OPTICALLY ISOLATED ELECTRO-MEDICAL DEVICE

• US 3,742,947 A
• Filed: 08/26/1971
• Issued: 07/03/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Warner-Lambert Company (Pfizer Inc.)
• Original Assignee: James F. Hashem
• Inventors: Hashem, James F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamm, William E.
• Application Number:
  US05/175,121
• Time in Patent Office: 677 Days
• Field of Search: 128/2.6R,2.1A,2.1P,2.1R 250/199 310/9.8 307/311,92 321/2
• US Class Current: 600/508
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/301 providing electrical separation, e.g. by using isolating transformers or optocouplers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/308 for electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/087 with IC amplifier blocks H03F3/085 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/908 Patient protection from electric shock

Abstract

An optically isolated electro-medical device. An electronic device is disclosed that is used for monitoring physiological functions of a patient. The device is electrically connected to the patient and establishes electrical isolation from other patient-connected circuitry by optical coupling. The isolation substantially reduces the hazards of electrocuting a hospitalized, bed-ridden patient who may be connected to several different pieces of electro-medical equipment simultaneously. In an illustrative embodiment, the optical coupling includes a light-emitting diode in operative connection with a light-sensing transistor (photo-transistor) and is arranged to minitor the EKG of a patient.

Claims

1. In improved medical-electronic equipment used for monitoring a physilogical function of a patient, said equipment being capable of simultaneous use with a plurality of other electrical apparatus, said equipment including an electronic amplifier and terminal means for conductively connecting the body of said patient to the input of said amplifier, the improvement comprising:

optical coupling means comprising a light-emitting diode in operative connection with a photo-transistor for electrically isolating the output signal of said amplifier from said plurality of other electrical apparatus and for linearly coupling said output signal to at least one of said plurality of other electrical apparatus, first power supply means for supplying power to said equipment, and second power supply means for supplying power in a continuous fashion and without being recharged to both said at least one of said plurality of other appaRatus and said first power supply means and means electrically isolating the power generated from said first power supply means from the power generated from said second power supply means.