SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ADAPTING ALARMS IN A WEARABLE MEDICAL DEVICE

• US 20150235541A1
• Filed: 05/05/2015
• Published: 08/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zoll Medical Corporation (Asahi Kasei Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Zoll Medical Corporation (Asahi Kasei Corporation)
• Inventors: Kaib, Thomas E., Volpe, Shane S., Clark, John G.
• Granted Patent: US 9,378,637 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00 Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes of the body by visual or photographical inspection, e.g. endoscopes examination of body cavities or body tracts using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves A61B8/12; endoscopic instruments for taking cell samples or for biopsy A61B10/04; for surgical purposes A61B17/00; endoscopic surgical cutting instruments A61B17/32; surgical instruments using a laser beam being directed along or through a flexible conduit A61B18/22; Illuminating arrangements therefor for the eyes A61B3/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/746 Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms alarms per se G08B
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/00 Suction or pumping devices for medical purposes; Devices for carrying-off, for treatment of, or for carrying-over, body-liquids; Drainage systems catheters A61M25/00; tube connectors, tube couplings, valves or branch units specially adapted for medical use A61M39/00; devices for taking samples of blood A61B5/15; filters implantable into blood vessels A61F2/01
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/08 Arrangements or circuits for monitoring, protecting, controlling or indicating for external stimulators A61N1/3603; for implantable neurostimulators A61N1/36128; for heart stimulators A61N1/37; for defibrillators A61N1/3925
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3925 Monitoring; Protecting
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0453 worn on the body to detect health condition by physiological monitoring, e.g. electrocardiogram, temperature, breathing detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/18 Status alarms G08B21/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor

Abstract

According to another example, a wearable medical device controller is provided. The device controller includes a memory and a processor coupled to the memory. The processor is configured to determine a correlation between a phenomenon identifiable by the wearable medical device controller and at least one response pattern associated with a patient and store, responsive to detecting the correlation, an adaptation path to address the at least one response pattern, the adaptation path specifying an adaptation of at least one characteristic of an alarm. The at least one response pattern may include a plurality of response patterns and the adaptation path may reflect adaptations made to address at least some of the plurality of response patterns.

Claims

1. A ambulatory medical device comprising:

a memory storing a plurality of adaptation paths associated with an alarm; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured to;

issue a first instance of the alarm;

adapt at least one characteristic of the alarm according to at least one adaptation path selected from the plurality of adaptation paths; and

issue a second instance of the alarm having the at least one adapted characteristic.

2. The ambulatory medical device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

determine that no predetermined response to the first instance of the alarm was received within a target response time period, and

adapt the at least one characteristic of the alarm in response to determining that no predetermined response was received.

3. The ambulatory medical device of claim 1, wherein the at least one adaptation path is selected from the plurality of adaptation paths based on a current parameter of the device.

4. The ambulatory medical device of claim 1, wherein the at least one adaptation path is selected from the plurality of adaptation paths based on a current alarm mode of the device.

5. The ambulatory medical device of claim 1, wherein the at least one adaptation path is selected from the plurality of adaptation paths based on at least one of a normal alarm mode, a silent alarm mode, a loud alarm mode, a vehicle alarm mode, a walking alarm mode, and a personal electronic device alarm mode.

6. The ambulatory medical device of claim 1, wherein the at least one adaptation path is selected from the plurality of adaptation paths based on detecting a predetermined response pattern.

7. The ambulatory medical device of claim 1, wherein the at least one adaptation path is selected from the plurality of adaptation paths based on receiving user response suspending an alarm beyond a predetermined duration threshold.

8. The ambulatory medical device of claim 1, wherein the at least one adapted characteristic includes at least one of an increased intensity and an increased issuance rate.

9. The ambulatory medical device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to detect an occurrence of an event that includes at least one of a physiological abnormality, failure to take medication, and an event concerning the ambulatory medical device.

10. The ambulatory medical device of claim 9, wherein the physiological abnormality includes a cardiac abnormality.

11. The ambulatory medical device of claim 9, wherein the event concerning the ambulatory medical device indicates a component in need of service.

12. The ambulatory medical device of claim 9, wherein the event concerning the ambulatory medical device indicates a misplaced electrode.

13. The ambulatory medical device of claim 9, wherein the event concerning the ambulatory medical device indicates an improperly attached electrode.

14. The ambulatory medical device of claim 9, wherein the event concerning the ambulatory medical device indicates expiration of a threshold amount of time since a battery included in the ambulatory medical device was replaced.

15. The ambulatory medical device of claim 1, wherein the at least one characteristic of the alarm includes at least one of a target recipient of the alarm, content of the alarm, an intensity of the alarm, a conduit of the alarm, an issuance rate of the alarm, a potential response to the alarm, and the target response time.

16. The ambulatory medical device of claim 1, wherein the at least one adapted characteristic includes a conduit with a sensory output different from a sensory output of the first instance of the alarm.

17. The ambulatory medical device of claim 1, wherein the at least one adapted characteristic includes a plurality of conduits.

18. The ambulatory medical device of claim 1, wherein the at least one adapted characteristic includes a voice command.

19. The ambulatory medical device of claim 1, wherein the at least one adapted characteristic includes content directed to bystanders.

20. The ambulatory medical device of claim 1, wherein the at least one adapted characteristic includes a conduit of a computer system distinct from the ambulatory medical device.

21. The ambulatory medical device of claim 20, wherein the computer system includes at least one of a personal electronic device, a home base station, a bedside radio, a television, a car, a monitoring system, and an emergency response system.

22. The ambulatory medical device of claim 21, wherein the personal electronic device includes at least one of glasses, a phone, a tablet, a pen, a personal entertainment device, headphones, sports equipment, a personal digital assistant, and an earpiece.

23. The ambulatory medical device of claim 1, wherein the memory stores a parameter specifying an alarm mode and the at least one processor is configured to issue the first instance of the alarm according to the alarm mode.

24. The ambulatory medical device of claim 23, wherein the alarm mode specifies that alarms be issued via an in-vehicle system.

25. The ambulatory medical device of claim 23, wherein the alarm mode specifies that alarms be issued via an output embedded within an article of clothing.

26. The ambulatory medical device of claim 23, wherein the alarm mode specifies that alarms be issued via a personal electronic device.

27. The ambulatory medical device of claim 23, wherein the alarm mode specifies that alarms be issued via a home security system.

28. The ambulatory medical device of claim 23, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

detect a location of the ambulatory medical device; and

set the parameter to an alarm mode based on the location.

29. A method executed by a ambulatory medical device, the method comprising:

detecting an occurrence of an event;

issuing a first instance of an alarm responsive to detecting the occurrence;

determining that no predetermined response to the first instance of the alarm was received within a target response time;

adapting, responsive to determining that no predetermined response was received within the target response time, at least one characteristic of the alarm according to at least one adaptation path of a plurality of adaptation paths stored in a memory of the ambulatory medical device; and

issuing a second instance of the alarm, the second instance of the alarm having the at least one adapted characteristic.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein adapting the at least one characteristic includes adapting at least one of a target recipient of the alarm, content of the alarm, an intensity of the alarm, a conduit of the alarm, an issuance rate of the alarm, a potential response to the alarm, and the target response time.

31. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing sequences of instructions executable by at least one processor, the sequences of instructions instructing the at least one processor to adapt alarms issued by a ambulatory medical device, the sequences of instructions including instructions to:

detect an occurrence of an event;

issue a first instance of an alarm responsive to detecting the occurrence;

determine that no predetermined response to the first instance of the alarm was received within a target response time;

adapt, responsive to determining that no predetermined response was received within the target response time, at least one characteristic of the alarm according to at least one adaptation path of a plurality of adaptation paths stored in a memory of the ambulatory medical device; and

issue a second instance of the alarm, the second instance of the alarm having the at least one adapted characteristic.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 31, wherein the instructions to adapt include instructions to adapt the at least one characteristic by adapting at least one of a target recipient of the alarm, content of the alarm, an intensity of the alarm, a conduit of the alarm, an issuance rate of the alarm, a potential response to the alarm, and the target response time.