ADJUSTABLE ECG SENSOR AND RELATED METHOD

• US 20180008160A1
• Filed: 07/08/2016
• Published: 01/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Virtanen, Juha Petri
• Granted Patent: US 10,357,171 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/25 Bioelectric electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/333 Recording apparatus specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6832 using adhesives A61B5/259 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6838 Clamps or clips
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

An adjustable ECG sensor is attachable to a patient to sense cardiac signals and includes an adjustable leadwire having a flexible substrate, a conductor extending along the flexible substrate, and a connector end connectable to a receiver associated with an ECG monitor. The adjustable ECG sensor further includes an electrode having an electrode pad, a clip connected to the electrode pad and attachable to any one of multiple locations on the adjustable leadwire, and a pin that punctures the flexible substrate and electrically connects to the conductor of the adjustable leadwire. The adjustable ECG sensor is fitted to the patient by attaching the clip of the electrode to one of the multiple locations on the adjustable leadwire.

Claims

1. An adjustable ECG sensor attachable to a patient to sense cardiac signals, the adjustable ECG sensor comprising:

an adjustable leadwire having a connector end connectable to a receiver associated with an ECG monitor;

an electrode having;

an electrode pad;

a clip connected to the electrode pad and attachable to any one of multiple locations on the adjustable leadwire;

a pin that punctures and electrically connects to the adjustable leadwire; and

wherein the adjustable ECG sensor is fitted to the patient by attaching the clip of the electrode to one of the multiple locations on the adjustable leadwire.

2. The adjustable ECG sensor of claim 1, further comprising a blade on the clip of the electrode, the blade positioned to sever the adjustable leadwire when the clip attaches to the any one of multiple locations on the adjustable leadwire.

3. The adjustable ECG sensor of claim 1, wherein the pin is incorporated into the clip such that the flexible substrate is punctured when the clip is attached to the any one of multiple locations on the adjustable leadwire.

4. The adjustable ECG sensor of claim 1, further comprising:

a conductor extending along a flexible substrate; and

an adhesive on one side of the flexible substrate and configured to adhere the flexible substrate to a patent'"'"'s skin; and

wherein the pin punctures the flexible substrate and contacts the conductor.

5. The adjustable ECG sensor of claim 4, wherein the flexible substrate has a flat top surface and a flat bottom surface, wherein the adhesive is on the flat bottom surface.

6. The adjustable ECG sensor of claim 5, wherein the conductor is formed by conductive ink printed on the flat top surface of the flexible substrate.

7. The adjustable ECG sensor of claim 6, wherein the flexible substrate is thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU).

8. The adjustable ECG sensor of claim 6, wherein the adjustable leadwire further includes an insulating layer over the top surface of the flexible substrate and the conductor.

9. The adjustable ECG sensor of claim 1, wherein the connector end includes a connector that plugs into the receiver associated with the ECG monitor.

10. The adjustable ECG sensor of claim 1, wherein the receiver associated with the ECG monitor is a wireless receiver, and the connector end includes a wireless transmitter that wirelessly connects to the wireless receiver to wirelessly transmit the cardiac signals to the ECG monitor.

11. The adjustable ECG sensor of claim 10, wherein the adjustable leadwire is part of a leadwire set sharing a common connector containing the wireless transmitter, where the connector end of each adjustable leadwire in the leadwire set is connected to the common connector.

12. An adjustable leadwire set for ECG monitoring, the adjustable leadwire set comprising:

two or more adjustable leadwires, each adjustable leadwire having;

an initial length of a flexible substrate having a flat top surface and a flat bottom surface;

a conductor comprised of conductive ink printed on the top surface of the flexible substrate;

an insulating layer over the top surface of the flexible substrate and the conductor;

an adhesive on the bottom surface of the flexible substrate; and

a common connector connected to a connector end of each of the two or more adjustable leadwires and connectable to a receiver associated with an ECG monitor;

wherein each adjustable leadwire is configured to connect to an electrode at any one of multiple locations along the initial length.

13. The leadwire set of claim 12, wherein the connector end includes a connector that plugs into the receiver.

14. The leadwire set of claim 12, wherein the receiver associated with the ECG monitor is a wireless receiver, and the connector end includes a wireless transmitter that wirelessly connects to the wireless receiver to transmit the cardiac signals to the ECG monitor.

15. The leadwire set of claim 14, wherein the connector end further includes a signal processing module that amplifies and digitizes cardiac signals received through the two or more adjustable leadwires.

16. The leadwire set of claim 12, wherein the flexible substrate of each adjustable leadwire is comprised of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU).

17. A method of fitting an adjustable ECG sensor to a patient to sense cardiac signals, the method comprising:

adhering an electrode to a patient, the electrode having an electrode pad, a clip connected to the electrode pad, and a pin;

fitting an adjustable leadwire to the patient, the adjustable leadwire having an initial length of a flexible substrate having a connector end and a distal end, a conductor extending along the flexible substrate, and an adhesive on one side of the flexible substrate, by;

adhering the adjustable leadwire to the patient'"'"'s skin;

attaching the clip to any one of multiple locations on the adjustable leadwire;

puncturing the flexible substrate with the pin to electrically connect to the conductor of the adjustable leadwire at a connection point; and

severing the adjustable leadwire between the distal end and the connection point.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the clip on the electrode includes a blade, and wherein the step of severing the adjustable leadwire is performed when the clip is attached to the any one of multiple locations on the adjustable leadwire.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the pin is incorporated into the clip such that the step of puncturing the flexible substrate is performed when the clip is attached to the any one of multiple locations on the adjustable leadwire.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising connecting a connector of the connector end of the adjustable leadwire to a receiver associated with an ECG monitor.