Detecting loss of full skin contact in patient electrodes

• US 10,022,062 B1
• Filed: 02/14/2017
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: West Affum Holdings DAC
• Original Assignee: West Affum Holdings Corp
• Inventors: Krusor, Blaine, Banville, Isabelle, Sullivan, Joseph Leo, Finch, David Peter, Piha, Daniel Ralph, Gustavson, Laura Marie, Cowan, Kenneth Frederick, Nova, Richard C., Chacon, Carmen Ann, Kavounas, Gregory T.
• Primary Examiner(s): VOORHEES, CATHERINE M
• Application Number:
  US15/432,811
• Time in Patent Office: 518 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0276 Determining malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0531 Measuring skin impedance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/276 Protection against electrode failure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/28 for electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6843 Monitoring or controlling sensor contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7405 using sound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7455 characterised by tactile indication, e.g. vibration or electrical stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/746 Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms alarms per se G08B
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/046 Specially adapted for shock therapy, e.g. defibrillation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0492 Patch electrodes A61N1/0412, A61N1/0428 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3904 External heart defibrillators [EHD]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3925 Monitoring; Protecting
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2001/083 Monitoring integrity of contacts, e.g. by impedance measurement

Abstract

Patient electrodes, patient monitors, defibrillators, wearable defibrillators, software and methods may warn when an electrode stops being fully attached to the patient'"'"'s skin. A patient electrode includes a pad for attaching to the skin of a patient, a lead coupled to the pad, and a contact detector that can change state, when the pad does not contact fully the skin of the patient. When the detector changes state, an output device may emit an alert, for notifying a rescuer or even the patient.

Claims

1. A patient electrode adapted to be used with an output device that is configured to emit an alert, comprising:

a pad adapted to be attached onto a skin of a patient;

an electrode lead coupled to the pad; and

a contact detector coupled to the pad, the contact detector being an optical sensor, the optical sensor coupled to the pad so that, when the pad is attached to the skin of the patient normally making full contact with the skin the pad prevents any light from reaching the optical sensor but, if there is loss of full contact between the pad and the skin, the optical sensor is configured to detect illumination from light reaching the optical sensor, the optical sensor adapted to be in one of a plurality of detector states that indicate the detected illumination by the optical sensor, and

in which the output device is configured to emit the alert responsive to a determination from a current one of the detector states that the pad does not contact fully the skin of the patient, the determination being made when the detected illumination changes beyond a threshold.

2. The patient electrode of claim 1, in which

a sense signal is generated that encodes the current one of the detector states, and

the output device is configured to receive a version of the sense signal.

3. The patient electrode of claim 2, further comprising:

at least one sense lead configured to transfer the sense signal.

4. The patient electrode of claim 2, in which the sense signal is wireless.

5. The patient electrode of claim 4, further comprising:

an RFID tag coupled to the contact detector, and

in which the RFID tag is adapted to be interrogated by an RFID reader, and

the RFID tag backscatters the sense signal responsive to being thus interrogated.