Wireless ECG system

• US 20050177052A1
• Filed: 03/11/2005
• Published: 08/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LifeSync Corporation
• Original Assignee: GMP Wireless Medicine Incorporated
• Inventors: Williams, Daniel L., Solovay, Kenneth, Gundlach, John David, Istvan, Rud, Salem, Michael, Lodato, Franco, Gregory, Bill, Chastain, David Paul, Hopman, Nicholas
• Granted Patent: US 7,403,808 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/509
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/282 Holders for multiple electrodes for introduction into the body A61B5/287

Abstract

A cardiac monitoring system and, more particularly, a wireless electrocardiograph (ECG) system. The present invention detects electrical signals from a patient'"'"'s heart and transmits the signals digitally to a remote base station via telemetry. The base station converts the digital signals back to an analog electrical signals that can be read by an ECG monitor.

Claims

1-27. -27. (canceled)

28. An assembly for detecting electrical signals from a patient'"'"'s heart and conducting those signals to a body electronics unit, comprising:

an electrode retaining section having a plurality of electrode connectors for releasably connecting to electrodes;

an assembly connector attached to the electrode retaining section;

a plurality of electrically conductive traces extending between each of said plurality of electrode connectors and said assembly connector; and

a sensor pin on the assembly connector for completing a circuit within the body electronics unit, wherein the power of the body electronics unit is activated when the sensor pin completes the circuit.

29. The assembly of claim 28 wherein the electrode retaining section includes at least one expandable arm.

30. The assembly of claim 29 wherein the electrode retaining section further includes an arcuate section, a linear run, and an extension arm.

31. The assembly of claim 30 wherein the electrode retaining section is connected to the assembly connector by a linear section.

32. The assembly of claim 31 wherein the arcuate section abuts the linear section, a first expandable arm attaches to the arcuate section and an electrode connector attaches to the first expandable arm, a transition section abuts the arcuate section and an electrode connector attached to the transition section, a linear run abuts the transition section and an electrode connector attaches to the linear run, and a second expandable arm and an extension arm attach to the linear run, an electrode connector attaches to the second extension arm and an electrode connector attaches to the second expandable arm.

37. The assembly of claim 28 wherein the assembly connector includes a plurality of electrically conductive elements sufficiently spaced to prevent arcing across the electrically conductive elements when subjected to the voltages induced by a defibrillator.

38. The assembly of claim 43 wherein the assembly connector includes a plurality of spring flanges.

39. The assembly of claim 38 wherein the spring flanges provide a tension against an assembly port to removably secure the assembly connector within the assembly port.

42. The assembly of claim 28 wherein the assembly connector includes a plurality of ribs to prevent the electrically conductive elements from contacting objects when the assembly connector is not secured within the body electronics unit.

43. The assembly of claim 28 wherein the assembly connector includes at least one spring flange.

44. The assembly of claim 43 wherein the assembly connector further comprises at least one tongue corresponding to at least one groove in the assembly port.

45. The assembly of claim 2844-wherein the electrically conductive elements are spaced to permit the assembly to withstand a defibrillation shock.

46. The assembly of claim 28 wherein an electrode is positioned on the right side of the patient'"'"'s chest about level of the first and second intercostal space, an electrode is positioned on the left side of the patient'"'"'s chest about level of the first and second intercostal space, an electrode is positioned in the middle of the patient'"'"'s chest about level of the fourth and fifth intercostal space, and two electrodes are positioned on the left side of the patient'"'"'s torso.

52. The assembly of claim 28 wherein the assembly connects to a telemetry transmitter via an adaptor assembly.

53. The assembly of claim 28 wherein the assembly connects to an electrocardiograph monitor via an adaptor assembly.

54. The assembly of claim 32 wherein a perforated seam extends lengthwise along the extension arm to removably connect the extension arm to the linear run, whereby the extension arm can be selectively positioned on the patient'"'"'s body when the perforated seam in broken.

56. The assembly of claim 28 wherein the electrode retaining section is connected to the assembly connector by a linear section.

57. The assembly of claim 56 wherein the electrode retaining section includes at least on extension arm.

58. The assembly of claim 57 wherein the electrode retaining section further includes a plurality of arcuate sections and a plurality of transition segments.

59. The assembly of claim 58 wherein a first arcuate section abuts the linear section, a first transition section abuts a first arcuate section and an electrode connector attaches to the first transition segment, the extension arm connects to the first transition section and an electrode connector attaches to the first extension arm, a second arcuate section abuts the first transition section, a second transition section abuts the second arcuate section and an electrode connector attaches to the second transition section, a second extension arm connects to the second transition section and an electrode connector attaches to the second extension arm, a third arcuate section abuts the second transition section, a third transition segment abuts the third arcuate section and an electrode connector attaches to the third transition segment, and a fourth arcuate section abuts the third transition segment and an electrode connector attaches to the fourth arcuate section.

33-36. -36. (canceled)

40-41. -41. (canceled)

47. An assembly for detecting electrical signals from a patient'"'"'s heart, comprising:

a base layer having a first side and a second side, the first side attached to a plurality of electrically conductive elements, the second side attached to a shielding layer containing at least one layer of dielectric material;

a first insulating layer positioned adjacent said first side and covering said electrically conductive elements; and

,

a second insulating layer positioned adjacent said second side and covering said shielding layer, and wherein each of said electrically conductive elements connect to an electrode connector and an assembly connector.

49. The assembly of claim 47 wherein the shielding layer has a X-patterned grid construction.

51. The assembly of claim 47 wherein the shielding layer comprises multiple layers of dielectric material.

48. (canceled)

50. (canceled)

55. (canceled)

60. (canceled)

65-104. -104. (canceled)

105. An assembly for detecting vital signs from a patient, comprising:

an assembly connector; and

,

a flexible circuit having an electrode retaining section connected to the assembly connector, the electrode retaining section including a plurality of electrically conductive traces each trace connected at one end to a electrode connector for connecting to an electrode or sensor and extending to said assembly connector.

61. The assembly of claim 107 wherein the shielding layer has a X-patterned grid construction.

62. The assembly of claim 107 wherein the shielding layer comprises a single layer of dielectric material.

63. The assembly of claim 107 wherein the shielding layer comprises multiple layers of dielectric material.

64. The assembly of claim 105 wherein the assembly connects to a telemetry transmitter via an adaptor assembly.

106. The assembly of claim 105 wherein said electrode retaining section further comprises

a base layer having a first side and a second side, the first side attached to said plurality of electrically conductive elements,

a first insulating layer positioned adjacent said first side and extending over said plurality of electrically conductive elements;

and,

a second fabric layer positioned adjacent said second side.

107. The assembly of claim 106 further comprising a shielding layer attached to said second side and disposed under said second fabric layer.

108. The assembly of claim 105 further comprising an adaptor assembly to connect the assembly connector to an electrocardiograph monitor.