Electrode structure for reducing irritation to the skin

Details Electrode structure for reducing irritation to the skin Electrode structure for reducing irritation to the skin

1999-07-07

2002-01-01

Schaetzle, Kennedy (Department: 3762)

Surgery: light, thermal, and electrical application

Light, thermal, and electrical application

Electrical energy applicator

C600S393000, C604S020000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06336049

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electrode structure. More particularly, the present invention relates to an electrode structure capable of reducing irritation to the skin which is caused by electrification, irrespective of the method of electrification.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
An electrode structure for the living body, which is used for iontophoresis or high-frequency diathermy knife, generally has a structure wherein an electrode and an electrolyte layer (sometimes containing a drug) are sequentially laminated on an insulating substrate. In most cases, the electrode consists of a single electrode, and an electrolyte layer is laminated on this single electrode.
With this electrode structure, the electrode is connected with a power supply and the electrolyte layer is brought into contact with the skin of a living body. When electrified, however, the current flows concentratedly through the area where electrical resistance of the skin is low, so that the density of the current flowing in the area becomes high. As a result, the high current density in this area irritates the skin, which sometimes damages or burns the skin tissue. When the skin has been damaged from the beginning, the current easily flows concentratedly in such area due to the low resistance of the area, thereby increasing the frequency of burn in this area.
To solve these problems, U.S. Pat. No. 4,416,274 proposes an apparatus capable of retaining the ion to be injected into an electrode to be used for a living body for an ion transfer-limited ionization treatment, which apparatus being formed to prevent ions from moving in the direction generally parallel to the surface of the skin or tissue, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,950,229 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,284,471 propose an apparatus for electrode to be used for iontophoresis, wherein the transmitter including an ionic drug is divided. According to these apparatuses, however, the flow of the current in the transverse direction (direction parallel to the skin surface) within the device that retains the ions to be injected (transmitter including an ionic drug) can be prohibited but that of the current in the transverse direction in a single plate electrode cannot be prohibited. This in turn results in the concentration of the current to the part of the skin of the living body having low resistance, thereby preventing uniform current density.
Moreover, U.S. Pat. No. 5,310,403 proposes a drug delivery apparatus by the introduction of ions, which has a circuit wherein constant current circuit is formed per plural divided electrodes (each divided electrode including an electrode and an apparatus retaining an ionic drug). This apparatus, nevertheless, comprises a constant current circuit formed per each divided electrode, so that it limits the method of electrification, makes the apparatus construction complicated and poses cost problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention aims at solving the above-mentioned problems and provides an electrode structure capable of making the density of the current flowing to the skin constant, irrespective of the electrification method, and capable of reducing irritation due to the electrification.
Such object can be achieved by the present invention. Accordingly, the present invention provides the following. (1) An electrode structure comprising plural electrode elements each comprising an electrode and an electrolyte layer laminated thereon, the electrode of each electrode element being connected to a power supply and the electrolyte layer to be in contact with the skin,
wherein the plural electrode elements are insulated from each other and the electrode of each element is electrically connected to a resistor that limits the current flowing through this electrode, said resistor having a resistance that is ⅕-5 times the resistance of the skin. (2) The electrode structure of (1) above, wherein the electrode elements are insulated from each other on an insulating substrate by the aid of a partition, and the electrode of each electrode element has a resistive element having a resistance that is ⅕-5 times the resistance of the skin. (3) The electrode structure of (2) above, wherein each electrode element is disposed on one side of the insulating substrate and insulated from other electrode elements by a partition, and wherein the resistive element having a resistance that is ⅕-5 times the resistance of the skin is disposed on the other side of the insulating substrate at the position corresponding to a mating electrode element, each electrode of the electrode element and the corresponding resistive element being electrically connected via a conductive path formed in the insulating substrate. (4) The electrode structure of (3) above, wherein the insulating substrate has a wiring layer on the other side of the substrate, the wiring layer being connected to a part of the corresponding resistive element, and having a terminal connecting a wiring for connection to a power supply. (5) The electrode structure of (2) above, wherein each electrode element is disposed on one side of the insulating substrate and insulated from other electrode elements by a partition, the electrode of each electrode element is electrically connected, on the other side of the insulating substrate, to a wiring for connection to a power supply via a conductive path formed in the insulating substrate, and the wiring is connected to a resistive element having a resistance that is ⅕-5 times the resistance of the skin. (6) The electrode structure of (5) above, wherein the wiring is laid on a tongue part projecting from a part of the insulating substrate in the extending direction of the substrate, each end of the wire being connected to the connector for wire extension fixed on the tip of the tongue part,
wherein the connector for wire extension is connected to a connector on one end of an electric cable for wire extension, and an integration type connector equipped with resistive elements having a resistance that is ⅕-5 times the resistance of the skin is connected to a connector on the other end of the electric cable, thereby electrically connecting the resistive elements to the wiring. (7) The electrode structure of (1), (2), (3) or (5) above, wherein the electrode of each electrode element has a circular or polygonal shape and an area of less than 1 cm
2
. (8) The electrode structure of (1), (2), (3) or (5) above, wherein the electrode of each electrode element comprises a carbon layer and a silver-containing layer formed on the carbon layer. (9) The electrode structure of (1), (2), (3) or (5) above, wherein the electrode of each electrode element comprises a carbon layer and a silver, silver chloride-containing layer formed on the carbon layer. (10) The electrode structure of (8) or (9) above, wherein the carbon layer comprises a composition comprising fine carbon particles and a binder resin. (11) The electrode structure of (3) above, wherein the resistive element comprises a composition comprising fine carbon particles and a binder resin. (12) The electrode structure of (2), (3) or (5) above, wherein the partition is made from a flexible insulating material. (13) The electrode structure of (2), (3) or (5) above, wherein the partition has a shape permitting adhesion to the side of each electrode element and is a formed article having a thickness of not less than 0.1 mm and a height of 1-5 mm. (14) The electrode structure of (2), (3) or (5) above, wherein the partition and the insulating substrate form an integrated product.
According to the electrode structure of the present invention, plural electrode elements are insulated from each other, so that the current does not flow between the adjacent electrode elements. Moreover, the electrode of each electrode element is electrically connected to a resistive element that limits the current flowing through the electrode, whereby the concentrated flow of the current to an electrode element that comes into contact with the area of the skin having a low

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