External pacemaker / cardioverter

Abstract

External pacemaker and / or cardioverter with at least one housing (1), wherein the housing (1) has at least one battery compartment with one or more battery compartment contacts (2) and wherein the battery compartment comprises at least one drawer (3) with a receiving area (4) for receiving at least one battery (5), characterized in that the battery compartment contact(s) (2) are not or not all arranged in or on the drawer (3), that the receiving area (4) of the drawer (3) is open towards the underside of the housing when the drawer (3) is open, and that the drawer (3) is secured by means of a locking mechanism (7) that can be covered by a slider (6).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an external cardiac pacemaker and / or external cardioverter having at least one housing, wherein the housing has at least one battery compartment with one or more battery compartment contacts and wherein the battery compartment comprises at least one drawer with a receiving area for receiving at least one battery.

[0002] In prior art external pacemakers, the battery compartment is designed as a drawer that can be inserted into and removed from the housing. Such conventional pacemakers with battery drawers are known, for example, from publications DE 10 2009 001 611 A1 and US Pat. No. 5,637,417 A.

[0003] Furthermore, external pacemakers are known that have a simple battery compartment into which the battery is inserted.

[0004] In the case of combined pacemakers / cardioverters, contact with the battery compartment contacts or the battery that is electrically connected to the battery compartment contacts can pose a significant risk of health hazards due to electric shock due to the voltages involved (e.g. 400V).

[0005] Furthermore, medical personnel must be prevented from touching the battery compartment contacts or the battery connected to them, as otherwise, under certain circumstances (e.g., due to short ESD pulses), unwanted currents may flow through the heart wires and the patient's heart, thereby affecting cardiac activity (excessive patient leakage currents). This is due to the fact that a direct electrical connection may exist between medical personnel and the patient's heart via the battery or the battery compartment contacts, the device's internal circuitry, the device sockets, and the metallic heart wires.

[0006] The present invention is therefore based on the object of developing an external pacemaker and / or an external cardioverter, preferably an external pacemaker with a combined cardioverter, in such a way that the probability of a hazard occurring for the user or patient is minimized.

[0007] This object is achieved by a pacemaker and / or cardioverter having the features of claim 1. According to this, it is provided that the battery compartment contact(s) are not arranged, or not all of them, in or on the drawer.

[0008] This provides the advantage that when the drawer is pulled out, no battery compartment contact, or at least not all of the battery compartment contacts, are accessible, preventing accidental contact. Another advantage is that when the battery is inserted into the compartment and the drawer is open, the battery itself is not in contact with any of the battery compartment contacts, or at least not with all of the battery compartment contacts, so touching them by the user has no adverse consequences.

[0009] Preferably, at least one, several, or all of the battery compartment contacts are arranged in a fixed location within the housing. Preferably, no battery compartment contacts are arranged in or on the drawer.

[0010] The battery can thus be safely inserted into the drawer's receiving area. An electrical connection between the device and the battery is only established when the drawer is at least partially, and preferably completely, inserted. When the drawer is fully extended and the battery is inserted, the battery is not, or at least not fully, connected to the battery compartment contacts.

[0011] Thus, the measures according to the invention can meet the requirements of the IEC 60601-1 standard.

[0012] Preferably, it is further provided that at least one or all battery compartment contacts are arranged at the position of the housing which the drawer or the inserted battery reaches with its leading end in the insertion direction after at least half the insertion path and particularly preferably when the drawer is fully inserted.

[0013] A particularly advantageous embodiment consists in at least one, and preferably all, battery compartment contacts being arranged such that the inserted battery or the drawer, with its leading end in the insertion direction, only reaches the drawer when fully inserted. This means that the battery is only electrically connected to the battery compartment contacts or all battery compartment contacts when the drawer is fully inserted.

[0014] In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, at least one or all of the battery compartment contacts are covered by at least one wall of the housing when the drawer is open, thus preventing a user from touching the battery compartment contacts when the drawer is open. The wall in question, which prevents or impedes such direct contact, can be, for example, the rear wall of the housing. In principle, other walls of the housing are also suitable for preventing or at least impeding such direct contact, such as the side walls, etc.

[0015] In a further embodiment of the invention, the receiving area of ​​the drawer is open towards the bottom of the housing. To insert the battery, the device is turned over so that its front is facing down, and then the drawer is opened. The battery can then be inserted into the drawer from above or, for example, from the side.

[0016] It is preferable if the drawer's receiving area is completely enclosed by walls when the drawer is pushed in. This ensures that the user cannot touch the battery compartment contacts and / or the battery when the drawer is fully inserted.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the drawer is secured against falling out. Thus, at least one stop or the like can be provided to prevent the drawer from being pulled out beyond a certain position.

[0018] In principle, it can be provided that a locking mechanism is provided which interacts with the drawer in such a way that the drawer can only be opened after actuation of the locking mechanism, ie after unlocking.

[0019] A possible design is one in which the locking mechanism is concealed by a slider, which must first be moved by the user before the locking mechanism is exposed and unlocking can occur. It is conceivable that the slider is positioned by a spring into an initial position in which the slider conceals the drawer's locking mechanism.

[0020] It's conceivable that the slider has to be moved against the spring force to expose the locking mechanism. This has the advantage that when not actuated, the slider covers the locking mechanism, preventing accidental unlocking.

[0021] Regarding the locking mechanism and the slider, reference is made to DE 102013008314, which discloses such an embodiment. The disclosure of the cited patent application is hereby incorporated into the subject matter of the invention.

[0022] Further details and advantages of the invention are explained in more detail with reference to an embodiment illustrated in the drawing. They show: Fig. 1: An external view of a combined pacemaker and cardioverter with the battery drawer closed and a view of the underside of the device, Fig. 2: An external view according to Fig. 1 with battery drawer open, Fig. 3: An external view according to Fig. 2 when inserting the battery, Fig. 4: An external view according to Fig. 3 with fully inserted battery and Fig. 5: An internal view of the combined pacemaker / cardioverter with the battery drawer closed in a view from the top of the device with the upper shell of the housing open.

[0023] Fig. 1 shows a combined external pacemaker with cardioverter, which has a housing 1 in which the electrical circuits required for the operation of the device are located.

[0024] The housing 1 has circumferential side walls 10, a rear wall 11, and a front wall 12. The housing 1 is thus completely closed.

[0025] One of the side walls and a part of the rear wall 11 has a recessed area 10', which is closed by the front 3' of a drawer 3, as can be seen from Fig. 1.

[0026] In addition to the front 3', the drawer has a receiving area 4, which serves to accommodate a battery 5, for example a 9V battery. The receiving area 4 is limited by a base surface, the front 3' and two side walls. As can be seen from Fig. 2, the receiving area 4 is open at the top when the device is arranged with the rear wall 11 facing upwards.

[0027] The reference symbol 4' designates the wall of the drawer 3 which runs forward in the direction of insertion.

[0028] None of the walls of drawer 3 are equipped with battery compartment contacts.

[0029] Fig. 3 shows the process of inserting the battery into the receiving area 4 of the drawer 3 and Fig. Figure 4 shows the state in which the battery 5 is fully inserted into the receiving area 4 of the drawer 3. As can be seen from the figures, the battery 5 is inserted so that its front contacts point in the insertion direction.

[0030] Neither during insertion according to Fig. 3 still in the inserted state according to Fig. 4 the battery 5 is connected to battery compartment contacts.

[0031] The fixed battery compartment contacts are in Fig. 5 is marked with the reference number 2.

[0032] How this Fig. As can be seen from Figure 5, there are two battery compartment contacts 2 arranged next to each other in the housing 1, which, when the drawer 3 is fully inserted, are connected to the two contacts arranged in front of the 9V battery shown here as an example.

[0033] The battery compartment contacts 2 are fixed and do not move with the drawer 3.

[0034] The battery compartment contacts 2 are arranged on the housing in such a way that they only come into contact with the mating contacts of the battery 5 when the drawer 3 is fully inserted. This state is in Fig. 1 and Fig. 5 shown.

[0035] As explained above, after opening the drawer 3, the user can pull it out of the device until the stop point is reached. Fig. 2 is reached. Contact of the battery compartment contacts in the device by the user is prevented by the rear wall of the drawer 3, ie by the wall of the drawer 3 which extends forward in the direction of insertion, since the battery compartment contacts 2 are not mounted in the drawer 3, but at the end of the drawer's insertion path, ie at the end of the path of the inserted battery compartment.

[0036] After the user has inserted the battery 5 into the drawer 3 as shown in the Fig. 3 and Fig. As shown in Figure 4, the battery does not touch the battery compartment contacts 2 mounted in the battery compartment as long as the battery drawer 3 is not closed. Thus, the battery 5 can be touched safely, as there is no electrical connection with the device's internal circuitry.

[0037] The battery compartment thus comprises the movable drawer 3 and the stationary contacts 2.

[0038] By closing and, if necessary, locking the battery drawer 3, the battery 5 is electrically connected to the battery contacts 2 mounted in the housing 1 and thus to the internal circuitry of the device.

[0039] How this Fig. 1, there is a slider 6 in the area next to the drawer 3, which covers a locking mechanism 7 arranged below the slider. The slider 6 is held in place by a spring in the Fig. 1 shown position.

[0040] If the lock 7 is to be activated and thus the drawer 3 can be opened, the user or patient must move the slider 6 according to Fig. 1 to the right so that the locking mechanism 7 underneath is exposed. After actuating the lock 7, the drawer 3 can then be pushed out manually or by spring force.

[0041] It is conceivable that an electrical connection between the battery 5 and the battery compartment contacts 2 only occurs when the drawer 3 is completely closed and additionally locked. It is also conceivable that such contacting already occurs when the battery drawer 3 is fully inserted into the device, regardless of whether a lock exists or whether a locking position is present.

Claims

[1] External pacemaker and / or cardioverter with at least one housing (1), wherein the housing (1) has at least one battery compartment with one or more battery compartment contacts (2) and wherein the battery compartment comprises at least one drawer (3) with a receiving area (4) for receiving at least one battery (5), characterized by that the battery compartment contact(s) (2) are not or not all arranged in or on the drawer (3), that the receiving area (4) of the drawer (3) is open towards the underside of the housing when the drawer (3) is open and that the drawer (3) is secured by means of a lock (7) which can be concealed by a slide (6). [2] External pacemaker and / or cardioverter according to claim 1, characterized by that at least one or all battery compartment contacts (2) are arranged in a fixed position in the housing (1) and / or that no battery compartment contact (2) is arranged in or on the drawer (3). [3] External pacemaker and / or cardioverter according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that at least one or all of the battery compartment contacts (2) are arranged at the position of the housing (1) which a battery (5) located in the drawer (3) reaches with its end leading in the insertion direction when the drawer (3) is fully inserted. [4] External pacemaker and / or cardioverter according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that at least one or all battery compartment contacts (2) are covered by at least one wall of the housing (1) even when the drawer (3) is open, so that contact by a user is prevented. [5] External pacemaker and / or cardioverter according to claim 4, characterized by that the wall of the housing (1) is exclusively or also the rear wall (11) of the housing (1). [6] External pacemaker and / or cardioverter according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that two or more than two battery compartment contacts (2) are provided, which are preferably arranged next to one another or one above the other. [7] External pacemaker and / or cardioverter according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the receiving area (4) of the drawer (3) is completely surrounded by walls when the drawer (3) is inserted. [8] External pacemaker and / or cardioverter according to claim 1, characterized by that the slider (6) can be positioned by a spring in an initial position in which the slider (6) covers the locking of the drawer (3), wherein it is preferably provided that the slider (6) can be moved against the spring force of the spring to expose the locking (7). [9] External pacemaker and / or cardioverter according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that means are provided to secure the drawer (3) against falling out.

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