Method and apparatus for acquiring physiological data

• US 8,311,604 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2011
• Issued: 11/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Rowlandson, Gordon Ian, Peterson, David Thomas, Brodnick, Donald Eugene, Henderson, Robert Edward, Rao, Chepur Sudhakar
• Primary Examiner(s): Cohen, Lee S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cardinal, Erin M
• Application Number:
  US13/172,382
• Publication Number:
  US 20110270064A1
• Time in Patent Office: 503 Days
• Field of Search: 600/372, 600/382, 600/509
• US Class Current: 600/372
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/048 Electrodes characterised by a specific connection between lead and electrode
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0484 Garment electrodes worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0488 Details about the lead
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0492 Patch electrodes A61N1/0412, A61N1/0428 take precedence

Abstract

A method and apparatus for the collection of physiological data from a patient is disclosed herein. An electrode assembly comprises an external label identifying an anatomical location and an electrode identifying circuitry that produces a signal indicative of the anatomical location to which the electrode assembly is to be attached. The electrode assembly transmits both the collected physiological signal and the identification signal to a data monitor for collection and processing physiological data.

Claims

1. An electrode assembly for the collection of physiological data from a patient at a defined anatomical location, the collected physiological data being transmitted to a data monitor, the electrode assembly comprising:

an electrode configured to contact the skin of a patient and collect physiological data from the patient;

electrode identifying circuitry associated with the electrode, the electrode identifying circuitry being passive circuitry that modifies a signal characteristic of a reference signal applied to the electrode identifying circuitry, the modified signal characteristic identifying the defined anatomical location of the electrode to the data monitor.

2. The electrode assembly of claim 1, wherein the signal from the electrode identifying circuitry is indicative of the physical location of the electrode.

3. The electrode assembly of claim 2 wherein the electrode is a disposable electrode.

4. The electrode assembly of claim 1, wherein the modified characteristic is an impedance signal.

5. The electrode assembly of claim 1, wherein the modified characteristic is a phase shift.

6. The electrode assembly of claim 1, wherein the modified characteristic is a frequency shift.

7. The electrode assembly of claim 1, further comprising an electrode indicia that identifies the defined anatomical location on the patient.

8. An electrode assembly for the collection of physiological data from a patient at a defined anatomical location, the collected physiological data being transmitted to a data monitor, the electrode assembly comprising:

an electrode configured to contact the skin of a patient and collect the physiological data from the patient;

electrode identifying circuitry associated with the electrode, the electrode identifying circuitry being passive circuitry that modifies a signal characteristic of the collected physiological data, the modified signal characteristic identifying the defined anatomical location of the electrode to the data monitor; and

an electrode indicia identifying the defined anatomical location on the patient.

9. An electrode assembly configured to secure to and collect physiological data from a patient at a defined anatomical location, the collected physiological data being transmitted from the electrode assembly to a data monitor, the electrode assembly comprising:

an electrode configured to contact the skin of a patient and collect physiological data from the patient;

electrode identifying circuitry comprising passive circuitry that modifies a signal characteristic, the modified signal characteristic identifying the defined anatomical location of the electrode to the data monitor.

10. The electrode assembly of claim 9, wherein the modified characteristic is an impedance signal.

11. The electrode assembly of claim 9, wherein the modified characteristic is a phase shift.

12. The electrode assembly of claim 9, wherein the modified characteristic is a frequency shirt.