Electrical connectors – Connector movable between accessible and inaccessible positions
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-22
2002-10-01
Ta, Tho D. (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Connector movable between accessible and inaccessible positions
C439S367000, C439S460000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06457984
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to electrical connector housings and terminals, and more particularly to jackboxes for connecting electrical lines carrying electrical signals relating to physiological parameters.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In recent years, numerous technological advancements have been achieved in the field of patient monitoring. For example, improvements in the process of patient brain wave monitoring continue to be made. Whether for long term monitoring of epilepsy patients, sleep monitoring, routine electroencephalograms (EEGs), or other monitoring, these advancements have improved the quality, accuracy, and speed of diagnoses. However, improvements in the form, size, and weight of the medical equipment used for patient monitoring leave much to be desired. For example, typical neurophysiological monitoring equipment includes a number of depth and/or surface electrodes for sensing electrical signals from the patient's brain and other physiological parameters of the patient, a number of corresponding electrode leads for carrying those signals from the patient, a jackbox, a signal amplifier for amplifying the signals, and a recording device (e.g., a computer) for recording, display, output and/or analysis of the signals. The jackbox acts as a routing box, thereby connecting patient electrophysiological signals via the electrode leads to the amplifier, and is typically a box-shaped device having a port for connection to the amplifier or amplification circuitry (typically by a cable or a connection port) and a series of other ports for connection to the individual electrode leads. In addition, mobile systems can include one or more batteries and related power equipment.
In light of the above-described patient monitoring system, it will be appreciated that a conventional patient monitoring system can include a large number of components, many of which are commonly quite bulky and heavy. Bulky and heavy system components increases system transport and setup, and compromises patient mobility in mobile patient monitoring systems.
Although the size and weight of many devices in patient monitoring systems have been reduced to make setup and transport easier and to facilitate patient mobility, the jackbox in such conventional systems typically remains poorly suited for patient comfort and ease of use. A typical conventional jackbox such as in a neurophysiology patient monitoring system is a box-shaped metal or hard plastic device having a series of externally-exposed sockets on one or more faces. The interior of the jackbox is not accessible to a user, and houses internal wiring connecting the sockets to an externally-exposed cable port or multiple jacks on the jackbox. The jackbox essentially collects all electrical signals and routes them to the cable port or jack(s) for output to the next device (e.g., a signal amplifier or amplification circuitry). The series of externally-exposed sockets on the jackbox receive plugs of the electrical leads running to the patient, while the externally-exposed cable port or jack receives a cable running to a signal amplifier or other signal processing equipment.
This widely used conventional jackbox design has a number of limitations. First, the conventional large and heavy jackboxes are undesirable because they occupy valuable space in patient quarters, increase patient discomfort in applications where the jackbox is worn, and are generally more difficult to transport even if not worn by the patient. Because these factors make conventional jackboxes (and indeed, the entire patient monitoring system) less desirable from a patient's point of view, they can affect the patient's desire to use the system. Especially in more difficult applications such as for longer-term monitoring or where the patient is an infant, child, or is mentally ill, these factors can even determine whether a particular patient monitoring system can be reliably used.
Also, conventional patient monitoring system jackboxes are not well suited to be worn by a patient. The size, weight, design, and hard material of such jackboxes makes them uncomfortable for a patient to wear.
The ability of electrodes to become disconnected from the jackbox readily presents another problem for conventional patient monitoring jackboxes. Because the electrode leads from the patient's body typically run to externally exposed electrical connections (e.g., sockets or pins) on the jackbox (which typically provides no strain relief for the leads or connections), the chances of accidental disconnection at the patient or on the jackbox connection points are significant—especially for mobile or long-term monitoring systems or where the patient is otherwise fairly active. Reliable and accurate monitoring is mission critical because the results of the monitoring can be used to determine the need for and extent of surgery. Accordingly, disconnection of patient electrode leads may ruin monitoring results and require additional subsequent monitoring. Although special connectors can be used to secure the electrode leads to the jackbox (such as screw mounts or side clips for each lead), these connections are often difficult to manipulate, especially for typical applications where a bundle of 30 or more leads must be connected to the jackbox and only a limited number break or disconnect.
As described above, conventional jackboxes typically have external connectors. This exposes the jackbox and lead connections to contaminants such as dirt, dust, and spilled liquid, and increases the possibility of connection corrosion. Such externally exposed connections are also more likely to be bent, broken, or otherwise damaged, thereby resulting in missed, loose or poor connections that may not be detected by the user.
Yet another problem common to most conventional jackboxes relates to the large number of electrode leads typically connected to the jackbox. Many applications call for over 30 electrode leads to be connected. Conventional jackbox designs themselves do not provide any manner or structure by which the electrode leads can be organized and prevented from tangling. Also, because the leads are often connected in relatively tight, ganged, or gathered sets on the exterior of the jackbox, the process of connecting, disconnecting, and changing electrode leads on the jackbox can be difficult. For example, each electrode lead is typically assigned a specific connector on the jackbox. When sets of several connectors are to be connected to corresponding electrode leads, lack of organization can cause switched and improper connections that can generate incorrect monitoring results that may not be detected by the user.
The practice of tightly bundling the connectors on a conventional jackbox can serve the purpose of reducing jackbox size, but at the cost of making jackbox connection and setup difficult. This practice, along with the lack of lead organization in conventional jackboxes, can significantly increase the time needed to set up a patient monitoring system. Attempts continue to be made in such jackbox designs to label the jackbox connectors for making setup easier and more reliable, but only with limited success. The ability to provide large and clear labels or other indicia for closely grouped jackbox connectors and electrode leads remains a problem.
In addition to the problems discussed above with regard to external electrical connections, conventional jackboxes employing such connections are also exposed to electromagnetic interference. Such interference may detrimentally affect monitoring results.
In light of the problems and limitations of the prior art described above, a need exists for an apparatus and method for connecting a plurality of patient monitoring electrodes to associated equipment in which the device used for such connections is small, lightweight, resistant to damage, and comfortable to wear, which provides releasable electrode lead connections that are reliable and are protected from electromagnetic interference, accidental disconnection, d
Jacobs Ernest C.
Milsap Jeffrey P.
Montgomery Anthony R.
Montgomery Peter
Pratt Arthur A.
La Mont, LLC
Michael & Best & Friedrich LLP
Ta Tho D.
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