Electrocardiograph monitoring device and connector
The present invention relates to electrocardiography and to electrode arrangements used in electrocardiographic monitoring devices, and is more particularly related to a pad or patch containing said electrodes which may be used to passively and non-invasively monitor electrical activity generated by a patient's heart from the surface of that patient's chest, and to a connector which allows for fast and simple connection between the pad containing said electrodes and the devices and equipment typically used to monitor and view electrocardiographic information.
1. An EKG patch, comprising:
a base layer; and
four electrodes held in a fixed configuration with respect to said base layer, said four electrodes being capable of receiving an electrical signal generated by the myocardium of a human heart,
wherein said base layer is configured to contact the skin of a human patient and attach thereto,
wherein said four electrodes are also configured to contact the skin of a human patient concurrently with said base layer, and
wherein said four electrodes are arranged in a square configuration and are equidistantly spaced about 5.5 cm apart from one another along the periphery of the square configuration.
2. An EKG patch according to claim 1 , further comprising a cable attachment configured to electrically connect said four electrodes to a single cable.
3. An EKG patch according to claim 1 , wherein dimensions of said EKG patch are within a range of about 5.5 cm×5.5 cm square to 16 cm×16 cm square.
4. An EKG patch according to claim 1 , wherein said base layer comprises an adhesive material on a surface thereof for attaching said EKG patch to a patient.
5. An EKG patch according to claim 1 , wherein said plurality of electrodes comprise a layer of electrode gel thereon.
6. An EKG patch according to claim 1 , wherein said base layer has a shape suitable to facilitate at least one of positioning, attaching and removing said EKG patch from a patient.
7. The EKG patch of claim 1 , wherein said EKG patch is constructed from nonmagnetic materials such that said EKG patch is suitable for use in conjunction with magnetic fields in a MRI system.
8. The EKG patch of claim 1 , wherein said EKG patch comprises perforations to allow at least one of said plurality of electrodes to be ripped apart from a remaining portion of said EKG patch.
9. An EKG patch according to claim 1 , further comprising a second layer coupled to said base layer.
10. An EKG patch according to claim 9 , wherein said second layer comprises an adhesive layer.
11. The EKG patch of claim 1 , wherein the base layer comprises a flexible cloth material capable of conforming to the contours of a human patient.
12. The EKG patch of claim 1 , wherein the base layer is configured to be placed along the midline of the sternum of the human patient approximately 2 to 4 cm below the suprasternal notch.
13. An EKG patch, consisting essentially of:
a base layer comprising a flexible cloth material capable of conforming to the contours of a human patient;
an adhesive layer coupled to said base layer, wherein said adhesive layer is configured to contact the skin of a human patient and attach thereto; and
four electrodes held in a fixed configuration with respect to said base layer, said four electrodes being capable of receiving an electrical signal generated by the myocardium of a human heart,
wherein said four electrodes are also configured to contact the skin of a human patient concurrently with said adhesive layer, and
wherein said four electrodes are arranged in a square configuration and are equidistantly spaced about 5.5 cm apart from one another along the periphery of the square configuration.