Taking the Global Pulse I・Medex Co., Ltd. IP

Website: I・Medex Co., Ltd.External site: a new window will open.
Category: Others

I・Medex specializes in superior electrode pads for ECGs and vital sensors

Electrocardiographs (ECGs) are an indispensable part of medical inspection, while personal vital sensors represent a burgeoning industry for individual body monitoring. I・Medex Co., Ltd. provides critical support to these industries, specializing in robust electrode pads used in ECGs and other monitoring devices that support health and a healthy lifestyle.

“We have strong expertise in product design that cannot be found in other companies,” says I・Medex President Makoto Ichida. I・Medex is the only company in Japan – and one of the few in the world – to exclusively specialize in manufacturing the electrodes essential to electrocardiographic and vital sensor technology, made entirely in-house at I・Medex’s factory in Chiba, Japan.


I・Medex Co., Ltd.’s Myrode Light wearable electrodes are easy to place on the body.

Stuck on You

Body monitoring devices such as ECGs and commercial body monitors use electrodes adhered to the body to read electrical activity and gather information such as heart levels and body conditions. The adhesive material used for I・Medex electrodes is a key enabling feature of this technology, made using substances that will not irritate human skin, yet stable enough that the electrodes will not come off even during heavy exercise.

I・Medex also offers a waterproof electrode system that lets these sensors gather information when submerged in water. This technology has been employed aboard the International Space Station (ISS) to monitor astronauts’ heart rates and physiological levels at all times, even while taking showers. “We are the only ones in the world with this technology, which we also got a patent for,” states Ichida.


I・Medex Co., Ltd. produces wearable electrodes for a variety of purposes.

The company has also patented its noise-canceling technology, which eliminates interference created by electromagnetic waves emitted by electronic devices, which can interfere with medical machines’ ability to gather information. “We can gather information from the human body in a very clear, meticulous way,” Ichida says. “We can take this ability, and with it, we can help create new markets.”

Sensing Expansion

I・Medex technology is currently being used in over 6,000 hospitals throughout Japan, predominantly in cardiovascular institutions, and also in the world of sports, such as in the training and checkups of top athletes who represented Japan in the 2016 Summer Olympics.

The company is now seeking distributor support in expanding overseas, primarily to the U.S., where it aims to partner with local businesses and gradually expand into its own local office. It also hopes to build similar bridges into ASEAN nations.


Electrode production in I・Medex Co., Ltd.’s factory in Chiba, Japan.

I・Medex is always on the lookout for new uses of its signature technology. “We would like to continue being active in medicine, but there are increasingly more opportunities in non-medical fields as well,” Ichida says. “And we are starting new ventures in tapping other markets – for example, the sports and self-diagnosis app markets. We are in the process of reaching out to these industries.”

With applications expanding, the market for I・Medex only continues to grow.

Based on interview in October 2016


I・Medex Co., Ltd. President Makoto Ichida.