DEFIBRILLATOR WITH OVERRIDABLE CPR-FIRST PROTOCOL

• US 20110190836A1
• Filed: 04/12/2011
• Published: 08/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Physio-Control Incorporated (Stryker Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Physio-Control Incorporated (Stryker Corporation)
• Inventors: Nova, Richard C., Kavounas, Gregory T., Hampton, David Robert, Banville, Isabelle
• Granted Patent: US 9,248,304 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/7
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/39044 in combination with cardiopulmonary resuscitation [CPR] therapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3987 characterised by the timing or triggering of the shock

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for determining a defibrillation treatment protocol in an external defibrillator whereby a user may override a CPR-first default protocol. The method includes following steps configured in a defibrillator controller of issuing an inquiry; waiting for a response to the inquiry for a set time; ordering a CPR treatment protocol if no response is received within the set time; analyzing a response; ordering a CPR treatment protocol upon receiving a non-affirmative response to the inquiry; and ordering a shock treatment protocol upon receiving an affirmative response to the inquiry. Upon selecting a shock treatment protocol, the defibrillator performs a shock analysis under the shock treatment protocol, and either orders a CPR treatment protocol if shock treatment is not indicated by the shock analysis or provides a defibrillation shock if shock treatment is indicated by the shock analysis. Queries may be presented to a user in visual, audible, or both visual and audible format.

Claims

1. A method for determining a defibrillation treatment protocol for an external defibrillator comprising:

issuing an inquiry with the external defibrillator;

waiting for a response to the inquiry for a set time;

ordering a CPR treatment protocol if no response is received within the set time;

ordering a CPR treatment protocol if a non-affirmative response to the inquiry is received; and

ordering a shock treatment protocol if an affirmative response to the inquiry is received.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

activating the external defibrillator;

performing a shock analysis under the shock treatment protocol;

ordering a CPR treatment protocol if shock treatment is not advised by the shock analysis; and

providing a defibrillation shock if shock treatment is advised by the shock analysis.

3. The method according to claim 2, in which issuing the inquiry further comprises issuing the inquiry to a user of the external defibrillator.

4. The method according to claim 2, in which the external defibrillator includes a controller and issuing the inquiry comprises issuing the inquiry within the controller.

5. The method according to claim 2, in which the external defibrillator has CPR set as a default initial treatment protocol, and further comprising:

outputting a query to a user whether to bypass the default initial CPR protocol;

initiating a timer upon outputting the query that runs for a set time from the outputting of the query;

ordering the CPR protocol if a response has not been received within the set time from the outputting of the query;

if a response to the query is received, analyzing the response;

ordering the CPR protocol if the response to the query is negative;

ordering the CPR protocol if the response to the query is any response other than affirmative;

ordering a shock analysis if the response to the query is affirmative;

providing a defibrillation shock if the shock analysis advises a shock be provided; and

ordering the CPR treatment protocol if the shock analysis advises no shock be provided.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising receiving data from the patient into the external defibrillator via ECG probes which are attached to the patient and coupled to the external defibrillator.

7. The method according to claim 6, in which the data received from the patient into the external defibrillator comprises a response to the query.

8. The method according to claim 5, in which outputting the query further comprises outputting a series of queries.

9. The method according to claim 5, further comprising overriding, by immediately directing a shock therapy analysis, the:

outputting of the query to the user whether to bypass the default initial CPR protocol;

initiating the timer upon outputting the query that runs for the set time from the outputting of the query;

ordering the CPR protocol if a response has not been received within the set time from the outputting of the query;

if the response to the query is received, analyzing the response;

ordering the CPR protocol if the response to the query is negative;

ordering the CPR protocol if the response to the query is any response other than affirmative; and

ordering the shock analysis if the response to the query is affirmative.

10. The method according to claim 1 further comprising bypassing, by immediately directing the shock therapy protocol, the:

issuing of the inquiry;

waiting for the response; and

ordering the CPR treatment protocol if no response is received within the set time.

11. An external defibrillator for providing a selected treatment protocol to a patient comprising:

a plurality of electrodes affixed to the defibrillator and capable of being attached to a patient so as to provide shock therapy and to provide patient data to the defibrillator;

an input device disposed on the defibrillator;

an output device disposed on the defibrillator;

a controller disposed in said defibrillator, said controller coupled to said plurality of electrodes, said input device, and said output device, and said controller also configured to;

issue a query as an output;

wait for an input response to the query within a set time from the issuance of the query;

order a CPR protocol if no response to the query is received within the set time from the issuance of the query;

analyze a response input received within the set time ;

order the CPR protocol if a non-affirmative response is received; and

order a shock protocol if an affirmative response is received.

12. The external defibrillator according to claim 11, further comprising an override function that immediately selects a shock treatment protocol.

13. The defibrillator according to claim 11, in which the output device comprises a screen.

14. The defibrillator according to claim 11, in which the output device comprises a speaker capable of providing audible sound to a defibrillator user.

15. The defibrillator according to claim 14, in which the controller is configured to provide voice prompts through said speaker as a query.

16. The defibrillator according to claim 11, in which the input device comprises a microphone and the controller is configured to recognize voice commands spoken through the microphone as an input response.

17. The defibrillator according to claim 11, in which the controller is further configured to receive patient data from the plurality of electrodes as an input response to the query.