Biomedical patient electrode clasp with automatic stud lock

• US 20030068918A1
• Filed: 10/07/2002
• Published: 04/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Curbell Medical Products, Inc. (Curbell, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cardio Connector Corporation
• Inventors: Christensson, Eddy K.G.
• Granted Patent: US 6,716,070 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/372
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/11 Resilient sockets carrying separate resilient parts H01R13/15
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/12 for medicine and surgery
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/4814 Self-latching arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/483 Pivoting arrangements, e.g. lever pushing on the spring
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/4848 Busbar integrally formed with the spring
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/5008 using rotatable cam
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/909 Medical use or attached to human body

Abstract

In order to lock an electrical clasp to a biomedical electrode stud which projects upwardly from the center of the biomedical electrode, the clasp is provided with an opening in its lower surface for the stud of the biomedical electrode and a downwardly extending tab that has a concave surface facing the stud of the electrode. The concave surface of the tab can be either trough-shaped or spoon-shaped. During operation the tab is moved downwardly from a disengaged position into contact with the sidewall of the stud. In addition, there is a laterally extending tab-retaining edge or rim within the opening and the edge is aligned vertically below the tab so that during use it acts as a backing for the free end of the tab which engages the stud somewhat below the widest part of the head of the stud thereby locking the stud in place within the clasp. Optionally, the clasp includes a plug receptacle that has a converging passage for the plug with electrically conductive resilient walls.

Claims

1. A self-locking biomedical electrical clasp for establishing electrical connection to a snap-style patient electrode which has a stud projecting upwardly from a top surface thereof, said clasp comprising,

a clasp body including a hole to receive a stud of a biomedical patient electrode that is used to make electrical contact with the skin of a patient,

an operating lever moveably mounted on the clasp body,

an electrical conductor connected to the clasp body for establishing electrical contact with the stud when the stud is inserted into the clasp,

a locking tab moveably supported above the hole and operatively associated with the operating lever for being moved into contact with the stud when the operating lever is placed in an operating position,

said tab has a concave surface facing the stud so as to contact a sidewall of the stud when moved to an operating position by the operating lever and the tab is constructed and positioned with respect to the hole in the clasp to lock the stud within the hole when the lever is moved to a position that lowers the tab into engagement with the stud.

2. The clasp of claim 1 wherein the electrical conductor has an opening therein aligned above the hole in the clasp for admitting the stud when the stud is inserted into the clasp.

3. The clasp of claim 2 wherein the opening in the electrical conductor has a laterally extending tab-retaining edge therein that is aligned below the tab for engaging the tab to provide support for the tab by holding a free edge of the tab against the stud to thereby secure the tab in the locking position.

7. The clasp of claim 1 wherein the tab is trough-shaped.

8. The clasp of claim 1 wherein the tab is spoon-shaped.

4. A self-locking biomedical electrical clasp for establishing electrical connection to a snap-style patient electrode having a stud projecting upwardly from the top surface thereof, said clasp comprising,

An electrode clasp, said clasp being adapted to receive a stud of a biomedical patient electrode that is used to make electrical contact with the skin of a patient,

said clasp having an operating lever mounted for movement thereon,

an electrical conductor connected to the clasp for establishing electrical contact with the stud when the stud is inserted into the clasp, said electrical conductor comprising a leaf spring with an opening therein for admitting a stud of a patient electrode when the stud is inserted into the clasp,

a locking tab depending downwardly from an upper portion of the leaf spring and operatively associated with the operating lever so as to move into contact with the stud when the operating lever is placed in an operating position,

said tab being shaped to contact a sidewall of the stud when moved to an operating position by the operating lever and the tab is constructed and positioned with respect to the opening to lock the stud within the opening when the lever is moved to an operating position so as to lower the tab into engagement with the stud.

5. The clasp of claim 4 wherein the opening in the electrical conductor has an edge therein that is aligned below the tab for holding a free edge of the tab against the stud to thereby secure the tab in a stud locking position.

6. The clasp of claim 4 wherein the opening in the leaf spring has a straight laterally extending tab-supporting edge portion that is aligned vertically below the tab for engaging an outer surface of the tab opposite a concave surface thereof when the tab is placed in an operating position for holding the tab in engagement with a side-wall of a stud to thereby secure the tab in the stud locking position.

9. A biomedical electrical clasp for establishing electrical connection to a snap-style patient electrode, said clasp comprising,

a clasp body including an electrical conductor therein for establishing electrical contact with a biomedical patient electrode that is inserted into the clasp,

said electrical conductor including a plug receptacle for receiving an electrically conductively male plug element of a lead wire, said plug receptacle including a plurality of centrally inclined outwardly yieldable leaf spring elements to define a passage for the male plug element, said passage having walls that converge centrally proceeding toward a distal end of the clasp to thereby enable the receptacle to accommodate male plug members of differing diameters.

10. The biomedical electrical clasp of claim 9 wherein the axis of each of the leaf spring elements points generally in the same direction that the plug is inserted into the passage in the receptacle with a free end of each of the spring elements being located distally of a fixed end thereof.

11. The biomedical electrical clasp of claim 9 wherein the plug receptacle has two opposing side walls and a bottom wall, said walls have portions cut away therefrom with the remaining portions comprising said centrally inclined leaf spring elements and the leaf spring elements are each elongated and extend longitudinally of the clasp with free ends thereof positioned distally of a fixed end thereof to establish the converging passage for the male plug element.

12. The biomedical electrical clasp of claim 9 wherein the plug receptacle includes at least a pair of laterally disposed opposing leaf spring elements confronting one another and a lower leaf spring element that is positioned intermediate the opposing leaf spring elements and the lower leaf spring has a free end that is forced downwardly when the plug is inserted into the clasp.