Apparatus for, and method of, determining the condition of a patient's heart
First Claim
1. In combination for providing signals at different positions in a patient'"'"'s heart, a vest constructed to be worn by the patient, a plurality of electrodes, a plurality of positions in the vest for receiving the electrodes, individual positions in the plurality being disposed to receive the electrodes for measuring the characteristics of the patient'"'"'s heart when the patient has a small, medium or large size, thereby to obtain signals indicating the characteristics of the patient'"'"'s heart when the patient has a small, medium or large size, and amplifiers responsive to the signals on the electrodes at the individual positions in the vest for providing signals indicating the characteristics of the patient'"'"'s heart at the different positions for the patient when the patient has a small, medium or large size.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Electrodes disposed in rows and columns in a vest provide signals indicating the patient'"'"'s heart characteristics. Each electrode is in a column different from the column locating the other electrodes. V1 and V2 electrodes are in the same row symmetrically relative to the patient'"'"'s sternum on opposite sides of the sternum. V4-V6 electrodes are in different columns in the same row on the right side of the sternum. V3 electrode is between the V2 and V4 electrodes. The V1-V6 electrodes are disposed differently for patients of small, medium and large sizes. The electrodes are attached to the patient with at least a particular pressure. Amplifiers attached to the vest and connected to individual ones of the electrodes amplify heart signals, without any noise production while the patient is ambulatory, thereby providing stable heart signals.
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Citations
77 Claims
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1. In combination for providing signals at different positions in a patient'"'"'s heart,
a vest constructed to be worn by the patient, a plurality of electrodes, a plurality of positions in the vest for receiving the electrodes, individual positions in the plurality being disposed to receive the electrodes for measuring the characteristics of the patient'"'"'s heart when the patient has a small, medium or large size, thereby to obtain signals indicating the characteristics of the patient'"'"'s heart when the patient has a small, medium or large size, and amplifiers responsive to the signals on the electrodes at the individual positions in the vest for providing signals indicating the characteristics of the patient'"'"'s heart at the different positions for the patient when the patient has a small, medium or large size.
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7. In combination for providing signal indications at individual positions in a patient'"'"'s heart,
a vest constructed to be disposed on a patient'"'"'s body for ambulatory movement of the patient while measurements are being made of the characteristics of the patient'"'"'s heart, a plurality of electrodes each providing a measurement at an individual one of the positions in the patient of the characteristics of the patient'"'"'s heart at that position, the positions on the vest constituting pluralities each plurality being provided to receive an individual one of the electrodes regardless of the size of the patient, and a plurality of amplifiers, each connected to an individual one of the electrodes to receive signals from an individual one of the electrodes regardless of the size of the patient.
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14. In combination for providing signals at different positions in a patient'"'"'s heart,
a vest having a plurality of positions for determining the characteristics of the patient'"'"'s heart, a plurality of electrodes constructed to be connected to the vest at individual ones of the different positions, and an inflatable member for inflating the vest with the vest disposed on the patient to press the electrodes against the patient'"'"'s body for enhancing the passage of the signals from the patient'"'"'s heart to the electrodes.
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19. In a combination for providing signals at different positions in a patient'"'"'s heart,
a vest constructed to be worn by the patient, a plurality of positions on the vest, the positions being disposed in rows and columns, electrodes disposed in the vest at particular positions in the vest, the particular positions being dependent upon the size of the patient wearing the vest, there being at most only one electrode in each column in the vest regardless of the size of the patient.
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32. In a combination for providing signals at different positions in a patient'"'"'s heart,
a vest constructed to be worn by the patient, a plurality of positions disposed on the vest in rows and columns in an upper left portion of the vest and in positions in a lower right portion of the vest, and electrodes disposed on the vest in positions in the upper right portion of the vest and in positions in the lower left portion of the vest.
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40. In combination for providing signals at different positions in a patient'"'"'s heart,
a vest constructed to be worn by the patient, a first plurality of positions in the upper left portion of the vest and a second plurality of positions in the lower right portion of the vest, the positions in the upper left portion and the lower right portion of the vest defining rows and columns, and electrodes disposed in particular ones of the positions in the upper left portion and the lower right portion of the vest for providing signals indicative of the characteristics of the heart regardless of the size of the patient.
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44. In combination for providing signals at different positions in a patient'"'"'s heart,
a vest constructed to be worn by the patient, a plurality of positions in the vest, a plurality of electrodes each disposed in an individual one of the plurality of positions and operative to provide signals indicative of the characteristics of the heart at this position, and a plurality of amplifiers each connected to an individual one of the electrodes to amplify the signals from the individual one of the electrodes, the amplifiers being supported by the vest to facilitate ambulatory movement of the patient with the vest.
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49. In combination for providing signals at different positions in a patient'"'"'s heart,
a vest constructed to be worn by the patient, a plurality of positions in the vest, a plurality of electrodes each disposed in an individual one of the positions and operative to provide signals indicative of the characteristics of the heart at this position, and a plurality of amplifiers each connected to an individual one of the electrodes to amplify the signals from the individual one of the electrodes, the amplifiers being constructed to provide signals indicative of the characteristics of the heart at the positions of the electrodes without any noise resulting from any ambulatory movements of the patient.
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55. In a method of providing signals at different positions in a patient'"'"'s heart, the steps of:
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providing a vest to be worn by the patient, providing a plurality of positions in the vest for the reception of electrodes, disposing the electrodes in the vest at individual ones of the positions dependent upon the size of the patient, and applying the electrodes to the patient'"'"'s skin at the individual ones of the positions to produce on the electrodes signals indicative of the characteristics of the heart at the positions of the electrodes. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63)
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64. In a method of providing signals at different positions in a patient'"'"'s heart, the steps of:
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providing a vest to be worn by the patient whether the patient has a small, medium or large size, providing a plurality of positions in the vest, disposing V1-V6 electrodes in the vest at individual ones of the positions dependent upon whether the patient has a small, medium or large size, and applying the V1-V6 electrodes to the patient'"'"'s skin at the individual ones of the positions of the electrodes to produce on the electrodes signals indicative of the characteristics of the heart at the positions of the V1-V6 electrodes. - View Dependent Claims (65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70)
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71. In a method of providing signals at different positions in a patient'"'"'s heart, the steps of:
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providing a vest to be worn by the patient, providing a plurality of positions in the vest, disposing electrodes at individual ones of the positions in the vest, applying the electrodes to the patient'"'"'s skin at the individual ones of the positions to produce at the electrodes signals indicative of the characteristics of the patient'"'"'s heart at the positions of the V1-V6 electrodes, providing a plurality of amplifiers each having characteristics of amplifying the patient'"'"'s heart signals at an individual one of the electrodes, without any production of noise while the patient is ambulatory, thereby providing stable signals from the patient'"'"'s heart, and connecting each of the amplifiers to the individual one of the electrodes. - View Dependent Claims (72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77)
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Specification