Automated defibrillator

• US 20070233197A1
• Filed: 04/04/2006
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Jung, Edward, Leuthardt, Eric, Malamud, Mark, Lord, Robert, Levien, Royce, Rinaldo, John, Wood, Lowell
• Granted Patent: US 8,099,163 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/5
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36017 with leads or electrodes penetrating the skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3904 External heart defibrillators [EHD]

Abstract

One aspect relates to defibrillating an individual potentially in an absence of any human assistance including that from the individual. Another aspect relates to positioning an electrode in electrical proximity to an individual when the individual is in an unusual defibrillating position; and applying a defibrillating charge to the individual at least partially via the electrode when the individual is in the unusual defibrillating position. Yet another aspect relates to securing at least one defibrillating electrode outside of a material associated with an individual relative to the individual; and extending at least one extensible electric contact(s) from the at least one defibrillating electrode through the material into an electric contact with at least a portion of the individual.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

defibrillating an individual potentially in an absence of any human assistance including that from the individual.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the defibrillating an individual potentially in an absence of any human assistance including that from the individual comprises:

receiving support or control from at least one human assistant.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the defibrillating an individual potentially in an absence of any human assistance including that from the individual comprises:

transporting a defibrillator that is at least partially capable of defibrillating the individual to a proximity of the individual.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the defibrillating an individual potentially in an absence of any human assistance including that from the individual comprises:

at least partially repositioning the individual to allow for the defibrillating the individual.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the defibrillating an individual potentially in an absence of any human assistance including that from the individual is performed at least partially in response to sensing a condition of the individual.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the individual has a need for the defibrillating, wherein the defibrillating the individual can at least be partially performed based on a determining the individual does have the need for the defibrillating.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sensing whether the individual has responded to the defibrillation.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sensing whether the individual has responded to the defibrillation, and if the individual has not responded to the defibrillation, then applying a pacing electric source to the individual.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the defibrillating an individual potentially in an absence of any human assistance including that from the individual comprises:

positioning at least one electrical lead to an electrical-conductive proximity of at least a portion of the individual.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the defibrillating an individual potentially in an absence of any human assistance including that from the individual comprises:

positioning at least one electrical lead to a physical proximity of at least a portion of the individual; and

extending the at least one electrical lead from the physical proximity to an electrical-conductive proximity of the at least the portion of the individual.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the defibrillating an individual potentially in an absence of any human assistance including that from the individual comprises:

implanting at least one electrical lead to be electrically conductive with at least a portion of the individual.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the defibrillating an individual potentially in an absence of any human assistance including that from the individual comprises:

self-validating at least one electrical lead to be used during the defibrillating the individual.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the defibrillating an individual potentially in an absence of any human assistance including that from the individual comprises:

positioning at least one electrical lead including at least one electrically conductive needle to an electrical-conductive proximity of at least a portion of the individual.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the individual includes a person.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the individual includes an animal.

16. A method, comprising:

positioning an electrode in electrical proximity to an individual when the individual is in an unusual defibrillating position; and

applying a defibrillating charge to the individual at least partially via the electrode when the individual is in the unusual defibrillating position.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the positioning an electrode in electrical proximity to an individual when the individual is in an unusual defibrillating position comprises:

extending at least a portion of the electrode through a clothing of the individual.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

displacing the individual into a usual defibrillating position.

19. A method, comprising:

securing at least one defibrillating electrode outside of a material associated with an individual relative to the individual; and

extending at least one extensible electric contact(s) from the at least one defibrillating electrode through the material into an electric contact with at least a portion of the individual.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the securing at least one defibrillating electrode outside of a material associated with an individual relative to the individual comprises:

securing the at least one defibrillating electrode relative to a clothing item of the individual.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the securing at least one defibrillating electrode outside of a material associated with an individual relative to the individual comprises:

situating the at least one defibrillating electrode within a clothing item of the individual.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the securing at least one defibrillating electrode outside of a material associated with an individual relative to the individual comprises:

securing the at least one defibrillating electrode relative to a belt or harness of the individual.

23. An apparatus, comprising:

a defibrillator configurable to defibrillate an individual in an absence of any human assistance, wherein the absence of the human assistance can include assistance from the individual.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the defibrillator configurable to defibrillate an individual in an absence of any human assistance comprises:

the defibrillator operable to at least partially reposition the individual to allow for the defibrillating the individual.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the defibrillator configurable to defibrillate an individual in an absence of any human assistance is performed at least partially in response to sensing a condition of the individual.

26. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the defibrillator configurable to defibrillate an individual in an absence of any human assistance comprises:

the defibrillator operable to at least partially position at least one electrical lead to an electrical-conductive proximity of at least a portion of the individual.

27. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the defibrillator configurable to defibrillate an individual in an absence of any human assistance comprises:

the defibrillator configurable to positioning at least one electrical lead to a physical proximity of at least a portion of the individual; and

the defibrillator operable to extend the at least one electrical lead from the physical proximity to an electrical-conductive proximity of the at least the portion of the individual.

28. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the defibrillator configurable to defibrillate an individual in an absence of any human assistance comprises:

the defibrillator configurable to self-validate at least one electrical lead to be used during the defibrillating the individual.

29. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising:

the defibrillator configurable to determine whether the individual has a need for the defibrillating, wherein the defibrillating the individual can at least be partially performed based on a determining the individual does have the need for the defibrillating.

30. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising:

the defibrillator operable to sense whether the individual has responded to the defibrillation.

31. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising:

the defibrillator configurable to sense whether the individual has responded to the defibrillation, and if the individual has not responded to the defibrillation, then the defibrillator configurable to apply a pacing electric source to the individual.

32. An apparatus, comprising:

an electrode positioning defibrillator operable to situate an individual as to be able to apply at least one defibrillating electrode; and

the electrode positioning defibrillator operable to apply a defibrillating charge at least partially using the at least one defibrillating electrode.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the electrode positioning defibrillator can be applied to the individual when in an unusual defibrillation position to position the individual in a usual defibrillation position.

34. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the electrode positioning defibrillator can be applied to the individual when in an unusual defibrillation position by applying the defibrillating charge to the individual when the individual is in the unusual defibrillation position.

35. An at least one defibrillating electrode, comprising:

an electrode positioning portion operable to be situated relative to an individual; and

at least one extensible electric contact(s) operable to extend through clothing to an extended position, such that when the extending portion is in its extended position, a charge can be applied via the at least one defibrillating electrode to the individual.

36. An apparatus, comprising:

a mote-based fibrillating state sensor operable to sense a fibrillating state of the individual, whereupon upon the sensing the fibrillating state, the mote-based fibrillating state sensor can transmit an indication of the fibrillating state to the defibrillator.