JP6947973B2 - Elastic electrode and its manufacturing method, and wearable electrode - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a stretchable electrode, a method for manufacturing the same, and a wearable electrode.

Research and development of wearable electrodes, in which bioelectrodes are attached to clothes or the like worn by the person to be measured and the electrical biosignals emitted by the person to be measured in daily life are acquired for a long period of time, are being promoted (Non-Patent Document 1). Such a wearable electrode is effective as, for example, an efficient tool for a medical care health system in a super-aging society.

In order to stably acquire electrical biological signals, it is important that the wearable electrodes are in close contact with the living body. However, in the conventional wearable electrode as in Non-Patent Document 1, since the elasticity of the bioelectrode is usually lower than that of clothes or the like, the bioelectrode can sufficiently follow the movement of the person to be measured when the movement is intense. However, tightening makes the fit worse.

NTT Technology Journal 26 (11), 16-20, 2014-11 "Application Development of Wearable Electrode Inner Technology"

An object of the present invention is to provide an elastic electrode that easily follows the violent movement of a living body during use and has an excellent wearing feeling, a method for manufacturing the same, and a wearable electrode provided with the elastic electrode.

In the elastic electrode of the present invention, a conductive thread is fixed to a conductor impregnated with a conductive polymer in a fiber structure, and the plan view shape of the conductive thread is one or both of a bent portion and a curved portion. It is a shape that includes. When the conductive thread has the above-mentioned shape in a plan view, the conductive thread can cope with the expansion and contraction of the electrode. Therefore, even if the living body moves during use, the electrodes can follow the movement, the tightening of the living body is suppressed, and the wearing feeling is excellent.

In the elastic electrode of the present invention, the conductive thread is located on the surface of the conductor, and the conductive thread is fixed to the conductor by the fixing thread. This makes it easy to firmly fix the conductive thread to the conductor.

In the elastic electrode of the present invention, it is preferable that the plan view shape of the conductive yarn is a curved shape of any one of a sine wave, a sigmoid, and a semicircle. As a result, the elastic electrode can more easily follow the movement of the living body, and the wearing feeling becomes more excellent.

In the elastic electrode of the present invention, it is preferable that the conductor is in the form of a sheet. As a result, it is possible to achieve both adhesion to the living body and a feeling of wearing.

In the elastic electrode of the present invention, the conductor has a strip shape with one of them in the longitudinal direction, and the plan view shape includes one or both of a bent portion and a curved portion, and the conductive thread is said to have the same shape. It is preferable that the conductor is fixed so as to extend in the longitudinal direction. As a result, the flexibility of the electrode is improved, it becomes easier to follow the movement of the living body, and the wearing feeling becomes more excellent.

The method for producing an elastic electrode of the present invention is a method for producing an elastic electrode of the present invention, and the fiber structure has a shape in which one or both of a bent portion and a curved portion are included in a plan view. This is a method of forming a conductor by impregnating the fiber structure with a conductive polymer after fixing the conductive thread as described above. As a result, even if the living body moves during use, the electrodes can follow the movement, the tightening of the living body is suppressed, and a stretchable electrode having an excellent wearing feeling can be obtained. Further, by impregnating the conductive polymer after connecting the fiber structure and the conductive thread, the conductive polymer is easily sufficiently filled in the gap between the fiber structure and the conductive thread, and the contact resistance between them is easily filled. Can be made smaller.

The method for producing an elastic electrode of the present invention is a method for producing an elastic electrode of the present invention, in which a fiber structure is impregnated with a conductive polymer to form a conductor, and then the conductor is formed into a flat surface. A method of fixing the conductive thread so that the visual shape includes one or both of the bent portion and the curved portion may be used. As a result, even if the living body moves during use, the electrodes can follow the movement, the tightening of the living body is suppressed, and a stretchable electrode having an excellent wearing feeling can be obtained.

The wearable electrode of the present invention includes the stretchable electrode of the present invention. By providing the elastic electrode of the present invention, the wearable electrode of the present invention has excellent elasticity, easily follows the movement of the person to be measured, and has an excellent wearing feeling.

The stretchable electrode of the present invention easily follows the violent movement of the living body during use and is excellent in wearing comfort.
According to the method for producing an elastic electrode of the present invention of the present invention, it is easy to follow the violent movement of a living body during use, and an elastic electrode having an excellent wearing feeling can be obtained.
The wearable electrode of the present invention is easy to follow the violent movement of the person to be measured and has an excellent wearing feeling.

It is a top view which showed an example of the stretchable electrode of this invention. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of the elastic electrode of FIG. It is a figure which showed the state which attached the elastic electrode of FIG. 1, FIG. 3A is a front view, and FIG. 3B is a side view. It is a top view which showed an example of the stretchable electrode of this invention. It is a BB cross-sectional view of the stretchable electrode of FIG. It is a top view which showed an example of the stretchable electrode of this invention.

[Stretchable electrode]
In the elastic electrode of the present invention, a conductive thread is fixed to a conductor impregnated with a conductive polymer in a fiber structure, and the plan view shape of the conductive thread is one or both of a bent portion and a curved portion. It is a shape that includes. Hereinafter, an example of the stretchable electrode of the present invention will be described.
It should be noted that the dimensions and the like of the figures illustrated in the following description are examples, and the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto, and the present invention can be appropriately modified without changing the gist thereof. ..

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the elastic electrode 1 of the present embodiment has a band-shaped conductor 10 having one of them in the longitudinal direction, a conductive thread 12 located on the surface of the conductor 10, and a conductive thread 12. Is provided with a fixing thread 14 for connecting the wire to the conductor 10. The conductive thread 12 is located on the surface of the conductor 10 so as to extend in the length direction, and is fixed to the conductor 10 by being tied by fixing threads 14 provided at predetermined intervals in the length direction. ..

The conductor 10 is a strip-shaped conductive fiber structure formed by impregnating a fiber structure with a conductive polymer.
The plan view shape of the conductor 10 in this example is a sine wave shape. The plan-view shape of the conductor 10 is not limited to a sine wave, and may be a shape including one or both of a bent portion and a curved portion. The plan-view shape of the conductor 10 may include only the bent portion, may include only the curved portion, or may include both the bent portion and the curved portion. The plan-view shape of the conductor 10 may include a straight line portion.

As the plan view shape of the strip-shaped conductor 10, a curved shape represented by a periodic function or an aperiodic function, for example, a curved shape such as a sine wave, a sigmoid, or a semicircle, or a bent shape such as a zigzag shape can be exemplified. .. The shape of the strip-shaped conductor 10 in a plan view is a sine wave, a sigmoid, or a sigmoid, because the elasticity of the elastic electrode is improved, it is easy to follow the violent movement of the living body, and the wearing feeling is improved. Any curved shape of a semicircle is preferred.

The thickness of the conductor 10 is preferably 0.01 to 10 mm, more preferably 0.1 to 3 mm. When the thickness of the conductor 10 is not less than the lower limit of the above range, the required conductivity is imparted to the bioelectrode. When the thickness of the conductor 10 is not more than the upper limit of the above range, the flexibility required for the textile product can be obtained.
The width of the conductor 10 is not particularly limited and may be, for example, 1 to 100 mm.

The fibers forming the fiber structure are not particularly limited, and synthetic fibers, vegetable fibers, and animal fibers can be exemplified. The fiber forming the fiber structure may be one kind or two or more kinds.

Examples of synthetic fibers include nylon fibers, polyester fibers, acrylic fibers, aramid fibers, polyurethane fibers, and carbon fibers.
Examples of vegetable fibers include cotton, hemp, and jute.
Examples of animal fibers include silk, wool, collagen, and elastic fibers constituting animal tissues.

The diameter (thickness) of the fiber is not particularly limited, and can be, for example, 0.1 μm to 1 mm.
The length of the fiber is not particularly limited and can be, for example, 1 to 1000 mm.

The form of the fiber structure is not particularly limited, and woven fabrics, knitted fabrics, and non-woven fabrics can be exemplified.
Basis weight of the fiber structure is preferably ^{1~1000g / m 2, 10~500g / m} 2 is more preferable. When the basis weight of the fiber structure is at least the lower limit of the above range, the durability and conductivity required for the wearable electrode can be imparted. When the basis weight of the fiber structure is not more than the upper limit value in the above range, the wearing feeling and texture required for the wearable electrode can be obtained.

Examples of the conductive polymer include polythiophene including polypyrrole, polyaniline, and PEDOT (poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)). As the conductive polymer, one type may be used alone, or two or more types may be used in combination.

The conductive polymer may contain a dopant agent. The dopant agent is not particularly limited, and examples of the electron acceptor include halogens such as bromine and iodine, Lewis acids such as _{PF 5} , BF ₃ , SO ₃ , and proton acids such as _{H 2} SO ₄ , HClO _4. Can be done. Examples of the polymer dopant include polystyrene sulfonic acid (PSS) and the like. Examples of the electron donor include alkali metals and alkaline earth metals.
When PEDOT-PSS is used as the conductive polymer, environmental stability is improved.

In the present invention, it is preferable to impregnate the fiber structure as a conductive resin in which a binder resin is mixed with a conductive polymer. As a result, it becomes easy to immobilize the conductive polymer on the fiber structure, the scratch resistance of the conductor 10 is improved, and the increase in surface resistance after repeated washing can be suppressed.
It is preferable that the conductive resin has a property of being viscous when impregnated and solidifying with the passage of time or by applying heat. By having viscosity at the time of impregnation, it is possible to suppress the formation of a gap between the conductive thread and the conductor, and it is possible to suppress an increase in contact resistance between them.

The binder resin may be a thermosetting resin or a thermoplastic resin. Specifically, polyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, and polyethylene naphthalate; polyimide; polyamideimide; polyamides 6, polyamides 6, 6, polyamide 12, polyamide 11, and the like; polyvinylidene fluoride, polyvinyl fluoride, poly Fluorine resins such as tetrafluoroethylene, ethylene tetrafluoroethylene copolymer, and polychlorotrifluoroethylene; vinyl resins such as polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl ether, polyvinyl butyral, polyvinyl acetate, and polyvinyl chloride; epoxy resins; xylene resins; aramid resins; Examples thereof include polyimide silicone; polyurethane; polyurea; melamine resin; phenol resin; polyether; acrylic resin and copolymers thereof. As the binder resin, one type may be used alone, or two or more types may be used in combination.

The conductive resin may contain components other than the conductive polymer and the binder resin. The other components are not particularly limited, and examples thereof include physiological saline and moisturizers.
Examples of the moisturizer include glycerol, sorbitol, polyethylene glycol, polyethylene glycol-polypropylene glycol copolymer, ethylene glycol, sphingosine, phosphatidylcholine and the like.

The conductive thread 12 is fixed to the surface of the conductor 10 so as to extend in the length direction. Therefore, the plan view shape of the conductive thread 12 in this example is a sine wave shape. The plan-view shape of the conductive thread 12 is not limited to a sine wave, and may be a shape including one or both of a bent portion and a curved portion. The plan-view shape of the conductive thread 12 may include only the bent portion, may include only the curved portion, or may include both the bent portion and the curved portion. The plan-view shape of the conductive thread 12 may include a straight line portion.

As the plan view shape of the conductive thread 12, a curved shape represented by a periodic function or an aperiodic function, for example, a curved shape such as a sine wave, a sigmoid, or a semicircle, or a bent shape such as a zigzag shape can be exemplified, and expansion and contraction can be performed. A curved shape of either a sine wave, a sigmoid, or a semicircle is preferable because the elasticity of the sex electrode is improved, it is easy to follow the violent movement of the living body, and the wearing feeling is more excellent.

The conductive thread 12 may be any thread having conductivity, and examples thereof include a metal wire and a fiber coated with a metal or a conductive polymer. As the conductive thread 12, one type may be used alone, or two or more types may be used in combination.

Examples of the metal wire include a stainless wire, a silver wire, and a copper wire. As the metal coated on the fiber, silver can be exemplified. As the conductive polymer coated on the fiber, the same conductive polymer as mentioned in the conductor can be exemplified.
The conductive thread 12 is preferably a metal wire, more preferably a stainless steel wire, from the viewpoint of easily ensuring the mechanical strength of the elastic electrode 1. Further, the conductive thread 12 is preferably a fiber coated with a metal or a conductive polymer from the viewpoint of easily ensuring the flexibility of the elastic electrode 1.

The diameter (thickness) of the conductive thread 12 is preferably 0.1 μm to 5 mm, more preferably 10 μm to 1 mm. When the diameter of the conductive thread 12 is at least the lower limit of the above range, the conductivity and durability required for the bioelectrode can be obtained. When the diameter of the conductive yarn 12 is not more than the upper limit of the above range, the flexibility and texture required for clothing can be obtained.

The fixing thread 14 may be a thread having conductivity or a thread having no conductivity as long as the conductive thread 12 can be fixed to the conductor 10. The material of the fixing thread 14 is not particularly limited, and synthetic fibers, vegetable fibers, and animal fibers can be exemplified. As the fixing thread 14, the thread mentioned in the conductive thread 12 may be used. As the fixing thread 14, one type may be used alone, or two or more types may be used in combination.
The diameter (thickness) of the fixing thread 14 is not particularly limited, and can be, for example, 0.1 μm to 1000 μm.

When the stretchable electrode 1 is used, for example, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the stretchable electrode 1 is wound around the body or arm of the person to be measured so as to be brought into close contact with the stretchable electrode 1.
In the stretchable electrode 1, the conductor 10 has flexibility because the fiber structure is impregnated with the conductive polymer. Further, the strip-shaped conductor 10 and the conductive thread 12 both have a wavy shape in a plan view. Therefore, the stretchable electrode 1 can be stretched until the conductor 10 and the conductive thread 12 are in a straight line. As described above, since the stretchable electrode 1 has excellent elasticity as compared with the case where the conductive thread is linearly fixed to the conductor, the stretchable electrode 1 can follow the movement even if the living body moves violently during use, and the living body can follow the movement. It is suppressed from tightening and has an excellent fit.

As described above, in the stretchable electrode of the present invention, the plan view shape of the conductive thread fixed to the conductor is a shape including one or both of the bent portion and the curved portion. Therefore, the elastic electrode of the present invention has excellent elasticity, easily follows the violent movement of the living body during use, and has an excellent wearing feeling.

The stretchable electrode of the present invention is not limited to the stretchable electrode 1 described above. For example, the stretchable electrode of the present invention may be the stretchable electrode 2 illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5.
The stretchable electrode 2 includes a sheet-shaped conductor 10A, a conductive thread 12 located on the surface of the conductor 10A, and a fixing thread 14 for connecting the conductive thread 12 to the conductor 10A. The stretchable electrode 2 is the same as the mode of the stretchable electrode 1 except that the sheet-shaped conductor 10A is provided instead of the band-shaped conductor 10.

The conductor 10A can adopt the same embodiment as the conductor 10 except that it has a sheet shape. The plan-view shape and size of the conductor 10A are not particularly limited and can be appropriately set. In this example, the plan-view shape of the conductor 10A is such that both ends of the rectangle in the longitudinal direction are cut into an arc shape. The conductive thread 12 of this example extends in the longitudinal direction of the conductor 10A and is fixed to the conductor 10A so that the shape in a plan view is a sinusoidal shape. The length of the conductive thread 12 of the elastic electrode 2 is longer than the length of the conductor 10A in the longitudinal direction.

Similar to the elastic electrode 1, the elastic electrode 2 also has flexibility because the conductor 10A is formed by impregnating the fiber structure with a conductive polymer, and the conductive thread 12 has a plan view shape. It is wavy. Therefore, the stretchable electrode 2 has excellent elasticity, can follow the movement even if the living body moves violently during use, suppresses tightening of the living body, and is excellent in wearing comfort.

Further, the elastic electrode of the present invention may be an electrode without a fixing thread as long as the conductive thread can be fixed to the conductor without using the fixing thread. For example, the elastic electrode of the present invention is a knit (knit) using conductive yarn 12 and non-conductive yarn 16 as knitting yarns, as illustrated in FIGS. 6 (A), 6 (B), and 6 (C). ) Is impregnated with the conductive resin 18 to form the conductors 10B to 10D, and the fixing thread may not be used. Further, the position of fixing the conductive thread in the conductor is not limited to the surface of the conductor, and the conductive thread may be fixed in a state of being located in the conductor.

[Manufacturing method of elastic electrode]
In the method for producing the stretchable electrode of the present invention, the conductive thread is fixed to the fiber structure so that the shape in a plan view includes one or both of the bent portion and the curved portion, and then the fiber structure is manufactured. Is preferably impregnated with a conductive polymer to form a conductor. By impregnating the conductive polymer after connecting the fiber structure and the conductive thread, the conductive polymer can be sufficiently filled in the gap between the fiber structure and the conductive thread, and the contact resistance between them can be increased. It can be made smaller.
In the present invention, after the fiber structure is impregnated with a conductive polymer to form a conductor, the conductor has a plan view shape including one or both of a bent portion and a curved portion. The conductive thread may be fixed so as to be.

The method of impregnating the conductive polymer is not particularly limited, and for example, a liquid obtained by dissolving or dispersing the conductive polymer and the binder resin in a solvent is applied, printed, immersed, sprayed, dropped, or the like to form a fiber structure. Can be exemplified as a method of impregnating.

Examples of the solvent include water, a mixed solution of water and alcohol (ethanol, methanol, etc.), dimethyl sulfoxide, acetone, and the like. As the solvent, one type may be used alone, or two or more types may be used in combination.

When a solvent is used, the amount of the solvent used is preferably 50% by mass to 99% by mass, more preferably 80% by mass to 90% by mass, based on the total mass of the reagent containing the conductive resin. When the amount of the solvent used is not less than the lower limit of the above range, the aggregation of the conductive polymer is suppressed. When the amount of the solvent used is not more than the upper limit of the above range, the content of the conductive polymer can be relatively increased, and the conductivity is improved.

[Wearable electrode]
The wearable electrode of the present invention includes the stretchable electrode of the present invention. The wearable electrode of the present invention may adopt a known embodiment except that the wearable electrode of the present invention includes the stretchable electrode of the present invention.
Examples of the wearable electrode include those in which the elastic electrode of the present invention is attached to clothing such as underwear, a supporter, and a bandage that come into direct contact with a living body.

By using clothing and a wearable electrode provided with the elastic electrode of the present invention, it is possible to stably acquire an electrical biological signal for a long period of time while living a daily life. By using a wearable electrode provided with a supporter and the elastic electrode of the present invention, it is possible to acquire an electrical biological signal of a site that is locally accompanied by violent movement. By using a wearable electrode equipped with a bandage and the elastic electrode of the present invention, it is possible not only to acquire an electrical biological signal of a site with locally violent movement, but also to function as a bandage and electricity in case of injury. It is possible to achieve both functions as a biological signal acquisition electrode.

1,2 ... Elastic electrode, 10,10A ... Conductor, 12 ... Conductive thread, 14 ... Fixing thread.

Claims (12)

A conductive thread is fixed to a band-shaped conductor having a conductive polymer impregnated in a fiber structure in the longitudinal direction so as to extend in the longitudinal direction of the conductor.
A stretchable electrode having a plan view shape of the conductive thread including one or both of a bent portion and a curved portion. The conductive thread is fixed to a strip-shaped conductor having one of the conductive polymers impregnated in the fiber structure in the longitudinal direction.
The plan-view shape of the conductive yarn is a shape including one or both of a bent portion and a curved portion.
An elastic electrode that is wrapped around the person to be measured. The elastic electrode according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the conductive thread is located on the surface of the conductor, and the conductive thread is fixed to the conductor by a fixing thread. The conductive thread is fixed to the conductor impregnated with the conductive polymer in the fiber structure,
The plan-view shape of the conductive yarn is a shape including one or both of a bent portion and a curved portion.
The entire electrically conductive yarn is located at the surface of the conductor, the conductive yarn is fixed directly to the conductor by being tied me by the fixing thread, elastic electrodes. The stretchable electrode according to claim 4, wherein the fixing threads are provided at intervals in the length direction of the conductive threads. The stretchable electrode according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the conductive thread has a curved shape of any one of a sine wave, a sigmoid, and a semicircle in a plan view. The stretchable electrode according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the conductor is in the form of a sheet. The conductive thread is fixed to the conductor impregnated with the conductive polymer in the fiber structure,
The conductor has a strip shape in which one is in the longitudinal direction, and the shape in a plan view includes one or both of a bent portion and a curved portion.
The conductive thread is fixed so as to extend in the longitudinal direction of the conductor.
An elastic electrode that is wrapped around the person to be measured. The conductor has a strip shape in which one is in the longitudinal direction, and the shape in a plan view includes one or both of a bent portion and a curved portion.
The stretchable electrode according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the conductive thread is fixed so as to extend in the longitudinal direction of the conductor. The method for manufacturing an elastic electrode according to claim 1, 2 or 4.
After fixing the conductive thread to the fiber structure so that the shape in plan view includes one or both of the bent portion and the curved portion, the fiber structure is impregnated with a conductive polymer to form a conductor. A method for manufacturing an elastic electrode to be formed. The method for manufacturing an elastic electrode according to claim 1, 2 or 4.
After impregnating the fiber structure with a conductive polymer to form a conductor, a conductive thread is fixed to the conductor so that the plan view shape includes either one or both of a bent portion and a curved portion. A method of manufacturing an elastic electrode. A wearable electrode comprising the stretchable electrode according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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