A system and method to help maintain quality control and reduce cannibalization of accessories and attached probes in a highly sensitive patient monitor, such as a pulse oximetry system. One or more attached components may have information elements designed to designate what quality control mechanisms a patient monitor should look to find on that or another component or designate other components with which the one component may properly work. In a further embodiment, such information elements may also include data indicating the appropriate life of the component.

Various methods and devices are provided for detecting a device connection based on a magnetic signature. In one example, a host device includes a connector configured to connect to a medical sensor device, a magnetic detection unit positioned proximate the connector and including a magnetic field generator and one or more magnetic field detectors, and a memory storing instructions executable by a processor to determine a magnitude of a magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generator based on output from the one or more magnetic field detectors and in response to detecting a change in the magnitude of magnetic field that is greater than a threshold change, establish a connection with the medical sensor device.

A system for identifying a location of a device includes a first antenna mounted to a plug. The first antenna surrounds one or more prongs of the plug, and the plug has a memory that stores a device ID. A second antenna receives the device ID from the first antenna when the plug is coupled to a power outlet. A controller uses a communication module to wirelessly transfer the device ID and a power outlet ID to a computer server. The computer server uses the device ID and the power outlet ID to determine the location of the device within a building.

A method of authorizing a limited use intravascular device can include determining if the intravascular device is in communication with a clinical system; determining if the intravascular device is authorized for clinical operation without providing the clinical system access to intravascular device data stored on the intravascular device; and providing an authorization signal to the clinical system. An intravascular device can include a flexible elongate member including a sensing component at a distal portion and a connector at a proximal portion, the connector including: a memory component configured to store a parameter value; a processing component; and a charge storage component configured to power the memory component and/or the processing component; wherein the processing component is configured to determine if the flexible elongate member is authorized for clinical operation using the parameter value without providing the parameter value to a clinical system.

A surgical tool having an inner drive hub coupled to an inner shaft, the inner drive hub having a boss; an outer hub coupled to a hollow outer shaft, the outer drive hub having at least one hole; and a seal having a body and at least one tab; wherein the inner drive hub and the inner shaft are configured for insertion inside the outer hub and the hollow outer shaft such that the boss is positioned distally to the at least one hole; and the seal body is positioned outside of the outer hub and the at least one tab extends through the at least one hole and proximally to the boss to removably couple the inner drive hub and the inner shaft to the outer hub and the hollow outer shaft.

A physiological signal monitoring device includes a sensing member and a transmitter connected to the sensing member and including a circuit board that has electrical contacts, and a connecting port, which includes a socket communicated to the circuit board and a plurality of steel balls. The sensing member is removably inserted into the socket. The steel balls are electrically connected to the electrical contacts and the sensing member for enabling electric connection therebetween. Each of the steel balls is frictionally rotated by the sensing member during insertion of the sensing member into the socket and removal of the sensing member from the socket.

An electrode assembly for patient monitoring and treatment can include an electrode configured to be worn by a patient to provide at least one of monitoring a cardiac function of the patient and delivering a treatment for cardiac arrhythmia to the patient; and a first connector connected to and in communication with the electrode, the first connector including a male connection portion. The male connection portion is configured to engage a second connector to form a mating engagement between the first connector and the second connector. The male connection portion includes at least one orientation aligning feature configured to engage the male connection portion of the first connector with the second connector in a fixed orientation with respect to the second connector to form the mating engagement. The first connector has a flattened profile.

A blood glucose test strip includes a test strip, a blood test area formed on a first end of the test strip, an electrode formed on a second end of the test strip, a data barcode formed on the test strip, and a clock code formed on the test strip. The data barcode may include a plurality of first bars with spaces separating the first bars, each first bar having a width. The clock code may comprise a fixed pattern of second bars with spaces separating the second bars, a width of each second bar set according to the width of at least one of the first bars. The clock code can be used to calibrate the data barcode to compensate for insertion speed and/or moisture content.

Systems, devices and methods for advanced electrode management in neurological monitoring applications include receiving sockets configured to receive connectors having groups of electrodes. The physician is not required to manually map each electrode with its corresponding input channel. Electrodes are coupled to the corresponding input channels in groups through connectors having a unique identification (ID). The system is configured to read the unique ID of each connector and establish its identity. Based on the ID, the system configures itself to automatically correlate or associate each electrode with its corresponding input channel when the connectors are first inserted into the receiving sockets, and again if the connectors are removed and re-inserted into different positions in the receiving sockets, to insure the electrodes are always mapped to the same input channels.

A catheter is disclosed comprising: a connector including a plurality of first contacts and one or more second contacts; a shaft including a plurality of electrodes, each electrode being coupled to a different one of the plurality of first contacts; a memory coupled to at least one of the second contacts, wherein the memory is configured to: store a pinout map identifying an order in which the plurality of electrodes is coupled to the plurality of first contacts; and provide the pinout map to an external device via one or more of the second contacts after the connector is coupled to the external device.