EKG Monitor and Cable Management System

Abstract

An EKG monitor and cable management system, including a carrying case type housing, a plurality of retraction reels operably mounted in said housing; and a plurality of EKG leads, each including wires having electrodes disposed at a terminal end, each spooled on one of said reels. The leads deploy and retract in pairs, with the frontal leads retracting as a group of three pairs onto three separate retraction reels. Transport and use of the system is in the same upright orientation, and the front side of the housing is configured to accommodate and secure a Bluetooth enabled and network-connectable tablet computer.

Claims

1. An EKG monitor and cable management system, comprising: a housing configured for carrying and for use in a single upright orientation, said housing having a front side and a rear side, said front side configured to accommodate and secure a tablet computer; a plurality of retraction reels operably mounted in said housing; and a plurality of EKG leads, each including wires having electrodes disposed at a terminal end, each spooled on one of said reels; wherein said leads deploy independently in pairs.

2. The EKG monitor and cable management system of claim 1, wherein each of said leads is independently deployable and retractable in pairs.

3. The EKG monitor and cable management system of claim 2, including upper extremity limb leads paired on a first retraction reel according to the side of the body to which they will connect, three pairs of frontal leads, V1/V2, V3/V4, and V5/V6, spooled in pairs onto second through fourth retraction reels, respectively, and lower extremity limb leads paired on a fifth retraction reel.

4. The EKG monitor and cable management system of claim 3, further including a first reel release button operatively connected to said first retraction reel, a second reel release button operatively connected to said second through fourth retraction reels, and a third reel release button operatively connected to said fifth retraction reel.

5. The EKG monitor and cable management system of claim 4, wherein said reels are spring-actuated pawl-and-ratchet reels.

6. The EKG monitor and cable management system of claim 1, wherein said reels are spring-actuated pawl-and-ratchet reels.

7. The EKG monitor and cable management system of claim 6, wherein each of said reels includes a conductive slip ring electrically connected to a PCB in said housing.

8. The EKG monitor and cable management system of claim 7, wherein said PCB includes a CPU coupled to a wireless transmitter for transmitting EKG data to a mobile device.

9. The EKG monitor and cable management system of claim 8, wherein said front side and said rear side snap together to define a housing interior.

10. The EKG monitor and cable management system of claim 9, wherein said housing is configured with an integral recess for supporting a wireless network connectable mobile device.

11. The EKG monitor and cable management system of claim 9, wherein said CPU can be programmed for individualized patient data to be marked on the EKG for tracking.

12. The EKG monitor and cable management system of claim 11, wherein said housing includes clamps for securing a tablet computer to said front side.

13. The EKG monitor and cable management system of claim 12, wherein said CPU can be programmed for individualized patient data to be marked on the EKG for tracking.

14. The EKG monitor and cable management system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of retraction reels includes: a first reel onto which right and left arm lead wires are wound; a second reel onto which V1 and V2 lead wires are wound; a third reel onto which V3 and V4 lead wires are wound; a fourth reel on which V5 and V6 lead wires are wound; and a fifth, reel onto which right and left leg lead wires are wound.

15. The EKG monitor and cable management system of claim 1, wherein said front side includes an integral recess shaped and sized to accommodate a tablet computer and clamps to secured the computer to said front side and in said recess.

16. The EKG monitor and cable management system of claim 15, wherein said clamps include at least one hook-type swinging fixture clamps.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] FIG. 1 is an upper front right perspective view of an embodiment of the assembled EKG cable management system of the present invention;

[0021] FIG. 2 is an upper front left perspective view showing an alternative embodiment with a upper half of the housing removed to reveal the reeling lead system, PCB, detachable table support, and tablet itself;

[0022] FIG. 3 is an upper left front perspective view showing detail of a portion of the reel system, the particular reels on which are wound wires for the right and left arms and V1-V2;

[0023] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side perspective view of a single reel;

[0024] FIG. 5 is an upper right perspective view showing all 10 leads of the 12-lead system fully extended from the housing in a length at which they might be deployed during use;

[0025] FIG. 6A is an upper front right perspective view showing an alternative embodiment of the EKG cable management system, configured to secure a tablet computer (tablet) to a front side and having cable reels and leads extending from a bottom portion;

[0026] FIG. 6B is the same view with the tablet disposed in a recess; and

[0027] FIG. 6C is the same view showing the tablet secured to the side of the housing with hold-down swing-type fixture clamps.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0028] The EKG cable management system of the present invention, generally denominated 10 herein, enables medical personnel to monitor the electrical activity of a patient's heart using selectively extended and retracted lead wires. The assembly ensures high quality electrically conductive paths for electrode signals while minimizing device unwieldiness and patient discomfort.

[0029] The cable management system in its most essential aspect includes a housing 12, preferably a two-piece snap-together clamshell housing having a base portion 14 and an upper portion 16. Rotatingly mounted on an axle 18, or several coaxially aligned axles journaled in brackets 20 disposed in the base portion, are a plurality of spring-biased spools or reels 22. Rotation of the reels is controlled by a pawl and ratchet assembly, described more fully below, and includes a leftmost (first) reel 22a onto which RA/LA (right and left arm) lead wires 24a, 24b, are wound; a second reel 22b onto which V1 and V2 lead wires 24c, 24d, are wound; a third reel 22c onto which V3 and V4 lead wires 24e, 24f, are wound; a fourth reel 22d on which V5 and V6 lead wires 24g, 24h, are wound; and a fifth, rightmost reel 22e onto which RL/LL (right and left leg) lead wires 24i, 24j, are wound. Each wire includes a terminal electrode 26a-j disposed on the terminal/outer ends of the respective wires. Those with skill will understand that V1 is the lead for the fourth intercostal space on the right sternum; V2 is the lead for placement at the fourth intercostal space at the left sternum; V3 is the lead for placement midway between V2 and V4; V4 is the lead for placement at the fifth intercostal space at the midclavicular line; V5 is the lead for placement at the anterior axillary line at the same level as V4; and V6 is the lead for placement at the mid-axillary line at the same level as V4 and V5.

[0030] Each extremity reel 22a, 22e and the frontal lead reels 22b, 22c, 22d, enable selective deployment/extension of the lead wires in pairs when in an unlocked position for deployment, which may be a default setting or accomplished by pushing a reel release button 28, 30, 32, respectively. The reel release buttons are pivotally mounted above their respective reels and include or otherwise engage a pawl 34 that bears against ratchet gear teeth 36 on a reel gear plate 38 on each reel. [See esp. FIG. 3 for illustration.] The reels pay out individually as the paired sets of the respective lead wires are pulled, and each pair can thus be deployed independently of the others. They are, conversely, urged back (i.e., to retract the lead wires) with a spiral torsion spring 40 brought into increased tension during wire lead pay out, in a manner well-known in the art.

[0031] As is thus seen, the reels may be configured with a release button for the paired extremity leads and for the three frontal lead pairs, including paired RA/LA, paired RL/LL, and a cluster of three pairs for the frontal leads, V1/V2, V3/V4, V5/V6. Thus, pushing the RA/LA reel release button 28 retracts the RA/LA leads, 24a, 24b; pushing the V1-V6 reel release button 30 retracts frontal V1 through V6 leads, 24c-24h; and pushing the RL/LL reel release button 32 retracts the RL/LL leads 24i, 24j.

[0032] Electrical signal paths are maintained through a conductive slip ring 42 disposed on each reel, which is, in turn, electrically coupled by wires 44 to a printed circuit board 46 having a CPU. The CPU is connected to a wireless transmitter on or proximate the PCB and operating under any of a number of wireless LAN (short range voice and data communications) standards, including, e.g., Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11b/g/n/ac) or Bluetooth (IEEE 802.15). The CPU is selectively wirelessly connected to a connectable portable electronic device 48, such as a tablet or a smartphone or other mobile device with a mobile operating system, which may be held or mounted and supported on a tablet support 50 attached to the system housing and to which the EKG data may be transmitted.

[0033] In embodiments, dimensions of the EKG housing are such as to facilitate portability and transportability. For instance, the housing preferably has a maximum height h at its back side of approximately 6.3 inches, or within a range of approximately 5.5-7.0 inches, and width w of approximately 14.5 inches, or within a useful range of 12.0-16.0 inches, and a depth d of approximately 12.0 inches, or within a useful range of approximately 10.0-14.0 inches. To achieve optimal portability, dimensions at the lower end of the ranges are contemplated.

[0034] Referring now to FIGS. 6A-6C, in other embodiments, the inventive EKG monitor and cable management system is configured to remain in an singular, upright orientation when transported and when in use. In this carrying case configuration 110 system components, though positioned on and in the housing 112 so as to enable the upright operation, are essentially both functionally and structurally identical to those in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-5, and thus bear reference numbers promoted by 100, viz., 110-148 (with interior elements and components concealed and not shown in these views). However, it should be noted that the base portion 14 of the housing 12 in the earlier embodiment is configured as a back side 114, and the upper portion 16 in the earlier embodiment is configured as a front side 116. The lower front and back sides converge and join at a planar base portion 150 suitable for placement atop a flat surface.

[0035] Moreover, the front portion is configured with an integral well or recess 152 shaped and sized to accommodate a typical tablet computer TC with a ten (10) inch screen (generally approximately 9-10 inches in height by 7 inches in width). The tablet may be secured using one or two hook-type swinging fixture clamps 154 and coupled to the EKG CPU and communications electronics at a USB port 156 via a USB cable 158. On/off indicator light 162a/162b shows when the system is not in use 162a (FIG. 6A) and when operating and taking an EKG reading 162b (FIGS. 6B-6C).

[0036] Finally, this embodiment is provided with a carrying handle 160 integral with the front portion. The reel release buttons 128, 130, 132, may be disposed and displayed on either the front side or the rear side, the former in these views.

[0037] In this way there is provided a novel and improved EKG monitor and EKG cable management system that achieves all of the objects and advantages set forth above.

[0038] The above disclosure is sufficient to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to practice the invention. While this is a full and complete disclosure of the preferred embodiments of this invention, it does not limit the invention to the exact construction, dimensional relationships, and operation shown and described. Various modifications, alternative constructions, changes, and equivalents will readily occur to those skilled in the art and may be employed, as suitable, without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention. Such changes might involve alternative materials, components, structural arrangements, sizes, shapes, forms, functions, operational features, or the like.

[0039] Therefore, the above description and illustrations should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention, which is defined by the appended claims