Several medical procedures involve deploying multiple sensors on the human body for the recording and monitoring of data required for patient care. Information, such as vital health parameters, cardiac activity, bio-chemical activity, electrical activity in the brain, gastric activity and physiological data, is usually recorded through on-body or implanted sensors/electrodes which are controlled through a wired or wireless link. Typical patient monitoring systems comprise multiple electrodes that are coupled to a control unit of the medical system through electrical connectors. The various electrical connectors are coupled to their respective mating units or sockets located within the control unit. Several other medical apparatuses, which may not be specifically used for patient monitoring, also involve connecting multiple electrical leads with the control unit of the medical system. In all such medical systems involving a large number of electrical connectors, the overall set up, placement and management of connectors and the corresponding wire leads is a time consuming, cumbersome, and potentially inexact process.
Neuromonitoring involves the use of electrophysiological methods, such as electroencephalography (EEG), electromyography (EMG), and evoked potentials, to monitor the functional integrity of certain neural structures (e.g., nerves, spinal cord and parts of the brain) during surgery. Generally, neuromonitoring medical procedures such as EEG involve a large number of electrodes coupled to the human body. In an EEG procedure, the electrodes are used to record and monitor the electrical activity corresponding to various parts of the brain for detection and treatment of various ailments such as epilepsy, sleep disorders and coma. The EEG procedure is either non-invasive or invasive. In non-invasive EEG, a number of electrodes are deployed on the human scalp for recording electrical activity in portions of the underlying brain. In invasive EEG, through surgical intervention, the electrodes are placed directly over sections of the brain, in the form of a strip or grid, or are positioned in the deeper areas of the brain. The electrical activity pattern captured by various electrodes is analyzed using standard algorithms to localize or spot the portion of brain which is responsible for causing the specific ailment. In both invasive and non-invasive EEG, each of the electrodes is coupled to a wire lead which, in turn, is coupled through a respective electrical connector to a control unit adapted to receive and transmit the electrical signals. Medical procedures, such as EEG, usually involve “Touch Proof” electrical connectors which comprise a simple singe-conductor connector in which the metal part is completely shrouded in plastic. The EEG DIN connector also referred to as DIN 42802 or EEG safety DIN connector is a de facto standard for connecting medical and biomedical recording systems, such as electrodes to amplifiers and other medical devices. The two types of EEG DIN connectors usually include touch-proof sockets that surround in-line rigid plugs.
The current systems and methods used for coupling multiple electrical connectors, such as the touch-proof DIN connectors, with the control unit of a medical system suffer from several drawbacks. Firstly, connecting each individual electrical connector is a very time consuming process when the number of electrical connectors is large, as in the case of neuro-monitoring applications. Secondly, while connecting a large number of electrical connectors with their respective mating or receiving sockets, it is possible that the provider or clinician plugs an electrical connector into a wrong receiving socket. Thirdly, each electrical connector is independently coupled to its respective receiving socket and there is no support structure to ensure that the connector is not displaced or misaligned from its original position. Sometimes, the electrical connector may become displaced from its position and tend to partially protrude from the receiving socket leading to a loose electrical connection.
Such errors in electrode connection and placement while performing a medical procedure can negatively impact patient care. Ensuring the integrity of the system requires thorough testing to ensure that connections are correct. Therefore, in high density electrode configurations, the connection corresponding to each electrode needs to be separately established and verified for integrity before starting the procedure which increases the set up time. To save time, in practice, the provider or clinician may skip at least part of the testing procedure which can impact the quality of medical care.
Therefore, current medical devices involving a large number of electrical connections do not provide an easy and convenient way for a medical care giver to deploy such systems. These systems suffer from a significant risk of error due to unreliable measurements because of incorrect connections. Further, deployment of such systems is time consuming which hinders following best practices and therefore compromises the quality of medical care.
To ensure that medical devices work accurately, especially in critical applications, engineers must design systems that are reliable and maintain signal fidelity. Systems and devices are required which can provide a reliable interconnection between the electrodes deployed on the body of the patient and the control unit of the medical device.
Devices and systems are required which are convenient to use and do not consume too much time for deployment. Systems are required which enable the connection of multiple electrical connectors with their respective receiving units in groups rather than separately connecting each wire lead. Further, there is a need for interconnection structures which can support the electrical connectors in a correct position, thus preventing displacement and misalignment.
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