Utility module system

• US 10,118,048 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2016
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Physio-Control Incorporated (Stryker Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Physio-Control Incorporated (Stryker Corporation)
• Inventors: Aoyama, David Dean, Apperson, Ryan William, Bielstein, Matthew Lawrence, Curtin, Barry D., Daynes, John, Drew, Kevin C., Langman, Karen Kraft, Lim, Mina, McIlvaine, Neil G., McKay, E. Thomas, Merry, Randy L., Peterson, Ken
• Primary Examiner(s): MAHMOOD, NADIA AHMAD
• Application Number:
  US15/283,966
• Publication Number:
  US 20170021183A1
• Time in Patent Office: 764 Days
• Field of Search: 607 2, 607 6, 607 7
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3925 Monitoring; Protecting
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3937 Monitoring output parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3968 Constructional arrangements, e.g. casings A61N1/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3975 Power supply A61N1/378 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3987 characterised by the timing or triggering of the shock
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3993 User interfaces for automatic external defibrillators
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2270/041 Controlled or regulated
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/26 at least one of which is mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing or adjusting assemblages of electric components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 999/99 dummy group
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A defibrillator system optimizes the timing and manner of applying a defibrillator charge to a patient based upon data provided to the defibrillator from a utility module or one or more external devices. A parameter module on the utility module provides the defibrillator with patient parameter information. Devices external to the utility module may provide the utility module with coaching data that the utility module may pass through to the defibrillator as a proxy to the external devices. The utility module may also provide external devices with patient data that the utility module may pass through to the external devices as a proxy to the defibrillator on a scheduled or other basis. The utility module may additionally provide a reserve of power to enable defibrillators to be used where power is unavailable and to enable defibrillators to deliver multiple charges more readily anywhere, anytime.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

deriving, at a utility module, coaching data from a parameter of a patient, the utility module comprising a parameter module to detect the parameter of the patient, a communication module configured to transmit data from the utility module, and a module processor configured to control the parameter module and the communication module; and

providing, from the utility module, the coaching data to a defibrillator, the defibrillator comprising an energy storage device configured to store an electrical charge, a defibrillation port, a display, and a defibrillator processor configured to control the display and when an electrical charge is applied to the defibrillation port to defibrillate the patient, wherein the defibrillator is configured to use the coaching data to provide coaching to defibrillate the patient.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the coaching data from the utility module to the defibrillator further comprises patient parameter data from the parameter module.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the patient parameter data is selected from the group consisting of:

a measurement of CO2 exhaled by a patient;

an electrical activity of the heart of a patient;

an exchange of air between the lungs of a patient and the atmosphere;

a pressure of the blood in a patient;

a temperature of a patient;

an oxygen saturation in the blood of a patient;

a measurement of a chest compression of a patient;

an image of the internal structure of a patient;

an oxygen saturation in the blood in the brain of a patient; and

the acidity or alkalinity of fluids in a patient.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the defibrillator is configured to render the patient parameter data on the display to coach a user of the defibrillator to defibrillate the patient.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the defibrillator uses the coaching data to provide coaching on mechanics of CPR techniques to a user of the defibrillator.

6. The method of claim 5, comprising measuring, by the parameter module, a measurement of a chest compression of a patient, wherein the coaching data is derived, at the utility module, from the measurement of the chest compression.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the defibrillator processor is configured to use the coaching data to control when the electrical charge is applied to the defibrillation port to defibrillate the patient.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the defibrillator comprises a speaker, and the defibrillator is configured to use the coaching data to output a voice prompt via the speaker to coach a user of the defibrillator to defibrillate the patient.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the defibrillator is configured to use the coaching data to render a visual prompt on the display to coach a user of the defibrillator to defibrillate the patient.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the defibrillator comprises a measurement circuit to receive physiological signals from the defibrillation port, and wherein the defibrillator is configured to provide coaching based on the physiological signals.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the defibrillator processor comprises a detection module to detect ventricular defibrillation in the physiological signals, and wherein the defibrillator is configured to provide coaching based on detection of ventricular defibrillation.

12. The method of claim 10, comprising transmitting, from the utility module, data received from the defibrillator to one or more external devices to use in generating a portion of the coaching data.

13. The method of claim 12, comprising receiving, at the utility module, the portion of the coaching data from the one or more external devices.

14. The method of claim 12, comprising polling the defibrillator from the utility module to determine the existence of the data residing in the defibrillator to be received from the defibrillator.

15. A utility module comprising:

a parameter module to detect a parameter of a patient, a communication module configured to transmit data from the utility module, and a module processor configured to control the parameter module and the communication module, wherein;

the utility module is configured for connection to a defibrillator that comprises an energy storage device configured to store an electrical charge, a defibrillation port, a display, and a defibrillator processor, wherein the defibrillator processor is configured to control the display and when an electrical charge is applied to the defibrillation port to defibrillate the patient; and

the utility module is configured to derive coaching data from the parameter of the patient, and to provide the coaching data to the defibrillator, wherein the defibrillator is configured to use the coaching data to provide coaching to defibrillate the patient.

16. The utility module of claim 15, wherein the coaching data from the utility module to the defibrillator further comprises patient parameter data from the parameter module.

17. The utility module of claim 15, wherein the parameter module generates patient parameter data selected from the group consisting of:

a measurement of CO₂ exhaled by a patient;

an electrical activity of the heart of a patient;

an exchange of air between the lungs of a patient and the atmosphere;

a pressure of the blood in a patient;

a temperature of a patient;

an oxygen saturation in the blood of a patient;

a measurement of a chest compression of a patient;

an image of the internal structure of a patient;

an oxygen saturation in the blood in the brain of a patient; and

the acidity or alkalinity of fluids in a patient.

18. The utility module of claim 17, wherein the coaching data is derived from the patient parameter data, and the patient parameter data comprises at least the measurement of the chest compression.

19. The utility module of claim 18, wherein the coaching data comprises at least one of coaching on speed of CPR chest compressions or depth of CPR chest compressions.

20. The utility module of claim 15, wherein the defibrillator is configured to render patient parameter data generated from the parameter of the patient on the display.

21. The utility module of claim 15, wherein the defibrillator processor is configured to use the coaching data to provide coaching on when the electrical charge should be applied to the defibrillation port to defibrillate the patient.

22. The utility module of claim 15, wherein the defibrillator comprises a speaker, and the defibrillator is configured to use the coaching data to output a voice prompt via the speaker to coach a user of the defibrillator to defibrillate the patient.

23. The utility module of claim 15, wherein the defibrillator is configured to use the coaching data to render a visual prompt on the display to coach a user of the defibrillator to defibrillate the patient.

24. The utility module of claim 15, wherein the defibrillator comprises a measurement circuit to receive physiological signals from the defibrillation port, and wherein the defibrillator is configured to provide coaching based on the physiological signals.

25. The utility module of claim 24, wherein the defibrillator processor comprises a detection module to detect ventricular defibrillation in the physiological signals, and wherein the defibrillator is configured to provide coaching based on detection of ventricular defibrillation.

26. The utility module of claim 15, wherein a portion of the coaching data is received, at the utility module, from one or more external devices.

27. The utility module of claim 26, wherein the communication module is configured to transmit data received from the defibrillator to the one or more external devices to use in generating the portion of the coaching data.

28. The utility module of claim 27, wherein the utility module is configured to poll the defibrillator to determine the existence of the data residing in the defibrillator to be received from the defibrillator.