Patent Application
20200121211
I am a nurse who worked in the cardiovascular intensive care unit and all of my patients were having heart attacks. One element of the job that was very stressful for me was trying to untangle the EKG lead wires prior to placing the leads on the patient. I spent precious time untangling lead wires in front of a patients having a heart attacks and thought there must be a better way to get these on faster. I have done a Google search for EKG separators and I have seen spool mechanisms and small plastic pieces which separate the wires but these seemed very complicated or too simple.
This is a medical device that is essentially a mostly rectangular box that when closed creates 10 separate chambers to be used to separate the wires of any typical 5 lead or 12 lead EKG/ECG lead wire set to keep them separated and untangled and if stored in the proper way will allow for fast easy proper placement of the EKG/ECG lead wires on an individual. It also serves to keep these wires separated and reduce tangles while not in use. This device is easier to use than the existing devices. Existing devices require the turning a spool mechanism and winding of the woes or small plastic pieces that are used to separate wires but these small devices are often lost and rarely used. This device is larger and more practical than the existing ones that serve a similar purpose.
In the following detailed portion of the present description. The details are explained in the detailed description of the invention section with reference to the example shown in the drawings which include:
This is a medical device that is to be used with a typical 5 lead or 12 lead EKG/ECG lead wire set to keep the wires separated or prevent tangled wires, and when stored in the proper way will allow for fast easy proper placement of the leads on the patient. The device can be slid along the wires to also resolve tangles. It is made of anti-microbial plastic/rubber and is easily removed for cleaning. It can be used in conjunction with either a 5 lead or 12 EKG/ECG wire set including different brands of wire sets. To aid the user, it contains the image of a torso with bones and circles that depict the recommended placement of a 5 lead EKG/ECG on one side's face, and the recommended placement of a 12 lead EKG/ECG on the other side's face. When the device is placed on the patient's chest the image on the device (when placed to reflect the position of the body lying on the bed and the number of leads in use either 5 or 12) will allow the leads to be in close proximity to where they should be secured on the body. When the lead wires are pulled from the box (device), the box easily slides further down the wires and out of the way. The device should be stored snapped onto all the EKG lead wires and slid down as far as it can go or until it catches on the clip of the shortest wire (most EKG/ECG's have a clip to attach to an electrode), so that the wires that attach to the body are in the proper place and ready for use. If stored properly this device prevents tangles and will save time and aid with easy placement of EKG/ECG wires on a body.
This device is primarily a rectangular box shape with a trapezoid shape on one end. It has a hinge and a snap closure mechanism to open and close the device. There are internal dividers on each side of the box which create 10 separate hollow chambers within the device when the device is snapped closed. These chambers are where the wires of and EKG/ECG device are placed when in use. One end of the box is shaped differently than the other to allow visual identification of each side. Also, so that the device is more compatible with most EKG/ECG wire products it can be used with. The material is a semi-flexible plastic/rubber and is light weight. This device has stickers for labeling the inside and outside of the device that allow use with many EKG/ECG wire brands.
Atop the 10 hollow chambers, which run the entire length of the device, starting at the edge of the trapezoid side, are small open keyhole shaped areas on the face of both the top and bottom on each face (2 largest flat sides). These open keyhole areas begin at the edge and extend a short distance to create a small gap down the middle of the top of the hollow chambers that finish in an oval shaped hole. These open keyhole areas allow a wire to be placed into a chamber and emerge from the device after a short distance to leave the remainder of the chamber empty. These keyhole shaped areas allow for quick removal and placement of the longer EKG/ECG lead wires. These open keyhole areas allow the wires to be easily removed from the box but keep them in the proper place for use. Typically the longer lead EKG/ECG wires go on the legs and arms and these wires would not need to run through the whole length of the chamber to exit at the bottom of the device like the other wires. The mechanics of the open keyhole pinch areas are similar to a vacuum cleaners plug wire which can be pinched onto itself for storage. It is also similar to the mechanics of a bangle bracelet. A person would turn the wrist sideways to remove a wide bangle bracelet made of metal; only in this device the compartment is made of flexible plastic/rubber so the lead wires can be pinched or squeezed into each chamber and easily pulled out. Another example would be saloon bar doors that can be pushed through but swing closed.
The primary use of the device is to keep lead wires separated and untangled and it is easier to use than the existing devices which require the turning a spool mechanism and the winding of wires and this device is larger and more practical than the existing small plastic pieces that are used to separate wires currently, because too often these little plastic pieces are either lost or rarely used.
