the rear parts 16b and 17b are connected to each other in the left band 16 and the right band 17, and the other points are are the same. That is, the left band 16 has a front portion 16a, a rear portion 16b branched from the front portion 16a, and a connecting portion 16c that connects upper ends of the front portion 16a and the rear portion 16b. The right band 17 includes a front portion 17a, a rear portion 17b branched from the front portion 17a, a detachable portion 17c connected to the end of the front portion 17a, and a connecting portion 17d connecting upper ends of the front portion 17a and the rear portion 17b. and

FIGS. 6A and 6B show a second modification of the electrode fixing band, and FIGS. 6A and 6B respectively show the front and back surfaces of the electrode fixing band 14b of the second modification. A different point from the electrode fixing band 14 of FIG. 3 is that the left band 16 and the right band 17 do not have a rear portion 16b and a rear portion 17b, respectively, and other points are the same.

According to the electrode fixing band 14 and the electrode fixing bands 14a and 14b of the first and second modifications described above, the left band 16 and the right band 17 connected to the surrounding band 15 are hung on the chin. Since the left band 16 and the right band 17 suppress the upward displacement of the surrounding band 15, even if the electrode 3 is fixed to the head by the electrode fixing bands 14, 14a, and 14b for a long time, the head can be fixed. The position of the electrode 3 fixed to the part can be kept unchanged. In addition, when the peripheral band 15 has a width that can cover the entire electrode 3, the peripheral band 15 presses the entire electrode against the head. In addition, the electric stimulation can be efficiently applied to the entire electrode, and the electric stimulation can be applied to the head with the intensity per unit area being almost as set.

The electrode fixing bands 14, 14a, and 14b are sandwiched between the surrounding band 15 and the head to fix the electrode 3, and the fixing position of the electrode 3 can be freely changed within the range where the surrounding band 15 is worn. Since it can be set, the electrodes 3 can be fixed at desired positions around the head. Since the ears are not covered with the electrode fixing bands 14, 14a, 14b, daily activities are not hindered even if the electrode fixing bands 14, 14a, 14b are worn on the subject. Since the peripheral band 15, the left band 16 and the right band 17 are made of a stretchable or elastic material, the electrode fixing bands 14, 14a and 14b can be attached to the head so as to match the size of the head. can be done.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 7 shows the surface of an upper band 19 (upper fixation member) used to fix the electrodes to the upper part of the head, such as the crown of the head. The upper band 19 has a body portion 19a and detachable portions 19b (first detachable means) connected to both ends of the body portion 19a. ing. The upper band 19 is strip-shaped, and the body portion 19 a is made of a stretchable or elastic material such as rubber, and is wide enough to cover the electrodes 3 . The upper band 19 is attached to the upper part of the head by fastening the detachable portion 19b to the hook-and-loop fastener (female) of the body portion 15a of the surrounding band 15. As shown in FIG.

FIG. 8 shows a state in which the electrodes 3 are fixed to the forehead and top of the head using the electrode fixing band 14 and the upper band 19 described in the first embodiment. When the electrode 3 is fixed to the subject's head using the upper band 19, after the electrode fixing band 14 is attached to the head, the electrode 3 is sandwiched between the upper band 19 and the head and the upper band 19 is wrapped around the head. A step of fastening to the band 15 (third step) is performed. In a third step, after fastening the upper band 19 to the surrounding band 15, the electrodes 3 may be inserted between the upper band 19 and the head. Both ends of the upper band 19 can be fixed at any position on the surrounding band 15, and the fixing position of the electrode 3 can be freely set within the range where the upper band 19 is worn. The electrode 3 can be fixed at the position of .

FIG. 9 shows a modification of the upper band, which is an upper variable band 20 (upper fixing member) that allows the length of the upper band to be adjusted. 4(a) and 4(b) show the surface and side of the upper variable band 20, respectively. The upper variable band 20 includes a frame-shaped adjusting member 20a having a square hole inside, a first main body portion 20b and a second main body portion 20c provided through the holes of the adjusting member 20a, and the first main body portion 20b. and a second attaching/detaching portion 20e and a third attaching/detaching portion 20f connected to both ends of the second body portion 20c. The first and second body portions 20 b and 20 c are made of a stretchable or elastic material such as rubber, and are wide enough to cover the electrodes 3 . The back surfaces of the first to third attachment/detachment portions 20d to 20f (lower surfaces in FIG. 9B) are hook-and-loop fasteners (male). The other end of the first main body portion 20b (the end without the first detachable portion 20d) is sewn or the like to an intermediate position of the first main body portion 20b. The surface of the second main body portion 20c is a hook-and-loop fastener (female), and the length of the upper variable band 20 can be adjusted by fastening the second attaching/detaching portion 20e to an arbitrary position of the hook-and-loop fastener (female). can. Thus, the adjusting member 20a, the second main body part 20c and the second detachable part 20e constitute length adjusting means for adjusting the length of the upper variable band 20. As shown in FIG. Also, the first attaching/detaching portion 20d and the third attaching/detaching portion 20f are attaching/detaching means (first attaching/detaching means) for attaching/detaching to/from the peripheral band 15. As shown in FIG.

The method of fixing the electrodes to the subject's head using the upper variable band 20 is the same as that for the upper band 19. The variable band 20 may be attached to the subject's head, and the electrodes 3 may be sandwiched and fixed between the upper variable band 20 and the head. An upper variable band 20 can be used to fix the electrode 3 in a desired position on the upper part of the head. Also, when the electrodes 3 are fixed to the upper part of the head, the length of the upper variable band 20 can be adjusted according to the size of the head.

Upper band 19 and upper variable band 20 , like peripheral band 15 , preferably have a width sufficient to cover the entire electrode 3 . In this case, since the entire electrode can be pressed against the head by the upper band 19 and the upper variable band 20, the same effect as described above for the peripheral band 15 can be obtained.

(Embodiment 3)
FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a cap for covering the head worn by a subject with electrodes 3 fixed to the head. The cap 21 has a mesh portion 21a whose entirety is mesh-like, and an edge portion 21b connected to the edge of the mesh portion 21a, and is made of a stretchable or elastic material. A plurality of detachable portions 22 are provided inside the edge portion 21b at appropriate intervals. It is used by fastening it to the hook-and-loop fastener (female). The attachment/detachment portion 22 is attachment/detachment means (second attachment/detachment means) for attaching/detaching the cap 21 to/from the peripheral band 15 .

As a method of using the cap 21, after fixing the electrode 3 to the subject's head using the electrode fixing band 14 according to Embodiment 1, or after fixing the electrode 3 to the subject's head using the electrode fixing band 14 according to Embodiment 1 and the upper part according to Embodiment 2 After fixing the electrodes 3 to the subject's head using the band 19 and the upper variable band 20, the steps of placing the cap 21 over the subject's head and fastening the cap 21 to the peripheral band 15 are performed. After that, an electric current is output to the electrodes 3 to give electrical stimulation to the head. By using such a cap 21, the fixed state of the electrodes 3 can be maintained so that the electrodes 3 fixed to the head are not displaced.

In the first embodiment, the configuration in which the left band 16 and the right band 17 are fastened with hook-and-loop fasteners is shown. Alternatively, the band may be a continuous, one-piece band and the band may be worn over the chin. Also, although the configuration in which the peripheral band 15, the left band 16 and the right band 17 are connected by stitching is shown, the configuration in which the peripheral band 15, the left band 16 and the right band 17 are integrally formed is also possible. Instead of wearing both circular electrodes 3a and 3b on the head, for example, the circular electrode 3a is mounted on the left frontal region and the circular electrode 3b is mounted on the left upper arm, so that at least one electrode is mounted on the head. The present invention can be applied even when the is fixed and electrical stimulation is applied.

The present invention can be applied when using an electrical stimulator that provides electrical stimulation by attaching at least one electrode to the head.

3 electrodes 3a, 3b circular electrodes 14, 14a, 14b electrode fixing band (electrode fixing member)
15 Surrounding band (first part)
15a body portion 15b attachment/detachment portion 16 left band (second portion)
16a front part 16b rear part 17 right band (second part)
17a Front part 17b Rear part 17c Detachable part 18 Fastening part 19 Upper band (upper fixing member)
19a body portion 19b attachment/detachment portion (first attachment/detachment means)
20 upper variable band (upper fixing member)
20a adjusting member (length adjusting means)
20b first body portion 20c second body portion (length adjusting means)
20d first attachment/detachment part (first attachment/detachment means)
20e second detachable part (length adjusting means)
20f Third attachment/detachment part (first attachment/detachment means)
21 cap 21a mesh part 21b edge part 22 attachment/detachment part (second attachment/detachment means)

Claims (8)

An electrode fixing member for fixing an electrode for applying electrical stimulation to the subject's head,
a strip-shaped first portion that can be worn around the head and can cover the electrodes;
a second part connected to the first part and worn over the chin of the subject;
consists of
said first portion is configured to be fastened at one location and worn around said head;
The second part is configured to be fastened at one point and hung over the chin,
The electrode is sandwiched and fixed between the first part and the subject's head, and the electrode can be fixed at a desired position around the subject's head.
An electrode fixing member characterized by: The second part has a part formed to surround the subject's ear together with the first part,
2. The electrode fixing member according to claim 1, wherein when the subject wears the first portion and the second portion, the ears of the subject are exposed. The first part has a width that can cover the entire electrode,
The electrode fixing member according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The first part and the second part are made of a stretchable or elastic material,
The electrode fixing member according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: Having a strip-shaped upper fixing member for fixing the electrode to the upper part of the subject's head,
5. The electrode fixing member according to claim 1, wherein both ends of said upper fixing member have first attaching/detaching means for attaching/detaching to/from said first portion. The upper fixing member has length adjusting means for adjusting the length,
6. The electrode fixing member according to claim 5, characterized in that: The upper fixing member has a width that can cover the entire electrode,
7. The electrode fixing member according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that: Having a cap for covering the head of the subject with the electrodes fixed,
The cap has a second attaching/detaching means for attaching/detaching to/from the first portion,
The electrode fixing member according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that:

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