Physiological test probe

• US 4,644,956 A
• Filed: 10/15/1984
• Issued: 02/24/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jurgen Morgenstern
• Original Assignee: Jurgen Morgenstern
• Inventors: Morgenstern, Jurgen
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamm, William E.
• Application Number:
  US06/661,236
• Time in Patent Office: 862 Days
• Field of Search: 128/642, 128/639, 128/698, 128/715, 128/736, 128/775, 128/778, 128/785
• US Class Current: 600/376
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14542 for measuring blood gases A61B5/14551 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1464 specially adapted for foetal tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/274 using snap or button fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/288 for foetal cardiography, e.g. scalp electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4362 Assessing foetal parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6882 Anchoring means

Abstract

A physiological test probe, in particular a vaginal electrode for the derivation of the foetal electrocardiogram, adapted to be transcervically fixed by means of points to the skin of the foetal head and attached to an output conductor cable. The probe may be a clip having a pair of planar parallel legs extending from a partially circular spring portion and having inwardly directed punctiform teeth on the free ends thereof, or may be provided with invasive contact points which are obliquely angled forwards from the longitudinal probe axis and ensure a good contact and as little damage as possible inflicted to the skin tissue of the foetal head. This probe is suitable for mounting elements associated with further measuring systems in order to allow remote instrumentally monitored observation of the birth process. The clip legs of one embodiment are mutually elastically connected and terminally provided with teeth so that on relaxation of the spring a skin fold is drawn into the gap between the clip legs and the skin fold is firmly held at a defined contact pressure.

Claims

1. A physiological test probe for transcervical attachment to the headskin of a foetus and provided with a signal cable, said probe comprising:

a pair of legs each of which is formed as a flat strip extending in a straight direction and having mutually opposing parallel surfaces;

a spring bent into the shape of a partially circular ring connected to said legs so that the legs and spring together form a clip;

a junction zone between each leg and the spring, each junction zone being bent with a curvature which is opposite to the curvature of the spring, said junction zones touching each other along a line extending in the direction of the breadth of the gap between the legs in any state of the spring; and

inwardly directed punctiform teeth provided on said legs and spaced apart by a distance which is less than the distance between said legs;

an open position of said legs corresponding to a stressed state of said spring so that said legs move towards each other from the open position when the spring is relaxed and, in use, as the spring is relaxed from its stressed state, a fold of headskin is drawn between said mutually opposed surfaces, said mutually opposed surfaces defining the length and breadth of said fold of skin and the relative distance between said mutually opposed surfaces assuming a predetermined value.

2. A physiological test probe as claimed in claim 1 wherein each clip leg is provided with a force application area.

3. A physiological test probe as claimed in claim 1 and further comprising at least one sensor mounted on the inner surface of one of said legs.

4. A physiological test probe for transcervical attachment to the headskin of a foetus and provided with a signal cable, said probe comprising:

a pair of elastic and invasive contact points;

a spring connected to said pair of contact points so that the contact points are inclined obliquely forwardly with respect to the longitudinal axis of the probe;

plastic sheathing mounted on said spring and providing at least one depth defining end stop, so that, in use, as the stress in the spring is varied between a stressed state and a relaxed state, the spacing between the contact points varies and the contact points remain in a jointly defined common plane, the spacing between the contact points when the spring is in a relaxed state being determined by the spring, and the depth to which the contact points penetrate the headskin being limited by said at least one depth defining end stop;

a measuring element movably mounted in the space between the contact points;

a second spring biasing said measuring element for movement forwardly along the longitudinal axis of the probe; and

means for permitting such forward movement when the stress in the first spring is relaxed from a stressed state, so that, in use, said measuring element is applied to the foetal headskin.

5. A physiological test probe as claimed in claim 4 wherein said spring includes a pair of angled end portions each of which is integral with a respective one of said contact points.

6. A physiological test probe as claimed in claim 4 wherein the probe is provided with a second signal cable terminating at a position spaced from said contact points and providing a reference potential.

7. A physiological test probe as claimed in claim 4 and further comprising an individual conductor cable connected to each of said contact points.