Patent Application
20180211508
The invention relates to electrical safety analyzers, and more particularly, to an electrical safety analyzer notifying a user of the results of an electrical safety test.
An electrical safety analyzer is used to determine if a product is electrically safe.
Embodiments of the present application comprise devices, methods, and systems where an electrical safety analyzer may comprise: a transparent outer casing; at least one light emitting diode (LED) disposed within the transparent outer casing; a processor and addressable memory, wherein the processor is configured to: run one or more tests for electrical safety; determine a pass or fail condition for each test of the one or more tests; and illuminate the at least one LED based on the determined condition, wherein an illumination of the at least one LED illuminates the transparent outer casing. In one embodiment, the at least one LED illuminates the transparent outer casing in a red color if at least one of the one or more tests has failed, the at least one LED illuminates the transparent outer casing in a green color if none one of the one or more tests has failed, or the at least one LED illuminates the transparent outer casing in an orange color if at least one of the one or more tests approaches a threshold close to failing.
In another embodiment, the at least one LED illuminates the transparent outer casing after each test of the one of the one or more tests. Additionally, the illumination is green if the test has passed and illumination is red if the test has failed where the illumination color is based on a measurement of each test.
In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to connect to an external device to display a color indicating the result of the one or more tests where the external device is at least one of: a smartphone and a tablet, and wherein a screen of the external device displays a green color for a test pass and a red color for a test failure.
In some other embodiments, the electrical safety analyzer further comprises a speaker, wherein the processor is further configured to emit one or more tones based on at least one of: a measurement in the one or more tests, a test failure, and a test pass.
A method embodiment may comprise: running, by a device comprising a processor and addressable memory, one or more tests for electrical safety; determining, by the processor, a pass or fail condition for each test of the one or more tests; and illuminating, by the processor in communication with at least one LED, the at least one LED based on the determined condition, wherein an illumination of the at least one LED illuminates a transparent outer casing. In one embodiment, the LED illuminates the transparent outer casing in at least one of: a red color if at least one of the one or more tests has failed, a green color if none one of the one or more tests has failed, and an orange color if at least one of the one or more tests approaches a threshold close to failing.
The method embodiment may further comprise illuminating by the processor in communication with at least one LED, the at least one LED after each test of the one of the one or more tests and additionally, transmitting, by the processor in communication with a transceiver, the pass or fail condition of each test; receiving, by a user device comprising a processor with addressable memory in communication with a transceiver, the pass or fail condition of each test, and displaying, by a processor of the user device in communication with a display, the received pass or fail condition of each test.
A system embodiment may comprise: an electrical safety analyzer comprising: an outer casing; and an accelerometer in communication with a processor and addressable memory, wherein the processor is configured to: run one or more tests for electrical safety; receive a signal from the accelerometer detecting a movement of the electrical safety analyzer; and determine if the received signal indicates that the electrical safety analyzer has been dropped.
In some embodiments, the electrical safety analyzer further comprises one or more relays in communication with the processor, and wherein processor is further configured to: turn off the one or more relays if the processor determines that the electrical safety analyzer has been dropped; and stop running the one or more tests for electrical safety if the processor determines that the electrical safety analyzer has been dropped.
Additionally, the electrical safety analyzer further comprises a display in communication with the processor, and wherein processor is further configured to: prompt a user, via the display, to resume the one or more tests; turn on the one or more relays if the user resumes the one or more tests; and run the one or more tests for electrical safety if the user resumes the one or more tests, where the processor is further configured to: determine a pass or fail condition for each test.
In some embodiments, the system further comprises a user device comprising: a processor having addressable memory; a display in communication with the processor; wherein the processor is configured to: receive the pass or fail condition for each test; store the pass or fail condition for each test; and display, via the display, the pass or fail condition for each test to a user, where the electrical safety analyzer further comprise: at least one light emitting diode (LED) disposed within the outer casing; and an outer casing, wherein at least a portion of the outer casing is transparent. Additionally, the processor may be further configured to: illuminate the at least one LED if at least one of the one or more tests has failed, wherein an illumination of the at least one LED illuminates the transparent outer casing.
Embodiments are illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings, which may not be drawn to scale, and in which:
An electrical safety analyzer is disclosed that allows for generating sensory outputs, such as visual and/or auditory signals, indicating the result of one or more tests for electrical safety. The electrical safety analyzer embodiment may include a transparent outer casing and at least one light emitting diode (LED) disposed within the transparent outer casing, and the electrical safety analyzer may comprise a processor. The processor may have an addressable memory and may run one or more tests for electrical safety, determine a pass or fail condition for each test, and illuminate the at least one LED if at least one of the tests failed. The illuminated LED illuminates the transparent outer casing with, or in, the same color as the LED. This illumination may provide a visual reference, e.g., a green light for all tests passed and a red light for any test failures, to a user of the electrical safety analyzer, irrespective of their relative distance to the device.
In some embodiments, the LED may illuminate after each test in addition to a final illumination at the conclusion of testing. The LED may also be used to indicate, e.g., via a range of colors such as orange, if any of the test values were within a threshold approaching failure so that corrective action may be taken. The electrical safety analyzer may wirelessly communicate, via a wireless communication channel, e.g., via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, with an external computing device such as a smartphone or tablet. The smartphone or tablet may display a green color for a test pass or a red color for a test failure associated with the safety analyzer. The electrical safety analyzer may also include a speaker, which may emit one or more tones based on a measurement in the tests, a test failure, and/or a test pass.
The electrical safety analyzer 100 may be capable of running a plurality of safety tests on the device 102 to be tested. Each device 102 to be tested may have a different profile, where the profile is a set of tests to be run on a particular device and the corresponding pass or fail criteria for each test. The kind, type, and criteria for each device may also differ based on the area of use. Devices in operating rooms may have different tests and corresponding pass or fail criteria than devices that are not located in patient areas. The electrical safety analyzer 100 may be equipped to perform each safety test individually or to perform a number of tests sequentially.
In the event of a test failure, the user 112 may not be in a location to see the display 106 of the electrical safety analyzer 100. Further, the instance of test failures may be exceedingly rare in many circumstances, e.g., less than one test failure for a device per thousand devices tested. As test failures are rare, tests may be monotonous, and the user 112 is often distal from the electrical safety analyzer 100, accordingly, there is a strong risk of the user 112 not noticing that a test failure has occurred and allowing for corrective action. The impact of not noticing a test failure could be severe for a device in contact with a patient.
The disclosed electrical safety analyzer 100 clearly notifies the user 112 of a test failure so as to prevent any test failures from going unnoticed. The disclosed electrical safety analyzer 100 may include one or more LEDs that illuminate a transparent outer casing 108. At the conclusion of the safety tests, the transparent outer casing 108 may glow red if any safety tests failed for the device 102. The user 112 is able to easily see, even from a distal location, that a test has failed and is unlikely to accidentally ignore this result. The transparent outer casing 108 may also glow green at the end of testing if none of the tests failed. The transparent outer casing 108 may glow a different color, e.g., orange, if all of the tests passed, but some values recorded during the test approached a threshold indicating that corrective action should be taken. Illumination of the transparent outer casing 108 by the one or more LEDS may be after each test and/or at the conclusion of all of the tests on the device 102 being tested. In one embodiment, the electrical safety analyzer 100 device may stay lit until a user reviews and takes an affirmative action, e.g., corrective action, to ensure the test results have been viewed.
The electrical safety analyzer 100 may also include a speaker 116. The speaker 116 may transmit a tone that corresponds to a test measurement, a test pass, and/or a test fail. The speaker 116 may transmit multiple tones to indicate a test measurement, e.g., four beeps to indicate a reading of 400 milliohms. In some embodiments, the transparent outer casing 108 may glow a color in coordination with tones from the speaker 116. The color of the LED illuminating the transparent outer casing may also vary based on the measurement. For example, at a measurement of 400 milliohms, the transparent outer casing 108 may flash four times in a green color. At a measurement of 500 milliohms, the outer casing 108 may flash five times in a red color.
The electrical safety analyzer 100 may wirelessly connect, e.g., via Bluetooth or WiFi, to a user device 118 such as a smartphone or tablet. The user device 118 may display a single color on a screen of the user device 118 based on the test results. The screen 120 may display a green color for a passed test and a red color for a failed test. An application may be downloaded on the user device 118 to facilitate this functionality and/or record test results for later viewing and/or transfer to another device.
In some embodiments, a second user device 122 may also wirelessly connect, e.g., via Bluetooth or WiFi, to the user device 118 or the electrical safety analyzer 100. If a test fails, the second user device 118 may be notified, e.g., via a push notification, email, color displayed on a screen 124, etc. The second user device 122 may be a smartphone, tablet, laptop, computer, etc. The second user device 122 may be accessed by a supervisor or other individual to ensure that any test failures are noted so that any affected device 102 may be taken out of service, repaired, etc. The second user device 118 may receive test results in real-time, or near real-time in order to take corrective measures, e.g., so that a failed device 102 is not used on a patient. The second user device 118 may also be used to access prior tests by the electrical safety analyzer 100. These prior tests may be used to provide historical data and determine whether a device 102 is nearing a fail condition and whether repairs should be made to the device 102 prior to a test failure.
“Applied parts” testing involves testing any part of a medical device that may be designed to come into contact with a patient. The electrical safety analyzer 100 may automatically recognize when “applied parts” testing begins while performing an automatic series of tests. In a manual mode, where the user 112 selects each test, the electrical safety analyzer 100 may recognize that the selected test is an “applied parts” test. During “applied parts” testing, the electrical safety analyzer 100 may apply a voltage to electrocardiogram (ECG) snaps/electrodes via lead wires 114 for testing potential harmful currents through the parts of the device 102 that are “applied” directly to patients. The user 112 may receive a relatively harmless, yet annoying, shock if he or she were to touch the ECG connections during this “applied parts” testing.
To avoid the risk of this shock, the electrical safety analyzer 100 may emit an alarm tone via the speaker 116 during the duration of the “applied parts” testing. The electrical safety analyzer may also illuminate the one or more LEDs that illuminate the transparent outer casing 108 at a set frequency and/or color. For example, during “applied parts” testing, the device may flash at an orange color at a rate of four times faster flashing frequency and/or emit an audible alert testing tone at a four times faster frequency. These indications will make it clear to the user 112 that “applied parts” testing is ongoing and that he or she should not attempt to touch the ECG connections until the indications have ceased and this testing is complete. These light and sound indications may vary from other indications noting that a test has failed, that a test is complete, etc.
The color, intensity, and/or number of flashes of light illuminating the outer casing 108 may visually inform a user as to whether the safety tests passed or failed. This clear visual feedback signals the user and prevents a test failure from being unnoticed. One embodiment may comprise a plurality of LEDs disposed inside and placed at specific locations so as to ensure visibility from any and all different angles.
The electrical safety analyzer may also include one or more mounts 200. The mounts 200 may provide a way to detachably attach the electrical safety analyzer to common items, such as shelves, tables, medical equipment, etc. In one embodiment, the mount 200 may be a 1/4-20 screw thread for receiving a clamp with a corresponding 1/2-20 screw thereon. The electrical safety analyzer 100 may be mounted to a shelf that holds one or more medical devices to be tested so that the electrical safety analyzer 100 is easy to access and prevents damage to the electrical safety analyzer 100, e.g., by the electrical safety analyzer 100 falling off of a shelf to which it is not otherwise attached.
The user interface may contain one or more buttons or screens to allow a user to run electrical safety tests and view results. A manual/auto mode button 208 may allow the user to switch between manual and automatic modes for the electrical safety analyzer 100. The user may be able to store a plurality of automated testing modes that may be run on a plurality of devices to be tested. The user may select, for example, a Ground Resistance, Earth and Enclosure/Chassis Leakage, or Applied Parts Leakage automated test to be performed by the electrical safety analyzer 100 on a device to be tested. The user may also modify the limits in these automated tests, which may affect whether the device to be tested passes or fails the test. A setup button 210 may allow the user to setup the various tests and make adjustments to their criteria. A simulator mode button 212 may enable a simulator mode for the electrical safety analyzer 212.
Once the mode is selected, e.g., manual, auto, simulated, etc., the user may start the test with an enter/start button 214. The user may use an up arrow button 216, a down arrows button 218, and the enter/start button 214 to navigate one or more user interface screens on the display 106. The display 106 may also display the results of the tests, e.g., P indicating pass and F indicating fail next to each test run. The user may also use the user interface screens to see the specific results of each test to determine whether a device may need maintenance or repair in the future.
The electrical safety analyzer 100 may be connected to a power source via an input power connector 220. The electrical safety analyzer 100 may also have an auxiliary power source, e.g., a plurality of batteries, to maintain power to the display 106 and other electronics while moving between rooms to test different pieces of equipment. The auxiliary power source may be used to run tests in simulator mode, but the input power connector 220 may be needed for certain tests.
A power cord 222 for the device to be tested may be connected to a power outlet of a device under test (DUT) on the electrical safety analyzer 100. A plurality of electrocardiograph (ECG) connectors may be connected to ECG snaps 108 disposed on the electrical safety analyzer 100. The ECG snaps 108 may be color coded, e.g., to ease in connecting to plugs from an ECG cart. Test leads 224, 226 may also be connected to the electrical safety analyzer 100.
A handle 226 may be attached to the electrical safety analyzer 100 to provide ease in transport between rooms where devices may need to be tested. The electrical safety analyzer 100 may provide a small form factor so as to allow the electrical safety analyzer 100 to be easily transported between devices to be tested. In some embodiments, a clamp (not shown) or other device may be used to detachably attach the electrical safety analyzer 100 to a shelf, table, camera mount, etc. to secure the electrical safety analyzer 100 during testing.
In some aspects of the present embodiments, an audible tone may also accompany the red LED for at least one failed test. The red LED may remain illuminated once the test is complete and until a user acknowledges the test failure, e.g., via a user interface. This illumination informs the user running the tests with the electrical safety analyzer as to whether or not there were any of the test failures regardless of where the user is located in the room performing the test. The user may navigate the user interface and display to determine which test failed and the results that led to the test failure. In some embodiments, the green LED or red LED may illuminate after each test to indicate whether that particular test in the sequence passed or failed. The green LED or red LED may then illuminate after all of the tests have been run to indicate if there were any failures, e.g., a red LED, or if all the tests passed, e.g., green LED.
Acceleration, but not a drop, may be detected if the electrical safety detector is bumped, moved, picked up by a user, etc. The processor of the electrical safety analyzer may analyze the acceleration provided by the accelerometer to determine if it fits a profile of being dropped. If the processor determines that the electrical safety analyzer is dropped, it turns off one or more relays in the electrical safety analyzer (step 408). Turning off the relays and/or other electrical circuits prevents damage to the electrical components of the electrical safety analyzer if the electrical safety analyzer sustains an impact from being dropped.
Due to the small form factor of the electrical safety analyzer, the locations of devices to be tested, and user comfort, the electrical safety analyzer may be susceptible to falls from a height of three feet or more. By determining whether an acceleration is a drop, the processor may act to prevent damage to the electrical safety analyzer.
Once the relays have been turned off, a user prompt may be displayed on the device (step 410). The user prompt may inform the user, e.g., via a display, that the test has been aborted and/or that a drop has been detected. The user may then reposition the electrical safety analyzer and either begin the testing process over or continue testing from before it was stopped (step 402).
The display 106 may provide a user interface for a user to select a mode, view test results, etc. The memory 502 may store one or more stored modes to perform automatic tests, which may be created or modified by a user. The one or more LEDs 504 may include two or more green and red LEDs to provide illuminate of a case of the electrical safety analyzer 100 to indicate whether a series of tests passed or failed to a user. The speaker 116 may provide an audible tone upon failure of one or more tests in conjunction with the LED 504 illumination. The speaker 116 may also provide a tone in response to user input in a user interface, a completion if each test in a series of tests, etc.
The transceiver 506 may receive data 516 from a device being tested 102, send data 518 to the device to be tested, receive data 520 from the user device 118, and/or send data 522 to the user device 118. In some embodiments, the transceiver 506 may be a receiver and/or a transmitter. The transceiver 506 may use WiFi, Bluetooth, etc. The power supply 508 may use AC or DC power. In some embodiments, the power supply 508 may be connected to an outlet to power the electrical safety analyzer 100. In other embodiments, the power supply may be a battery pack to provide power to the electrical safety analyzer 100.
The electrical safety analyzer 100 may include an auxiliary battery 510, e.g., two or more AA batteries, to maintain power to the display 106 and other electrical components between tests and as the electrical safety analyzer is moved between testing locations. The auxiliary battery may not be sufficient to run certain tests, but may be able to run test in simulated mode.
An accelerometer 512 may constantly sense whether an acceleration is detected during a test. If acceleration is detected, the processor 500 determines whether the sensed acceleration matches a drop profile. If the acceleration matches a drop profile, then the processor turns off one or more relays 514 and/or other electrical components of the electrical safety analyzer 100. Accordingly, the electrical safety analyzer 100 is less likely to sustain damage to electronics during a fall with the relays 514 or other electrical components turned off and the lifespan of the electrical safety analyzer 100 is increased. If the processor 500 determines that the acceleration does not meet a drop profile, e.g., due to a nudge, controlled movement by a user, etc., then the tests may continue and the relays 514 or other electrical components are not turned off.
The device being tested 102 may include a processor 524, a display 526 in communication with the processor, and addressable memory 528 in communication with the processor 524. For example, the device to be tested 102 may be a medical device, such as an ECG cart.
The user device 118 may include a processor 530, a display 120 in communication with the processor 530, an addressable memory 523 in communication with the processor 530, and a transceiver 534 in communication with the processor 530. The user device 118 may be a smartphone, tablet, or computer. The user device 118 may run an application or access a web-based application that receives information relating to tests being conducted on the electrical safety analyzer. The application may allow a user to store test results, modify limits on tests, set up one or more stored automated testing modes, initiate testing, pause testing, etc.
It is contemplated that various combinations and/or sub-combinations of the specific features and aspects of the above embodiments may be made and still fall within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that various features and aspects of the disclosed embodiments may be combined with or substituted for one another in order to form varying modes of the disclosed invention. Further it is intended that the scope of the present invention herein disclosed by way of examples should not be limited by the particular disclosed embodiments described above.
This application claims priority to and benefit of Provisional Patent Application No. 62/448,931 filed Jan. 20, 2017, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62448931 | Jan 2017 | US |
