Electrically conductive adhesive materials

Claim 2

An electrically conductive adhesive material comprising: a low molecular weight plasticizer selected from non-volatile alcohols and polyhydric alcohols; a high molecular weight, water soluble, cross-linkable polymer which is also soluble in said plasticizer; a tackifier comprising uncrosslinked polyvinylpyrrolidone; and an electrolyte dopant in an amount sufficient to render said adhesive material electrically conductive.

Claim 3

The material of claim 1 wherein said plasticizer is present in an amount of from about 40 to about 92 percent by weight of the total adhesive material.

Claim 4

The material of claim 2 wherein said plasticizer is present in an amount of from about 50 to about 70 percent by weight of the total adhesive material.

Claim 5

The material of claim 1 wherein said plasticizer comprises a polyhydric alcohol having a molecular weight of about 4000 or less selected from polyethylene glycols, methoxy polyethylene glycols, propylene glycol, higher alkyl glycols and glycerin.

Claim 6

The material of claim 1 wherein said high molecular weight polymer is present in an amount of from about 2 to about 54 percent by weight of the total adhesive material.

Claim 7

The material of claim 5 wherein said high molecular weight polymer is present in an amount of from about 2 to about 10 percent by weight of the total adhesive material.

Claim 8

The material of claim 1 wherein said high molecular weight polymer has a molecular weight in excess of about 4000.

Claim 9

The material of claim 1 wherein said high molecular weight polymer is selected from gelatin, polyvinylalcohols and polyethylene oxides.

Claim 10

The material of claim 8 wherein said high molecular weight polymer comprises a polyvinylalcohol having a molecular weight of between about 20,000 and about 108,000.

Claim 11

The material of claim 9 wherein said high molecular weight polymer is polyvinylalcohol having a molecular weight of about 78,000.

Claim 12

The material of claim 1 wherein said polyvinylpyrrolidone is present in an amount of from about 1 to about 53 percent by weight of the total adhesive material.

Claim 13

The material of claim 11 wherein said polyvinylpyrrolidone is present in an amount of from about 5 to about 30 percent by weight of the total adhesive material.

Claim 14

The material of claim 1 wherein said polyvinylpyrrolidone has a molecular weight of from about 10,000 to about 360,000.

Claim 15

The material of claim 13 wherein said polyvinylpyrrolidone has a molecular weight of about 10,000.

Claim 16

The material of claim 1 wherein said electrolyte dopant is present in an amount of from about 5 to about 57 percent by weight of the total adhesive material.

Claim 17

The material of claim 15 wherein said electrolyte dopant is present in an amount of from about 10 to about 35 percent by weight of the total adhesive material.

Claim 18

The material of claim 1 wherein said electrolyte dopant comprises an ionizable monovalent or polyvalent salt, and further wherein said polyvalent salt can also serve as a crosslinking agent for said high molecular weight water soluble, crosslinkable polymer.

Claim 19

The material of claim 17 wherein said dopant is a monovalent salt selected from sodium chloride, potassium chloride and silver chloride.

Claim 20

The material of claim 17 wherein said dopant is a polyvalent salt which may be hydrated selected from magnesium chloride, magnesium acetate, zinc chloride, zinc acetate, calcium chloride and ferric chloride.

Claim 21

The material of claim 17 further comprising a cross-linking agent selected from boric acid and sodium borate.

Claim 22

The material of claim 1 further comprising water.

Claim 23

The material of claim 21 wherein the total water content is about 40 percent by weight or less of the total adhesive material.

Claim 24

The material of claim 22 wherein the total water content is from about 10 to about 20 percent by weight of the total adhesive material.

Claim 25

The material of claim 21 wherein said salt is in a hydrated form and/or in an aqueous solution.

Claim 26

The material of claim 24 wherein said salt and water are present within the electrolyte dopant in a salt-to-water weight ratio of between about 1:1 and about 1:40.

Claim 27

The material of claim 25 wherein said salt-to-water weight ratio is about 1:2.

Claim 28

The material of claim 1 comprising in a homogeneous combination: about 55 percent by weight of glycerin; about 5 percent by weight of an 88% hydrolyzed, crosslinked polyvinylalcohol having a molecular weight of about 78,000; about 9 percent by weight of an uncrosslinked polyvinylpyrrolidone having a molecular weight of about 10,000; about 1 percent by weight of sodium borate decahydrate; about 20 percent by weight of magnesium chloride hexahydrate; and about 10 percent by weight of water exclusive of the water contained in said magnesium chloride hexahydrate.

Claim 29

In a biomedical electrode suitable for establishing an electrical connection between the skin of the human anatomy and an electromedical apparatus, said biomedical electrode comprising an electrode plate, probe or element electrically connected to said electromedical apparatus; a backing layer integral with, and having a larger diameter than, said electrode plate; and, an electrically-conductive adhesive means contacted to a major surface of said backing layer which is to contact said skin, which adhesive means maintains physical and electrical contact between said electrode plate, probe or element and said skin, the improvement wherein said electrically-conductive adhesive means comprises a low molecular weight plasticizer selected from non-volatile alcohols and polyhydric alcohols; a high molecular weight, water soluble, cross-linkable polymer which is also soluble in said plasticizer; a tackifier comprising uncrosslinked polyvinylpyrrolidone; and, an electrolyte dopant in an amount sufficient to render said adhesive material electrically conductive.

Claim 30

In a biomedical electrode suitable for establishing an electrical connection between the skin of the human anatomy and an electromedical apparatus, said biomedical electrode comprising an electrode plate, probe or element electrically connected to said electromedical apparatus; a backing layer integral with, and having a larger diameter than, said electrode plate; and, an electrically-conductive adhesive means contacted to a major surface of said backing layer which is to contact said skin, which adhesive means maintains physical and electrical contact between said electrode plate, probe or element and said skin, the improvement wherein said electrically-conductive adhesive means comprises a low molecular weight plasticizer selected from non-volatile alcohols and polyhydric alcohols; a high molecular weight, water soluble, cross-linkable polymer which is also soluble in said plasticizer; a tackifier comprising uncrosslinked polyvinylpyrrolidone; and, an electrolyte dopant in an amount sufficient to render said adhesive material electrically conductive.