UTILITY MODULE INTERFACE

• US 20130304146A1
• Filed: 11/30/2012
• Published: 11/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Physio-Control Incorporated (Stryker Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Physio-Control Incorporated (Stryker Corporation)
• Inventors: Aoyama, David Dean, Apperson, Ryan William, Bielstein, Matthew Lawrence, Curtin, Barry D., Lim, Mina, McIlvaine, Neil G., McKay, E. Thomas, Merry, Randy L., Peterson, Ken, Smith, Mitchell Allen
• Granted Patent: US 10,159,846 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/6
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3925 Monitoring; Protecting
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3937 Monitoring output parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3968 Constructional arrangements, e.g. casings A61N1/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3975 Power supply A61N1/378 takes precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2270/041 Controlled or regulated
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/26 at least one of which is mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing or adjusting assemblages of electric components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 999/99 dummy group
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A defibrillator system optimizes the timing and manner of applying a defibrillator charge to a patient based upon data provided to the defibrillator from a utility module or one or more external devices. A parameter module on the utility module provides the defibrillator with patient parameter information. Devices external to the utility module may provide the utility module with coaching data that the utility module may pass through to the defibrillator as a proxy to the external devices. The utility module may also provide external devices with patient data that the utility module may pass through to the external devices as a proxy to the defibrillator on a scheduled or other basis. The utility module may additionally provide a reserve of power to enable defibrillators to be used where power is unavailable and to enable defibrillators to deliver multiple charges more readily anywhere, anytime.

Claims

1. A utility module for enhancing functionality of a defibrillator including an energy storage module for storing an electrical charge and a defibrillator processor, the utility module comprising:

a parameter module configured to detect a parameter of a patient;

a module processor configured to control the parameter module;

a power source; and

a power outlet configured to provide an electrical charge to a defibrillator when connected to the defibrillator.

2. The utility module of claim 1 in combination with the defibrillator, the defibrillator comprising:

an energy storage device configured to store an electrical charge;

a defibrillation port;

a display;

a defibrillator processor configured to control the display and when an electrical charge is applied to the defibrillation port for defibrillating a patient; and

a power connect configured to engage the power outlet of the utility module.

3. The utility module of claim 1 wherein the power source is an energy storage device.

4. The utility module of claim 1 wherein the power source is configured to connect to an AC outlet.

5. The utility module of claim 1 wherein the power source includes means for connecting to an AC outlet.

6. The utility module of claim 1, wherein the power source includes a transformer for receiving power from a power outlet.

7. The utility module of claim 1, in which the power source includes a battery.

8. The utility module of claim 1 further comprising a communication module configured to transmit data from the utility module, the module processor configured to control the communication module.

9. The utility module of claim 8 wherein the module processor of the utility module further controls data communications between the utility module and the defibrillator.

10. The utility module of claim 8 wherein the communication module enables wireless transmission of data from the utility module.

11. The utility module of claim 8 wherein the communication module enables wired transmission of data from the utility module.

12. The utility module of claim 11 wherein the data is transmitted from the utility module to the defibrillator according to the RS 232 standard.

13. The utility module of claim 12 wherein the communication module comprises a module data connect port capable of providing wired transmission of data from the utility module to an external device.

14. The utility module of claim 13 wherein the data is transmitted from the utility module to the external device according to the RS 232 standard.

15. The utility module of claim 13 wherein the data is transmitted from the utility module to the external device according to a USB protocol.

16. The utility module of claim 13 wherein the module data connect port includes a USB port and the communication module enables wired transmission of data from the utility module through the USB port.

17. The utility module of claim 13 wherein the module data connect port includes an RS232 port and the communication module enables wired transmission of data from the utility module through the RS232 port.

18. The utility module of claim 8 wherein the utility module includes a memory including instructions for the module processor to execute for the communication module to transmit data from the utility module.

19. The utility module of claim 2, wherein the module processor further controls data communications between the parameter module and the defibrillator.

20. The utility module of claim 19, wherein the data communications between the parameter module and the defibrillator includes the transmission of patient parameter data from the parameter module to the defibrillator for rendering on the defibrillator display.

21. The utility module of claim 20 wherein the data from the parameter module rendered on the display of the defibrillator is one or more patient parameters.

22. The utility module of claim 21 wherein the one or more patient parameters rendered on the display of the defibrillator is selected from the group consisting of:

CO₂ exhaled by a patient;

an electrical activity of the heart of a patient;

an exchange of air between the lungs of a patient and the atmosphere;

a pressure of the blood in a patient;

a temperature of a patient;

an oxygen saturation in the blood of a patient;

a chest compression of a patient;

an image of the internal structure of a patient;

an oxygen saturation in the blood in the brain of a patient; and

the acidity or alkalinity of fluids in a patient.

23. The utility module of claim 22 wherein the CO₂ exhaled by a patient is measured using capnography techniques;

an electrical activity of the heart of a patient is measured using ECG techniques;

an exchange of air between the lungs of a patient and the atmosphere is measured using ventilation techniques;

a measurement of the pressure of the blood in a patient is measured using non-invasive blood pressure measurement techniques or invasive blood pressure measurement techniques;

the temperature of a patient is measured using temperature measurement techniques;

an oxygen saturation in the blood of a patient is measured using pulse oximeter techniques or tissue oximetry techniques;

a chest compression of a patient is measured using chest compression detection and feedback techniques;

an image of the internal structure of a patient is measured using ultrasound measurement techniques;

an oxygen saturation in the blood in the brain of a patient is measured using cerebral oximetry techniques; and

the acidity or alkalinity of fluids in a patient is measured using non-invasive pH measurement techniques.

24. The utility module of claim 1 wherein the patient parameter module is provided as a cartridge which is received by a receptacle of the utility module, the receptacle configured to enable communication between the cartridge and the utility module.

25. The utility module of claim 24 wherein the utility module defines one or more additional receptacles for receipt of one or more additional parameter modules, the one or more additional receptacles configured to enable data communication between the one or more additional parameter modules and the utility module.

26. The utility module of claim 1 wherein the utility module serves as a first utility module and further comprising a second utility module including a parameter module configured to detect a parameter of a patient, the second utility module configured for transmitting data to or receiving data from the first utility module.

27. The utility module of claim 26 wherein the parameter module of the first utility module detects a first parameter of a patient and the parameter module of the second utility module detects a second parameter of a patient.

28. The utility module of claim 26 wherein the second utility module is connected to the first utility module in a vertical stacked arrangement.

29. The utility module of claim 26 wherein the second utility module is connected to the first utility module in a daisy chain arrangement.

30. A utility module for enhancing the coaching of a user of a defibrillator including an energy storage device for storing an electrical charge and a defibrillator processor, the utility module comprising:

a parameter module configured to detect a parameter of a patient;

a communication module configured to transmit data between the utility module and the defibrillator; and

a module processor configured to control the parameter module and the communication module.

31. The utility module of claim 30 wherein the patient parameter module is provided as a cartridge which is received by a receptacle of the utility module, the receptacle configured to enable communication between the cartridge and the utility module.

32. The utility module of claim 30 wherein the utility module defines one or more additional receptacles for receipt of one or more additional parameter modules as cartridges, the one or more additional receptacles configured to enable data communication between the one or more additional parameter modules and the utility module.

33. The utility module of claim 30 wherein the utility module serves as a first utility module for use in combination with a second utility module including a parameter module configured to detect a parameter of a patient, the second utility module configured for transmitting data to or receiving data from the first utility module.

34. The utility module of claim 33 wherein the parameter module of the first utility module detects a first parameter of a patient and the parameter module of the second utility module detects a second parameter of a patient.

35. The utility module of claim 33 wherein the second utility module is connected to the first utility module in a vertical stacked arrangement.

36. The utility module of claim 33 wherein the second utility module is connected to the first utility module in a daisy chain arrangement.

37. A method for enhancing a defibrillation process involving a defibrillator including an energy storage device for storing an electrical charge and a defibrillator processor, the method comprising:

utilizing a first utility module having a receptacle for receipt of a module for performing a predetermined functionality, the receptacle configured to enable data communication between the functionality module and the first utility module;

receiving the functionality module into the receptacle to enable the data communications between the functionality module and the first utility module;

connecting the first utility module to a defibrillator to enable data in the data communications from the functionality module to the first utility module to be received by the defibrillator.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein the functionality module is a parameter module configured to detect a parameter of a patient.

39. The method of claim 37 further comprising the steps of:

connecting the first utility module to a second utility module to enable data communications from the second utility module to be transmitted to the first utility module and the defibrillator.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein the second utility module is connected to the first utility module in a vertical stacked arrangement.

41. The method of claim 39 wherein the second utility module is connected to the first utility module in a daisy chain arrangement.