EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATOR WITH CHARGE ADVISORY ALGORITHM

• US 20110144707A1
• Filed: 02/22/2011
• Published: 06/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Physio-Control Incorporated (Stryker Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Physio-Control Incorporated (Stryker Corporation)
• Inventors: Sullivan, Joseph L., Kelly, Patrick F., Nova, Richard C., Taylor, James W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,831,719 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/5
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3904 External heart defibrillators [EHD]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3931 Protecting, e.g. back-up systems
• 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

An external defibrillator includes a therapy delivery circuit, a sensor, and a processor. The therapy delivery circuit is configured to be electrically charged and to deliver electrical therapy to a patient. The sensor is configured to sense a physiological condition of the patient and generate data indicative of a probability that therapy will be delivered to the patient. The processor is configured to analyze data generated by the sensor to determine whether there is a threshold level of the probability that the therapy delivery will be delivered to the patient, if the probability is at least at the threshold level, charge the therapy delivery circuit, and determine whether therapy delivery is advisable based on the physiological condition of the patient after determining whether the probability is at least at the threshold level.

Claims

1. An external defibrillator comprising:

a therapy delivery circuit configured to be electrically charged and to deliver electrical therapy to a patient;

a sensor configured to sense a physiological condition of the patient and generate data indicative of a probability that therapy will be delivered to the patient; and

a processor configured to analyze data generated by the sensor to determine whether there is a threshold level of the probability that the therapy delivery will be delivered to the patient, if the probability is at least at the threshold level, charge the therapy delivery circuit, and determine whether therapy delivery is advisable based on the physiological condition of the patient after determining whether the probability is at least at the threshold level.

2. The external defibrillator of claim 1, wherein the data indicative of the probability that therapy will be delivered to the patient generated by the sensor comprises data indicative of cardiac activity of the patient.

3. The external defibrillator of claim 1, wherein the data indicative of the probability that therapy will be delivered to the patient generated by the sensor comprises electrocardiogram (ECG) signals.

4. The external defibrillator of claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether the probability is at least at the threshold level at least based on the ECG signals from the sensor not comprising a flat line signal.

5. The external defibrillator of claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether the probability is at least at the threshold level at least based on the ECG signals from the sensor not comprising any QRS complexes.

6. The external defibrillator of claim 3, wherein the data indicative of the probability that therapy will be delivered to the patient generated by the sensor comprises data indicative of at least one electrode connected to the external defibrillator as been applied to the patient.

7. The external defibrillator of claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether the probability is at least at the threshold level at least based on the ECG signals from the sensor not comprising a flat line signal or any QRS complexes, and an indication that at least one electrode connected to the external defibrillator as been applied to the patient.

8. The external defibrillator of claim 1, further comprising the processor configured to control the therapy delivery circuit to deliver electrical therapy to the patient.

9. The external defibrillator of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to control the therapy delivery circuit to deliver electrical therapy to the patient based at least on a user input to the external defibrillator.

10. The external defibrillator of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

if the probability is at least at the threshold level, charge the therapy delivery circuit to a first charge level before determining whether therapy delivery is advisable based on the physiological condition of the patient; and

charge the therapy delivery circuit from the first level up to a charge level at which the device is capable of delivering therapy after determining whether therapy delivery is advisable based on the physiological condition of the patient.

11. The external defibrillator of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

if the probability is at least at the threshold level, charge the therapy delivery circuit at a first charge rate;

analyze second data generated by the sensor to determine whether the probability is at least at the threshold level based on the second data; and

if the probability is at least at the threshold level based on the second data generated by the sensor, charge the therapy delivery circuit at a second charge rate that is faster than the first charge rate.