Apparatus and method of monitoring the electrical activity of the heart of a human with armpit located electrodes

Claim 5

Apparatus for monitoring the electrical activity of the heart of a human under one of a variety of conditions including self-monitoring under emergency conditions, said apparatus comprising: housing means for enabling the same to be easily and conveniently carried by a human operator, a pair of separate electrode bodies, said electrode bodies having exterior surface means for enabling said bodies to be easily positioned in the armpits of a human to be monitored and to be conveniently and comfortably self-retained in such position solely by the human by engagement between the adjacent arm portions and torso in the armpit areas, an elongated flexible lead element extending between each electrode body and said housing means, electrical conductor means operable when said electrode bodies are positioned and retained in the armpits of a human as aforesaid, for establishing an electrical circuit within said housing means which extends therefrom through said lead elements and through said electrode bodies to the exterior surface means thereof and between the latter through the torso of the human through which the electric impulses within the torso of the human which trigger the heartbeats of the human are reliably conducted from the torso to said housing means, and battery operated electric circuit means carried by said housing means operable in response to the conducting of said electrical impulses through the aforesaid eleCtrical circuit by said electrical conductor means to said housing means to amplify said electrical impulses and substantially suppress other electrical signals, such as artifact and the like, which may be conducted in said circuit, and to reliably produce output indications representative of the electrical impulses of the heart of the human.

Claim 6

Apparatus for monitoring the electrical activity of the heart of a human under one of a variety of conditions including self-monitoring under emergency conditions, said apparatus comprising: housing means for enabling the same to be easily and conveniently carried by a human operator, a pair of separate electrode bodies, said electrode bodies having exterior surface means for enabling said bodies to be easily positioned in the armpits of a human to be monitored and to be conveniently and comfortably self-retained in such position solely by the human by engagement between the adjacent arm portions and torso in the armpit areas, an elongated flexible lead element extending between each electrode body and said housing means, electrical conductor means operable when said electrode bodies are positioned and retained in the armpits of a human as aforesaid, for establishing an electrical circuit within said housing means which extends therefrom through said lead elements and through said electrode bodies to the exterior surface means thereof and between the latter through the torso of the human through which the electric impulses within the torso of the human which trigger the heartbeats of the human are reliably conducted from the torso to said housing means, and battery operated electric circuit means carried by said housing means operable in response to the conducting of said electrical impulses through the aforesaid eleCtrical circuit by said electrical conductor means to said housing means to amplify said electrical impulses and substantially suppress other electrical signals, such as artifact and the like, which may be conducted in said circuit, and to reliably produce output indications representative of the electrical impulses of the heart of the human.

Claim 7

Apparatus as in claim 3 wherein each of said electrode bodies is formed of electrically conductive material in a three dimensional configuration defining substantially the entire exterior surface means thereof for making electrical connection to the substantially enclosed skin surface areas of the human armpit when the upper arm is in its normal relaxed position substantially adjacent to the human body thus maximizing the area of electrical contact with the human armpit tissues.

Claim 8

Apparatus for monitoring the electrical activity of the heart of a human under one of a variety of conditions including self-monitoring under emergency conditions, said apparatus comprising: housing means for enabling the same to be easily and conveniently carried by a human operator, a pair of separate electrode bodies, said electrode bodies having dry exterior surface means for enabling said bodies to be easily positioned in the armpits of a human to be monitored in a dry condition and to be conveniently and comfortably self-retained in such position solely by the human by engagement between the adjacent arm portions and torso in the armpit areas, an elongated flexible lead element extending between each electrode body and said housing means, electrical conductor means operable when said electrode bodies are positioned and retained in the armpits of a human as aforesaid, for establishing an electrical circuit within said housing means which extends therefrom through said lead elements and through said electrode bodies to the dry exterior surface means thereof and between the latter through the torso of the human, without the provision of conductive paste or the like between said dry exterior surface means and the skin engaged thereby, through which circuit the electric impulses within the torso of the human which trigger the heartbeats of the human are reliably conducted from the torso to said housing means, and battery operated electric circuit means carried by said housing means operable in response to the conducting of said electrical impulses through the aforesaid electrical circuit by said electrical conductor means to said housing means to amplify said electrical impulses and substantially suppress other electrical signals, such as artifact and the like, which may be conducted in said circuit, and to reliably produce output indications representative of the electrical impulses of the heart of the human.

Claim 9

Apparatus for monitoring the electrical activity of the heart of a human under one of a variety of conditions including self-monitoring under emergency conditions, said apparatus comprising: housing means for enabling the same to be easily and conveniently carried by a human operator, a pair of separate electrode bodies, said electrode bodies having dry exterior surface means for enabling said bodies to be easily positioned in the armpits of a human to be monitored in a dry condition and to be conveniently and comfortably self-retained in such position solely by the human by engagement between the adjacent arm portions and torso in the armpit areas, an elongated flexible lead element extending between each electrode body and said housing means, electrical conductor means operable when said electrode bodies are positioned and retained in the armpits of a human as aforesaid, for establishing an electrical circuit within said housing means which extends therefrom through said lead elements and through said electrode bodies to the dry exterior surface means thereof and between the latter through the torso of the human, without the provision of conductive paste or the like between said dry exterior surface means and the skin engaged thereby, through which circuit the electric impulses within the torso of the human which trigger the heartbeats of the human are reliably conducted from the torso to said housing means, and battery operated electric circuit means carried by said housing means operable in response to the conducting of said electrical impulses through the aforesaid electrical circuit by said electrical conductor means to said housing means to amplify said electrical impulses and substantially suppress other electrical signals, such as artifact and the like, which may be conducted in said circuit, and to reliably produce output indications representative of the electrical impulses of the heart of the human.

Claim 10

Apparatus as in claim 5 wherein each of said electrode bodies is formed from a carbon loaded plastic material, which material defines substantially the entire dry exterior surface means thereof.

Claim 11

Apparatus as in claim 6 wherein each of said lead elements is embedded within the associated electrode body.

Claim 12

Apparatus as in claim 7 wherein each of said electrode bodies has an elongated configuration in one direction and the lead element associated therewith extends therefrom generally in said one direction.