Medical device configured to test for user responsiveness

• US 20080306562A1
• Filed: 04/30/2008
• Published: 12/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2007
• 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, Donnelly, Edward J., Szymkiewicz, Steven J., Clark, John G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,271,082 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/6
• 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 medical device is disclosed that includes one or more treatment electrodes, one or more sensors, and one or more controllers connected to the one or more treatment electrodes and one or more sensors. The medical device also includes one or more response mechanisms connected to the one or more controllers. The one or more controllers are configured to receive input from the one or more response mechanism and are also configured to determine whether a patient wearing the medical device actuated the one or more response mechanisms based, at least in part, on the input received from the one or more response mechanisms. In some disclosed embodiments, the medical device is a wearable defibrillator.

Claims

1. A wearable defibrillator comprising:

at least one treatment electrode;

at least one sensor;

at least one controller connected to the at least one treatment electrode and the at least one sensor;

at least one response mechanism connected to the at least one controller, the at least one response mechanism actuatable by a patient wearing the wearable defibrillator and

wherein the at least one controller is configured to receive input from the at least one response mechanism and determine whether the patient wearing the wearable defibrillator actuated the at least one response mechanism based at least in part on the input.

2. The wearable defibrillator of claim 1 wherein the at least one response mechanism is comprised of at least one of at least one detector and at least one transducer.

3. The wearable defibrillator of claim 2 wherein the at least one transducer is a biometric transducer.

4. The wearable defibrillator of claim 2 wherein the at least one detector is a biometric sensor.

5. The wearable defibrillator of claim 2 wherein the at least one transducer is configured to send a marker signal and the at least one detector is configured to receive the marker signal and transmit at least a portion of the received marker signal to the at least one controller.

6. The wearable defibrillator of claim 5 wherein the at least a portion of the received marker signal transmitted to the at least one controller is the input.

7. The wearable defibrillator of claim 1 further comprising at least one falloff signal generator connected to at least one of the at least one controller, the at least one sensor and the at least one treatment electrode, the at least one falloff signal generator configured to transmit a falloff signal through at least a portion of the patient.

8. The wearable defibrillator of claim 7 wherein the at least one response mechanism is comprised of at least one detector configured to receive the falloff signal when the patient actuates the at least one response mechanism.

9. The wearable defibrillator of claim 1 wherein the at least one response mechanism is comprised of at least one detector configured to detect a capacitance of a person actuating the at least one response mechanism and wherein the at least one controller is configured to determine a capacitance value from the input.

10. The wearable defibrillator of claim 9 wherein the at least one controller is configured to compare the detected capacitance value to a range of patient capacitance values to determine if the patient actuated the at least one response mechanism.

11. The wearable defibrillator of claim 1 wherein the at least one sensor is configured to receive an ECG signal from the patient and wherein the at least one response mechanism is comprised of at least one detector configured to receive an ECG signal of a person actuating the at least one response mechanism.

12. The wearable defibrillator of claim 11 wherein the at least one controller is configured to compare the ECG signal received by the at least one sensor and the ECG signal received by the at least one detector to determine whether the patient actuated the at least one response mechanism based at least in part on the input.

13. The wearable defibrillator of claim 12 wherein the at least one controller is configured to compare the ECG signal received by the at least one sensor and the ECG signal received by the at least one detector utilizing at least one of morphology comparisons, rate comparisons and R-wave synchronizations.

14. The wearable defibrillator of claim 1 further comprising at least one accessory item connected to the at least one controller.

15. The wearable defibrillator of claim 14 wherein the at least one accessory item comprises at least one of a ring, a badge and a bracelet.

16. The wearable defibrillator of claim 14 wherein the at least one accessory item comprises at least one identification marker configured to transmit an identification signal.

17. The wearable defibrillator of claim 16 wherein the at least one response mechanism is comprised of at least one detector configured to receive the identification signal.

18. The wearable defibrillator of claim 16 wherein the at least one response mechanism is comprised of at least one proximity sensor.

19. The wearable defibrillator of claim 1 further comprising at least one of at least one display and at least one speaker connected to the at least one controller.

20. The wearable defibrillator of claim 1 wherein the at least one response mechanism is comprised of at least one button connected to at least one detector and/or at least one transducer.

21. A method of testing patient responsiveness of a patient wearing a medical device comprising:

sensing via sensors on the medical device, a condition of the patient requiring treatment;

providing, upon sensing the condition requiring treatment, a prompt emitted from the medical device that is directed to the patient to elicit a response from the patient; and

determining if the patient has provided the response if a response is provided.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising sensing for a signal and wherein the step of determining if the patient has provided the response if a response is provided is further comprised of verifying whether the provided response comprises the signal.

23. The method of claim 21 further comprising measuring capacitance and wherein the step determining if the patient has provided the response if a response is provided is further comprised of comparing the measured capacitance to a stored patient capacitance to determine whether the patient provided the response.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein the step of determining if the patient has provided the response if a response is provided is further comprised of detecting an accessory item worn by the patient to determine if the patient has provided the response.

25. The method of claim 21 further comprising sensing ECG signals of the patient and wherein the step of determining if the patient has provided the response if a response is provided is further comprised of comparing ECG signals of the patient with ECG signals provided with the response.

26. The method of claim 21 wherein the step of determining if the patient has provided the response if a response is provided is further comprised of requiring entry of at least one of a code and a password.