Adjustable probe belt assembly

• US 4,498,480 A
• Filed: 07/01/1983
• Issued: 02/12/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: John L. Mortensen
• Original Assignee: John L. Mortensen
• Inventors: Mortensen, John L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Howell, Kyle L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH, RUTH S
• Application Number:
  US06/510,261
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: 128/639-641, 128/644, 128/783, 128/790-793, 128/798, 128/802, 128/803
• US Class Current: 600/383
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/282 Holders for multiple electrodes for introduction into the body A61B5/287
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 Straps, bands or harnesses

Abstract

An adjustable probe belt assembly is disclosed for quickly hooking up different size patients to an electrocardiograph. The assembly has a weighted strip of material or "probe belt" that fits against a patient'"'"'s chest, wherein the belt carries a set of eccentrically mounted electrodes that can be rotated so that their patient-contacting surfaces can be adjusted to fit the chest size of the particular patient.

The probe belt is preferably made of a disposable or washable material and the electrodes are especially designed so that they can be easily popped out or removed for disposability or cleaning of the belt. The electrodes can then be cleaned and snapped back into a fresh belt, which insures that the entire assembly will be sterile for the next patient'"'"'s use.

Claims

1. An adjustable probe belt assembly for hooking up a patient to an electrocardiograph, said assembly comprising:

(a) a sheet of material having a pocket at each end with a weight inside, wherein said sheet is adapted in length to fit across the chest of a patient with the weights draped over the patient'"'"'s sides and said sheet has a plurality of spaced grommets for housing detachable electrodes;

(b) a plurality of electrodes respectively mounted within said grommets for eccentric rotation therein; and

,

(c) wherein each electrode includes a lower portion on one side of said sheet for contacting the patient'"'"'s skin and an upper portion on the other side of the sheet for adjusting the location of the patient-contacting portion on the patient'"'"'s chest, said electrode'"'"'s lower portion comprising a metal disk with an undersurface for contacting the patient and an eccentrically mounted post that extends perpendicularly from the top surface of the disk toward the grommet in which the electrode is mounted, said post having a channel for removably receiving a stem of said upper electrode portion, said upper portion having a rotator arm on the opposite side of said sheet from said disk, wherein said arm is integral with a stem that fits through a hole in said grommet and into the channel of said post, whereby said electrodes can each be eccentrically rotated through a wide arc by turning their arms to quickly adjust the disks to fit the particular patient'"'"'s chest size.

2. The probe belt of claim 1 wherein the post'"'"'s channel is oval and the stem is complementary shaped so that the stem and post turn together as the rotator arm is turned, and they can be quickly detached from one another.

3. The probe belt assembly of claim 1 wherein the sheet is made of paper and includes a pair of perforated breast cut-outs that can be removed so that the sheet can be slipped under a female patient'"'"'s breasts.

4. The probe belt assembly of claim 1 wherein the stem is hollow and includes a hole at one end for slidably receiving a lead wire from the electrocardiograph.

5. The probe belt assembly of claim 2 wherein the sheet is made of cotton and the grommets are made of metal.

6. The probe belt assembly of claim 2 wherein the rotator arm has a free end that extends from the stem and which is twisted to provide a grip for a user'"'"'s fingers.

7. An adjustable probe belt assembly for hooking up a patient to an electrocardiograph, said assembly comprising:

(a) a sheet of material having a pocket at each end with a weight inside, wherein said sheet is adapted in length to fit across the chest of a patient with the weights draped over the patient'"'"'s sides and said sheet has a plurality of spaced grommets for housing detachable electrodes;

(b) a plurality of electrodes rotatably mounted within said grommets; and

,

(c) means for quickly adjusting the electrodes so that their patient-contacting surfaces can be relocated to fit the size of the particular patient'"'"'s chest so that the electrodes are properly anatomically located for sending proper electrical signals from the patient'"'"'s heart to the electrocardiograph, said adjusting means comprising said electrodes each having a patient-contacting disk on one side of the sheet with an eccentrically mounted post being integral with the disk and extending perpendicularly therefrom toward the grommet in which it is mounted, said electrode having a rotator portion on the other side of said sheet, said rotator portion having a stem detachably extending through the grommet and into a channel in said post, said rotator portion having an arm extending from said stem whereby said disk can be eccentrically rotated through a wide arc to properly locate the electrode anatomically on the patient'"'"'s chest after the sheet is placed on the patient.

8. The probe belt of claim 7 wherein the post'"'"'s channel is oval and the stem is complementary shaped so that the stem and post turn together as the rotator arm is turned, and they can be quickly detached from one another.

9. The probe belt assembly of claim 7 wherein the sheet is made of paper and includes a pair of perforated breast cut-outs that can be removed so that the sheet can be slipped under a female patient'"'"'s breasts.

10. The probe belt assembly of claim 7 wherein the stem is hollow and includes a hole at one end for slidably receiving a lead wire from the electrocardiograph.

11. The probe belt assembly of claim 8 wherein the sheet is made of cotton and the grommets are made of metal.

12. The probe belt assembly of claim 8 wherein the rotator arm has a free end that extends from the stem and which is twisted to provide a grip for a user'"'"'s fingers.

13. An adjustable probe belt assembly for hooking up a patient to an electrocardiograph, said assembly comprising:

(a) a probe belt that is adapted in size and shape to be draped across the patient'"'"'s chest, wherein said belt has a plurality of spaced grommets for housing detachable electrodes;

(b) a plurality of electrodes respectively and rotatably mounted in said grommets; and

,

(c) means for quickly relocating the positions of the electrodes to fit the patient'"'"'s chest after the belt is draped over the patient, said means comprising said electrodes each having a patient-contacting disk on one side of said belt, wherein said disk has an eccentric post extending perpendicularly therefrom toward the grommet in which the electrode is mounted and wherein the disk is connected to an upper rotator portion on the other side of the belt by a stem that fits through the grommet and into a complementary shaped channel in the post, whereby said electrodes can be eccentrically rotated through a wide arc to be placed at the proper anatomical positions on the particular patient'"'"'s chest for properly sending data to the electrocardiograph.

14. The probe belt assembly of claim 13 wherein the diameter of the post is greater than the diameter of a hole in the grommet so that the disk does not slip through the grommet and is pushed against the patient'"'"'s chest when the belt is draped over the patient.

15. An adjustable probe belt assembly for hooking up a patient to an electrocardiograph, said assembly comprising:

(a) a paper sheet having a pocket at each end with a slidably removable weight housed inside, wherein said sheet is adapted in length to fit across the chest of a patient with the weights draped over the patient'"'"'s sides, said sheet has a plurality of spaced grommets for housing detachable electrodes, and said sheet has a pair of perforated breast cut-outs that can be removed so that the sheet can be slipped under a female patient'"'"'s breasts;

(b) a plurality of electrodes respectively mounted within said grommets for eccentric rotation therein; and

(c) wherein each electrode includes a lower portion on one side of said sheet for contacting the patient'"'"'s skin and an upper portion on the other side of the sheet for adjusting the location of the patient-contacting portion on the patient'"'"'s chest, said electrode'"'"'s lower portion comprising a round metal disk with an undersurface for contacting the patient and an eccentrically mounted post that is integral with the disk and extends perpendicularly from the top of it toward the grommet in which the electrode is mounted, said post having a channel for removably receiving a stem of said upper electrode portion, said upper portion having a rotator arm on the opposite side of said sheet from said disk, wherein said arm is integral with a stem that fits through a hole in said grommet and into the channel of said post and said arm has a free end that extends from the stem and which is twisted to provide a grip for a user'"'"'s fingers, and wherein said stem is hollow and includes a hole at one end for slidably receiving a lead wire from the electrocardiograph, whereby said electrodes can each be eccentrically rotated through a wide arc by turning their arms to properly locate the electrodes anatomically on the patient'"'"'s chest after the sheet is placed on the patient.

16. A method of hooking a patient up to an electrocardiograph:

(a) draping a sheet of material over the patient'"'"'s chest, wherein the sheet carries a plurality of eccentrically rotatable electrodes;

(b) draping weighted ends of the sheet over the patient'"'"'s sides to hold the sheet in place; and

,

(c) adjusting the electrodes to fit the size of the particular patient'"'"'s chest by eccentrically rotating the electrodes until their patient-contacting surfaces are in the proper anatomical positions for sending the correct data from the patient'"'"'s heart to the electrocardiograph.