External Pacemaker Battery Compartment Contact Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
External cardiac pacemakers and cardioverters pose a health hazard due to the risk of electric shock from high voltages and unintended electrical connections between medical personnel and patients, primarily through the battery compartment contacts.
Innovation Solution
The battery compartment contacts are arranged stationary within the housing, ensuring they are not accessible when the drawer is pulled out, and only connect with the battery when the drawer is fully inserted, preventing accidental contact and ensuring safe electrical connection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the battery compartment contacts are arranged in the drawer, then the drawer can be easily opened and closed, but the contacts become accessible and pose a risk of electric shock to users and medical personnel
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the battery compartment into two functional zones: the drawer (for battery insertion/removal) and the stationary housing (for contact placement). This segmentation separates the accessible drawer area from the hazardous contact area, allowing easy drawer operation while preventing contact with live elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The stationary housing acts as an intermediary barrier between the user and the battery compartment contacts. By placing contacts in the housing rather than the drawer, the housing structure mediates the interaction, allowing the drawer to move freely while keeping contacts inaccessible during drawer operation.
2Ease of operation
If the drawer is designed to be fully accessible for battery insertion, then battery replacement is simplified, but medical personnel may accidentally touch the contacts causing unwanted currents
Solution Approach 1:
The design segments the battery compartment into a movable drawer portion and a stationary housing portion containing the contacts. This allows the drawer to be fully accessible for battery replacement while the contacts remain in the stationary, protected portion, preventing accidental contact and unwanted current flow.
Solution Approach 2:
The hazardous contacts are extracted from the movable drawer and placed in the stationary housing. This extraction removes the danger element from the accessible area, allowing free drawer movement for battery replacement while keeping contacts isolated and inaccessible during operation.
3Device complexity
If the battery compartment contacts are made accessible during drawer operation, then connection to the battery is simplified, but the risk of direct electrical connection between medical personnel and patient increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the electrical connection system into a movable drawer (for battery access) and a stationary housing (for contact placement). This segmentation maintains simple electrical connection functionality while physically separating the contacts from the accessible drawer area, preventing direct electrical connection risks.
Solution Approach 2:
The stationary housing serves as an intermediary structure that houses the contacts in a protected position. This intermediary arrangement maintains the electrical connection function while mediating between the movable drawer and the contacts, preventing direct access and reducing electrical connection risks.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to an external pacemaker and/or cardioverter with at least one housing, wherein the housing has at least one battery compartment with one or more battery compartment contacts, wherein the battery compartment comprises at least one drawer with a receiving area for receiving at least one battery and wherein the battery compartment contact(s) are not or not all arranged in or on the drawer.