Medical device status information system

• US 20040049233A1
• Filed: 02/28/2003
• Published: 03/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Physio-Control Corp. (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Physio-Control Corp. (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Edwards, D. Craig
• Application Number:
  US10/378,001
• Publication Number:
  US 20040049233A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/5
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3931 Protecting, e.g. back-up systems

Abstract

In general, the invention is directed to management of status information from a plurality of emergency medical devices, such as AEDs. A system may include one or more medical devices associated with one or more docking stations. The medical devices and docking stations may communicate with one another and with a remote unit. A medical device or a docking station in the system may acquire status information and may communicate the status information to the remote unit, which may serve as a central point for collecting and aggregating status information pertaining to medical devices and docking stations in the system. The remote unit may present the status information to a person via an input/output device, may maintain a status log for the devices in the system, and may interrogate the devices in the system for status information.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

acquiring first status information from a self-diagnostic routine;

acquiring second status information from an emergency medical device; and

communicating the first status information and the second status information to a remote unit.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting at least a portion of the first status information and the second status information to a person.

3. The method of claim 1, in which acquiring the second status information comprises:

submitting an interrogation to the medical device; and

acquiring the second status information in response to the interrogation.

4. The method of claim 3, in which acquiring the second status information further comprises receiving the interrogation from the remote unit before submitting the interrogation to the medical device.

5. The method of claim 1, in which acquiring the second status information comprises receiving the second status information from the medical device in accordance with one or more wireless communication protocols.

6. The method of claim 5, in which the wireless communication protocols comprise at least one of Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, and the HomeRF standard.

7. The method of claim 1, in which communicating the first status information and the second status information to the remote unit comprises establishing communication with the remote unit via a communication network.

8. The method of claim 7, in which the communication network comprises at least one of an alarm network, a telephone network, a local area network, a cellular network, a wireless network, a wide area network, a global computer network and an integrated services digital network.

9. The method of claim 1, in which the medical device includes an external defibrillator.

10. The method of claim 1, in which the medical device includes an automated external defibrillator.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising presenting at least a portion of the status information to a person.

11. A method comprising:

receiving an interrogation for emergency medical device status information;

acquiring the status information from a self-diagnostic routine; and

communicating the status information to a remote unit.

13. The method of claim 11, in which receiving the interrogation for status information comprises receiving the interrogation from the remote unit.

14. The method of claim 11, in which receiving the interrogation for status information comprises receiving the interrogation from a docking station.

15. The method of claim 11, in which communicating the status information to the remote unit comprises establishing communication with the remote unit via a communication network.

16. The method of claim 15, in which the communication network comprises at least one of an alarm network, a telephone network, a local area network, a cellular network, a wireless network, a wide area network, a global computer network and an integrated services digital network.

17. The method of claim 11, in which communicating the status information to the remote unit comprises establishing communication with a docking station in accordance with one or more wireless communication protocols.

18. The method of claim 17, in which the wireless communication protocols comprise at least one of Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, and the HomeRF standard.

19. The method of claim 11, in which emergency medical device status information comprises at least one of data indicative of a fault, data indicative of low battery power, data indicative of battery failure, and data indicative of the end of a shelf life of a component of the medical device.

20. A method comprising:

receiving emergency medical device status information from a plurality of emergency medical devices; and

presenting at least a portion of the status information to a person.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising generating an alarm as a function of the status information from at least one of the medical devices.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising transmitting an interrogation for the status information to the medical devices.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising transmitting an interrogation for the status information to at least one docking station associated with at least one of the medical devices.

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

receiving docking station status information from a docking station associated with at least one of the medical devices; and

presenting at least a portion of the docking station status information to a person.

25. The method of claim 20, further comprising recording the status information in a status log.

26. The method of claim 20, in which emergency medical device status information comprises at least one of data indicative of a fault, data indicative of low battery power, data indicative of battery failure, and data indicative of the end of a shelf life of a component of the medical device.

27. A method comprising:

transmitting an interrogation for status information to a plurality of emergency medical devices; and

receiving the status information from the medical devices in response to the interrogation.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising generating an alarm as a function of the status information from at least one medical device.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising presenting at least a portion of the received status information to a person.

30. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

transmitting an interrogation for docking station status information to a plurality of docking stations; and

receiving the docking station status information from the docking stations in response to the interrogation for docking station status information.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising presenting at least a portion of the docking station status information to a person.

32. The method of claim 27, further comprising recording the status information in a status log.

33. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for causing a programmable processor to

acquire first status information from a self-diagnostic routine;

acquire second status information from an emergency medical device; and

communicate the first status information and the second status information to a remote unit.

34. The medium of claim 33, the instructions further causing the processor to present at least a portion of the first status information and the second status information to a person.

35. The medium of claim 33, in which the instructions causing the processor to acquire the second status information comprise instructions causing the processor to:

submit an interrogation to the medical device; and

acquire the second status information in response to the interrogation.

36. The medium of claim 35, in which the instructions causing the processor to acquire the second status information comprise instructions causing the processor to receive the interrogation from the remote unit before submitting the interrogation to the medical device.

37. The medium of claim 33, in which the instructions causing the processor to acquire the second status information comprise instructions causing the processor to receive the second status information from the medical device in accordance with one or more wireless communication protocols.

38. The medium of claim 37, in which the wireless communication protocols comprise at least one of Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, and the HomeRF standard.

39. The medium of claim 33, in which the instructions causing the processor to communicate the first status information and the second status information to the remote unit comprise instructions causing the processor to establish communication with the remote unit via a communication network.

40. The medium of claim 39, in which the communication network comprises at least one of an alarm network, a telephone network, a local area network, a cellular network, a wireless network, a wide area network, a global computer network and an integrated services digital network.

41. The medium of claim 33, in which the medical device is an external defibrillator.

42. The medium of claim 33, in which the medical device is an automated external defibrillator.

43. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for causing a programmable processor to:

receive an interrogation for emergency medical device status information;

acquire the status information from a self-diagnostic routine; and

communicate the status information to a remote unit.

44. The medium of claim 43, the instructions further causing the processor to present at least a portion of the status information to a person.

45. The medium of claim 43, in which the instructions causing the processor to receive the interrogation for status information comprise instructions causing the processor to receive the interrogation from the remote unit.

46. The medium of claim 43, in which the instructions causing the processor to receive the interrogation for status information comprise instructions causing the processor to receive the interrogation from a docking station.

47. The medium of claim 43, in which the instructions causing the processor to communicate the status information to the remote unit comprise instructions causing the processor to establish communication with the remote unit via a communication network.

48. The medium of claim 47, in which the communication network comprises at least one of an alarm network, a telephone network, a local area network, a cellular network, a wireless network, a wide area network, a global computer network and an integrated services digital network.

49. The medium of claim 43, in which the instructions causing the processor to communicate the status information to the remote unit comprise instructions causing the processor to establish communication with a docking station in accordance with one or more wireless communication protocols.

50. The medium of claim 49, in which the wireless communication protocols comprise at least one of Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, and the HomeRF standard.

51. The medium of claim 43, in which emergency medical device status information comprises at least one of data indicative of a fault, data indicative of low battery power, data indicative of battery failure, and data indicative of the end of a shelf life of a component of the medical device.

52. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for causing a programmable processor to:

receive emergency medical device status information from a plurality of emergency medical devices; and

present at least a portion of the status information to a person.

53. The medium of claim 52, the instructions further causing the processor to generate an alarm as a function of the status information from at least one of the medical devices.

54. The medium of claim 52, the instructions further causing the processor to transmit an interrogation for the status information to the medical devices.

55. The medium of claim 52, the instructions further causing the processor to transmit an interrogation for the status information to at least one docking station associated with at least one of the medical devices.

56. The medium of claim 52, the instructions further causing the processor to:

receive docking station status information from a docking station associated with at least one of the medical devices; and

present at least a portion of the docking station status information to a person.

57. The medium of claim 52, the instructions further causing the processor to record the status information in a status log.

58. The medium of claim 52, in which emergency medical device status information comprises at least one of data indicative of a fault, data indicative of low battery power, data indicative of battery failure, and data indicative of the end of a shelf life of a component of the medical device.

59. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for causing a programmable processor to:

transmit an interrogation for status information to a plurality of emergency medical devices; and

receive the status information from the medical devices in response to the interrogation.

60. The medium of claim 59, the instructions further causing the processor to generate an alarm as a function of the status information from at least one medical device.

61. The medium of claim 59, the instructions further causing the processor to present at least a portion of the received status information to a person.

62. The medium of claim 59, the instructions further causing the processor to:

transmit an interrogation for docking station status information to a plurality of docking stations; and

receive the docking station status information from the docking stations in response to the interrogation for docking station status information.

63. The medium of claim 62, the instructions further causing the processor to present at least a portion of the docking station status information to a person.

64. The medium of claim 59, the instructions further causing the processor to record the status information in a status log.

65. A device comprising:

an electrical source to generate a shock to defibrillate a heart;

at least two electrodes to deliver the shock to the heart;

a processor to execute a self-diagnostic routine and to acquire status information as a function of executing the self-diagnostic routine; and

a communication module to receive an interrogation for the status information and to communicate the status information to a second device.

66. The device of claim 65, in which the device is an automated external defibrillator.

67. The device of claim 65, in which the device is portable.

68. The device of claim 65, in which the communication module is configured to communicate with at least one of a docking station and a network in accordance with one or more wireless communication protocols.

69. The device of claim 68, in which the wireless communication protocols comprise at least one of Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, and the HomeRF standard.

70. A device comprising:

a processor to execute a self-diagnostic routine and to acquire status information as a function of executing the self-diagnostic routine; and

a communication module to receive an interrogation for the status information and to communicate the status information to a second device,

wherein the device is a portable medical device.

71. The device of claim 70, in which the device is an external defibrillator.

72. The device of claim 70, in which the device is an automated external defibrillator.

73. The device of claim 70, in which the communication module is configured to communicate with at least one of a docking station and a network in accordance with one or more wireless communication protocols.

74. The device of claim 73, in which the wireless communication protocols comprise at least one of Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, and the HomeRF standard.

75. A device comprising:

a docking element to retain an emergency medical device;

a communication module to receive first status information from the medical device;

a processor to execute a self-diagnostic routine and acquire second status information as a function of executing the self-diagnostic routine; and

an output to present at least a portion of the first status information and at least a portion of the second status information.

76. The device of claim 75, in which the communication module is configured to receive the first status information in accordance with one or more wireless communication protocols.

77. The device of claim 76, in which the wireless communication protocols comprise at least one of Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, and the HomeRF standard.

78. The device of claim 75, in which the communication module is configured to transmit at least a portion of the first status information and at least a portion of the second status information to a remote unit.

79. The device of claim 75, in which the docking element comprises:

a compartment sized to receive the medical device; and

a door to secure the medical device inside the compartment.

80. A device comprising:

a communication module to receive status information from a plurality of emergency medical devices; and

an output device to present at least a portion of the received status information to an operator.

81. The device of claim 80, in which the communication module is further configured to transmit an interrogation to the medical devices.

82. The device of claim 80, in which the communication module is further configured to receive docking station status information from a plurality of docking stations.

83. The device of claim 80, further comprising memory to record the received status information.

84. The device of claim 80, further comprising a processor to generate an alarm as a function of the received status information.

85. A system comprising:

a plurality of emergency medical devices; and

a remote unit that interrogates at least one medical device in the plurality over a communication network and that receives status information in response to the interrogation.

86. The system of claim 85, in which at least one medical device in the plurality is portable.

87. The system of claim 85, in which at least one medical device in the plurality is an external defibrillator.

88. The system of claim 85, in which at least one medical device in the plurality is an automated external defibrillator.

89. The system of claim 85, in which the communication network comprises at least one of an alarm network, a telephone network, a local area network, a cellular network, a wireless network, a wide area network, a global computer network and an integrated services digital network.

90. The system of claim 85, further comprising a docking station sized to receive at least one medical device in the plurality.

91. The system of claim 90, in which the remote unit is further configured to interrogate the docking station over the communication network and to receive docking station status information in response to the interrogation of the docking station.