US 5,890,929 A · Shielded medical connector

Abstract

An electrical connector for a medical instrument has a plug containing a plurality of pins in electrical communication with wires emanating from a shielded cable that is connected to a medical sensor detecting physiological data. The plug portion of the electrical connector substantially surrounds the connection of the pins with the cable in a plastic housing. When the plug is inserted in to a socket portion of the connector mounted to a medical instrument housing, the pins electrically communicate with a plurality of tubular sockets to communicate the signals to electronic devices in a medical instrument. Surface coatings on the connector are provided to shield the wire connections with the pins and tubular sockets from electromagnetic interference (EMI). A tubular shield is also provided in the medical instrument to shield the electrical connection between the internal cable and the tubular receptacles from EMI. The EMI shields on the connector and the EMI shielding on the connecting cables are all connected to a common ground. A significant reduction in EMI distortion of the sensor signals is achieved.

Claims23

Dependent claims

An electrical connector for transmitting signals from a sensor to a medical instrument through a plug connected to one end of an external shielded cable, and through a socket on the instrument that is connected to an internal shielded cable inside the instrument, comprising:

a non-conductive, elongated nut having a distal end with a tapered interior surface, the distal end having an aperture therethrough sized to receive the cable from the sensor, and having an engaging surface on the proximal end of the nut;
a non-conductive, generally tubular plug having an internal cavity extending the length of the plug with the cavity having two different diameters, the distal end of the plug having an engaging surface adapted to engage the engaging surface on the proximal end of the nut to hold the nut and plug together, the proximal end of the plug configured to engage a socket, the cavity having an electrically conductive surface on it;
a cylindrical clamping tube with its distal end adapted to fit within and cooperate with the tapered end of the nut to clamp against a cable inserted through the aperture in the nut and inserted through the clamping tube;
a conductive member fitting between the clamping tube and the conductive surface when the clamping tube is inserted into the plug's cavity;
and
a pin holder having a plurality of apertures adapted to hold a plurality of pins from a terminal end of the cable, the pin holder being configured to snugly fit within the interior cavities of the tubular plug, the pin holder insulating the apertures from the conductive coating on the plug, and having a distal end abutting a proximal end of the clamping tube when the nut is placed onto the distal end of the plug.

3 more elements

A medical instrument having a housing that provides EMI shielding to electronic devices within the housing, the housing having a socket that is not shielded against EMI, where the socket is mounted to and extends through the instrument housing, the socket being adapted for receiving a plug to transmit signals electrically from the plug through the socket to the electronic devices in the instrument, the socket having a plurality of internal wires emanating from an internal instrument cable having shielding for electromagnetic interference, the internal wires connecting to the socket to receive and transmit the signals to the electronic devices in the instrument, the connection between the shielded instrument cable and the socket having no EMI shielding adjacent to and surrounding the electrical connection with the socket, comprising:

adding an electrically conductive material connected to the socket internal to the instrument and configured to surround and shield from EMI the electrical connection of the wires to the socket, and further configured to surround and shield from EMI at least a portion of the shielded instrument cable;
and
an electrical connection placing the conductive material in electrical communication with a wire inside the plug at ground potential, and placing the conductive material in electrical communication with the EMI shielding on the instrument cable.

A medical instrument having a housing that provides EMI shielding from external sources to electronic devices within the housing, the housing having a non-EMI shielded socket mounted to and extending through the instrument housing, the socket being adapted for receiving a plug to transmit signals electrically from the plug through the socket to the electronic devices in the instrument, the socket having a plurality of internal wires emanating from an internal instrument cable having shielding for electromagnetic interference, the internal wires connecting to the socket to receive and transmit the signals to the electronic devices in the instrument, the connection between the shielded instrument cable and the socket having no EMI shielding adjacent to and surrounding the electrical connection with the socket, comprising:

EMI shielding means added to the socket for substantially surrounding the electrical connection of the wires to the socket and for substantially surrounding a portion of the shielded cable;
and
means for electrically communicating between the socket shielding means and a tubular socket in the instrument socket that is at ground potential and for electrically communicating between that tubular socket and the EMI shielding on the instrument cable.

A connection with a medical instrument having a housing that provides EMI shielding from external sources to electronic devices within the housing, the housing having a non-EMI shielded socket mounted to and extending through the instrument housing, the socket being adapted for receiving a plug to transmit signals electrically from the plug through the socket to the electronic devices in the instrument, the socket having a plurality of internal wires emanating from an internal instrument cable having shielding for electromagnetic interference, the internal wires connecting to the socket to receive and transmit the signals to the electronic devices in the instrument, the connection between the shielded instrument cable and the socket having no EMI shielding adjacent to and surrounding the electrical connection with the socket, comprising:

sufficient EMI shielding added to the socket to substantially surround the electrical connection of the wires to the socket and to substantially surround a portion of the shielded cable;
and
an electrical connection between the socket shielding and a tubular socket in the instrument socket that is at ground potential and for electrically communicating between that tubular socket and the EMI shielding on the instrument cable.

A process for shielding a connector for a medical instrument, the connector having a non-conductive plug with a cavity that surrounds a pin holder and the electrical connection between a sensor cable and the pin holder, the plug cavity being further adapted to receive a portion of a socket holder inside the plug so that shielded sensor wires connected to the pin holder and shielded instrument wires connected to the socket holder can make electrical contact when the pins engage the socket holder inside the cavity of the plug, the socket holder being connected to a socket mounted to an instrument, comprising the steps of:

placing an electrically conductive material intermediate the plug cavity and the parts placed within that cavity that are adjacent to that cavity;
inserting a tube of electrically conductive material into a proximal end of the socket to surround an electrical connection between the socket holder and wires from the instrument, and surrounding a portion of that tube with the conductive material in the cavity;
and
placing that conductive material in electrical communication with a pin extending into the pin holder that is at a ground potential;
placing that conductive material in electrical communication with the shielding from the sensor wire;
placing the tube in electrical communication with that same pin at ground potential;
and
placing the shielding from the instrument wire in electrical communication with the same pin at ground potential.

5 more elements

A process for shielding a pre-existing connector configuration, the connector having a non-conductive plug with a cavity therein, the cavity containing a removable pin holder and the electrical connection between a shielded sensor cable and the pin holder, the plug cavity being further adapted to receive a portion of a socket holder inside the plug so that a shielded instrument cable with wires connected to a socket holder can make electrical contact when the pins engage the socket holder inside the cavity of the plug, the socket holder being adapted to connect to a socket mounted to an instrument, comprising the steps of:

coating the cavity of the pre-existing plug configuration with an electrically conductive material;
placing that conductive material in electrical communication with a pin extending into the pin holder that is at a ground potential;
connecting a shielded cable containing a plurality of wires to the plug by connecting the wires to pins in the plug, and placing the shield of the cable in electrical communication with the pin at ground potential.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Shielded medical connector

Life of this patent

Shielded medical connector

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims23