BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to improvements in systems for retaining and organizing cables, and more specifically to systems for retaining and organizing cables on expensive medical equipment.

2. Description of Related Art

Modern medical equipment utilizes highly sophisticated machinery and components. Often medical equipment will include expensive and fragile probes or equipment attached to electrical cables which connect the equipment to a primary machine. For example, an ultrasound machine may utilize multiple probes on the end of cables, and often times these probes are secured in simple cups or brackets into which the expensive probes fit. While such a method may secure the probes, there still exists a risk that the probes will be damaged.

While medical equipment may be secured to a machine when not in use, often times the cables that attach the equipment to the machine are not stored or organized in any particular way and, instead, simply lie on the floor. Therefore there is a risk that persons or other equipment may snag or pull on the electrical cables. If the force on the cables is great enough, attached medical equipment, such as probes, may be pulled from whatever means are being used to secure the probes, resulting in damage to the probes. This risk is far greater when the concerned machine is actually being used.

Often times, when equipment, such as an ultrasound machine, is being used, the probes may be temporarily placed on a nearby flat surface or on top of the machine. Because the machine is in use and people are present and moving about the area, there is a high risk that a person will accidentally snag a cable and pull a probe onto the floor. Because the probes are fragile, they easily break upon falling to the floor. A single probe typically costs several thousand dollars. Therefore, a machine with unorganized or loose cables can very easily be a monetary risk.

Modern medical machines usually have several cables attached to them. The more cables a machine has, and the longer the cables, the greater the financial risk created by inadequately secured or organized cables. Therefore there exists a need for a simple and efficient means by which equipment cables may be secured and organized, thereby preventing expensive damage to equipment.

