Apparatus for use on a Person's Lap

• US 20110264160A1
• Filed: 09/14/2009
• Published: 10/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cardiola Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Cardiola Ltd.
• Inventors: Lenz, Christof, Paul, Christof, Seufert, Manuel, Huber, Phil
• Application Number:
  US13/122,144
• Publication Number:
  US 20110264160A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/332 Portable devices specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/349 Detecting specific parameters of the electrocardiograph cycle
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36014 External stimulators, e.g. with patch electrodes external pacemakers A61N1/3625
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3603 Control systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3625 External stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations

Abstract

An apparatus having at least one of electrical, electronic, pneumatic or hydraulic functions and adapted for use on a person'"'"'s lap, the apparatus having a front side and a rear side generally opposite to said front side there being a wedge at said rear side generally in a central portion thereof and adapted to fit between the upper sides of a person'"'"'s thighs when in a seated position and wherein the wedge has a surface spaced from said front side and inclined relative thereto such that, when the apparatus is placed on top of a substantially horizontal surface, said front side being parallel to or preferably inclined relative to the substantially horizontal surface.

Claims

1-16. -16. (canceled)

17. A remote controller (2) for a stimulation unit adapted for use on a person'"'"'s lap (3), the remote controller (2) having a front side (5) and a rear side (7) generally opposite to said front side (5), there being a wedge (24) at said rear side (7) generally in a central portion thereof and adapted to fit between the upper sides (9) of a person'"'"'s (40) thighs when in a seated position and wherein the wedge (24) has a surface spaced from said front side (5) and inclined relative thereto such that, when the apparatus is placed on top of a horizontal surface, said front side (5) is one of parallel to and inclined relative to the horizontal surface, wherein said stimulation unit (6) is adapted to dock onto a docking station (4), via a docking interface (20A;

20B), to supply electrical power to a battery (60) of the stimulation unit (6) via the docking station (4), the stimulation unit (6) being adapted to communicate with the docking station (4) and the remote controller (2) via respective interfaces (20A, 52, 56) and the stimulation unit (6) including at least one of a storage unit (54), an evaluation unit (56) and a microprocessor (58), wherein the stimulation unit (6) is adapted to provide electrical stimulation impulses (8C, 8D, 8E, 8F) to a user having a heart and a heart rhythm and is further adapted to monitor (8A, 8B) at least one of the user'"'"'s (40) heart rhythm, parameters related thereto and electrical impulses originating from the user'"'"'s heart, and wherein said remote controller (2) is adapted to graphically display at least one of said provided electrical stimulation impulses and said monitored electrical impulses.

18. A remote controller (2) in accordance with claim 17, wherein the remote controller (2) includes at least one of the following:

a joystick, a laptop, a keyboard, a gaming console, a push-button control and a switch control or a television remote control.

19. A remote controller (2) in accordance with claim 17 including at least some of the following items:

a battery (60), a screen, a touchscreen (18), at least one button (28, 44), at least one further interface (22A, 26, 46;

20A 52, 66), at least one dial (16A, 16B, 16C, 16D), a storage unit (42;

54), an evaluation unit (50;

56), a microprocessor (48;

58), a CD-drive, a camera, a microphone, a keyboard, a DVD drive and at least one loudspeaker (42).

20. A remote controller (2) in accordance with claim 17, wherein data can be transferred via the interfaces (20A;

20B;

22A;

22B;

46;

52;

66;

72;

74) to any of the remote controller (2), the docking station (4), the stimulation unit (6) and wirelessly to and from a remote location via a wireless interface (46;

52;

72).

21. A remote controller (2) in accordance with claim 17, wherein the electrical impulses (8C, 8D, 8E, 8F) provided by the stimulation unit (6) are biphasic generally rectangular wave impulses, have a duration of approximately 1 ms to 10% of the total duration of the heart beat, and have an amplitude in the range of −

50 to +50 V.

22. A remote controller (2) in accordance with claim 21, wherein the electrical impulses (8C, 8D, 8E, 8F) provided by the stimulation unit (6) have an amplitude in the range of −

45 to +45 V.

23. A remote controller in accordance with claim 21, wherein said electrical pulses have a pulse repetition frequency variable in the range from 5 Hz to 1 kHz.

24. A remote controller in accordance with claim 23 wherein said electrical pulses have a pulse repletion frequency from 450 Hz to 1 kHz.

25. A remote controller (2) in accordance with claim 17, wherein the settings of the stimulation unit (6) can be altered by the remote controller (2), these settings being settable either by dials (16A, 16B, 16C, 16D) provided at the remote controller or by data transferred uni-directionally or bi-directionally via at least one said interface (22A, 26, 46).

26. A remote controller (2) in accordance with claim 17, wherein said settings or said data are processed by said remote controller (2) and wherein at least one of said remote controller (2) and said stimulation unit (6) is adapted to store monitored electrical impulses.

27. A remote controller (10) in accordance with claim 17, wherein the remote controller (2) is adapted to display at least one of parameters and patterns relating to the monitored electrical impulses.

28. A remote controller (2) in accordance with any claim 17 and further including a heart monitor, wherein if the heart monitor detects irregularities in the pattern of the heart rhythm detected, the stimulation unit (6) is adapted to transmit an emergency signal to a remote location, said signal containing information from a GPS sensor (62) and information on the detected irregularities.

29. A remote controller (2) in accordance with claim 17 and adapted for use in combination with a patient card (26A) permitting restricted manipulation of the settings of the remote controller and for use in combination with a super user card (26A) permitting more comprehensive manipulation, said patient card (26A) and said super user card (26A) being insertable into a card interface (26, 76).

30. A remote controller (2) in accordance with claim 17 and having at least one of the following elements:

a credit meter (47;

63;

84), a tablet dispenser, a diary, and a routine monitor.