DEVICE FOR DETECTING AND TRANSMITTING ELECTRICAL PULSES

• US 20090093730A1
• Filed: 08/08/2008
• Published: 04/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dragerwerk AG & Company KGaA (FPS Vermögensverwaltung GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Drager Medical AG & Co KG (Dragerwerk AG)
• Inventors: Grassl, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 8,112,140 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/509
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/222 Electrical cables or leads therefor, e.g. coaxial cables or ribbon cables
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0536 Impedance imaging, e.g. by tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/282 Holders for multiple electrodes for introduction into the body A61B5/287
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/291 for electroencephalography [EEG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/303 Patient cord assembly, e.g. cable harness

Abstract

A device for detecting and transmitting electrical pulses from the body surface of a patient to device processing the electrical pulses. The device for detecting includes at least two electrical leads of different lengths, at least one electrical insulating material surrounding the at least two electrical leads, a connecting port for connection to the device for processing the electrical pulses at one end of the at least two electrical leads and a recess in the electrical insulating material of the at least two electrical leads, so that an electric contact can be established with the skin surface of the patient. The two leads of different lengths have a ratio of the electrical resistance to the length of the leads and/or the ratio of the impedance to the length of the leads that is/are greater in the shorter lead than in the longer lead. With the construction artifacts caused by external sources of interference are easily filtered out and it can be manufactured at a low cost, so as to be employed for disposable use.

Claims

1. A device for detecting and transmitting electrical pulses from the body skin surface of a patient to an electrical pulse processor, the device comprising:

two electrical leads of different lengths, one of a ratio of electrical resistance to the length of said leads and a ratio of the impedance to the length of said leads in said two electrical leads of different lengths is greater in at least a shorter of said two electrical leads than in a longer of said two electrical leads;

a connecting port for connecting the device to the electrical pulse processor;

at least one electrical insulating material surrounding said two electrical leads; and

a recess in said electrical insulating material for electrical contact to be established with the skin surface of the patient.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said two electrical leads of different lengths have essentially equal electrical resistance and/or essentially equal impedance.

3. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the electrical resistance and/or the impedance of said two electrical leads of different lengths differs by less than 10%.

4. A device in accordance with claim 3, wherein the electrical resistance and/or the impedance of said two electrical leads of different lengths differs by less than 1% to 5%.

5. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein in said two electrical leads of different lengths a cross-sectional area is smaller in a shorter of said two electrical leads than in a longer of said two electrical leads

6. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein a width and/or a thickness are smaller in said shorter of said two electrical leads than in said longer of said two electrical leads.

7. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said two electrical leads consist of a metal or an alloy of metals aluminum, copper, gold, silver or tin.

8. A device in accordance with claim 7, wherein said two electrical leads are manufactured from a metal foil or a metal plate.

9. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said two electrical leads comprise metal paste printed or screen printed.

10. A device in accordance with claim 9, wherein said two electrical leads are repeatedly printed or screen printed to obtain different cross-sectional areas.

11. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said two electrical leads consist of conductive plastic, graphite, carbon fibers or metallized polyamide.

12. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the distance between said two electrical leads varies with at least one of:

at least one said two electrical leads being arranged at a greater distance from another of said two electrical leads;

said at least one said two electrical leads being bent relative to said another of said two electrical leads; and

at least one said two electrical leads having a serpentine shape.

13. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one of said two electrical leads comprises a capacitor in an area of said connecting port such that a surface of a respective lead is correspondingly tuned.

14. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one of said two electrical leads comprises a coil with a remainder of said least one of said two electrical leads connected into the coil by an electrical contact in an area of said connecting port.

15. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

at least one of said two electrical leads comprises a capacitor in an area of said connecting port such that a surface of a respective lead is correspondingly tuned;

at least one of said two electrical leads comprises a coil with a remainder of said least one of said two electrical leads connected into the coil by an electrical contact in an area of said connecting port; and

said capacitor and said coil cooperate to form a low-pass filter with a limit frequency of 25 kHz.

16. A device in accordance with claims 1, wherein:

at least one of said two electrical leads comprises a capacitor in an area of said connecting port such that a surface of a respective lead is correspondingly tuned;

at least one of said two electrical leads comprises a coil with a remainder of said at least one of said two electrical leads connected into the coil by an electrical contact in an area of said connecting port; and

said capacitor and said coil cooperate to form an antenna of an RFID transponder.

17. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said connecting port comprises a transmitter for the wireless transmission of electrical pulses, said connecting port having a RFID transponder.

18. A device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising an electrode, wherein said electrical insulating material recess is provided for directly or indirectly establishing electrical contact with the skin surface of the patient with one of said two electrical leads, said electrode being able to be attached detachably or nondetachably to said at least one of said two electrical leads.

19. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said insulating material consists of plastic and/or a foamed and/or textile material including one or more of polyester, Polyethylene (PE) foam or a synthetic faux fur.

20. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the electrical insulating material surrounding said two electrical leads comprises a multilayer flat band with said two electrical leads in the form of strip conductors and including at least one said first and second non-conductive layer as electrical insulating material for said strip conductors, wherein said strip conductors are provided between said first and second non-conductive layers and are positioned next to each other, and wherein said first and second non-conductive layers are connected to one another such that said strip conductors are arranged insulated next to each other and said recess is provided in said band and/or in the at least one said first and second non-conductive layers in an area of said strip conductors whereby electrical contact can be established with the skin surface of the patient.

21. A device in accordance with claim 20, wherein a third and/or fourth conductive layers are provided, wherein said third and/or fourth conductive layers surround said first and second non-conductive layers.

22. A device in accordance with claim 20, wherein at least one perforation of elongated holes is provided between said insulated strip conductors.

23. A device in accordance with claim 20, wherein said band has a plurality of folds, said folds being directed at an angle of 60°

to 120°

in relation to said strip conductors.

24. A method for detecting and transmitting electrical pulses from the body skin surface, the method comprising the steps of:

providing two electrical leads of different lengths, one of a ratio of electrical resistance to the length of said leads and a ratio of the impedance to the length of said leads in said two electrical leads of different lengths is greater in at least a shorter of said two electrical leads than in a longer of said two electrical leads;

providing a connecting port for connecting a device to an electrical pulse processor;

surrounding said two electrical leads with electrical insulating material;

providing a recess in said electrical insulating material and establishing electrical contact with the skin surface of the patient;

transmitting electrical pulses from the body surface of a patient to an electrocardiograph for recording an electrocardiogram, an electroencephalogram, an electric impedance tomography device or an anesthesia monitoring means for determining a bispectral index.