US2439559A - Electroencephalograph electrode coordinator - Google Patents

Description

April 13, 1948. M. A. BUFFINGTON ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPH ELECTRODE COORDINATOR Filed March 7, 1947 Patented Apr. 13, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT "OFFICE.

ELECTROENCEP'HA'LOGRAPH EIiECTltOlIE COORDINATOR Marvin A. Buflin'gton, Cleveland, Ohio Application March 7, 1947, 'serialm. 733,249

11 Claims. 1 4

l Iy present invention relates to'electroencephalography and more particularly comprises a coordinator device for suspending the electrode elements in a conveniently positionable manner while maintaining said electrodes in a separated condition wherein the individual electrodes are readily 'identifiable'and their identification coordinated with the identification of their lead terminals at the terminal board of the electroencephalograph. V v

In the practice of electroph'alography, it is usual to provide a number of electrodes adapted to be secured in diiierent positions upon the scalp or head of the patient whose encephalograph record is to be made. These'electrodes are connected by suitable lead wires to the electroenc'aphalograph apparatus, consisting of electrical ampliiier means for amplifying the minute electrical impulses produced at the locations of the electrodes secured to the patients head or scalp, and suitable recording mechanism for making a graphic record of the electrical impulses are pro duced. By proper selection of various combinations of two or more electrodes secured to the patients scalp or head for recording of electrical impulses produced at the -selected locations, the technician is enabled to secure a graphic record of conditions existing in certain areas of the patients brain as indicated by electrical impulses produced at the pro-selected area of the patients brain.

Under the foregoing conditions it is highly important that the individual electrodes secured to the patients scalp be at all times readily iden tiiiable in their relation to or coordination with particular lead wires selected for recording of the brain wave electrical impulses produced at certain areas of the patients brain, so that the technician may at all times be assured or advised as to the portion of the patients scalp or head from which the electrical impulses are coming to produce a given portion of the encephalograph record. In the practice of electroencephalography, according to present techniques, certain difiicul ties arise in the foregoing connection. These dif ficulties include the tendency of the lead wires to become entangled, with consequent difficulty of identifying the electrodes in relation to their terminals at the terminal board. Another difficulty arises from the fact that the unsupported weight of the lead wires pulls upon the electrodes and tends to break the contact thereof'with the head of the patient, or result in poor contact reducing the value of the en'cephalogra'ph record made under such condition.

The foregoing difiiculties have made necessary the use or "lighter an less flexible wire than is desirable, and t'hisin turn has madenecessary fre quent replacement of electrodes as the wire adj'a cen-t'same {becomesstretched or broken in use.

aitrhiauv'e technique u'tiliaes a head band electrodeholder which involves other difficulties since it "is necessary to rely upon pressure for contact of used-aces with the scalp of the patier' 't rather than positive securing of the electrode to the scalp of the patient by means of an adhesive as possible in the technique to which the present invention relates.

In the light 16f theforegoing, therefore, it is the principal "object "of my invention to provide an electrode coordinator d e vic e eapau of suspending theelecti'ode s their lead wires in a conve'nie'ntly man-incurable segregated and readily identifiable condition. H

Another important objectlof the invention isto provldesucha attenuator device which Will allow a free andunobstructed view for the electroencephalographerof the patients head during use of the apparatus. n Y

Another )bject of the invention is to provide such a device enabling electrodes to have longer life and reducing the necessity for frequent rea me ioith' rece s A further object of the invention is to produce such a coordinator device whereby in theme thereof the production of artifacts or recording of conditions extraneousor unrelated to the conditions desired to be recorded, is minimized.

In genei'althe coordinator device of my inventioh comprises a plurality of flat ring-like members and means for supporting said members in spaced concentric parallel relation, said means extending from a base member which is slidably and rotatably mounted in an adjustable manner upon a carrier shaft so that the whole device is conveniently m'anipulatable and adjustable to different positions in both vertical and horizontal planes. The ring-like members are each provided with a plurality cruises openings through which pass the lead wires for the respective electrodes attached to the free ends of said wires. The whole device is preferably made substantially entirely of transparent plastic, or other suitably similarinaterial so as to permit the operator technic'ian to have an unobstructed view of the patient s head at all times. The outer ring-like memberadjacent the free ends ofthe electrodes has its respective openings designated by suitable indicia appropriately identiifiyin'g the respective electrode; The electrode lead wires are of rugged the electroencephalograph apparatus embodymg my invention, and showing the electrode ordinator device and the terminal board for the 7 terminal ends of the electrode lead wires.'

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the eleclead wires being omitted from this view.

Figure 3 is an end elevational view looking to-' ward the left of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a View showing the outer or face ring-like member alone having the indicia thereon differently designating the respective openings therein.

Now referring to the drawings, there is shown in Figure 1 the portion of the electroencephalograph equipment including a terminal board designated by the numeral I, having a plurality of sockets or plug receiving elements designated by suitable numeral indicia on the face of the board numbered from I to I2, and one socket being designated by the letter G indicating the ground terminal. The plug receiving elements designated on the face of the board I are adapted to receive the plug terminals of the respective electrode lead wires, designated individually by the numeral 2. The terminal board I connects the electrode lead wires 2 through suitable switching means to the electric amplifying means and recording means of the electroencephalograph apparatus, the latter means not being shown in the drawings.

The electrode coordinator itself comprises the vertical carrier shaft 3 suitably secured to bracket a mounted upon the framework of the operators cage, not shown. Slidably and rotatably mounted on the carrier shaft 3 is a base member 5 consisting of a block of Lucite or other suitable transparent material. Suitably connected to and extending from the base member 5 are four rods 6 comprising means forsupporting the flat ringlike members i, 8, and 9 which are mounted in concentric spaced parallel relation upon the rods 6 in any suitable manner such as that shown wherein the rods 6 pass through openings provided in said ring-like members, the latter being secured permanently to said rods in the aforesaid concentric spaced paralled relation of said ring-like .members.

Said members I, 8, and 9 are each provided with a plurality of alined openings designated respectively by the numerals II], II, and I2, the number of said openings II], II, and I2 being suflicient to accommodate the number of electrode lead wires employed, each of the lead wires 2 extending through alined openings II), II, and I2 of the members 1, 8, and 9. Each of the lead wires 2 has attached to its free end a respective electrode element I3 consisting of electrically conductive metallic material such as solder or the like.

Electrode lead wires 2 preferably comprise a type of wire known as tinsel wire which consists of a fabric sleeve covered cord made up of strands of linen thread on which have been spun numeral against corrosive elements, particularly acetone ribbons of copper. These strands are woven together to make a continuous cord of great strength and flexibility, well insulated, which has the same electrical characteristics as the type of solid wire (usually No. 29 enameled copper wire) which is commonly used in the apparatus employed in the technique to which the present invention relates. The tinsel wire employed by me is bonded inside the soldered pellets comprising the electrodes I3 and sealed at the point of entry by an acetone resisting tape, indicated by the I4, which ensures the positive seal used in the technique employed by me. The other ends of these wires 2 are attached by heat bonding to plugs I5 which are inserted in the numerically. designated plug receiving openings of the terminal board I. Components of these plugs I5 are removable without disturbing the bond to the wire 2, so that the wire 2 may be removed or installed at will.

Thus the lead wires 2 employed by me are of very rugged though extremely flexible construction, and these factors, together with the method of attachment of the electrodes I3 is such as to prolong the life of the electrodes and greatly reduce the frequency of replacement, since the lead wires may be flexed greatly and frequently relative to their electrodes as necessary in attaching the latter to the head of the patient without detaching the electrodes from the lead wires and without reducing the efliciency of the electrical contact therebetween.

The supporting rods 6 and ring like members I, 8, and 9 are preferably also composed of Lucite or other suitable transparent material through which the vision of the operator is largely unobstructed, so that he can have unobstructed vision of the patients head at all times, although the coordinator device is in his line of vision between his eyes and the patients head as is necessarily the case under various conditions of use of the apparatus.

The outer ring-like member 9, or face flange, of the coordinator device is provided with suitable indicia numerically designating certain of the openings I2 by numerals from 1 to 12 as indicated in Figuresl and 4, thereby providing means for identifying the respective electrode I3, including the one designated by the letter G for the ground terminal electrode, for coordinating or correlating the respective electrodes I3 with the position of attachment of their respective lead wires 2 to the respective socket or plug receiving elements of the terminal board I, likewise designated by corresponding numerical and letter indicia.

The base plate 5 is provided with suitable adjusting means comprising the set screw I6 cooperable with the carrier shaft 3 to enable a portion of the coordinator device comprising the base plate 5, supporting rod 6, and members I, 8 and 9 to swing in a horizontal plane rotatively aroundthe axis of the rod 3 and to be adjusted vertically by upward and downward movement relatively to the shaft 3 axially thereof, the set screw I6 enabling the movable elements to be fixed in desired positions of adjustment after said movable elements have been swung rotatively, or moved axially of said shaft 3 to the desired position. 7 r

In the use of the electroencephalographicapparatus embodying the electrode coordinator device herein described, the patient will be seated with his head adjacent the face flange I2, the

elements of :the deviceincluding the base memberi5, :rods :ltand members '1, .8, and 9 being adjusted ttothe desiredposition by 'rotative and axially sliding movements of the base member :1elative "to shaft :3. lh-ereupon, the operator or {technician will suitably attach the electrodes [-3 :to the patients scalp, drawing the lead wires 2 ithrough-theopenings in the members 1, Band 9 {to increase the length of said wires -2 extendingifrom the'outer side of the .face fiange :9, as desired, sufficient-slack in the lead wires between theterminal plugs liiaand the electrodes'l3 thereof being provided for this purpose. Having secured any desired "number of the electrodes 13 togthe patients head, arranging the same to the desired .location thereon, the operator-technician isnow ableto select desired areas of the patients head :for recording of .brain wave-electrical impulses produced at any selected area of the patient-Ts head. This selection is accomplished byswitching means at the terminal board I or other :place-intermediate'the latter and the reeordingapparatus. The switchingmeans will cut into :the amplifier zrecorder circuit selected ones of :the numerically designated plug receiving socketsof the terminal board I, and the correspondingly numerically designated electrodes is Connected with the patients head at known areas.

The use of the coordinator device of the invention greatly, facilitates the work of the-technician operator in making electroencephalograph recordings since it prevents entanglement of the electrodes and their lead wires, maintains them in segregated and readily identifiable condition, and in conveniently manipulatable condition readily positionable in the desired location for facilitating the operation of attaching the electrodes to the patients head. The use of the coordinator device further eliminates the weight factor of the wire, eliminating the tendency of the latter to pull the electrodes from the head of the patient by the weight of the wire. The device therefore permits the use of heavier, and at thesame time more flexible and rugged electrode lead wires, and this flexibility and the manner of attachmentof the lead wires to the electrodes prolongs their usable life and greatly lowers frequency of replacement.

:It will be understood that there is sufiicient slack, or extra length, in the lead wires 2 to permit the same to be'drawn through the supporting members I, '8, 9 so that the electrodes l3 may bedisposeda considerable distance from the face member :9, as maybe necessary to secure the electrodes 13 in electrical contact with the patients scalp. When not in use, the lead wires 2 will be drawn in the opposite direction through the members I, 8, 9, so that the electrodes 13 are disposed adjacent the face flange 9 as shown in Figure 1. In the latter condition it will be understood that the lead wires 2 hang down from the terminal board I looping below the members I, 8, 9 between said terminal board l and the points of entry of said wires 2 into the openings II] from the rear side of member 1, referring to Figure 1. Only one of the lead wires 2 is fully illustrated, by way of example, in said looped condition in Figure 1, the other wires 2 being broken away for clarity of illustration.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An electrode coordinator device of the class described, comprising a carrier shaft, a base member slidablyand rotatably mounted on said shaft, a plurality of flat ring-like .members, meansassociated with-saidbase memberforsupporting saidring-like members in :spaced relation concentrically disposedand with-their planes parallel to one another, and means adjustably cooperable with said shaft and said base member for adjusting the .same in different ro-tative and axial ,positions relative to said shaft, said ring-likemembers'eachhaving a plurality'cf circumferentially spaced openings, each of said openings being alined with a respective opening on each-of theother of said'ring-like members.

.2. -An electrode coordinator device of the class described, comprising a carrier shaft, a base member slidably and rotatably mounted on said shaft, -a plurality of fiat ring-like members, means associatedwith said base member for supportin'g'said ring-like members in spaced relation'concentrically disposed andwith'theirplanes parallel to one another, and means adjustably cooperable with said shaft and said base memher for adjusting the same in different rotative and axial positions relative to said shaft, said ring-like members each having a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings, each of said openings being alined with a respective-opening on each-of the other of said ring-like members, a'plurality of flexible wire elements each of the latter extending through respective alined openings of said ring member, and a respective electrode secured to each respective wire element adjacent the free :end thereof.

3. An electrode coordinator device-of the class described, comprising a-carrier-shaft, a base member slidably androtatably mounted on said shaft, a plurality of .flat ring-like members, means associated with said base member for supporting said ring-like members in spaced relation concentrically disposed and with their planes parallel to one'another, means adjustably cooperable with said shaft and said base member for adjusting the same in different rotative'and axial positions relative to said shaft, said ring-like members each having a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings, each of said openings being alined with a respective opening on each of the other of said ring-like members, and a plurality of flexible wire elements, 'each of the latter extending through respective alined openings of said ring members.

4. In electroencephalographapparatus, in combination, a terminal board, a plurality of electrode lead wires having their terminal ends secured thereto, an electrode coordinator device comprising a carrier shaft disposed in fixed relation to said terminal board, and means rotatably and slidably mounted on said carrier shaft for supporting said wires in segregated condition.

5. In electroencephalograph apparatus, in combination, a terminal board, a plurality of electrode lead wires having their terminal ends secured thereto, an electrode coordinator device comprising a carrier shaft disposed in fixed relation to said terminal board, and means rotatably and slidably mounted on said carrier shaft for supporting said wires in segregated condition, said means comprising a plurality of spaced members having a plurality of openings therein for receiving said wires, each opening in each of said members being alined with an opening in each of the other members each lead wire extending through respective alined openings in said members.

6. In electroe'ricephalograph apparatus, in combination, a terminal board, a plurality of electrode lead wires having their terminal ends secured thereto, an electrode coordinator device comprising a carrier shaft disposed in fixed relation to said terminal board, and means rotatably and slidably mounted on said carrier shaft for supporting said wires in segregated condition, said means comprising a plurality of spaced members having a plurality of openings therein for receiving said wires, each opening in each of said members being alined with an opening in each of the other members each lead Wire extending through respective alined openings in said members, and a respective electrode secured secured to each respective lead wire adjacent the free end thereof, said lead wires having sufficient extra length to permit the same to be looped intermediate the terminal board and the point of entry of said wires to said openings of one of said members when the electrode ends of said wires are disposed adjacent another of said members.

7. An electrode coordinator device of the class described, comprising a carrier shaft, and means rotatably and slidably mounted on said carrier shaft for supporting a plurality of wires in segregated condition, said means comprising a plurality of spaced members having a plurality of openings therein, each opening in each member being alined with an opening in each of the other members, and means for adjusting the first means to different rotative and axial positions relative to said shaft.

8. An electrode coordinator device of the class described, comprising a carrier shaft, a base member slidably and rotatably mounted on said shaft, a plurality of fiat ring-like members, means associated with said base member for supporting said ring-like members in spaced relation concentrically disposed and with their planes parallel to one another, and'means adjustably cooperable with said shaft and said base member for adjusting the same in different rotative and axial positions relative to said shaft, said ring-like members each having a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings, each of said openings being alined with a respective opening on each of the other of said ring-like members, said members being composed of transparent material.

9. An electrode coordinator device of the class described, comprising a carrier shaft, a base member slidably and rotatably mounted on said shaft, a plurality of flat ring-like members, means associated with said base member for supporting said ring-like members in spaced relation concentrically disposed and with their planes parallel 8, to one another, means adjustably cooperable with said shaft and said base member for adjusting the same in different rotative and axial positions relative to said shaft, said ring-like members each having a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings, each of said openings being alined with a respective opening on each of the other of said ring-like members, and a plurality of flexible wire elements, each of the latter extending through respective alined openings of said ring members, one of said ring members being provided with indicia differently designating the different openings.

10. An electrode coordinator device of the class described, comprising a carrier shaft, a base member slidably and rotatably mounted on said shaft, a plurality of flat ring-like members, means associated with said base member for supporting said ring-like members in spaced relation concentrically disposed and with their planes parallel to one another, and means adjustably cooperable with said shaft and said base member for adjusting the same in different rotative and axial positions relative to said shaft, said ring-like members each having a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings, each of said openings being alined with a respective opening on each of the other of said ring-like members, the said carrier shaft being disposed with its axis substantially vertical for vertical adjustment of the said base member axially of said shaft and for rotative adjustment of said base member in a horizontal plane.

11. An electrode coordinator device of the class described, comprising a carrier shaft, a base member slidably and rotatably mounted on said shaft, a plurality of flat ring-like members, means associated with said base member for supporting said ring-like members in spaced relation concentrically disposed and with their planes parallel to one another, and means adjustably cooperable with said shaft and said base member for adjusting the same in different rotative and axial positions relative to said shaft, said ring-like members each having a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings, each of said openings being alined with a respective opening on each of the other of said ring-like members, a plurality of flexible wire elements, each of the latter extending through respective alined openings of said ringmember, and a respective electrode secured to each respectivewire element adjacent the free end thereof, the electrodes comprising metallic pellets and their respective wire elements being bonded within respective pellets and sealed at the'point of entry by an acetone resisting tape.

. MARVIN A. BUFFINGTON.

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