Cable with spaced helices

Claim 1

An electrical cable comprising: signal carrying insulated conductors extending side by side in a row, each of the insulated conductors being without an encircling conducting shield that would provide a coaxial cable construction, a conductive membrane enclosing the row, the conductive membrane providing an electrical ground plane, conductive drain wires in selected interstitial spaces along the insulated conductors, the drain wires and the conductive membrane engaging and reducing cross talk among the insulated conductors without said encircling conducting shield on each of the insulated conductors that would provide said coaxial cable construction, and the conductive membrane being contained within an exterior jacket, the insulated conductors and the drain wires being wound helically along a central axis of the cable with the insulated conductors and the drain wires being free of compression against one another so as to promote their individual flexure when the cable undergoes flexure in a bend, an electrical coupling influence between each of said helically wound drain wires and each corresponding one of said helically wound insulated conductors remaining constant along their lengths, and the cable being flexible and limp and having freedom of movement while being connected to a medical instrument that is hand held and maneuvered for monitoring human indications.