Patent ID: 8109883

Claim:
A cable monitoring apparatus for selectively passing medical signals to a medical monitoring apparatus, which comprises: a housing including at least one input connector adapted to electrically connect to a first end of a medical cable and at least one output connector adapted to electrically connect to a medical monitoring apparatus, the at least one input connector and the at least one output connector located on the housing of the cable monitoring apparatus; signal processing circuitry within said housing for receiving a medical signal from the medical cable via the at least one input connector and for selectively passing the medical signal to the medical monitoring apparatus via the at least one output connector when in a first mode of operation, and having application software for selectively testing functionality of the medical cable when in a second mode of operation and detached from a patient; and a cable diagnostic connector adapted to electrically connect with a second end of the medical cable, the second end being on an opposing end of the medical cable as the first end, whereby the signal processing circuitry tests the functionality of the medical cable when in the second mode of operation.