Patent ID: 8855736
Filing Date: 2014-10-07
Classification: A61B,A61M

Abstract:
1. A transcutaneous safety electrode assembly comprising: a conducting electrode member having a sharp portion dimensioned for penetration of a surface of a skin tissue of a patient; and a shielding member that is integrated with said electrode member and is configured for irreversible deployment when removing the sharp portion of the electrode member from the skin tissue of the patent, and configured for permanent shielding of the sharp portion of the electrode member and for permanently preventing accidental injury of personnel from exposure to said sharp portion after it has been deployed for use and removed from the skin tissue of a patient, wherein said safety electrode assembly is formed by an upper housing fitting over and movable upwardly and downwardly in a vertical direction with respect to a lower housing, said upper housing being initially coupled to said lower housing by matching detent members on the upper and lower housings in an initial position to be ready for use, wherein said conducting electrode is comprised of a wire having a bent portion, a raised portion, and the aforementioned sharp portion, said bent portion being mounted in a fixed position on a lower wall of said lower housing, said raised portion being bent upwardly from the bent portion in contact with an upper wall of said upper housing such that a torsional force is applied on the wire when the upper wall of the upper housing is pressed downwardly toward the lower wall of the lower housing during installation of the sharp portion of the conducting electrode into the skin tissue of a patient, and said sharp portion being positioned proximate a window in the lower wall of the lower housing when the upper and lower housings are in the initial position so that it can be deployed through the window and into the skin tissue of a patient when the upper housing is pressed downwardly on the lower housing to an installation position for installation of the sharp portion into the skin tissue of a patient, and wherein said shielding member is formed by withdrawal of the sharp portion of the conducting electrode back through the window and behind the lower wall of the lower housing when the upper housing is released from the installation position on the lower housing for upward movement in the vertical direction to a shielding position, the permanent shielding of the sharp portion of the electrode member being provided by the torsional force of the wire acting to displace the sharp portion from the window when the upper housing is released from contact with the raised portion of the wire in the shielding position.