Therapy and monitoring electrodes with patient accommodating features and electrode sensing

• US 20030171798A1
• Filed: 04/26/2002
• Published: 09/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Physio-Control Incorporated (Stryker Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Physio-Control Manufacturing Corp. (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Sullivan, Joseph L., Nova, Richard C., Covey, Kevin K.
• Granted Patent: US 6,912,425 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/142
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/25 Bioelectric electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/257 using adhesive means, e.g. adhesive pads or tapes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/266 containing electrolytes, conductive gels or pastes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/273 Connection of cords, cables or leads to electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/28 for electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/04 Electrodes electrosurgical electrodes A61B18/14

Abstract

Medical electrode arrangements are provided for electrotherapy and monitoring applications. In one embodiment, each electrode arrangement includes a smaller electrode that is releasably attached to the back of a larger electrode. For adult applications, the larger electrode is applied to the patient. For pediatric applications, the larger electrode is preferably removed, and the smaller electrode is applied to the patient. Face-to-face and back-to-back electrode arrangement configurations are also provided. In another embodiment, an electrode arrangement is comprised of first and second conductive regions that are separable from each other. In yet further embodiments, an electrode arrangement is comprised of two or more electrodes that are not physically or electrically connected to each other. At least one electrode from each electrode arrangement is placed on the patient. A sensor is also provided to sense which electrodes in each electrode arrangement have been placed on the patient.

Claims

1. An electrotherapy apparatus, comprising:

(a) two or more electrode arrangements, each electrode arrangement including at least two electrodes that each have a conductive surface area adapted for placement on a patient; and

(b) electrotherapy circuitry in communication with the electrode arrangements, said circuitry being configured to deliver electrotherapy to the patient via the electrode arrangements after at least one electrode in each of the electrode arrangements has been placed on the patient.

2. The electrotherapy apparatus of claim 1, wherein one of the electrode arrangements is designated for an apex position on the patient and another electrode arrangement is designated for a sternum position on the patient.

3. The electrotherapy apparatus of claim 1, wherein one of the electrode arrangements is designated for an anterior position on the patient and another electrode arrangement is designated for a posterior position on the patient.

4. The electrotherapy apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electrodes in at least one of the electrode arrangements differ from each other in respect of a characteristic of the electrodes.

5. The electrotherapy apparatus of claim 4, wherein the characteristic is the size of the electrodes.

6. The electrotherapy apparatus of claim 4, wherein the characteristic is the size of the conductive surface area of the electrodes.

7. The electrotherapy apparatus of claim 4, wherein the characteristic is an electrical parameter of the electrodes.

8. The electrotherapy apparatus of claim 7, wherein the electrical parameter is resistance.

9. The electrotherapy apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a sensor in communication with the electrode arrangements, the sensor being configured to sense which of the electrodes in each electrode arrangement has been placed on the patient.

10. The electrotherapy apparatus of claim 9, wherein the sensor is configured to communicate an electrical signal through the electrodes in the electrode arrangements to determine which electrodes have been placed on the patient.

11. The electrotherapy apparatus of claim 9, wherein the electrotherapy circuitry is further configured to adjust a parameter of the electrotherapy to be delivered to the patient based on which electrodes in the electrode arrangements have been placed on the patient.

12. The electrotherapy apparatus of claim 11, wherein the parameter is a duration of the electrotherapy.

13. The electrotherapy apparatus of claim 11, wherein the parameter is a peak current of the electrotherapy.

14. The electrotherapy apparatus of claim 11, wherein the parameter is a peak voltage of the electrotherapy.

15. The electrotherapy apparatus of claim 11, wherein the parameter is energy to be delivered by the electrotherapy.

16. The electrotherapy apparatus of claim 9, wherein the electrotherapy circuitry is further configured to determine a patient type based on which of the electrodes in each electrode arrangement has been placed on the patient.

17. The electrotherapy apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a user output in communication with the electrotherapy circuitry, wherein the patient type is reported to a user of the electrotherapy apparatus via the user output.

18. The electrotherapy apparatus of claim 9, wherein the electrotherapy circuitry is further configured to determine whether the electrodes placed on the patient comprise an improper combination of electrodes.

19. The electrotherapy apparatus of claim 18, further comprising a user output in communication with the electrotherapy circuitry, wherein a fault condition is reported via the user output when an improper combination of electrodes has been placed on the patient.

20. The electrotherapy apparatus of claim 19, wherein an improper combination of electrodes is found on the patient when the electrodes placed on the patient from one electrode arrangement differ in an electrode characteristic from the electrodes placed on the patient from another electrode arrangement.

21. The electrotherapy apparatus of claim 20, wherein the electrode characteristic is the size of the electrodes.

22. The electrotherapy apparatus of claim 20, wherein the electrode characteristic is the size of the conductive surface area of the electrodes.

23. The electrotherapy apparatus of claim 20, wherein the electrode characteristic is an electrical parameter of the electrodes.

24. The electrotherapy apparatus of claim 20, wherein the electrode characteristic is the number of electrodes.

25. The electrotherapy apparatus of claim 1, wherein placement on the patient of one electrode in an electrode arrangement is mutually exclusive of placement of other electrodes in the same electrode arrangement.

26. The electrotherapy apparatus of claim 1, further configured to deliver electrotherapy to the patient through only one electrode in each electrode arrangement.

27. The electrotherapy apparatus of claim 1, further configured to deliver electrotherapy to the patient through more than one electrode in each electrode arrangement.

28. An electrotherapy method comprising:

(a) selecting at least one electrode from each of two or more electrode arrangements to be placed on a patient, wherein each electrode arrangement is comprised of two or more electrodes that each have a conductive surface area adapted for placement on the patient;

(b) placing the selected electrodes on the patient; and

(c) delivering electrotherapy to the patient via the electrodes placed on the patient.

29. The electrotherapy method of claim 28, further comprising sensing which electrodes in each electrode arrangement have been placed on the patient and adjusting a parameter of the electrotherapy to be delivered to the patient based on which electrodes have been placed on the patient.

30. The electrotherapy method of claim 29, wherein the parameter is a duration of the electrotherapy.

31. The electrotherapy method of claim 29, wherein the parameter is peak current of the electrotherapy.

32. The electrotherapy method of claim 29, wherein the parameter is a peak voltage of the electrotherapy.

33. The electrotherapy method of claim 29, wherein the parameter is energy to be delivered by the electrotherapy.

34. The electrotherapy method of claim 28, further comprising sensing which electrodes in each electrode arrangement have been placed on the patient by communicating an electrical signal through the electrodes in the electrode arrangements and determining which electrodes have been placed on the patient based on the electrical signal.

35. The electrotherapy method of claim 28, further comprising sensing which electrodes in each electrode arrangement have been placed on the patient and determining a patient type based on which electrodes have been placed on the patient.

36. The electrotherapy method of claim 35, further comprising reporting the determined patient type.

37. The electrotherapy method of claim 28, further comprising sensing which electrodes in each electrode arrangement have been placed on the patient and determining whether the electrodes placed on the patient comprise an improper combination of electrodes.

38. The electrotherapy method of claim 37, further comprising reporting a fault condition if an improper combination of electrodes has been sensed.

39. The electrotherapy method of claim 38, wherein an improper combination of electrodes is sensed on the patient when the electrodes placed on the patient from one electrode arrangement differ in an electrode characteristic from the electrodes placed on the patient from another electrode arrangement.

40. The electrotherapy method of claim 39, wherein the electrode characteristic is the size of the electrodes.

41. The electrotherapy method of claim 39, wherein the electrode characteristic is the size of the conductive surface area of the electrodes.

42. The electrotherapy method of claim 39, wherein the electrode characteristic is an electrical parameter of the electrodes.

43. The electrotherapy method of claim 39, wherein the electrode characteristic is the number of electrodes.

44. The electrotherapy method of claim 28, wherein selection of one electrode in an electrode arrangement is mutually exclusive of other electrodes in the same electrode arrangement.

45. The electrotherapy method of claim 28, wherein electrotherapy is delivered to the patient through only one electrode in each electrode arrangement.

46. The electrotherapy method of claim 28, wherein electrotherapy is delivered to the patient through more than one electrode in each electrode arrangement.