CONTROLLER, AND PATCH TYPE AUTOMATED EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATOR FOR CONTROLLING DEFIBRILLATION USING THE SAME

• US 20160325107A1
• Filed: 03/31/2016
• Published: 11/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hyung Jong Ko, Sang-Wook Park, Seoung Jae Yoo, Yong I.N. Park, Yun Cheol Han
• Inventors: PARK, SANG WOOK, KO, HYUNG JONG, PARK, YONG IN, YOO, SEOUNG JAE, HAN, YUN CHEOL
• Granted Patent: US 9,757,580 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1117 Fall detection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/333 Recording apparatus specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/361 Detecting fibrillation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/363 Detecting tachycardia or bradycardia
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6833 Adhesive patches
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/046 Specially adapted for shock therapy, e.g. defibrillation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0492 Patch electrodes A61N1/0412, A61N1/0428 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3621 for treating or preventing abnormally high heart rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3925 Monitoring; Protecting
• 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

Abstract

A wearable patch-type automatic defibrillator attachable to a region of a patient near the patient'"'"'s heart includes a battery which stores electrical energy for defibrillation, a controller which controls the battery, electrocardiogram (ECG) electrodes, and defibrillation electrodes. The controller analyzes ECG signals of the patient received through the ECG electrodes, and automatically provides the patient with the electrical energy stored in the battery through the defibrillation electrodes when defibrillation is needed according to a result of the analysis.

Claims

1. A wearable automated external defibrillator (AED) comprising:

a battery having a capacity to store electrical energy for defibrillation;

a controller operatively electrically connected to the battery, and configured to control a discharging of the battery; and

electrodes operatively electrically connected to the battery and the controller,

wherein the battery, controller and the electrodes are integral and collectively constitute a skin patch sized and shaped to be worn by a patient on a region of the patient adjacent the heart of the patient

at least some of the electrodes are disposed in the skin patch at locations at which the at least some of the electrodes up electrical activity of the heart when the skin patch is worn on the region of the patient adjacent the heart of the patient,

the at least some of the electrodes transmit ECG signals representative of the electrical activity of the heart of the patient wearing the AED, and

the controller is configured to automatically provide electrical energy stored in the battery to at least one of the electrodes in a defibrillation mode, the defibrillation mode being triggered when an analysis of ECG signals received through the at least one electrode indicates the patient wearing the AED requires defibrillation.

2. The wearable AED of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to analyze ECG signals received through the at least some of the electrodes and assume said defibrillation mode when an analysis of ECG signals by the controller indicates the patient wearing the AED requires defibrillation.

3. The wearable AED of claim 1, wherein the controller includes a fall detector operative to detect that the patient is falling down and generate a detection signal indicative of the falling down of the patient, and

the controller is configured to automatically provide the patient with the electrical energy stored in the battery through the at least one defibrillation electrode when both the detection signal has been generated and the analysis of the ECG signals indicates the patient wearing the AED requires defibrillation.

4. The wearable AED of claim 1, wherein the controller includes:

a fall detector operative to detect that the patient is falling down and generate a detection signal indicative of the falling down of the patient;

a CPU configured to analyze a heart rhythm of the patient using ECG digital signals related to the ECG signals and generate a control signal based on a result of the analysis and the detection signal; and

a defibrillator circuit configured to automatically connect the at least one electrode and electrodes of the battery so as to provide the patient with a shock in response to the control signal.

5. The wearable AED of claim 2, wherein the controller includes a wireless circuit configured to convert data related to the result of the analysis into wireless data and transmit the wireless data to an external wireless device.

6. The wearable AED of claim 2, wherein the at least some of the electrodes include two apart electrodes disposed in the skin patch at locations, respectively, spaced apart from one another such that one of the two electrodes transmits a first ECG signals representative of the electrical activity of the heart of the patient wearing the AED and the other of the two electrodes transmits a second ECG signals representative of the electrical activity of the heart of the patient wearing the AED, and

the controller includes:

an ECG sensor chip configured to generate ECG output signals corresponding to a difference between the first and second ECG signals,

an analog-to-digital converter operatively connected to the ECG sensor chip to convert the ECG output signals into ECG digital signals,

a CPU configured to analyze a heart rhythm of the patient using the ECG digital signals and generate a control signal based on a result of the analysis,

a wireless circuit operatively connected to the CPU and configured to convert data output from the CPU and related to the heart rhythm into wireless data, and

a defibrillator circuit operatively connected to the CPU and the battery and configured to automatically connect terminals of the battery and at least one of the electrodes so as to provide the patient with a shock in response to the control signal.

7. The wearable AED of claim 2, wherein the controller includes:

a security circuit operatively connected to the CPU and configured to convert data output from the CPU and related to the result of the analysis into security data, and

a wireless circuit operatively connected to the security circuit and configured to convert the security data into wireless data.

8. The wearable AED of claim 2, wherein the controller includes:

a CPU configured to determine, based on the result of the analysis, whether the controller is malfunctioning and to generate a control signal according to a result of the determination, and

a defibrillator circuit operatively connected to the CPU and configured to automatically connect the at least one electrode and electrodes of the battery so as to provide the patient with a shock in response to the control signal.

9-15. -15. (canceled)

16. A wearable automated external defibrillator (AED) comprising:

a first AED pad including;

a first battery having a capacity to store electrical energy for defibrillation of a patient who wears the AED,

a first electrocardiogram (ECG) electrode, and

a first defibrillation electrode; and

a controller operatively connected to the first ECG electrode, the first defibrillation electrode and the first battery, and including;

an ECG sensor chip configured to generate ECG output signals based on a first signal output from the first ECG electrode,

an analog-to-digital converter operatively connected to the ECG sensor chip to receive the ECG output signal from the ECG sensor chip and convert the ECG output signals into ECG digital signals,

a CPU operatively connected to the analog-to-digital converter to receive the ECG output signals therefrom, the CPU being configured to analyze the ECG digital signals and generate, as a result of the analysis, data representative of a heart rhythm of the patient, the data including a control signal when an abnormality in the heart rhythm is detected from the analysis of the ECG digital signals,

a wireless circuit operatively connected to the CPU to receive the data generated by the CPU and configured to convert the data received from the CPU into wireless data, and

a defibrillator circuit configured to automatically electrically connect the first battery and the first defibrillation electrode in response to the control signal such that the first battery provides the patient with a shock through the first defibrillation electrode.

17. The wearable AED of claim 16, wherein the controller includes a fall detector operative to detect that the patient is falling down and generate a detection signal indicative of the falling down of the patient, and

the controller is operatively connected to the fall detector and is configured to automatically provide the patient with electrical energy stored in the first battery through the first defibrillation electrode when both the detection signal has been generated and the analysis of the ECG digital signals by the CPU indicates the patient wearing the AED requires defibrillation.

18. The wearable AED of claim 16, further comprising:

a second AED pad which includes a second ECG electrode and a second defibrillation electrode, wherein the ECG sensor chip is configured to generate the ECG output signals based on the first signal output from the first ECG electrode a second signal output from the second ECG electrode; and

a cable which connects the first AED pad and the second AED pad, and

wherein the defibrillator circuit is configured to automatically connect a second terminal of the first battery and the second defibrillation electrode through the cable in response to the control signal.

19. The wearable AED of claim 16, wherein the second AED pad further includes a second battery which is connected to the first battery in series through the cable.

20. The wearable AED of claim 16, wherein the first AED pad includes:

a second battery operatively connected to the controller to supply an operation voltage to the controller; and

a ground electrode electrically connected to the controller.

21. The wearable AED of claim 16, wherein the first battery is a flexible battery, and the defibrillator circuit is configured to control a charging and discharging of the flexible battery.

22. An external defibrillator comprising:

first and second pads configured for attachment to a skin of a patient at regions, respectively, near the heart of the patient; and

cable running between the first and second pads,

wherein the second pad includes a battery having a capacity to store electrical energy for defibrillation,

the first pad includes a controller operatively electrically connected to the battery via the cable, and configured to control a discharging of the battery, and

the first pad includes an electrode operatively connected to the controller to transmit first ECG signals to the controller representative of electrical activity of the heart, the second pad includes an electrode electrically connected to the controller via the cable to transmit second ECG signals to the controller representative of electrical activity of the heart, the first pad includes an electrode operatively connected to the battery, and the second pad includes an electrode operatively connected to the battery, and

the controller is configured to automatically provide, in a defibrillation mode, electrical energy stored in the battery to the electrodes of the first and second pads that are operatively connected to the battery,

the defibrillation mode being triggered when an analysis of ECG signals received by the controller indicates the patient wearing the skin patch requires defibrillation.

23. The defibrillator of claim 22, wherein the first pad includes an ECG electrode operatively connected to the controller to transmit the first ECG signals to the controller, and a first defibrillation electrode operatively connected to the battery via the cable to receive electrical energy stored in the battery when the controller is in the defibrillation mode, and

the second pad includes an ECG electrode electrically connected to the controller via the cable to transmit the second ECG signals to the controller, and a second defibrillation electrode operatively connected to the battery to receive electrical energy stored in the batter when the controller is in the defibrillation mode.

24. The defibrillator of claim 22, wherein at least one of the first and second pads includes a common electrode that is both operatively connected to the controller to transmit ECG signals to the controller, and is connected to the battery to receive electrical energy stored in the battery when the controller is in the defibrillation mode.

25. The defibrillator of claim 22, wherein the controller is configured to analyze the first and second ECG signals and assume the defibrillation mode when an analysis of ECG signals by the controller indicates the patient wearing the external defibrillator requires defibrillation.

26. The defibrillator of claim 25, wherein the controller includes a wireless circuit configured to convert data of the analysis into wireless data and transmit the wireless data to an external wireless device.

27. The defibrillator of claim 22, wherein the controller includes a fall detector operative to detect that the patient is falling down and generate a detection signal indicative of the falling down of the patient, and

the controller is configured to be capable of assuming the defibrillation mode based on a determination of whether the detection signal has been generated.