# US 2018/0020977 A1 · Electrocardiogram sensor ring

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- Number: US 2018/0020977 A1
- Document ID: US20180020977A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/547,931
- Filed: 2016-02-18
- Published: 2018-01-25
- Earliest claimed: 2015-02-18
- Assignees: The George Washington University
- Applicants: The George Washington University
- Inventors: Zhenyu Li; Quan Dong; Mona Zaghloul
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180020977A1

## CPC

- A61B 5/6802: {Sensor mounted on worn items}
- A61B 5/002: {Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building (A61B5/0017 takes precedence)}
- A61B 5/282: Holders for multiple electrodes (for introduction into the body A61B5/287)
- A61B 5/308: for electrocardiography [ECG]
- A61B 5/332: Portable devices specially adapted therefor
- A61B 5/6826: {Finger}
- A61B 2562/125: characterised by the manufacture of electrodes
- A61B 2562/166: the sensor is mounted on a specially adapted printed circuit board
- H05K 1/028: {Bending or folding regions of flexible printed circuits (H05K1/0283 takes precedence)}
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS

## Abstract

An electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor has a flexible thin ring-shaped substrate configured to be worn about a patient's finger. The substrate has an inner surface and an outer surface opposite the inner surface. A first ECG electrode is positioned at the outer surface of said substrate and a second ECG electrode is positioned at the inner (or outer) surface of the said substrate in contact with the finger (or the adjacent finger if the electrode is on the outer surface), whereby the two ECG electrodes receives a single-lead ECG signal when the first electrode is touched to the patient's body. Touching different locations on the body or wearing multiple rings can provide multi-lead ECG measurements. The ring shape can be converted to a wearable patch for continuous ECG measurements.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor comprising:
a flexible thin ring-shaped substrate configured to be worn about a patient's finger, said substrate having an inner surface and an outer surface opposite the inner surface;
a first ECG electrode positioned at the outer surface of said substrate; and
a second ECG electrode positioned at the inner surface of said substrate in contact with the patient's finger, whereby the first and second ECG electrodes receive a single-lead ECG signal when the first ECG electrode is touched to the patient's body.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The sensor of claim 1, wherein touching the first ECG electrode to different locations on the patient's body or wearing multiple ECG sensors provides multi-lead ECG measurements.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The sensor of claim 1, said substrate further comprising at least one connector having a locking position to lock the substrate in a ring shape, and an unlocked position whereby the substrate has a substantially linear shape to function as a wearable patch.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The sensor of claim 1, further comprising a processing device configured to receive the signal from the ECG sensor, configure the received signal and transmit the signal to a remote mobile device.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The sensor of claim 4, further comprising the remote mobile device, said remote mobile device having a processing device configured to receive the signal from the ECG sensor and process the received signal.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The sensor of claim 1, further comprising a processing device configured to receive the signal from the ECG sensor, analyze the signal and contact an emergency service in response to the analyzed signal.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The sensor of claim 1, wherein the first and second ECG electrodes are embedded in said substrate with a top surface of each of said first and second ECG electrodes exposed at and flush with a top surface of said substrate.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The sensor of claim 1, wherein the first and second ECG electrodes detect an ECG signal from the patient's body without use of a gel.

### Claim 9

An electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor comprising:
a flexible elongated substrate having an inner surface and an outer surface opposite the inner surface, said substrate having a first end and a second end opposite the first end;
a first connector at the first end of said substrate;
a second connector at the second end of said substrate, whereby the first and second connectors can be removably engaged and have a first locked position wherein the first and second connectors are locked and the flexible substrate is in a ring shape configured to be worn about a patient's finger, and a second unlocked position wherein the first and second connectors are disengaged and the flexible substrate is in a substantially linear shape configured to conform to the patient's body; and
an ECG electrode positioned at the inner surface of said substrate, whereby the first ECG electrode receives an ECG signal when touched to the patient's body.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The sensor of claim 9, further comprising a second ECG electrode positioned at the outer surface of said substrate and the first ECG electrode is in contact with a finger of the patient, whereby the first and second ECG electrodes receive a single-lead ECG signal when the second electrode is touched to the patient's body.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The sensor of claim 9, wherein said substrate is configured in the shape of a ring to be worn about a finger of the patient.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The sensor of claim 9, wherein the first and second ECG electrodes are embedded in said substrate with a top surface of each of said first and second ECG electrodes exposed at and flush with a top surface of said substrate.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The sensor of claim 9, wherein the first and second ECG electrodes detect an ECG signal from the patient's body without use of a gel.

### Claim 14

An electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor comprising:
an electronics layer having a first flexible packaging layer with an inner surface;
a first electronic component having a first conductive contact, said first electronic component embedded in the first flexible packaging layer with at least a portion of the first conductive contact exposed at the inner surface of the first flexible packaging layer;
a second electronic component having a second conductive contact, said second electronic component embedded in the first flexible packaging layer with at least a portion of the second conductive contact exposed at the inner surface of the first flexible packaging layer, said second electronic component spaced apart from said first electronic component;
a contact via layer having a second flexible packaging layer positioned over the inner surface of said electronics layer, said contact via layer having a first contact via extending through the second flexible packaging layer and aligned with the first conductive contact, and a second contact via extending through the second flexible packaging layer and aligned with the second conductive contact;
an interconnect layer having a third flexible packaging layer positioned over said contact via layer, said interconnect layer having an interconnect channel with a first end aligned with and in flow communication with the first contact via and a second end aligned with and in flow communication with the second contact via; and
a conductive material in said first contact via, second contact via and interconnect channel to electrically couple the first conductive contact of the first electronic component with the second conductive contact of the second electronic component.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The sensor of claim 14, wherein said first electronic component comprises an electrode and said second electronic component comprises a processing device.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The sensor of claim 15, wherein said electrode is spaced apart from the first conductive contact, and further comprising a wire connecting said electrode to the first conductive contact.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The sensor of claim 14, said interconnect layer further comprising an injection via extending through the packaging layer, said injection via connected to and in flow communication with the interconnect channel, whereby the conductive material can be introduced into the interconnect channel, first contact via, and second contact via through the injection via.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The sensor of claim 17, further comprising a flexible seal on the interconnect layer over the injection via to seal the conductive material in the sensor.

### Claim 19 (depends on 14)

The sensor of claim 14, said first electronic component comprising an electrode embedded in the first packaging layer and exposed at an outer surface opposite the inner surface.

### Claim 20 (depends on 14)

The sensor of claim 14, wherein the contact via layer has a first surface in direct contact with the inner surface of said electronics layer, and the interconnect layer is in direct contact with a second surface of the contact via layer.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The sensor of claim 20, wherein the electronics layer, contact via layer and interconnect layer are thin and elongated, and the first surface, second surface, and inner surface are continuous.

### Claim 22

A method of forming an electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor, the method comprising:
forming an electronics layer having a first flexible packaging layer with an inner surface;
embedding a first electronic component having a first conductive contact in the first flexible packaging layer with at least a portion of the first conductive contact exposed at the inner surface of the first flexible packaging layer;
embedding a second electronic component having a second conductive contact in the first flexible packaging layer with at least a portion of the second conductive contact exposed at the inner surface of the first flexible packaging layer, wherein the second electronic component is spaced apart from said first electronic component;
forming a contact via layer having a second flexible packaging layer having a first contact via and a second contact via, the first and second contact vias extending through the second flexible packaging layer;
placing the contact via layer over the inner surface of the electronics layer, wherein the first contact via is aligned with the first conductive contact, and the second contact via is aligned with the second conductive contact;
forming an interconnect layer having a third flexible packaging layer, wherein the interconnect layer has an elongated interconnect channel with a first end and a second end;
placing the interconnect layer over the contact via layer with the first end of the interconnect channel aligned with and in flow communication with the first contact via and the second end of the interconnect channel aligned with and in flow communication with the second contact via; and
introducing a conductive material in the first contact via, second contact via and interconnect channel to electrically couple the first conductive contact of the first electronic component with the second conductive contact of the second electronic component.