Cable monitoring apparatus

• US 20080081954A1
• Filed: 09/28/2006
• Published: 04/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kpr U.S., LLC (Cardinal Health, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Healthcare Group LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Zaiken, Eliot, Meyer, Peter F.
• Granted Patent: US 8,109,883 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0276 Determining malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/222 Electrical cables or leads therefor, e.g. coaxial cables or ribbon cables
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/227 Sensors with electrical connectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0011 Foetal or obstetric data
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4343 Pregnancy and labour monitoring, e.g. for labour onset detection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4362 Assessing foetal parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/58 Testing of lines, cables or conductors testing of electric windings G01R31/72
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/66 Structural association with built-in electrical component coupling devices having concentrically or coaxially-arranged contacts H01R24/38
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/12 for medicine and surgery
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/20 for testing or measuring purposes

Abstract

A cable monitoring apparatus includes a housing having an input interface adapted to electrically connect to one end of a medical cable and an output interface adapted to electrically connect to an electrical system. Signal processing circuitry is incorporated within the housing for receiving a medical signal from the medical cable via the input interface and for selectively passing the medical signal to the electrical system via the output interface when in a first mode of operation, and has application software for selectively testing functionality of the medical cable when in a second mode of operation. The medical signal may include at least one monitoring signal selected from a group consisting of fetal and maternal medical signals. Preferably, the at least one monitoring signal is generated from a medical device selected from a group consisting of at least one medical electrode, a medical electrode array, an abdominal strain gauge, a tocodynamometer, an intrauterine pressure catheter, an ultrasonic transducer, a vacuum pressure sensor, a pulse oximeter, a pH sensor, a cervical dilation sensor, a cervical effacement sensor, a cervical length sensor, a fetal station sensor, and an ultrasound transducer.

Claims

1. A cable monitoring apparatus, which comprises:

a housing including an input interface adapted to electrically connect to one end of a medical cable and an output interface adapted to electrically connect to an electrical system; and

signal processing circuitry within said housing for receiving a medical signal from the medical cable via said input interface and for selectively passing the medical signal to the electrical system via said output interface when in a first mode of operation, and having application software for selectively testing functionality of the medical cable when in a second mode of operation.

2. The cable monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the medical signal includes at least one monitoring signal selected from a group consisting of fetal medical signals and maternal medical signals.

3. The cable monitoring apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the at least one monitoring signal is generated from a medical device selected from a group consisting of at least one medical electrode, a medical electrode sensor array, an abdominal strain gauge, a tocodynamometer, an intrauterine pressure catheter, and an ultrasound transducer.

4. The cable monitoring apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the at least one monitoring signal is generated from a vacuum pressure sensor.

5. The cable monitoring apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the at least one monitoring signal is generated from a pulse oximeter.

6. The cable monitoring apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the at least one monitoring signal is generated from a pH sensing device.

7. The cable monitoring apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the at least one monitoring signal is generated from a sensor selected from a group consisting of a cervical dilation sensor, a cervical effacement sensor and a cervical length sensor.

8. The cable monitoring apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the at least one monitoring signal is generated from a fetal station sensor.

9. The cable monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said housing includes a cable diagnostic interface adapted to electrically connect with the remaining end of the medical cable whereby said signal processing circuitry tests the functionality of the medical cable when in said second mode of operation.

10. The cable monitoring apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said housing includes at least one indicator for indicating an operating parameter corresponding to functionality of the medical cable.

11. The cable monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said signal processing circuitry is adapted to process the at least one monitoring signal when in said first mode of operation and provides an output signal indicative of an operating parameter of the at least one monitoring signal.

12. The cable monitoring apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said output signal is of one of uterine activity or ECG activity.

13. The cable monitoring apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said housing includes an output signal indicator associated with said output signal for displaying a condition of said output signal.

14. The cable monitoring apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said output signal indicator is one of a visual or an audible alarm.

15. The cable monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said signal processing circuitry is configured to perform a zero/re-zero function wherein the at least one monitoring signal is short-circuited to create a zero voltage signal.

16. The cable monitoring apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said signal processing circuitry is adapted to short circuit the at least one monitoring signal for a predetermined period of time.

17. The cable monitoring apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising an indicator for indicating that the at least one monitoring signal is short-circuited.

18. The cable monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a signature signal transmitter adapted to transmit a signature signal to a patient, said signature signal being identifiable by said signal processing circuitry for determining the functionality of the medical cable.

19. The cable monitoring apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said signature signal transmitter is selected from a group consisting of a wand, an electrode and a medical cable.

20. The cable monitoring apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the housing includes first and second input interfaces for electrical connection to respective first and second medical cables.

21. A cable monitoring system comprising:

a cable monitor operable between a first and a second mode of operation wherein said first mode of operation selectively passes at least one monitoring signal from a medical device to a monitoring apparatus, and wherein said second mode of operation determines the functionality of an electrical cable.

22. The cable monitoring system according to claim 21, wherein the at least one monitoring signal is selected from a group consisting of fetal medical signals and maternal medical signals.

23. The cable monitoring system according to claim 22, comprising a first input for receiving the at least one monitoring signal and a first output for selectively passing the at least one monitoring signal to the monitoring apparatus.

24. The cable monitoring system according to claim 23, comprising a diagnostic input whereby, in the second mode of operation, one end of the medical cable is connected to the first input and a second end of the medical cable is connected to the diagnostic input to thereby determine the functionality of the electrical cable.

25. The cable monitoring system according to claim 24, comprising signal processing circuitry adapted to selectively pass the at least one monitoring signal from the medical device to the monitoring apparatus and to determine the functionality of the electrical cable.

26. A method for fetal monitoring, comprising the steps of:

electrically connecting a medical cable monitor with a fetal monitoring apparatus;

electrically connecting one end of a medical cable to an input interface of the medical cable monitor and the other end of the medical cable to a cable diagnostic interface of the medical cable monitor;

activating the medical cable monitor in one mode of operation whereby signal processing circuitry of the medical cable monitor tests the functionality of the medical cable connected between the input interface and the cable diagnostic interface;

electrically connecting the other end of the medical cable to a sensor;

sensing a fetal parameter with the sensor and sending a fetal monitoring signal associated with the fetal parameter to the input interface of the cable monitor; and

activating the medical cable monitor in another mode of operation whereby the signal processing circuitry passes the fetal monitoring signal to the fetal monitor.

27. The cable monitoring system according to claim 26, where the step of electrically connecting the other end of the medical cable to a sensor includes connecting said medical cable to a sensor selected from the group consisting of at least one medical electrode, a medical electrode sensor array, an abdominal strain gauge, a tocodynamometer, an intrauterine pressure catheter, and an ultrasound transducer.

28. The cable monitoring apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the step of electrically connecting the other end of the medical cable to a sensor includes connecting said medical cable to a vacuum pressure sensor.

29. The cable monitoring apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the step of electrically connecting the other end of the medical cable to a sensor includes connecting said medical cable to a pulse oximeter.

30. The cable monitoring apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the step of electrically connecting the other end of the medical cable to a sensor includes connecting said medical cable to a pH sensing device.

31. The cable monitoring apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the step of electrically connecting the other end of the medical cable to a sensor includes connecting said medical cable to a sensor selected from a group consisting of a cervical dilation sensor, a cervical effacement sensor and a cervical length sensor.

32. The cable monitoring apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the step of electrically connecting the other end of the medical cable to a sensor includes connecting said medical cable to a fetal station sensor.