Arrangement for management of lead wires

• US 7,104,801 B1
• Filed: 03/02/2005
• Issued: 09/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Brodnick, Donald E., Zellmer, Marvin J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bradley, P. Austin
• Assistant Examiner(s): TSUKERMAN, LARISA Z
• Application Number:
  US11/070,590
• Publication Number:
  US 20060199400A1
• Time in Patent Office: 559 Days
• Field of Search: 439/528, 439/593, 439/909, 439/594, 439/701, 439/717, 439/502, 439/284, 600/394
• US Class Current: 439/38
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 11/22 End pieces terminating in a spring clip
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 11/30 End pieces held in contact by a magnet
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/12 for medicine and surgery
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/909 Medical use or attached to human body

Abstract

An arrangement for preventing lead wires on a patient monitoring or treatment device from becoming tangled. The arrangement comprises a plurality of electrically conductive lead wires, each having a fixed end and a free end, the fixed end being electrically coupled to the patient monitoring or treatment device. A mating connector is coupled to the free end of each of the plurality of electrically conductive lead wires. Each mating connector is electrically mateable with an electrode and also mateable with another mating connector to attach the free ends of at least two of the plurality of electrically conductive lead wires together. In one embodiment, a mounting member is provided that includes means for releasably connecting the mating connectors to store the mating connectors during periods of non-use.

Claims

1. An arrangement for preventing lead wires used with a patient monitoring or treatment device from becoming tangled, the arrangement comprising:

a plurality of electrically conductive lead wires, each having a fixed end and a free end, the fixed end being configured to be electrically coupled to the patient monitoring or treatment device; and

a mating connector coupled to the free end of each of the plurality of electrically conductive lead wires, each mating connector having an electrically conducting socket for receiving an electrode and an electrically non-conducting post that is mateable with the electrically conducting socket on another of the mating connectors to attach the free ends of at least two of the plurality of electrically conductive lead wires together.

2. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the patient monitoring device is an electrocardiograph machine.

3. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the electronically non-conducting post has substantially the same shape as an electrode post on the electrode.

4. The arrangement of claim 1, further comprising a mounting member that is mateable with the mating connectors to store the mating connectors during periods of non-use.

5. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the mounting member is color-coded according to standard electrode position color codes.

6. An arrangement for preventing lead wires used with a patient monitoring or treatment device from becoming tangled, the arrangement comprising:

a plurality of electrically conductive lead wires, each having a fixed end and a free end, the fixed end being configured to be electrically coupled to the patient monitoring or treatment device;

a magnet coupled to the free end of one of the lead wires, a metal collar coupled to the free end of one or more of the remaining lead wires, wherein the magnet and metal collar passively cohere the free ends of the plurality of lead wires together to prevent tangling during periods of nonuse; and

a mating connector coupled to the free end of each of the plurality of electrically conductive lead wires, each mating connector being electrically mateable with an electrode and also being mateable with another mating connector to attach the free ends of at least two of the plurality of electrically conductive lead wires together.

7. The arrangement of claim 6, wherein the metal collar is formed of steel.

8. An arrangement for preventing lead wires used with a patient monitoring device from becoming tangled, the arrangement comprising:

a plurality of electrically conductive lead wires, each having a fixed end and a free end, the fixed end being configured to be electrically coupled to the patient monitoring or treatment device;

a mating connector coupled to the free end of each of the electrically conductive lead wires, each mating connector being mateable with an electrode; and

a mounting member, the mounting member having means for releasably connecting to each of the mating connectors to store the mating connectors during periods of non-use;

wherein the mounting member comprises a plurality of non-conductive posts, and each mating connector comprises a cavity sized to receive the non-conductive post, to releasably couple the mating connector to the mounting member;

wherein the non-conductive post is received by the cavity in a snap-fit connection.

9. The arrangement of claim 8, wherein the mounting member is disposed on the patient monitoring device.

10. The arrangement of claim 8 wherein the cavity is sized to receive an electrode to permit the electrode to be in electrical communication with the lead wire.

11. An arrangement for preventing lead wires used with a patient monitoring device from becoming tangled, the arrangement comprising:

a plurality of electrically conductive lead wires, each having a fixed end and a free end, the fixed end being configured to be electrically coupled to the patient monitoring or treatment device;

a mating connector coupled to the free end of each of the electrically conductive lead wires, each mating connector being mateable with an electrode; and

a mounting member, the mounting member having means for releasably connecting to each of the mating connectors to store the mating connectors during periods of non-use;

wherein each mating connector comprises a non-conducting post that is mateable with a cavity formed in the mounting member.