Electric- or Magnetic-Field Based Detection of when Electrode Pads have been Handled or Removed from their Package
First Claim
1. An apparatus comprising:
- an electrode with attached lead wire;
a conductor;
a source of alternating current; and
an electrode deployment detector configured for;
monitoring a magnitude of an electrical characteristic measured from an electrical circuit having from said source an alternating electric current path that includes said electrode with attached lead wire, said conductor, and a space or other electrical insulator intervening between said conductor and said electrode with attached lead wire, said conductor being disposed in proximity of said electrode with attached lead wire to create capacitance in said electrical circuit; and
identifying, based on said magnitude, an occurrence of at least one of handling of said electrode with attached lead wire and removing of said electrode with attached lead wire from a package containing said electrode with attached lead wire.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Handling or removal of a pair of defibrillator electrode pads from their package is detected in order to effectively time the issuance of prompts to guide the user. One plate of a capacitor is embedded in the package, the electrode pads and lead wires serving as the other plate. Impedance across the capacitor in an alternating current circuit is monitored to detect an increase in the distance between the pads and the package. The impedance level is determined, in a low-cost hardware solution, by rectifying and then integrating an output voltage of the capacitor to produce a voltage signal whose magnitude attenuates as the pads arc handled or removed. In one embodiment, the above methodology is time-division multiplexed with an alternative process that identifies handling or removal based on pad-to-pad impedance. In a further embodiment, the capacitive configuration is replaced with an inductive one.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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an electrode with attached lead wire; a conductor; a source of alternating current; and an electrode deployment detector configured for; monitoring a magnitude of an electrical characteristic measured from an electrical circuit having from said source an alternating electric current path that includes said electrode with attached lead wire, said conductor, and a space or other electrical insulator intervening between said conductor and said electrode with attached lead wire, said conductor being disposed in proximity of said electrode with attached lead wire to create capacitance in said electrical circuit; and identifying, based on said magnitude, an occurrence of at least one of handling of said electrode with attached lead wire and removing of said electrode with attached lead wire from a package containing said electrode with attached lead wire. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 17, 18, 19)
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2. The apparatus of claim l, wherein said electrical circuit is configured so that said magnitude varies with said capacitance.
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11. A method comprising the steps of:
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monitoring a magnitude of an electrical characteristic measured from an electrical circuit having from an alternating current source an alternating electric current path that includes an electrode with attached lead wire, a conductor, and a space or other electrical insulator intervening between said conductor and said electrode with attached lead wire, said conductor being disposed in proximity of said electrode with attached lead wire to create capacitance in said electrical circuit; and identifying, based on said magnitude, an occurrence of at least one of handling of said electrode with attached lead wire and removing said electrode with attached lead wire from a package containing said electrode with attached lead wire. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 20)
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21. An apparatus comprising:
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an alternating current (AC) source; an AC circuit powered by said source and having a complex-impedance-generating element with at least one electrode pad that is within said circuit, said element being expandable from a package containing said element to change a voltage drop across said element; and an electrode deployment detector configured for monitoring a magnitude of an electrical characteristic measured from said circuit to identify based on said magnitude, an occurrence of at least one of handling of said element and removing of said element from said package.
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Specification