Electrical connection between transcutaneous pacing circuitry and defibrillation circuitry

Claim 1

Apparatus for transcutaneously pacing and defibrillating the heart of a patient, the apparatus comprising: pacing stimuli generating circuitry means for generating transcutaneous pacing stimuli delivered at a pacing stimuli output, the pacing stimuli output having a positive connection and a negative connection, defibrillation pulse circuitry means for generating defibrillation pulses discharged at a defibrillating pulse output, the defibrillating pulse output having a positive connection and a negative connection, a first multipin electrical connector installed on said apparatus, said positive and negative connections of said pacing stimuli output and said positive and negative connections of said defibrillating pulse output being supplied at pins of said multipin connector, said connector and pins being configured to support at least a 2500 V potential between adjacent ones of said pins without malfunction, a second multipin electrical connector configured to mate with said first multipin electrical connector, said second connector having internal connections electrically connecting said positive connections of said pacing stimuli and defibrillating pulse outputs to provide a multifunction positive connection and electrically connecting said negative connections of said pacing stimuli and defibrillating pulse outputs to provide a multifunction negative connection, said positive and negative multifunction connections being suited for connecting to multifunction electrodes through which both pacing stimuli and defibrillating pulses are supplied to the patient, and a third multipin electrical connector also configured to mate with said first multipin electrical connector, said third connector having internal connections configured to isolate said positive and negative connections of said pacing stimuli output from said positive and negative connections of said defibrillating pulse output, to provide pacing stimuli outputs suitable for connecting to pacing electrodes and defibrillating pulse outputs suitable for connecting to defibrillation electrodes, said second and third multipin electrical connections being configured to be alternately connected to said first multipin electrical connector, with said second connector being used with multifunction electrodes and said third connector being used with separate pacing and defibrillation electrodes.