Wearable defibrillator with audio input/output

• US 20080306560A1
• Filed: 04/09/2008
• Published: 12/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zoll Medical Corporation (Asahi Kasei Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Zoll Medical Corporation (Asahi Kasei Corporation)
• Inventors: Kaib, Thomas E., Linder, Marshal, Volpe, Shane S., Macho, John D., Rattanni, Richard A., Skalos, Philip C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,369,944 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/5
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/282 Holders for multiple electrodes for introduction into the body A61B5/287
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/046 Specially adapted for shock therapy, e.g. defibrillation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0484 Garment electrodes worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37217 characterised by the communication link, e.g. acoustic or tactile
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3904 External heart defibrillators [EHD]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3925 Monitoring; Protecting
• 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

Abstract

A wearable defibrillator and method of monitoring the condition of a patient are disclosed. The wearable defibrillator includes at least one therapy pad, at least one sensor and at least one processing unit operatively connected to the one or more therapy pads and the one or more sensors. The wearable defibrillator also includes at least one audio device operatively connected to the one or more processing units. The one or more audio devices are configured to receive audio input from a patient.

Claims

1. A wearable defibrillator comprising:

at least one therapy pad;

at least one sensor;

at least one processing unit operatively connected to the at least one therapy pad and the at least one sensor; and

at least one audio device operatively connected to the at least one processing unit, the at least one audio device configured to receive audio input from a patient.

2. The wearable defibrillator of claim 1 wherein the at least one audio device is at least one microphone.

3. The wearable defibrillator of claim 1 wherein the at least one audio device is comprised of at least one speaker and at least one microphone connected to the at least one processing unit.

4. The wearable defibrillator of claim 1 wherein the at least one processing unit is comprised of at least one processor and at least one memory connected to the at least one processor.

5. The wearable defibrillator of claim 1 wherein the at least one processing unit is configured to cause at least one patient responsiveness test to be run upon detection of an arrhythmia condition by the at least one sensor.

6. The wearable defibrillator of claim 5 wherein the at least one responsiveness test comprises at least one test selected from the group consisting of voice recognition responsiveness tests and button responsiveness tests.

7. The wearable defibrillator of claim 5 wherein a response button responsiveness test is only run after a voice recognition responsiveness test resulted in a response that indicated the patient is not conscious.

8. The wearable defibrillator of claim 1 wherein the audio input comprises at least one sound made by a patient, and wherein the at least one processing unit is configured to recognize the audio input from the patient.

9. The wearable defibrillator of claim 8 wherein the at least one sound is comprised of at least one spoken word.

10. The wearable defibrillator of claim 8 wherein the at least one processing unit is configured such that the wearable defibrillator does not provide a treatment to the patient when the at least one sound is received by the at least audio device and recognized by the at least one processing unit.

11. The wearable defibrillator of claim 1 wherein the audio input is a patient name and the at least one processor is configured to cause the at least one audio device to audibly emit the patient name during a startup process that is initiated after the wearable defibrillator is activated.

12. The wearable defibrillator of claim 1 wherein the at least one processing unit is configured to recognize audio input provided by a base unit configured to operatively connect to the wearable defibrillator to verify the base unit is functioning properly.

13. The wearable defibrillator of claim 12 wherein the base unit is comprised of a modem and the audio input provided by the base unit is comprised of sound made by the modem.

14. The wearable defibrillator of claim 1 further comprised of at least one mechanism connected to the at least one processing unit, wherein the at least one processing unit is configured to recognize input provided by the at least one mechanism to verify the at least one mechanism is operating correctly.

15. The wearable defibrillator of claim 14 wherein the at least one mechanism is comprised of at least one device selected from the group consisting of switches and relays.

16. The wearable defibrillator of claim 1 wherein the at least one processing unit is configured to cause an alarm to be emitted to verify that the wearable defibrillator can properly emit the alarm.

17. The wearable defibrillator of claim 1 wherein the at least one audio device is comprised of at least one microphone and at least one speaker, wherein the at least one processing unit is configured to cause the at least one speaker to produce audio output and is configured to adjust at least one of frequency and amplitude characteristics of the audio output based upon audio input received by the at least one microphone.

18. The wearable defibrillator of claim 1 further comprising at least one memory operatively connected to the at least one processing unit wherein the at least one processing unit is configured to cause data obtained by the at least one sensor to be recorded in the at least one memory.

19. The wearable defibrillator of claim 18 wherein the audio input is comprised of a command and the at least one processing unit is configured to cause data obtained by the at least one sensor to be recorded in the at least one memory after the command is received by the at least one audio device.

20. The wearable defibrillator of claim 1 wherein the at least one processing unit is configured to cause a self-diagnostic test to be run if the audio input is comprised of a high amplitude and short duration noise.

21. A system configured to monitor a patient comprising:

a central location;

a wearable defibrillator configured to operatively connect to the central location, the wearable defibrillator comprising;

at least one therapy pad;

at least one sensor;

at least one processing unit operatively connected to the at least one therapy pad and the at least one sensor; and

at least one audio device operatively connected to the at least one processing unit, the at least one audio device configured to receive audio input from a patient.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the at least one audio device is at least one microphone.

23. The system of claim 21 further comprising a base station configured to communicate with the central location and connect the wearable defibrillator to the central location and the wearable defibrillator is configured to transmit data from the wearable defibrillator to the central location.

24. The system of claim 21 wherein the central location is comprised of at least one memory and is configured to store data transmitted from the wearable defibrillator in the at least one memory.

25. The system of claim 21 wherein the at least one processing unit is further comprised of at least one communication device configured to connect the wearable defibrillator to the central location.

26. A method of providing treatment to a patient to treat a condition the patient is experiencing comprising:

providing a wearable defibrillator to the patient comprising at least one audio device;

monitoring the condition of the patient;

providing audio output from the at least one audio device to the patient to verify a monitored arrhythmia condition exists;

receiving audio input from the patient with the at least one audio device and;

providing treatment to the patient based on the audio input received from the patient.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising:

recording the condition of the patient;

communicating the recorded condition of the patient to a central location;

utilizing the at least one audio device to conduct at least one diagnostic test of the wearable defibrillator;

recording results from the at least one diagnostic test; and

evaluating the results from the at least one diagnostic test.