Cameras for Emergency Rescue

• US 20140342330A1
• Filed: 05/17/2013
• Published: 11/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Zoll Medical Corporation (Asahi Kasei Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Zoll Medical Corporation (Asahi Kasei Corporation)
• Inventors: Freeman, Gary A., Johnson, Guy R., Herken, Ulrich
• Application Number:
  US13/897,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20140342330A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/265
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/288 for artificial respiration or heart massage

Abstract

Systems and methods related to the field of cardiac resuscitation, and in particular to devices for assisting rescuers in performing cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) are described herein. A computer-implemented method for managing CPR treatment to a person in need of emergency assistance includes capturing one or more images at a scene where the person in need of medical assistance is being treated using one or more cameras at the scene; performing automatic computer-based analysis of the images to identify a quality of treatment provided to the person in need of medical assistance; and using analysis of the images to direct rescuers at the scene of the person in need of medical assistance in performing care for the person in need of medical assistance.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for managing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) treatment to a person in need of emergency assistance, the method comprising:

capturing one or more images at a scene where the person in need of medical assistance is being treated using one or more cameras at the scene;

performing automatic computer-based analysis of the images to identify a quality of treatment provided to the person in need of medical assistance; and

using analysis of the images to direct rescuers at the scene of the person in need of medical assistance in performing care for the person in need of medical assistance.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising

monitoring, with an electronic medical device, a parameter that indicates a quality level of a CPR component being provided to the person by a user;

determining, with the electronic medical device, that the parameter indicates that the quality level of CPR being provided is inadequate; and

providing, to one or more rescuers of the person, an audible, visual, or tactile indication that a different person should perform the CPR component.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising repeating cyclically the actions of monitoring, determining, and providing, while multiple different people are instructed to perform the CPR component.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein providing the indication that a different person should perform the CPR component comprises using the analysis of the images.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or more cameras include a light field camera, and using the analysis of the images to direct rescuers comprises detecting compression quality parameters from images from the light field camera.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more cameras has been attached to the person in need of medical assistance by one of the rescuers.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a real-time presentation of the scene to a remote viewer.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more cameras is mounted to a rescue vehicle or a portable medic device and is configured to automatically locate, in a potential field of view, treatment being provided to the person in need of medical assistance.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more cameras is mounted on one of the rescuers.

23. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the at least one camera mounted on the one of the rescuers is part of a wearable computing device.

24. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more cameras is mounted on a medical device at the scene.

9. A computer-implemented method comprising:

providing a rescue vehicle at a scene of an emergency, the rescue vehicle having mounted to it one or more cameras for capturing images from the scene of the emergency;

capturing images of the scene of the emergency in coordination with the emergency vehicle traversing through the scene of the emergency; and

automatically transmitting the captured images to a remote location for immediate viewing of the scene of the emergency by personnel at the remote location.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the one or more cameras mounted to the rescue vehicle include a 360 degree and a geographic location determination device to correlate geographic locations of the rescue vehicle with images captured at corresponding ones of the geographic locations.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, further comprising correlating a plurality of images captured at different locations at the scene with particular ones of the different locations at the scene at which particular ones of the images were captured.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein correlating the plurality of images forms a continuous display of views along a route traversed by the emergency vehicle.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, further comprising displaying the transmitted images in a virtual reality system at the remote location.

14. A computer-implemented system, comprising:

one or more cameras configured to be mounted to a person in need of medical assistance, rescuers of the person in need of medical assistance, or both;

an image processing sub-system to combine image information from multiple ones of the one or more cameras; and

an analysis sub-system programmed to identify a quality level of a CPR component being provided to the person by a user using an analysis of the combined image information.

15. The computer-implemented system of claim 14, further comprising a CPR evaluation sub-system associated with a portable medical device and programmed to:

determine that a sensed parameter of CPR provided by a component of CPR applied to the person in need of medical assistance indicates that the quality level of CPR being provided is inadequate; and

provide, to one or more rescuers of the person, an audible, visual, or tactile indication that a different person should perform the CPR component.

16. The computer-implemented system of claim 15, wherein the CPR evaluation sub-system is programmed to repeatedly cycle the actions determining and providing while multiple different people are instructed to perform the CPR component.

17. The computer-implemented system of claim 14, wherein providing the indication that a different person should perform the CPR component comprises using the analysis of the image information.

18. The computer-implemented system of claim 14, wherein the CPR component comprises chest compressions, and the parameter comprises depth of compression, rate of compression, or both.

19. The computer-implemented system of claim 14, wherein the one or more cameras include a light field camera, and using the analysis of the images to direct rescuers comprises detecting compression quality parameters from images from the light field camera.

20. The computer-implemented system of claim 14, wherein at least one of the one or more cameras is attachable to the person in need of medical assistance by one of the rescuers.

21. The computer-implemented system of claim 14, wherein the system is further arranged to identify locations of the rescuers using near-field communication devices worn by the rescuers.

26. The computer-implemented system of claim 14, wherein at least one of the one or more cameras is part of a wearable computing device worn by one of the rescuers.

27. The computer-implemented system of claim 14, further comprising at least one camera mounted on a medical device at the scene, and

wherein the image processing sub-system combines image information from multiple ones of the one or more cameras and the at least one camera mounted on the medical device at the scene.