ECG monitoring apparatus with incorporated printer

• US 20040230126A1
• Filed: 12/04/2003
• Published: 11/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Inventors: Galen, Peter W., Osiecki, Scott W., Abernethy, Todd B., Pingel, Mark E., Glocker, Peter W.
• Application Number:
  US10/728,208
• Publication Number:
  US 20040230126A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/509
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/321 Accessories or supplementary instruments therefor, e.g. cord hangers

Abstract

An ECG monitoring apparatus is coupled to a conventional (e.g., plain paper) printer. The apparatus can be mechanically coupled as a removable portion of the assembly or can be integrated directly into the printer design.

Claims

1. An ECG monitoring apparatus comprising:

an electrode/lead assembly attachable to a patient;

a data acquisition module attached to said electrode/lead assembly; and

a printer directly connected to said data acquisition module.

2. An ECG monitoring apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said data acquisition module includes an A/D converter.

3. An ECG monitoring apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said printer is a conventional computer printer.

4. An ECG monitoring apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the data acquisition module is housed within the printer.

5. An ECG monitoring apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said printer is an ink-jet computer printer.

6. An ECG monitoring apparatus as recited in claim 1, including a supporting structure.

7. An ECG monitoring apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein said supporting structure is a cart.

8. An ECG monitoring apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein said cart includes at least one storage area for retaining loose items for storage thereof.

9. An ECG monitoring apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein said at least one storage area is a drawer.

10. An ECG monitoring apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein said at least one storage area is a shelf.

11. An ECG monitoring apparatus as recited in claim 1, including a user interface for operating at least one of said printer, said electrode/lead assembly and said data acquisition module.

12. An ECG monitoring apparatus as recited in claim 1, including a display for displaying data acquired by said data acquisition module.

13. An ECG monitoring apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said data acquisition module is a compact housing commonly retaining a plurality of leads from said electrode/lead assembly, said data acquisition module connected to said printer.

14. An ECG monitoring apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein said data acquisition module is wirelessly connected to said printer, said module including means for bi-directionally communicating between said printer.

15. An ECG monitoring apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein the ends of a plurality of leads from said electrode/lead assembly are connected to said data acquisition module.

16. An ECG monitoring apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said data acquisition module and said electrode/lead assembly are removably attachable to said printer.

17. An ECG monitoring apparatus as recited in claim 1, further including a shroud assembly of receiving connections from said electrode/lead assembly and said data acquisition module said shroud assembly being configured to interconnect a conventional table to computer printer therewith.

18. An ECG monitoring apparatus as recited in claim 17, wherein said shroud assembly includes a shroud housing that covers at least a portion of said printer and includes a user interface for operating said printer and said ECG monitoring apparatus.

19. An ECG monitoring apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein said shroud assembly includes a display.

20. An ECG monitoring apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein said shroud assembly includes a programmable ASIC.

21. An ECG monitoring apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein said data acquisition module is a compact housing commonly retaining the ends of leads from said electrode/lead assembly, said data acquisition module being tethered to said shroud assembly.