Electrical connectors – With insulation other than conductor sheath – Plural-contact coupling part
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-01
2002-02-12
Ta, Tho D. (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With insulation other than conductor sheath
Plural-contact coupling part
C439S909000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06346014
ABSTRACT:
The invention is directed towards a medical connector apparatus. More particularly, this invention is directed towards a medical connector apparatus system that provides a keyed electrode connector or adapter for use in the system.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Sudden cardiac death is the leading cause of death in the United States, with one person dying every two minutes. Most sudden cardiac death is caused by ventricular fibrillation (“VF”), in which the heart's muscle fibers contract without coordination, thereby interrupting normal blood flow to the body. When VF occurs, the patient loses consciousness as a result of the interruption in blood flow. The only known effective treatment for VF is electrical defibrillation, in which an electrical pulse is applied to the patient's heart. The electrical pulse must be delivered within a short time after onset of VF in order for the patient to have any reasonable chance of survival. Electrical defibrillation may also be used to treat shockable ventricular tachycardia (“VT”). Accordingly, defibrillation is the appropriate therapy for any shockable rhythm, i.e., VF or shockable VT. In delivering defibrillation therapy to treat VF or shockable VT, because the cardiac rhythm is disorganized, delivery of therapy is not synchronized to the cardiac rhythm. Defibrillators include manual defibrillators and automatic or semi-automatic defibrillators (AEDs).
Because of the size and complexity, manual defibrillators are typically used only by emergency medical personnel with advanced training in interpreting ECG signals. AEDs on the other hand, may be used by lay persons with minimal training because AEDs are designed to analyze the heart rhythm and to determine the appropriateness of defibrillation therapy for the user. Thus, the user of the AED need only know how to deploy the AED and, in the case of semi-automatic AEDs, activate therapy delivery upon AED instruction.
As the use of AEDs has become increasingly common, it has become important for defibrillators, particularly AEDs, to be able to treat a wide variety of patients using one device. An example, is the ability to treat pediatric patients (defined by the American Heart Association as children 8 years of age or less). See, www.amhrt.org. As new devices are built that take into consideration the need to deliver defibrillation to a wide variety of patients, changes to electrode pad designs will result to accommodate these needs. However, because older AEDs are not configured to accommodate multiple electrode pad configurations, such as pediatric electrode pads, it is important that such new pads are not usable in those devices. Equally important, is the fact that as newer AEDs become increasingly multi-function, they will still operate effectively with previous electrode pad configurations. Therefore, what is needed is a medical connector system that accepts currently manufactured electrodes that are system compatible while also accommodating newly designed electrodes that include additional functionality supported by the defibrillator.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An electrical medical connector or adapter apparatus is provided comprising: a cable-receiving housing having an interior chamber, a semi-cylindrical surface extending into the interior chamber, two housed electrical connectors, a front end having a first aperture for receiving a male cable connector and the cable receiving housing having a keying channel extending out of the interior chamber from the front end, along a portion of the length of the interior chamber. A male cable connector is inserted into the first aperture of the cable-receiving housing, and the male cable connector comprising two electrical conductors electrically connected to the housed electrical connectors. The male cable connector may further comprise a conductive socket electrically connected to each of the two electrical conductors and an expandable tube surrounding each conductive socket, the expandable tubes expanding when the sockets make electrical connection with the housed electrical connectors. A wiping portion may be adapted in the male connector to providing a wiping action to the housed electrical connectors. Further, a semi-cylindrical channel may be formed in the exterior of the male cable connector. In that case, the semi-cylindrical channel adapted to slide over and surround a semi-cylindrical surface of the cable-receiving housing when the cable connector is inserted into the cable-receiving housing. A light covering portion may be provided on the male connector such that the light covering portion is surrounded by semi-cylindrical surface of housing unit when the male cable connector is inserted in the housing unit. The male cable connector may further comprise a keying protrusion along a portion of its length corresponding to the keying channel of the cable-receiving housing.
In another embodiment, a male cable connector is provided comprising: a shell having an interior surface and an exterior surface; two electrical conductors electrically connected to two conductive sockets forming the interior surface of the shell; a semi-cylindrical channel formed in the shell adapted to slide over and surround a semi-cylindrical surface of a housing unit into which the cable connector is inserted to make electrical contact between the cable connector and the housing unit; and a keying protrusion located on the exterior of the shell. The male cable connector may further comprise a wiping portion adapted to providing a wiping action to electrical connectors of a cable-receiving housing into which the male cable connector is inserted to make electrical contact between the cable connector and the housing unit. Alternatively, the male cable connector may further comprise a light covering portion extending over the channel and adapted to cover a light disposed within the channel when the male cable connector is inserted in the housing unit to make electrical contact between the cable connector and the housing unit. These features may co-exist, or exist separately.
In yet another embodiment, a medical connector apparatus is provided comprising: a cable-receiving housing and an electrical medical cable connector, the cable-receiving housing having an interior chamber, the cable-receiving housing forming a semi-cylindrical surface extending into the interior chamber, the cable-receiving housing further forming a keying channel extending out of the interior chamber from the front end of the cable-receiving housing along a portion of the length, the cable-receiving housing further comprising two housed electrical connectors therein, and a front end having an aperture for receiving a male cable connector, wherein the male cable connector comprises, two electrical conductors electrically connected to two conductive sockets within a shell of the male cable connector, wherein each of the conductive electrical sockets of the male cable connector are connected to each of the electrical conductors; and a semi-cylindrical channel formed in the shell adapted to slide over and surround the semi-cylindrical surface of the housing unit when the cable connector is inserted to make electrical contact between the cable connector and the housing unit. The electrical medical connector apparatus may further comprise a wiping portion adapted to providing a wiping action to the housed electrical connectors. The housing unit may be formed from a rigid material and the cable connector may be formed from a pliable material.
In yet another embodiment, an electrical medical connector apparatus is provided comprising: a cable-receiving housing and an electrical medical cable connector, the cable-receiving housing having an interior chamber, the cable-receiving housing forming a semi-cylindrical surface extending into the interior chamber, the cable-receiving housing further forming a keying channel extending of the interior chamber from the front end of the cable-receiving housing along a portion of the length, the cable-receiving housing further comprising two housed electri
Feuersanger Robert
Griesser Hans Patrick
Hauge Patrick L.
Jonsen Eric
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