EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATOR

• US 20100241181A1
• Filed: 03/15/2010
• Published: 09/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CardioThrive, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Walter T. Savage
• Inventors: Brinkerhoff, Mark D., Boeder, Ronald S., MacLay, Walter N., Savage, Shelley J., Greger, Jeffrey S., Savage, Walter T., Geraty, Thomas K., Morrison, Douglas C., Ton, Tony M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,615,295 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/5
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/046 Specially adapted for shock therapy, e.g. defibrillation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0472 Structure-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0492 Patch electrodes A61N1/0412, A61N1/0428 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/327 for enhancing the absorption properties of tissue, e.g. by electroporation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3904 External heart defibrillators [EHD]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3918 characterised by shock pathway, e.g. by electrode configuration
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3925 Monitoring; Protecting
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3968 Constructional arrangements, e.g. casings A61N1/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3993 User interfaces for automatic external defibrillators

Abstract

A variety of arrangements and methods relating to a defibrillator are described. In one aspect of the invention, a defibrillator includes two paddles that each include a defibrillator electrode covered in a protective housing. The two paddles are sealed together using a releasable seal to form a paddle module such that the housings of the paddles form the exterior of the paddle module. An electrical system including at least a battery and a capacitor is electrically coupled with the paddles. The battery is arranged to charge the capacitor. The capacitor is arranged to apply a voltage at the defibrillator electrodes, which generates an electrical shock for arresting a cardiac arrhythmia.

Claims

1. A defibrillator comprising:

two paddles, each paddle including a defibrillator electrode covered in a protective housing, the two paddles sealed together using a releasable seal to form a paddle module, the housings of the two paddles forming the exterior of the paddle module; and

an electrical system coupled with the two paddles, the electrical system including at least a battery and a capacitor, the battery arranged to charge the capacitor, the capacitor arranged to apply a voltage at the defibrillator electrodes to facilitate delivering an electrical shock suitable for arresting a cardiac arrhythmia.

2. A defibrillator as recited in claim 1, wherein the seal is frangible.

3. A defibrillator as recited in claim 1, wherein the seal is formed using at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a lock, a tape, an adhesive, a pin and a water resistant seal.

4. A defibrillator as recited in claim 1, further comprising a connecting structure including a sheet-like section having a first surface and an opposing second surface, there being instructions for using the defibrillator on the first surface of the connecting structure.

5. A defibrillator as recited in claim 4, wherein each defibrillator electrode includes a contact surface and wherein the paddles and the connecting structure are arranged such that the first surface of the connecting structure faces in a direction substantially opposite that of the contact surfaces of the paddles when the connecting structure is substantially fully extended and arranged substantially flat between the paddles.

6. A defibrillator as recited in claim 5, wherein the connecting structure includes at least one electrically conductive wire and a plurality of sheets made at least partly of a electrically insulating material, the at least one wire forming an electrical connection between the paddles and being embedded within at least one of the sheets, the plurality of sheets being flexibly and serially connected to form the connecting structure.

7. A defibrillator as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

one or more processors coupled with the two paddles; and

a computer readable storage medium coupled with the two paddles and the one or more processors, the computer readable medium including computer code that is executable by the one or more processors, the computer code comprising;

executable computer code operable to assess whether the seal has been broken;

executable computer code operable to charge the capacitor using the battery based on assessing as to whether the seal has been broken; and

executable computer code operable to receive and analyze signals received from a chest of a person through the paddles.

8. A defibrillator as recited in claim 7, wherein the computer code further comprises:

executable computer code operable to determine whether the signals received from the chest of the person correspond to a cardiac arrhythmia; and

executable computer code operable to prevent the delivery of more than 10 electrical shocks by the paddles even when it is determined that the signals received from the chest of the person correspond to a cardiac arrhythmia.

9. A defibrillator as recited in claim 8, wherein the computer code further comprises:

executable computer code operable to send message data wirelessly to a remote server based on the assessing as to whether the seal has been broken.

10. A defibrillator as recited in claim 9 wherein the message data includes at least one selected from the group consisting of:

GPS data indicating a current location of the defibrillator and health data based on the signals received from the chest of the person.

11. A defibrillator as recited in claim 9, wherein the computer code further comprises:

executable computer code operable to receive and store customizable data from a computing device external to the defibrillator; and

executable computer code operable to selectively identify the destination device based on the customizable data, wherein the message data is sent to the remote server identified using the customizable data.

12. A defibrillator as recited in claim 7 wherein:

one or both of the paddles includes a sensor;

the computer code further comprises executable computer code operable to receive and process sensor data from the sensor, the sensor data indicating at least one of the group consisting of;

amount of pressure applied against the paddle and amount of moisture near the paddle; and

executable computer code operable to display a warning signal on the exterior of the defibrillator, the warning signal based on the received sensor data.

13. A defibrillator as recited in claim 1 wherein each paddle includes a paddle guard made of a flexible, electrically insulating material that is unexposed and disposed within the paddle module, the paddle guard arranged such that portions of a chest of the person outside the profile of each paddle are covered by the paddle guard when the paddle is placed on the chest of the person, thereby reducing a probability that a user of the paddles will come in direct contact with the person during defibrillation.

14. A defibrillator as recited in claim 1 wherein:

the total volume of all capacitors in the defibrillator is less than 600 cubic centimeters; and

the electrical system of the defibrillator is arranged to deliver less than 6 electrical shocks, each electrical shock lasting approximately between 4 and 20 milliseconds and involving applying an electrical voltage of between approximately 1400 and 2000 volts at the defibrillator electrodes.

15. A defibrillator as recited in claim 1 wherein each of the defibrillator electrodes is covered with an electrically conductive adhesive layer.

16. A defibrillator as recited in claim 1 wherein the entire exterior of the paddle module lacks sharp edges and is substantially smooth such that there is no recess anywhere on the exterior of the paddle module that is deeper than 4 millimeters, thereby reducing a tendency of the paddle module to get caught on other objects.

17. A defibrillator as recited in claim 1, wherein exposed portions of the housings of the paddles constitute at least the majority of all exposed surface area on the exterior of the paddle module.

18. A defibrillator as recited in claim 1 wherein the paddle module further comprises a ribbed membrane extending along sides of the paddle module to facilitate holding of the paddle module.

19. A defibrillator as recited in claim 1, wherein the paddles in the paddle module are arranged such that electrically conductive contact surfaces on the two paddles directly face one another.

20. A defibrillator as recited in claim 1, wherein a display screen is mounted in the housing of one of the paddles, the display screen facing in a direction opposite that of a contact pad of the defibrillator electrode of the one of the paddles, the display screen electrically coupled with the electrical system and arranged to display images related to using the defibrillator.

21. A defibrillator as recited in claim 4, wherein a display screen is mounted on the first surface of the connecting structure, the display screen electrically coupled with the electrical system and arranged to display the instructions for using the defibrillator, the display screen involving at least one selected from the group consisting of:

an electronic display, an electronic ink display, a liquid crystal display, a plasma screen and a plurality of light emitting diodes.

22. A defibrillator as recited in claim 1, further comprising a power module that includes a housing, the electrical system being disposed at least in part within the housing of the power module, the power module being electrically and physically connected to at least one of the paddles via at least one exposed cable.

23. A defibrillator as recited in claim 1, wherein each paddle includes a groove extending along its side arranged to receive a thumb of a person, the groove having a raised edge, the raised edges of the paddles cooperating to form a central ridge that extends along a central axis of the paddle module, the grooves of the sealed paddles being arranged symmetrically around the central ridge.

24. A defibrillator as recited in claim 1, wherein the electrical system is physically arranged to generate no more than 10 shocks at the defibrillator electrodes of the paddles without a recharging of the battery.

25. A defibrillator comprising:

two paddles, each paddle including a defibrillator electrode covered in a protective housing;

a connecting structure that electrically and physically connects the two paddles; and

an electrical system disposed inside the housing of one or more of the paddles, the electrical system including at least a battery and a capacitor, the battery arranged to charge the capacitor, the capacitor arranged to apply a voltage at the defibrillator electrodes to facilitate delivering an electrical shock suitable for arresting a cardiac arrhythmia.

26. A defibrillator as recited in claim 25, wherein the two paddles are sealed together using a releasable seal to form a paddle module such that the defibrillator electrodes of the paddles are unexposed and the housings of the paddles cooperate to form the exterior of the paddle module.

27. A defibrillator as recited in claim 25, wherein the connecting structure includes a sheet-like section with a first surface and an opposing second surface, there being instructions on using the defibrillator on the first surface of the connecting structure, the paddles and the sheet being arranged such that the first surface of the connecting structure faces in a direction substantially opposite that of conductive surfaces of the paddles when the connecting structure is substantially fully extended and arranged substantially flat between the paddles.

28. A defibrillator as recited in claim 26, wherein the seal is frangible.

29. A defibrillator as recited in claim 28, wherein the seal involves at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a tape, an adhesive, a water resistant seal and a pin.

30. A defibrillator as recited in claim 26, wherein:

the connecting structure is folded and positioned directly between the defibrillator electrodes of the two paddles; and

the connecting structure is arranged to unfold when the two paddles are unsealed and pulled away from one another.

31. A defibrillator as recited in claim 26, wherein;

each paddle in the sealed paddle module includes a recess, the recesses of the paddles cooperating to form a cavity in the paddle module; and

the connecting structure is positioned within the cavity.

32. A defibrillator comprising:

two paddles, each paddle including a defibrillator electrode covered by a protective housing;

a flexible connecting structure that physically and electrically connects the two paddles, the connecting structure having a sheet-like section with a first surface and an opposing second surface, there being instructions for using the defibrillator displayed on the first surface of the connecting structure; and

an electrical system coupled with the two paddles, the electrical system including at least a battery and a capacitor, the battery arranged to charge the capacitor, the capacitor arranged to apply a voltage at the defibrillator electrodes to facilitate delivering an electrical shock suitable for arresting a cardiac arrhythmia.

33. A defibrillator as recited in claim 32 wherein the connecting structure includes a plurality of serially connected sheet-like sections, the connecting structure being foldable along crease lines dividing the sheet-like sections, adjacent sheet-like sections being connected to one another using at least one of the group consisting of:

a hinge, a binding and a plastic material.

34. A defibrillator as recited in claim 32 wherein the paddles and the connecting structure are arranged such that the first surface of the connecting structure faces in a direction substantially opposite that of contact surfaces of the defibrillator electrodes when the connecting structure is substantially fully extended and arranged substantially flat between the paddles.

35. A defibrillator as recited in claim 32, wherein the two paddles are sealed together using a releasable seal to form a paddle module such that the defibrillator electrodes of the paddles are unexposed and the housings of the two paddles cooperate to form the exterior of the paddle module.

36. A defibrillator as recited in claim 35 wherein the paddle module includes one or more springs coupled with the connecting structure, the one or more springs arranged to apply pressure upon the connecting structure, such that the connecting structure springs out from the paddles when the releasable seal of the paddle module is opened and the paddles are moved apart from one another.

37. A defibrillator as recited in claim 35, wherein:

the connecting structure is folded and positioned directly between the defibrillator electrodes of the two paddles; and

the connecting structure is arranged to unfold when the two paddles are unsealed and pulled away from one another.

38. A defibrillator as recited in claim 35, wherein:

the connecting structure is coiled within the paddle module; and

the connecting structure is arranged to uncoil when the two paddles are unsealed and pulled away from one another.

39. A defibrillator as recited in claim 32, wherein the connecting structure includes one or more embedded conductive wires that are covered in an electrically insulating material, the insulating material in the connecting structure helping to limit the leakage of current from the wires and direct electrical current through the connecting structure, such that electrical current is applied to a body of a person entirely through the defibrillator electrodes when the defibrillator electrodes have a voltage differential of between approximately 1400 and 2000 volts and the defibrillator electrodes and the connecting structure are positioned on the body of the person.

40. A defibrillator comprising:

two pads, each pad including a defibrillator electrode, the defibrillator electrode including a plurality of electrically conductive protrusions; and

an electrical system coupled with the two pads, the electrical system including at least a battery and a capacitor, the battery arranged to charge the capacitor, the capacitor arranged to apply a voltage at the defibrillator electrodes, thereby delivering an electrical shock suitable for arresting a cardiac arrhythmia.

41. A defibrillator as recited in claim 40, wherein:

each pad is a paddle with a protective housing that covers the corresponding defibrillator electrode, the two paddles sealed together using a releasable seal to form a paddle module, the housings of the paddles cooperating to form the exterior of the paddle module; and

the pluralities of electrically conductive protrusions are unexposed and disposed within the paddle module.

42. A defibrillator as recited in claim 40, wherein the plurality of electrically conductive protrusions includes at least 100 sharp protrusions arranged to penetrate skin of a person, thereby facilitating current flow through the person.

43. A defibrillator as recited in claim 40, wherein each of the plurality of electrically conductive protrusions has a diameter of less than 33 gauge on the Stubs scale.

44. A defibrillator as recited in claim 41 wherein the plurality of protrusions have a sterilization assurance level (SAL) of approximately 10⁻

3 or less.

45. A defibrillator as recited in claim 41, wherein the plurality of protrusions extend out of an electrically conductive base plate and have a bristle-like arrangement.

46. A defibrillator as recited in claim 41, wherein:

a total volume of all capacitors in the defibrillator is less than 400 cubic centimeters; and

the electrical system is arranged to apply a maximum voltage of no more than 1400 volts at the defibrillator electrodes.

47. A method of using a defibrillator, the method comprising:

opening a paddle module by breaking a seal that seals together two paddles that form the paddle module, thereby separating the two paddles;

positioning electrically conductive defibrillator electrodes of the two paddles on a chest of a person;

charging a capacitor using an electrical system that includes at least the capacitor and a battery, the electrical system being electrically coupled with the defibrillator electrodes;

receiving electrical signals at the defibrillator electrodes of the paddles from the chest of the person;

determining whether the electrical signals correspond to a cardiac arrhythmia; and

based on the determining operation, delivering a first electrical shock via the defibrillator electrodes of the paddles, the first electrical shock arranged to arrest the cardiac arrhythmia in the person.

48. A method as recited in claim 47, further comprising:

detecting the opening of the paddle module using a sensor;

after the detecting of the opening of the paddle module, transmitting an opening confirmation signal to indicate that the paddle module has been opened; and

automatically charging the capacitor after receiving the opening confirmation signal without requiring additional physical intervention from a user of the defibrillator.

49. A method as recited in claim 48, further comprising sending a wireless communication to a remote server that is neither physically connected to the defibrillator nor within line of sight of the defibrillator, the sending of the wireless communication being based on the opening confirmation signal that indicates an opening of the paddle module.

50. A method as recited in claim 47, wherein the opening of the releasable seal involves at least one of the group selected from:

permanently deforming the seal, physically tearing the seal and twisting the paddles in a direction substantially parallel to electrically conductive contact surfaces of the defibrillator electrodes of the paddles.

51. A method as recited in claim 47, further comprising:

after the opening of the paddle module, pulling apart the paddles, which causes a connecting structure to expand between the paddles, the connecting structure having a sheet-like section with a first surface and an opposing second surface, there being instructions for operating the defibrillator on the first surface of the connecting structure; and

placing the paddles on a chest of a person such that contact surfaces of the paddles face downward, which helps cause the first surface of the connecting structure to face upward.

52. A method as recited in claim 47, wherein the connecting structure includes a plurality of lights and the method further comprises flashing at least one of the plurality of lights according to a predetermined pattern to convey a message based on the determining operation.

53. A method as recited in claim 47, further comprising pressing into skin on the chest of the person with a plurality of electrically conductive protrusions that extend from each of the defibrillator electrodes of the paddles.

54. A method as recited in claim 48, further comprising:

receiving customizable identification information from a transmitting device external to the paddles; and

based on the opening confirmation signal, routing message data to a target device external to the paddles using the received identification information.

55. A method as recited in claim 47, further comprising:

after the opening of the paddle module, extending a paddle guard from each of the paddles such that the paddle guard extends beyond the housing of the paddle; and

after the positioning of the paddles on the chest of the person, covering additional portions of the chest of the person outside the profile of each paddle with the paddle guard, thereby reducing a probability that a user of the paddles will come in direct contact with the person during defibrillation.

56. A method as recited in claim 51, wherein:

the connecting structure includes a plurality of serially connected sheet-like sections including a first section and a second section, the first section including a first set of one or more electronic display devices, the second section including a second set of one or more electronic display devices, the method further comprising;

illuminating the first set of electronic display devices while electrical signals are being received at the defibrillator electrodes;

illuminating the second set of electronic display devices while the set of capacitors is being charged; and

each electronic display device is selected from one of a group consisting of;

electronic paper, a light emitting diode and a liquid crystal display.