Part of an electrical connecting device

• US 7,856,977 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2007
• Issued: 12/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ODU GmbH & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: ODU Steckverbindungssysteme GmbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: Jacobi, Wolfgang
• Primary Examiner(s): Caschera; Antonio A
• Application Number:
  US11/680,364
• Publication Number:
  US 20070208451A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,399 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 128/202.27
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00 Surgical instruments, devices or methods, e.g. tourniquets A61B18/00 takes precedence; contraceptive devices, pessaries, or applicators therefor A61F6/00; eye surgery A61F9/007; ear surgery A61F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0803 Counting the number of times an instrument is used
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0814 Preventing re-use
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/28 Devices for testing the effectiveness or completeness of sterilisation, e.g. indicators which change colour apparatus involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M1/34; methods involving enzymes or microorganisms C12Q1/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/14 Means for controlling sterilisation processes, data processing, presentation and storage means, e.g. sensors, controllers, programs
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/24 Medical instruments, e.g. endoscopes, catheters, sharps
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/465 Identification means, e.g. labels, tags, markings H01R9/2475, H01R9/2683 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/12 for medicine and surgery

Abstract

Part of an electrical connecting device, especially for use in medical technology, with a display device to display an effect on the part resulting from a preparatory step for the use of the part, whereby the display device has a visible field whose colored appearance changes at least in sections as a reaction to the effect resulting from the preparatory measure.

Claims

1. An electrical connecting device comprising:

a display device to display an effect on the device resulting from a preparatory operation to use the device, the display to include a visible field whose colored appearance changes at least in sections as a reaction to the effect resulting from the preparatory operation;

wherein the colored appearance changes include the colored appearance changing from a first state to a second state, wherein a difference in the first and second states is discernible by a human viewer when the effect exceeds a predetermined degree;

wherein the predetermined degree is at least partially determined by a number of prior preparatory operations; and

wherein the number of prior preparatory operations is a predetermined maximum number of prior preparatory operations after which the proper functioning of the device is no longer ensured.

2. The electrical connecting device of claim 1 wherein different colors appear in the first and second states.

3. The electrical connecting device of claim 1 wherein different gray levels appear in the first and the second states.

4. The electrical connecting device of claim 1 wherein the predetermined degree is at least partially determined by a maximum intensity and/or an overall dose of the effect of one or a plurality of prior preparatory operations.

5. The electrical connecting device of claim 1 wherein the maximum number is selected from the group consisting of 1, 50, 100, 200 or 500.

6. The electrical connecting device of claim 1 wherein the visible change from the colored appearance of the first state to the second state occurs suddenly, and the number of prior preparatory operations is equal to a threshold number of prior preparatory operations, the threshold number selected from a range of numbers between 80% of a predetermined maximum number of preparatory operations and 100% of the predetermined maximum number.

7. The electrical connecting device of claim 6 wherein the threshold number is selected from a range of numbers between 90% and 100% of the maximum number.

8. The electrical connecting device of claim 1 wherein the display device has a reference display, and the appearance of the reference display does not change under the effect and is at least partially in the first and/or second state.

9. The electrical connecting device of claim 1 wherein the display device has a scale display with an appearance that does not change under the effect, and the scale display can be compared by the human viewer with a current colored appearance of the visible field or section of the visible field to determine a degree an existing change differs from the colored appearance of the first state, and/or an amount of change that occurs before reaching the second state.

10. The electrical connecting device of claim 1 wherein the visible change from the colored appearance of the first state to the second state occurs suddenly, when an effect threshold is exceeded.

11. The electrical connecting device of claim 1 wherein the electrical connector is selected from a group consisting of a plug , a socket, or a cable.

12. The electrical connecting device of claim 1 wherein the preparatory operation is a selected one from the group consisting of cleaning, sterilization and autoclaving.

13. The electrical connecting device of claim 1 wherein the display device includes a substance that changes color in response to a selected one of temperature change, heat, pressure change, increased pressure, and moisture.

14. The electrical connecting device of claim 1 wherein the device is made at least partially of plastic and a substance is added to the plastic whose colored appearance changes as a reaction to an effect that results from the preparatory operation.