ECG Electrode Connector
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed is an ECG electrode lead wire connector which provides improved electrical and mechanical coupling of the ECG electrode press stud to the lead wire, provides enhanced ergonomics to the clinician, and may alleviate patient discomfort associated with the attachment and removal of ECG leads. The connector may be engaged and disengaged with little or no force imparted to the patient or the ECG pad, which significantly minimizes the risk of inadvertent dislodgement of the pad. In one embodiment the disclosed connector provides a thumb cam lever which affirmatively engages the press stud to the connector, and provides tactile feedback to the clinician that the connector is properly engaged. In other embodiments, the connector provides a pushbutton to enable the clinician to easily engage and disengage the connector from the ECG stud. The disclosed connectors may also decrease clinician fatigue, and may provide more reliable ECG results.
9 Citations
31 Claims
-
1-14. -14. (canceled)
-
15. An ECG connector assembly, comprising:
-
a housing having a top cover, a bottom cover including an inner surface and an outer surface, and a side wall extending orthogonally from at least a portion of a perimeter of the bottom cover and joinable to at least a portion of a perimeter of the top cover; an aperture defined in the bottom cover dimensioned to operably receive a press stud; an electrical contact member disposed on the inner surface of the housing, the electrical contact member defining a contact opening that is exposed within the aperture; a lever having an actuating end, a pivoting end, and an engaging region disposed between the actuating end and the pivoting end, the pivoting end pivotable about an axis orthogonal to the bottom cover between an engaged position and a disengaged position, the engaging region configured to retain a press stud inserted into the aperture of the bottom cover against at least a portion of the exposed contact opening of the electrical contact when the lever is in the engaged position; and a biasing member configured to bias the lever towards the engaged position. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
-
-
27. A method of engaging an ECG connector with a press stud of an ECG pad, the method comprising the steps of:
-
providing an ECG connector having an actuating member actuatable along a plane substantially parallel to a plane of the ECG pad; positioning the actuating member to an open position; introducing the press stud into an opening provided by the ECG connector; and positioning the actuating member to a closed position. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31)
-
Specification