WEARABLE DEFIBRILLATOR WITH AUDIO INPUT/OUTPUT

• US 20130144355A1
• Filed: 02/01/2013
• Published: 06/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zoll Medical Corporation (Asahi Kasei Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Zoll Medical Corporation (Asahi Kasei Corporation)
• Inventors: Macho, John D., Volpe, Shane S., Rattanni, Richard A., Skalos, Philip C., Kaib, Thomas E., Linder, Marshal W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,774,917 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/5
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/282 Holders for multiple electrodes for introduction into the body A61B5/287
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• 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 wearable defibrillator and method of monitoring the condition of a patient. The wearable defibrillator includes at least one therapy pad, at least one sensor and at least one processing unit operatively connected to the one or more therapy pads and the one or more sensors. The wearable defibrillator also includes at least one audio device operatively connected to the one or more processing units. The one or more audio devices are configured to receive audio input from a patient.

Claims

1. A wearable defibrillator comprising:

a plurality of sensors configured to be removably attached to a body of a patient and to sense data indicative of a medical condition of the patient, the plurality of sensors including a plurality of electrodes configured to sense cardiac data of the patient;

at least one therapy pad configured to deliver electrical therapy to the patient;

at least one button configured to be actuated by the patient;

a memory;

at least one audio device, the at least one audio device including a microphone configured to receive audio input; and

at least one processing unit operatively connected to the plurality of sensors, the at least one therapy pad, the at least one button, the memory, and the at least one audio device, the at least one processing unit being configured to monitor the data sensed by the plurality of sensors and to store the data in the memory in response to one of actuation of the at least one button by the patient and the audio input being a voice command from the patient to record the data.

2. The wearable defibrillator of claim 1, further comprising:

a communication device operatively connected to the at least one processing unit, the communication device being configured to communicate the data to at least one of a central location and a health care provider.

3. The wearable defibrillator of claim 2, wherein the at least one processing unit is further configured to store the audio input in the memory and to cause the communication device to communicate the audio input to the at least one of the central location and the health care provider.

4. The wearable defibrillator of claim 3, wherein the at least one audio device further includes a speaker, the memory stores at least one survey question relating to the medical condition of the patient, and the at least one processing unit is further configured to audibly communicate the at least one survey question to the patient via the speaker.

5. The wearable defibrillator of claim 4, wherein the at least one processing unit is further configured to store a response of the patient to the at least one survey question in the memory.

6. The wearable defibrillator of claim 5, wherein the at least one processing unit is further configured to cause the communication device to communicate the response of the patient to the at least one of the central location and the health care provider.

7. The wearable defibrillator of claim 5, wherein the at least one processing unit is further configured to audibly communicate the at least one survey question to the patient via the speaker at periodic intervals of time, to store each response of the patient in the memory, and to cause the communication device to communicate each response to the at least one of the central location and the health care provider.

8. The wearable defibrillator of claim 1, wherein the at least one processing unit is further configured to store the audio input in the memory.

9. The wearable defibrillator of claim 1, wherein the at least one processing unit is further configured to monitor the cardiac data sensed by the plurality of electrodes, to determine a confidence level as to whether the patient is experiencing a life threatening cardiac arrhythmia, and to cause the at least one therapy pad to deliver the electrical therapy to the patient in response to the determined confidence level indicating that the patient is experiencing the life threatening cardiac arrhythmia.

10. The wearable defibrillator of claim 9, wherein the at least one processing unit is further configured to monitor the audio input to detect an amount of background noise and to adjust the confidence level dependent on the amount of the background noise.

11. The wearable defibrillator of claim 10, wherein the at least one processing unit is further configured to increase the confidence level in response to detecting a low amount of the background noise and to decrease the confidence level in response to detecting a high amount of the background noise.

12. The wearable defibrillator of claim 10, wherein the at least one audio device further includes a speaker and wherein the at least one processing unit is further configured to issue an audible alert via the speaker in response to the determined confidence level indicating that the patient is experiencing the life threatening cardiac arrhythmia and to increase a volume of the audible alert in response to detecting a high amount of the background noise.

13. The wearable defibrillator of claim 1, further comprising:

a communication device, operatively connected to the at least one processing unit, the communication device being configured to communicate the data to at least one of a central location and a health care provider.

14. The wearable defibrillator of claim 13, wherein the at least one audio device further includes a speaker, wherein the communication device is configured to receive output from the at least one of the central location and the health care provider, and wherein the at least one processing unit is further configured to audibly communicate the output via the speaker.

15. The wearable defibrillator of claim 14, wherein the output includes instructions relating to at least one of set-up and operation of the wearable defibrillator.

16. A method of monitoring a medical condition of a patient, comprising:

monitoring sensor data provided by a plurality of sensors removably attached to a body of a patient, the plurality of sensors including a plurality of electrodes configured to sense cardiac data of the patient;

determining, in at least one processing unit operatively connected to the plurality of sensors, whether the patient has a treatable cardiac arrhythmia based on the sensor data;

providing therapy to the patient in response to a determination that the patient has the treatable cardiac arrhythmia; and

storing the sensor data provided by the plurality of sensors in a memory operatively connected to the at least one processing unit in response to one of a voice command from the patient and actuation by the patient of a button operatively connected to the at least one processing unit.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

communicating the sensor data to at least one of a central location and a health care provider.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

storing audio data provided by the patient in the memory in response to the one of the voice command from the patient and the actuation by the patient of the button; and

communicating the audio data to the at least one of the central location and the health care provider.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

audibly communicating at least one survey question to the patient;

storing an audible response to the at least one survey question in the memory; and

communicating the audible response to at least one of a central location and a health care provider.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving output from one of a central location and a health care provider; and

audibly communicating the output to the patient.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising sensing background noise, wherein determining whether the patient has a treatable cardiac arrhythmia based on the sensor data includes determining a confidence level as to whether the patient has the treatable cardiac arrhythmia and adjusting the confidence level based on a level of the sensed background noise.