JP5727359B2 - Biological electrode and electrical connection structure between layers - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for removing noise in an electrode for obtaining a biological signal (hereinafter referred to as a biological electrode), and further relates to an electrical connection structure between layers suitable for manufacturing an earth electrode, and a biological electrode having the connection structure. .

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a bioelectrode used in contact with a living body, a medical electrode that takes out a weak current in the living body outside the body and measures an electrocardiogram, an electromyogram, an electroencephalogram or the like is known. In such a biomedical electrode, since a weak electric signal is handled, noise may be mixed from electromagnetic waves flying in the air, and accurate detection may not be possible.

  Therefore, it is desirable to provide a shield against electromagnetic noise in order to block such surrounding electromagnetic waves. However, since the biological electrode is manufactured to have flexibility, the shield also does not lose flexibility. Need to be formed.

  Therefore, in the past, it has been proposed to form a shield layer so as to cover the outside of the electrode portion for acquiring the biological signal and the signal line portion for transmitting the acquired biological signal.

  For example, in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-61799), a shield made of a conductive material ensuring flexibility is provided on the surface opposite to the electrode with respect to the substrate, and made of the same conductive material. A biological electrode has been proposed in which an electric circuit portion 7 is covered with an insulating member having a shield formed on the surface thereof. In the paragraphs [0029] and [0030] of this document, the shield potential is set by electrically connecting the shield to the junction connected to the constant potential portion (GND, −Vcc, etc.) of the circuit. It is described that the shielding effect against noise is stabilized.

  In forming this bioelectrode, screen printing technology is also used. For example, in Patent Document 2 (Japanese translations of PCT publication No. 2009-527299), a biological surface electrode having flexibility is an insulating substrate, a conductive electrode layer screen-printed on the substrate, and an insulating mask on the electrode layer. And the mask layer is configured to expose selected areas of the electrode layer, and the conductive adhesive gel layer on the mask layer generates a biological contact that makes electrical contact with the exposed areas of the electrode layer. Surface electrodes have been proposed.

  On the other hand, regarding this printing technique, it is known to use a through hole as an electrical connection method between layers in a multilayer substrate. That is, a mask having a specific print pattern formed by the through-holes is brought into close contact with the surface of the substrate, a curable paste is supplied to the traveling side of the squeegee on the mask, and the squeegee is slid on the mask. By pressing the curable paste into the through-hole portion of the mask, pattern formation with the curable paste filled in the through-hole portion corresponding to the pattern-forming portion of the through-hole portion and the through-hole through-hole, This is a method of filling.

  For example, in Patent Document 3 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-13751), a through-hole for a through-hole of a substrate is filled with a through-hole for a substrate in order to reliably and easily fill a through-hole with a curable paste by screen printing. After filling the curable paste by printing through the printing mask from the surface of the surface, the through hole has a printing pressure weaker than the printing pressure at the time of filling the curable paste through the printing mask from the other surface. A method of manufacturing a printed wiring board in which a curable paste is filled by printing has been proposed.

JP 2001-61799 A Special table 2009-527299 gazette Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-13751

As described above, it has been proposed in the past to shield electrode portions and the like in biological electrodes in order to prevent external noise from being mixed in by electromagnetic waves.
However, the currently proposed shield is only configured to block electromagnetic waves from the outside, and cannot block noise caused by electromagnetic waves or static electricity from the living body side.
Therefore, the first object of the present invention is to provide a biological electrode capable of preventing not only electromagnetic waves from the outside but also electromagnetic waves from the living body side and noise due to static electricity.

  Further, when a shield is formed on the biological electrode, the shield needs to be grounded (grounded) in order to stabilize its potential and stabilize the shielding effect against noise. When this shield is formed as a shield layer by printing, it may be necessary to make an electrical connection between the layers.

  On the other hand, as described above, in the technical field of electronic circuit boards, techniques for connecting circuits between layers through holes have been proposed. However, the through hole formed in the conventional multilayer substrate has a very small diameter of the through hole, and depending on the viscosity of the curable paste material to be printed, the through hole may not be sufficiently filled. In addition, when a conductive paste such as a copper paste is used as the curable paste material, the curable paste material shrinks upon curing, which causes a problem that the reliability of electrical connection by through holes is reduced.

  Therefore, in the present invention, as a laminated structure by printing, it is a biological electrode capable of preventing not only electromagnetic waves from the outside but also electromagnetic waves from the living body side and noise caused by static electricity, and uses a through hole for electrical connection between layers. However, regarding the electrical connection, a second problem is to provide a biological electrode that realizes high reliability and an electrical connection structure between layers.

  Further, in the conventional multilayer substrate, since the through hole is formed in the printing region, the through hole constituting the through hole has a small hole diameter, and the pressure to push the curable paste is strong. There was a concern that the film thickness (or layer thickness) would be increased in the through hole. In particular, since the bioelectrode requires flexibility, if there is a portion with a large film thickness (or layer thickness), the occurrence of cracks due to thermal contraction or disconnection due to peeling or the like is a concern.

  Therefore, in the present invention, even in a bioelectrode having a laminated structure using a highly flexible base material, electrical connection with other layers can be reliably realized without degrading connection reliability. It is a third object to provide an electrical connection structure between a bioelectrode and an interlayer.

  And in the conventional through-hole formed in the multilayer substrate, when the through-hole constituting this is filled with the curable paste material by printing, the curable paste material penetrating the through-hole of the through-hole is formed on the back side of the multilayer substrate. And the table used for printing the multilayer board or the back side of the multilayer board may be soiled. As a result, a table cleaning operation or the like is required, and the work efficiency is reduced. In particular, in a bioelectrode using a thin base material, the occurrence of contamination on the table or the like becomes significant.

Therefore, in the present invention, the shielding effect against electromagnetic waves and static electricity is enhanced, and when the film or the layer formed by printing is electrically connected, the opposite side of the printing surface of the printing object or the printing object is placed. A fourth problem is to provide a bioelectrode provided with means for greatly reducing contamination of a table or the like and an electrical connection structure between layers.

  In order to solve at least one of the above-described problems, in the present invention, a shield layer is provided not only on the outside of the conductive material layer for transmitting a signal from a living body but also on the living body side at the time of wearing, thereby The present invention provides a biological electrode configured to reduce noise that may be mixed due to electromagnetic waves or static electricity.

  That is, in the present invention, one or more measurement electrodes are included, and at least the measurement electrodes are made of a conductive material on one surface of a flexible insulating base, A conductive material layer for acquiring a signal from and transmitting the signal is formed, and a region for transmitting the acquired biological signal in the conductive material layer is interposed on both sides in the thickness direction via an insulating material layer. A bioelectrode having a shield layer made of a conductive material is provided.

  In such a bioelectrode, a conductive material layer that acquires a signal from a living body and transmits the signal is provided with shield layers made of a conductive material on both sides in the thickness direction. It is possible to remove not only noise but also noise caused by electromagnetic waves and static electricity that may enter from the living body side.

  The shield layer only needs to be present in the thickness direction of the conductive material layer and exhibit an electromagnetic shielding effect. For example, the shield layer, the insulating material layer, the conductive material layer, the insulating material on any one surface of the insulating base material Layers and shield layers are laminated in this order, or a conductive material layer, insulating material layer, and shield layer are laminated in this order on either side of the insulating substrate, and a shield layer is placed on the other side. They can also be stacked. In the latter case, one insulating material layer can be reduced, which is desirable in the manufacturing process.

  When the measurement electrode includes an electrode portion that acquires a signal from a living body (also referred to as a “biological signal” in this specification) and a signal line portion that transmits the biological signal acquired by the electrode portion, at least the signal The line portion is preferably provided with shield layers on both sides in the thickness direction. Since the signal wiring has a long distance to the inspection device, there is a high possibility that it will be affected by external electromagnetic noise and electrostatic noise. By shielding this part from electromagnetic waves, etc., it is possible to effectively prevent noise contamination. It is because it can do.

  That is, it is configured to include one or two or more measurement electrodes, and at least the measurement electrode acquires a signal from a living body and transmits it to any one surface of the base material. A layer is formed, and a first shield layer is laminated as a shield layer made of a conductive material through an insulating material layer so as to shield a region where the acquired biological signal in the conductive material layer is transmitted, On the other surface of the base material, a second shield layer is formed as a shield layer made of a conductive material so as to shield the conductive material layer that acquires a signal from a living body and transmits the signal. It is desirable to use a bioelectrode.

In this case, the second shield layer can be formed only on the electrode portion or only on the signal line portion, but desirably it shields (ie covers) both the electrode portion and the signal line portion. It is desirable to form. Note that “so as to shield” means that an electromagnetic shielding effect can be exhibited, and for example, it can be formed so as to cover the entire shielding object.

  In addition, the first shield layer and the second shield layer can be formed of the same material or different materials. This is because the factors affecting the biological signal may be different depending on whether they are from the outside or the living body side. For this reason, for example, carbon or a mixture of carbon and metal or metal compound can be used as the second shield layer formed on the living body side.

  The shield layer is preferably grounded in order to stabilize its potential. Therefore, in the present invention, it is desirable that the shield layer provided with the conductive material sandwiched between the living body is grounded.

  That is, the biological electrode of the present invention further includes one or more ground electrodes, and the ground electrode is a conductive material that transmits a signal while being grounded to the living body on one surface of the base material. A conductive material layer is formed, and a first shield layer is laminated as a shield layer made of a conductive material through an insulating material layer so as to shield a region in the conductive material layer that transmits a signal, On the other surface of the base material, a second shield layer is formed as a shield layer made of a conductive material so as to shield the conductive material layer, and the first shield layer and the second shield are formed. The layer is preferably a bioelectrode that is electrically connected at a through-hole provided in the substrate or an edge portion of the end of the substrate.

  By electrically connecting through the through-hole provided in the base material or the edge part of the end portion of the base material, at least two shield layers provided via the conductive material layer can be electrically connected. .

  In addition, any one of the conductive material layer, the first shield layer, and the second shield layer can be formed using a metal material laminating technique such as vapor deposition, sputtering, or metal plating. In order to manufacture with simple equipment, it is desirable to manufacture by printing. In particular, when any one of the first shield layer and the second shield layer is formed by printing, at least one of the first shield layer and the second shield layer is formed of the insulating group. The first shield layer and the second shield layer can be electrically connected with high reliability secured by printing so as to cover the end face of the material and to be in contact with the other layer.

  In addition, by forming at least one of the first shield layer and the second shield layer by printing, particularly by screen printing, the wiring pattern forming process and the electrical connection process of both layers can be performed simultaneously. it can.

  In addition, when at least one of the first shield layer and the second shield layer is formed by screen printing, and the electrical connection of both layers is performed by a through hole formed on an insulating base material, A material having sufficient fluidity is used, and the through hole of the through hole has a diameter of more than 2 mm, preferably 3 mm or more, particularly preferably 5 mm or more. By forming such a hole diameter, it is possible to form a connection circuit with a small film thickness on the inner wall surface of the through hole constituting the through hole, and the film thickness does not increase in the through hole portion. It is. At this time, the through hole constituting the through hole can be formed regardless of its processing method, such as whether it is formed by a drill, a laser, or by punching.

  In addition, when the electrical connection between the first shield layer and the second shield layer is made by a through hole formed in the insulating base material, the shape of the through hole of this through hole is made triangular in plan view. By applying such measures, it is possible to provide a conductive material on the inner wall surface of the through hole of the through hole with a thin film thickness, and to electrically connect the first shield layer and the second shield layer. Since it can be performed in a wide range (range on the inner wall surface of the through hole), highly reliable electrical connection can be ensured. As a result, it is possible to realize a biological electrode that achieves high reliability for electrical connection while using through holes for electrical connection between layers.

  Further, when the first shield layer and the second shield layer are electrically connected to each other at the edge portion of the base material, more specifically at the end surface of the base material, The pressure during printing can be reduced. For this reason, it is possible to reduce the thickness of the edge portion and to electrically connect the first shield layer and the second shield layer with an appropriate film thickness. Furthermore, since the electrical connection between the first shield layer and the second shield layer can be made in a wide range on the end face of the insulating base, this allows the first shield layer and the second shield layer to It is possible to provide a biological electrode that can be reliably realized without lowering the reliability of the connection.

  Therefore, in the present invention, in the bioelectricity of the present invention, the electrical connection structure between the first shield layer and the second shield layer, wherein the first shield layer and the second shield layer are printed. And at least one of the first shield layer and the second shield layer covers the end surface of the insulating base material and is in contact with the other layer, whereby the first shield layer and An electrical connection structure between layers is provided, characterized in that the second shield layer is electrically connected.

  According to the electrical connection structure between the layers, the printing material and the pressure applied during printing can be reduced in the portion where the electrical connection between the layers is performed. It is possible to reduce the contamination on the opposite side of the printed surface of the object and the table on which the object to be printed is placed. Therefore, it is possible to eliminate a table cleaning operation and the like, and the working efficiency can be greatly improved.

  According to the present invention, since both sides in the thickness direction of the conductive material layer are shielded, a biological electrode capable of preventing not only the electromagnetic wave from the outside but also the electromagnetic wave from the living body side and noise due to static electricity is provided. be able to.

  And in the present invention, as a laminated structure by printing, not only external electromagnetic waves but also biological electrodes that can prevent electromagnetic waves from the living body side and noise due to static electricity, further through holes and end portions of the substrate ( More specifically, by performing electrical connection between layers on the “end face”), it is possible to provide a bioelectrode that realizes high reliability for electrical connection and an electrical connection structure between layers. .

  In particular, by performing electrical connection between layers on the end face of the base material (especially the ground electrode), the electrical connection portion can be widened compared with the case where electrical connection is made through a through hole, that is, contact. It is possible to increase the area of the surface portion, and it is possible to avoid disconnection due to generation of cracks or peeling even in a bioelectrode that requires flexibility. Thereby, in the present invention, in the bioelectrode having a laminated structure using a highly flexible base material with a high shielding effect, in electrical connection with other layers, without reducing the reliability of the connection, A biological electrode that can be reliably realized and an electrical connection structure between layers can be provided.

Furthermore, as described above, when the electrical connection between the layers is performed on the end face of the base material, it is not necessary to penetrate the through hole and fill with the curable paste material, and thus the curing that penetrates the through hole. The problem that the conductive paste material comes out on the back side of the multilayer substrate and stains the table used for printing the multilayer substrate and the back side of the multilayer substrate can also be solved. As a result, the work of cleaning the table due to contamination of the curable paste material is unnecessary, and the working efficiency can be greatly improved.

The top view which shows the bioelectrode concerning this Embodiment 1 is an exploded perspective view of the bioelectrode shown in FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view of the electrode portion of the measurement electrode in the direction of arrows Y-Y. FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the electrode portion of the ground electrode, and FIG. 1C is a first shield layer 34 and a conductive material layer of the ground electrode. Sectional view showing the electrical connection part Process diagram for forming electrical connection with through-holes formed in the substrate Process diagram of an example in which the opening shape of the through hole is formed in a triangle It is another example of the opening shape of a through hole, (A) is an example opening in a semicircle, (B) is an example opening in an ellipse. Process diagram for electrically connecting the second shield layer and the conductive material layer on the side surface of the end of the electrode portion of the ground electrode

Hereinafter, some examples of the biological electrode 10 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a biological electrode 10 according to the present embodiment, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the biological electrode shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a view in the direction of arrows YY in FIG. (A) It is sectional drawing of the electrode part in a measurement electrode, (B) It is sectional drawing of the electrode part 21 in the ground electrode 14, (C) First shield layer 34 and conductive material layer 32 in the ground electrode It is sectional drawing which shows an electrical connection part. 4 is a process diagram for forming an electrical connection by the through hole 41 formed in the base material 31, FIG. 5 is a process diagram of an example in which the opening shape of the through hole 41 is formed in a triangle, and FIG. It is another example of the opening shape of the through hole 41, (A) shows the example opened to a semicircle, (B) has shown the example opened to an ellipse. FIG. 7 is a process diagram for electrically connecting the second shield layer 37 and the conductive material layer 32 on the side surface of the end portion of the electrode portion 21 in the ground electrode 14.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the biological electrode 10 according to the present embodiment includes three measurement electrodes 12 arranged on a rectangular portion of a base material and one ground electrode 14 extended from the rectangular portion of the base material. The biological signal acquired by each electrode is led to a connector 16 extending from a rectangular portion of the substrate. This connector 16 is connected to a medical measuring instrument (not shown).

  The measurement electrode 12 is connected to a measurement site in a living body, receives an electrical signal in that part, and transmits it. An electrode part 21 that acquires a signal from the living body, and the electrode part 21 And a signal line portion 23 for transmitting the acquired signal. The ground electrode 14 grounds the shield layer of each measurement electrode 12 to the living body and transmits a reference potential. The ground electrode 14 is grounded to the living body to obtain the ground potential, and a signal for transmitting the ground potential. It is comprised with the line part 23. FIG. Each signal line is gathered at the base and connected to the connector 16. In the present embodiment, both the measurement electrode 12 and the ground electrode 14 are configured to shield the conductive material layer 32 with a shield layer.

  FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the biological electrode shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the biological electrode 10 according to the present embodiment is formed using a non-conductive plastic material. A film-like base material 31 is used, and each layer is laminated thereon. That is, a conductive material layer 32 formed using a conductive material such as silver is formed on one surface of the base material 31. In this embodiment, the conductive material layer is formed using silver, and is formed using a signal line layer 32a constituting the signal line portion 23, and a mixture of silver and silver chloride. It is formed with an electrode layer 32b for acquiring a signal. Then, a resist layer made of a non-conductive material is laminated outside the region corresponding to the signal line portion 23 in the conductive material layer 32 (outside in the thickness direction as viewed from the base material 31; hereinafter the same). The width of the resist layer is wider than that of the signal line so as to cover at least the signal line portion 23 in the conductive material layer 32. A first shield layer 34 made of carbon or a mixture of carbon and a metal or a metal compound is laminated on the outside of the resist layer so as to have the same width as the resist layer or a width narrower than the resist layer. Then, the resist layer formed wider than the first shield layer 34 is laminated so as to cover the first shield layer 34. In addition, the electrode portion 21 in the conductive material layer 32 is provided with a conductive electrolyte layer 36 so as to cover the electrode portion 21.

  On the other hand, a second shield layer 37 made of a conductive material is provided on the opposite surface of the film-like substrate 31. In the measurement electrode portion, the resist layer as described above is laminated so as to cover the second shield layer 37. The shield layer formed on this surface is formed to have a size so as to cover at least the conductive material layer 32, and the resist layer is also formed to have a size covering the shield layer. In this embodiment, the resist layer is not formed in a region protruding from the rectangular portion of the base material of the ground electrode 14, but whether or not the resist layer is formed in this region is arbitrary.

  By laminating the layers as described above, the measurement electrode 12 portion of the bioelectrode forms a layer structure as shown in FIG. Specifically, in the electrode portion 21, the electrolyte layer 36, the conductive material layer 32, the base material 31, the shield layer 37, and the resist layer 38 are laminated in this order from the living body side. The resist layer 35, the first shield layer 34, the resist layer 33, the conductive material layer 32, the base material 31, the second shield layer 37, and the resist layer 38 are laminated in this order.

  In such a configuration, as shown in FIG. 3A, most of the conductive material layer 32 is desirable except in a region where signals are acquired from the living body (other than the surface of the electrode portion 21 facing the living body). Are shielded by shield layers 34 and 37, and particularly in the signal line portion 23, shield layers 34 and 37 are provided on both sides in the thickness direction. And since this 1st shield layer 34 and the 2nd shield layer 37 are installed in the living body in the earth electrode 14 mentioned later, in this measurement electrode 12, not only the electromagnetic waves from the outside but the living body side It is possible to effectively suppress the generation of noise due to static electricity from the.

  Further, the first and second shield layers 34 and 37 are provided with resist layers 35 and 38 on the outer side in the thickness direction, and are reliably insulated. Therefore, even when the electrolyte layer 36 expands, for example, when it is worn for a long time, contact with the first and second shield layers 37 can be prevented, whereby the first layer via the electrolyte layer 36 is prevented. Alternatively, an electrical short circuit between the second shield layers 34 and 37 and the conductive material layer 32 can be prevented.

  Therefore, with the above configuration, the biological electrode 10 according to the present embodiment is a biological electrode 10 capable of stable measurement while preventing the mixing of noise due to electromagnetic waves or static electricity.

  Here, the base material 31 can be formed of an insulating material having sufficient flexibility and a certain shape retaining property and having a tensile strength that does not easily cut, such as a polyethylene naphthalate film or a polyethylene terephthalate film. In addition to resin materials such as polyamideimide film, materials having electrical insulation properties such as synthetic nonwoven fabrics can be used.

  In the present embodiment, the conductive material layer 32 includes the signal line layer 32a made of silver and the electrode layer 32b made of a mixture of silver and silver chloride. It can be formed as a layer using any conductive metal such as gold, copper, carbon, aluminum, or nickel. In particular, in the present embodiment, the signal line layer 32a is formed as a silver layer, and the electrode layer 32b electrically connected to the signal line layer 32a is formed of silver-silver chloride for ion exchange with the electrolyte layer. I am letting. In such a silver-silver chloride layer, the mixing ratio of silver and silver chloride is preferably 9: 1 to 6: 4 of silver: silver chloride in weight ratio. By providing such a silver-silver chloride layer, the polarization of the conductive material layer 32 in the electrode portion 21 can be prevented at the time of measurement. Therefore, when the electrode is installed for a long time like an electrode for a Holter electrocardiograph. Is particularly desirable. In addition, even in the case where a drug is introduced into the body by flowing electricity as in iontoforest therapy, it is particularly desirable for realizing smooth ion exchange.

  The resist layers 33, 35, and 38 are not particularly limited, and a photocurable resin composition such as a novolac type epoxy acrylate compound, a bisphenol fluorene type epoxy acrylate compound, or an acid-modified product of these epoxy acrylate compounds. In addition, you may form with a thermosetting resin composition and a thermoplastic resin composition. In addition, it is not always necessary to use a photoresist material for this resist layer. For example, any material having electrical insulation properties such as a vinyl chloride film, a PET film, and a synthetic nonwoven fabric can be used.

  In the present embodiment, the shield layers 34 and 37 are formed such that the first shield layer 34 is made of carbon, and the second shield layer 37 is made of a mixture of carbon and silver. The shield layer 37 is made of different materials, but both of them are made of the same material, or using any conductive metal such as silver-silver chloride, silver, gold, copper, carbon, aluminum, nickel, etc. It can also be formed. That is, the shield layers 34 and 37 can be used without any particular problem as long as they are conductive materials.

  And the electrolyte layer 36 which has electroconductivity can be comprised with an acryl type, a urethane type, etc., and also can be comprised with Karaya rubber. The electrolyte layer 36 preferably has a semi-fluidity or fluidity such as a gel or gel.

  In the present embodiment, the resist layer is not formed in a region protruding from the rectangular portion of the base material 31 of the ground electrode 14. That is, as shown in FIG. 3B, the ground electrode 14 is provided with a second shield layer 37 made of a conductive material on the opposite surface of the film-like substrate 31. The resist layer 38 that covers the second shield layer 37 as provided in the measurement electrode 12 is not laminated. This is because, in the ground electrode 14, the shield layer is grounded to the living body, and it is not necessary to be insulated from the living body.

  The earth electrode 14 is installed on a living body to acquire a reference voltage, and the shield layer needs to be electrically connected to the living body to stabilize its potential. Therefore, the electrode portion 21 in the ground electrode 14 is electrically connected to the first and second shield layers 37 in the measurement electrode and the ground electrode 14 described above.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3C, the first shield layer 34 and the conductive material layer 32 in the ground electrode 14 are electrically connected to each other by applying a resist layer 33 at an arbitrary position in the ground electrode 14. It can be electrically connected by eliminating. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the first shield layer 34 may be grounded by forming a portion 33a in which a portion corresponding to the signal line portion of the ground electrode 14 is notched on the connector side of the resist layer 33. It can be electrically connected to the conductive material layer 32 in the electrode 14. Instead of the notched portion 33a, an oval or triangular through hole as described later can be formed. And since the 1st shield layer 34 and the 2nd shield layer 37 are formed as a continuous layer in each measurement electrode 12 and earth electrode 14 in this living body electrode 10, the 2nd shield layer 37 is changed. The first shield layer 34 and the second shield layer 37 can be grounded (grounded) by being electrically connected to the conductive material layer 32 and grounded (grounded).

Then, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3 (B), (in the present embodiment, in particular the electrode layer 32 b) electrically conductive material layer 32 in the ground electrode 14, until one of the edge portions of the electrode portions 21 It is formed so as to cover at least a part of the end side surface. In addition, the second shield layer 37 is also formed up to the edge portion of the electrode portion 21, covers the end side surface, and is in contact with the conductive material layer 32. The conductive material layer 32 and the second shield layer 37 are electrically connected. Since the conductive material layer 32 in the ground electrode 14 is provided with the conductive electrolyte layer 36, the second shield layer 37 is formed by connecting the conductive material layer 32 and the electrolyte layer 36 of the ground electrode 14. It will be grounded to the living body through. Thereby, the electric potential of the 1st and 2nd shield layer 37 in the bioelectrode 10 is stabilized, and it becomes possible to acquire a more accurate biosignal.

  Note that the resist layer 35 existing outside the biological electrode 10 in the thickness direction may be covered with a layer of a material having insulating properties, waterproof properties, and cushioning properties. This is to eliminate user discomfort during wearing. Note that the resist layer may be exposed on the outer side in the thickness direction of the ground electrode 14, or a urethane film or the like may be provided.

The electrical connection between the first shield layer 34 and the second shield layer 37, or the electrical connection between the first shield layer 34 and the second shield layer 37, can also be implemented by through holes.
FIG. 4 is a process diagram for forming an electrical connection by the through hole 41 formed in the base material 31. As shown in FIG. 4 (A), the advance, the base material 31 preliminarily formed a through hole 41 (through hole) penetrating in its thickness direction. Then, a mask 42 having a specific print pattern formed by the through holes is superimposed on the surface of the substrate, and first and second shield layers 34 and 37 are formed on the traveling side of the squeegee 43 on the mask 42. The curable paste material 44 to be supplied is supplied, and the squeegee 43 is slid on the mask 42. Thereby, the curable paste material 44 is applied from the through hole portion of the mask 42 to the pattern forming portion of the through hole portion and the through hole portion of the through hole 41 to form a pattern on one side (for example, the first shield layer). At the same time, a curable paste material 44 is applied to the wall surface in the through hole. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 4B, the mask 42 is overlapped on the opposite surface, and the squeegee 43 is slid while supplying the curable paste material 44, so that the opposite pattern (for example, The second shield layer is formed, and a curable paste material 44 is applied in the through hole. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4C, a conductive curable paste material 44 is applied to the inner wall surface of the through hole 41, and the electrical connection between the first shield layer 34 and the second shield layer 37 is performed. Connections can be made. The above printing can be performed by screen printing, and the mask used at that time may be either a metal mask or a screen mask.

  Here, when the diameter of the through hole forming the through hole 41 is small, the curable paste material 44 may not sufficiently enter the through hole 41, and a reliable electrical connection may not be obtained. . Therefore, in the present embodiment, the shape of the through hole 41 is matched with the direction in which the squeegee 43 is slid (application direction), and the curable paste material 44 is sufficiently applied to the inner wall surface of the through hole constituting the through hole 41. It is desirable to form so as to wrap around.

  For example, FIG. 5 shows an example in which the opening shape of the through hole of the through hole 41 is formed in a triangle. As shown in FIG. 5A, a through hole 41 made of a triangular opening is formed on a base material 31, and a mask 42 is overlaid thereon. Then, as shown in FIG. 5B, by performing screen printing toward any corner to form a pattern, as shown in FIG. 5C, a sufficient amount is placed inside the triangular opening. The curable paste material 44 wraps around, and the electrical connection between the first shield layer 34 and the second shield layer 37 can be more reliably formed.

  In addition, for example, as shown in FIG. 6 (A1), a through hole 41 formed of a through hole opening in a semicircular shape is formed, and printing is performed with a mask 42 superimposed thereon, whereby FIG. As shown, a pattern in which a large amount of curable paste material 44 is wrapped around the inside (inner wall surface) of the through hole of the through hole 41 can be manufactured. Also, as shown in FIG. 6 (B1), the through hole is formed as a through hole 41 having an elliptical shape, and printing is performed with a mask 42 superimposed on the through hole 41, as shown in FIG. 6 (B2). It is possible to manufacture a pattern in which a large amount of curable paste material 44 is wrapped inside the shaped through hole 41.

  That is, the through-hole 41 is formed on the inner wall surface with a large amount of the curable paste material 44 by forming the through-hole 41 having a shape in which the opening width is increased in the direction along the direction in which the squeegee 43 slides (application direction). Can be wrapped around.

  FIG. 7 shows a form in which the second shield layer 37 and the conductive material layer 32 are electrically connected to each other at the side surface of the electrode portion 21 of the ground electrode 14. That is, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7 (A), a through hole 41 made of a through hole having a half-moon shaped opening is formed in the base material 31, and up to a part of the edge of the through hole 41. The masks on which the patterns having the shapes are formed are superimposed and printed by screen printing. As a result, as shown in FIG. 7B, the curable paste material 44 wraps around the inner wall surface of the through-hole 41 existing in the printing region, whereby the second shield layer 37 and the conductive material layer 32 are formed. Can be electrically connected.

  7C1 is an enlarged cross-sectional view in the vicinity of the through hole 41 in the direction of the arrow C-C in FIG. 7B. As shown in FIG. It is formed so as to cover one edge of the through hole. In particular, since the portion (L) that protrudes into the through hole 41 is a portion in which the curable paste material 44 is curved and hangs down in the through hole 41, the length L of the protruding portion is determined by the length of the base material. It is desirable that the thickness is equal to or longer than the thickness (T) (that is, a relationship of L ≧ T). If formed in this way, as shown in FIG. 7C2, the curable paste material that hangs down in the through hole 41 while solving the problem that the curable paste material 44 is not properly applied in the through hole. 44 can protrude from the through-hole 41 and eliminate the possibility of contaminating the back surface of the substrate and the table.

  Further, as described above, when electrical connection is ensured at the edge portion of the printed pattern, that is, the edge surface of the base material 31, the portion where the curable paste material 44 wraps around (the inner wall surface portion of the through-hole 41, hereinafter In this case, the squeegee 43 used for screen printing can be made to conform to the shape when contacting the mask 42 during printing. Furthermore, it is desirable that the electrical connection edge is present at the front end in the printing direction in the printing pattern. By forming in this way, when printing the print pattern, since there is an opening of the mask 42 up to a position slightly beyond the electrical connection edge, a curable paste as much as necessary for electrical connection. This is because the material 44 does not go around the electrical connection edge and contaminate the table on which the base material 31 is placed more than necessary.

And in this Embodiment, since electrical connection is achieved in the through-hole 41 which devised the above opening shapes, and the edge part of the base material 31, highly reliable electrical connection is implement | achieved. can do.

The bioelectrode according to the present invention can be used in the medical field and the like. Moreover, the electrical connection structure between the layers using the through-hole etc. which are implemented with said bioelectrode is not limited to the bioelectrode according to the present invention, but can also be used in multilayer boards such as electronic circuit boards.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Bioelectrode 12 Measuring electrode 14 Ground electrode 16 Connector 21 Electrode part 23 Signal line part 31 Base material 31 Insulating base material 32 Conductive material layer 33 Resist layer 34 Shield layer 34/37 Shield layer 33/35/38 Resist layer 36 Electrolyte Layer 41 Through hole 42 Mask 43 Squeegee 44 Curable paste material

Claims (3)

Comprising one or more measuring electrodes,
At least the measurement electrode
A conductive material layer that is made of a conductive material, acquires a signal from a living body, and transmits the signal is formed on either surface of the insulating base material having flexibility,
In the region of the conductive material layer that transmits the acquired biological signal, a shield layer made of a conductive material is formed on both sides in the thickness direction via an insulating material layer or the insulating base material .
The shield layer
A first shield layer made of a conductive material, laminated via an insulating material layer so as to shield a region transmitting the acquired biological signal in the conductive material layer;
A second shield layer made of a conductive material formed on the other surface of the base material so as to shield the conductive material layer that acquires a signal from a living body and transmits the signal;
Furthermore, it is configured to include one or more ground electrodes,
The ground electrode
A conductive material layer that is formed on any one surface of the base material and transmits a signal while being grounded to a living body,
The first shield layer made of a conductive material and laminated via an insulating material layer so as to shield a signal transmission region in the conductive material layer;
The second shield layer made of a conductive material, formed to shield the conductive material layer on the other surface of the base material, and
The first shield layer and the second shield layer in the ground electrode are electrically connected to each other at a through hole provided in the base material or an edge portion of the end portion of the base material. electrode.
The bioelectrode according to claim 1 , wherein a resist layer made of a nonconductive material is laminated on the second shield layer in a region excluding the ground electrode.
In the bioelectrode according to claim 1 or 2, an electrical connection structure between the first shield layer and the second shield layer at the ground electrode ,
The first shield layer and the second shield layer are formed by printing,
At least one of the first shield layer and the second shield layer covers the end face of the insulating base and is in contact with the other layer, whereby the first shield layer and the second shield layer An electrical connection structure between layers, characterized in that is electrically connected.