IP Verse

Methods And Apparatus For Electrode Placement And Tracking

Patent No. US12150769 (titled "Methods And Apparatus For Electrode Placement And Tracking") was filed by Ceribell Inc on Nov 4, 2020.

What is this patent about?

’769 is related to the field of electroencephalography (EEG) and electrocardiography, specifically addressing the challenge of efficiently placing and maintaining contact between electrodes and a patient's skin for monitoring electrical activity. Traditional EEG setups are time-consuming, require specialized training, and often involve manually preparing the scalp by applying conductive gel and sometimes removing hair. This patent aims to streamline the process and improve electrode contact, even in the presence of hair.

The underlying idea behind ’769 is to integrate a conductive fluid or gel reservoir directly into an electrode assembly, coupled with a design that facilitates contact with the skin without extensive preparation. The key inventive insight is the use of tubular members or prongs extending from the electrode body, which can penetrate hair and deliver conductive gel directly to the scalp. This allows for faster setup and improved contact reliability.

The claims of ’769 focus on a method of measuring electrical signals from a subject, comprising positioning an electrode assembly adjacent the subject's skin. The electrode assembly includes a reservoir and at least one prong with a channel or slot. The method involves preparing the skin surface with the electrode assembly, dispensing a conductive fluid or gel from the reservoir through the electrode assembly and the prong's channel or slot to the skin surface, and then measuring electrical signals from the skin using the electrode assembly. The skin preparation step is also a key element.

In practice, the electrode assembly is often integrated into a headband or similar carrier system for easy placement on the patient's head. The user positions the headband, engages the prongs with the scalp, and then presses a plunger or otherwise activates the reservoir to release the conductive gel. Some embodiments include features for abrading the skin to improve contact, such as roughened tips on the prongs or the ability to rotate the electrode assembly.

’769 differentiates itself from prior approaches by combining the functions of hair penetration, gel delivery, and, in some cases, skin abrasion into a single, integrated electrode assembly. Unlike earlier solutions that required manual gel application or hair removal, this invention offers a more convenient and efficient way to establish reliable electrical contact for EEG and other bioelectrical measurements. The use of pre-filled reservoirs also ensures consistent gel application and eliminates the need for separate gel preparation.

How does this patent fit in bigger picture?

Technical landscape at the time

In the mid-2010s when ’769 was filed, EEG systems commonly relied on conductive gels to establish reliable electrical contact between electrodes and the scalp, at a time when specialized training was typically required for electrode placement and gel application, and when hardware or software constraints made it non-trivial to quickly and efficiently place multiple electrodes while ensuring good contact, especially in the presence of hair.

Novelty and Inventive Step

The examiner allowed the claims because prior art references (Bordoley, Green, Rood, and Jacobsen) failed to teach dispensing a conductive fluid or gel from a reservoir through both a vertical and a horizontal passageway of the electrode assembly, including a lumen of at least one prong and a channel or slot of the prong to the skin surface. While Bordoley disclosed dispensing gel through a channel to the skin, it did not teach dispensing it through both vertical and horizontal passageways, a prong lumen, and a prong channel. The other references did not remedy this deficiency, and combining them would require impermissible hindsight based on the applicant's specification.

Claims

This patent contains 19 claims, with claim 1 being the only independent claim. Independent claim 1 is directed to a method of measuring electrical signals from a subject using an electrode assembly. The dependent claims generally elaborate on and refine the method of claim 1, providing details regarding positioning the electrode, preparing the skin, dispensing conductive fluid, using multiple electrodes, and processing the measured electrical signals.

Key Claim Terms New

Definitions of key terms used in the patent claims.

Term (Source)Support for SpecificationInterpretation
At least one prong
(Claim 1)		“The tubular members may comprise a variety of geometries. Often, the tubular members will be generally cylindrical having a lumen extending therethrough. In other instances, however, the tubular members may be formed as “prongs” having a relatively broad tissue-contacting region along a curved “axis” at their distal tips. In many instances, the tissue-contacting regions of the prongs will be generally crescent-shaped so that they will follow a generally circular path as they are rotated against the patient's tissue, as described in more detail below.”A protruding element of the electrode assembly that has a channel or slot extending along its bottom portion, facilitating the delivery of conductive fluid or gel to the skin.
Channel or slot
(Claim 1)		“The prongs and other tubular members of the present invention will preferably have a port in their tissue-contacting surfaces for delivering the electrically conductive fluid or gel to the patient's skin. In some instances, ports may be formed in a generally flat bottom surface of the tubular members or prongs. In other instances, the ports may be connected to a channel or other distribution feature on the tissue-contacting surface of the prong or other tubular member.”A feature on the bottom portion of the prong that allows the conductive fluid or gel to flow to the skin surface.
Conductive fluid or gel
(Claim 1)		“A reservoir containing a conductive fluid or gel is optionally disposed in the electrode body, and the electrode body is configured for dispensing the conductive fluid or gel from the reservoir through the lumen(s) and out of the distal opening(s) of the tubular member(s). Alternatively, in some embodiments, the conductive fluid or gel may be dispended onto or through the lumens of the tubular member using a syringe or other separate delivery device. As used herein, the term “conductive” will mean electrically conductive, i.e. having a very low electrical resistance and the ability to carry low current biological signals such as EEG signals.”A substance dispensed from the reservoir of the electrode assembly to establish electrical contact between the electrode and the skin.
Electrode assembly
(Claim 1)		“In another specific aspect of the present invention, an electrode assembly comprises an electrode body and one or more tubular members extending from the electrode body, typically from a bottom surface of the electrode body. Each tubular member has a distal tip, and at least some of the tubular members have a lumen with a distal opening in the distal tip. A reservoir containing a conductive fluid or gel is optionally disposed in the electrode body, and the electrode body is configured for dispensing the conductive fluid or gel from the reservoir through the lumen(s) and out of the distal opening(s) of the tubular member(s).”A component comprising a reservoir and at least one prong with a channel or slot, used to prepare the skin surface, dispense conductive fluid, and measure electrical signals.
Vertical passageway
(Claim 1)		“In specific instances, the sealed dispensing container and the plunger will be located in an upper portion of the electrode body, and the tubular member(s) will extend from a lower surface of the electrode body. In such specific instances, the electrode body will be configured to define a flow path to deliver the conductive fluid or gel from the sealed dispensing container through the lumen(s) in the tubular member(s) and out of the distal opening(s) of the tubular member(s).”A conduit within the electrode assembly that directs the conductive fluid or gel from the reservoir towards the prong.

Litigation Cases New

US Latest litigation cases involving this patent.

Case NumberFiling DateTitle
1:25-cv-00832Jul 7, 2025Ceribell, Inc. V. Natus Medical Incorporated

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US12150769

CERIBELL INC
Application Number
US17089586
Filing Date
Nov 4, 2020
Status
Granted
Expiry Date
May 1, 2039
External Links
Slate, USPTO, Google Patents