System for ECG monitoring

• US 20020138011A1
• Filed: 03/09/2001
• Published: 09/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Instrumentarium Dental Incorporated (Envista Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Instrumentarium Dental Incorporated (Envista Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Rantala, Borje
• Granted Patent: US 6,553,250 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/509
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/303 Patient cord assembly, e.g. cable harness
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/305 Common mode rejection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/308 for electrocardiography [ECG]

Abstract

The invention concerns a system for ECG monitoring, comprising measuring electrodes (R, F, L, N; V1, V2, V3, V4, V5, V6) attached. to a patient (P) in accordance with a standard electrode placement;. signal leads {1-10} connected to corresponding measuring electrodes (R, F, L, N; V1, V2, V3, V4, V5, V6) each of said signal leads being provided with a first connector element (11); a collecting connector (13) containing second connector elements (14) for receiving the first connector elements (11); an ECG apparatus comprising an amplifier unit (16) to which the measurement signals are passed from the collecting connector; and charge-over switches (18-22) which are so implemented that, in a first connection position. (I), they will conduct the measurement signals from the measuring electrodes (R, F, L, N; V₁, V₂, V₃, V₄, V₅, V₆) attached to the patient (P) to the ECG apparatus so that the corresponding signal leads (1-10) are connected to a patient, while in a second connection position (II) they establish a shielding ground connection for at least some of said signal leads.

Claims

1. System for ECG monitoring, comprising

measuring electrodes (R, F, L, N;

V₁, V₂, V₃, V₄, V₅, V₆) attached to a patient (P) in accordance with a standard electrode placement,

signal leads (1-10) connected to corresponding measuring electrodes (R, F, L, N;

V₁, V₂, V₃, V₄, V₅, V₆) each of said signal leads being provided with a first connector element (11),

a collecting connector (13) containing second connector elements (14) for receiving the first connector elements (11),

an ECG apparatus comprising an amplifier unit (16) to which the measurement signals are passed from the collecting connector, and

change-over switches (18-22) which are so implemented that, in a first connection position (I), they will conduct the measurement signals from the measuring electrodes (R. F, L, N;

V₁, V₂ V₃, V₄, V₅, V₆) attached to the patient (P) to the ECG apparatus so that the corresponding signal leads (1-10) are electrically connected to the patient, while in a second connection position (II) they establish a shielding ground connection for at least some of said signal leads.

2. System as defined in claim 1 wherein the system comprises a collecting cable (12) between the signal leads (3-10) and the amplifier unit (16);

and that the collecting connector (13) is connected to the collecting cable.

3. System as defined in claim 1 wherein the collecting connector (13) is placed in the amplifier unit (16), in which case the signal leads (1-10) are passed directly from the patient to the amplifier unit.

4. System as defined in claim 1 wherein the collecting connector (13) has a number of second connector elements (14₁, 14₂) corresponding to the number of electrodes defined in the 12-lead ECG standard.

5. System as defined in claim 1 wherein the change-over switches (18-22) in their second connection position (II) establish a shielding ground connection for a first group of signal leads (1-5) via the connector elements (14₂) in the collecting connector (13) intended for a second group of signal leads (6-10).

6. System as defined in claim 1 wherein the measuring electrodes (R, L, N, F;

V₁, V₂, V₃, V₄, V₅, V₆) are connected to the patient in accordance with the 12-lead ECG standard, and that, to accomplish a 12-lead ECG measurement, the change-over switches (18-22) are in the said first position (I) to pass the measurement signals from all the measuring electrodes to signal processing in the ECG apparatus.

7. System as defined in claim 1 wherein the measuring electrodes (R. L, N. P, V,) are connected to the patient in accordance with the 5-lead ECG standard, and that, to accomplish a 5-lead EGG measurement with grounded shielding, the change-over switches (18-22) are in the said second position (II), the first group of signal leads (1-5) now having a shielding ground connection to a floating ground.

8. System as defined in claim 1 wherein the second connector elements (14) in the collecting connector (13) are arranged in two adjacent rows, where the second connector elements (14₁) in one row are disposed in paired alignment with the connector elements (14₂) in the other row.

9. System as defined in claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the change-over switches (18-22) are disposed in the amplifier unit (16).

10. System as defined in claim 1 wherein the change-over switches (18-22) are controllable analog witches.

11. System as defined in claim 1 wherein the system comprises a control device (25) for the control of the change-over switches (18-22).

12. System as defined in claim 11 wherein the control device comprises means allowing the change-over switches (18-22) to be controlled by the user.

13. System as defined in claim 11 wherein the control device comprises detection means (26) so implemented that they will automatically detect the connection stare (lead on/lead off) of a measuring electrode to a patient;

and means for selecting the connection position of the change over-switches (18-22) from between the first connection position (I) and the second connection position (II) on the basis of said automatic detection of the connection state of the measuring electrode.

14. System as defined in claim 13 wherein the detection means (25) are so implemented that they will automatically detect the connection state (lead on/lead off) of the measuring electrodes to a patient by measuring the resistance of the measuring electrodes.

15. System as defined in claim 1 wherein the signal leads comprise a set of standard precordial leads (V₁, V₂, V₃, V₄, V₅, V₆) and a set of standard limb leads (R, F, L, N).

16. System as defined in claim 15 wherein the connection elements for the limb leads (1-4) connected to the limb electrodes (R, F, L, N), and for one precordial lead (5) of one precordial electrode (V₁) are arranged in the first row (14₁) in the collecting connector (13), and the connection elements for the rest of the precordial leads (6-10) connected to the rest of the precordial electrodes (V₁, V₂, V₃, V₄, V₅, V₆) are arranged in the second row (14₂) in the collecting connector (13) the second row being in paired alignment with said first row.

17. System as defined in claim 16 wherein one of the limb leads (N) is defined to be unshielded in both 5-lead and 12-lead measurement mode;

and than the detection means are disposed to continuously monitor the connection state lead on/lead off) of one precordial lead (6) of one precordial electrode (V₆) to determine which of the monitoring modes (5-lead or 12-lead) to be used.

18. System as defined in claim 17 wherein said lead being unshielded and continuously monitored is the precordial lead connected to a precordial electrode (V₆) for which a connecting element is dedicated in the second row (14₂) of connecting elements at the collecting connector (13), said connecting element in the second row being in paired alignment with another connecting element in the first row (14₁) of connecting elements at the collecting connector (13), said another connecting element in the first row being dedicated for the Neutral lead (1) from the set of standard limb leads (R, F, L, N).

19. System as defined in claim 13 wherein the detection means are so implemented that they will automatically identify the signal lead types used, by measuring the capacitances regardless of whether the leads are connected to a patient or not.

20. System as defined in claim 1 wherein the collecting connector comprises a separate common shield connector (100) which is common for all signal leads.

21. System as defined in claim 1 wherein the collecting connector for a 12-lead cable is mechanically coded, so as not to mate with a standard 5-lead connector.

22. System for ECG monitoring, comprising

measuring electrodes (R, F, L, N;

V₁, V₂, V₃, V₄, V₅, V₆) attached to a patient (P) in accordance with a standard electrode placement,

signal leads (1-10) connected to corresponding measuring electrodes (R, F, L, N;

V₁, V₂, V₃, V₄, V₅, V₆) each of said signal leads being provided with a first connector element (11.)

a collecting connector 13) containing second connector elements (14) for receiving the first connector elements (11),

an ECG apparatus comprising an amplifier unit (16) to which the measurement signals are passed from the collecting connector, and

change-over switches (18-22) which are so implemented that, in a first connection position (I) they will conduct the measurement signals from the measuring electrodes (R, F, L, N;

V₁, V₂, V₃, V₄, V₅, V₆) attached to the patient (P) to the ECG apparatus so that the corresponding signal leads (1-10) have no shielding ground connection, while in a second connection position (II) they establish a shielding ground connection For at least some of said signal lead.