Disaster alarm

• US 3,902,478 A
• Filed: 11/09/1973
• Issued: 09/02/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bryan William Kirk, Francis Konopasek, Monte B. Raber, Thomas Edward Cuddy
• Original Assignee: Bryan William Kirk, Francis Konopasek, Monte B. Raber, Thomas Edward Cuddy
• Inventors: Konopasek, Francis, Cuddy, Thomas Edward, Raber, Monte B., Kirk, Bryan William
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamm, William E.
• Application Number:
  US05/414,390
• Time in Patent Office: 662 Days
• Field of Search: 128/2.5R,2.6A,2.6F,2.6R,2.1A
• US Class Current: 600/519
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/363 Detecting tachycardia or bradycardia
• 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: Y10S 128/903 Radio telemetry

Abstract

A disaster alarm consisting of the combination of a small cardiac monitor, switching and signal coder controlling a transmitter which is actuated when high or low levels of a function such as heart rate are exceeded. The signal is picked up by a receiver which in turn is connected to an alarm system which continues to operate due to self-latching circuits until re-set. Two embodiments are shown one in which alarm signals only are transmitted in a pulsed or continuous fashion rather than the cardiac signal; and the other which operates in a fail-safe mode which not only transmits an alarm signal when necessary, but periodically transmits an operating signal, the absence of which automatically causes an alarm, thus ensuring that the system cannot fail to sense an alarm signal without warning.

Claims

1. A cardiac disaster alarm system for use with a central alarm console comprising in combination at least one portable unit, each unit including a transmitter having a source of power, circuits which may be operatively connected to a ptient for monitoring cardiac function, means for actuating said transmitter to transmit coded alarm signals when predetermined high or low levels of said cardiac function are exceeded, a receiver within radio range of said transmitter operatively connected to the associated central alarm console, said alarm being connected to said alarm console, means in said receiver for decoding the alarm signals and causing said alarm signals are received, means for controlling and turning off said alarm, said console and receiver also including means to identify the location transmitting the alarm by the coding of the transmitted signal, means for transmitting, receiving and decoding an intermittent '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'Operating'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' signal for automatically checking the operation of said system, and means in said receiver for operating said alarm when said intermittent Operating signal is absent.

2. A cardiac disaster alarm system for use with a central alarm console comprising in combination at least one portable unit, each unit including a transmitter having a source of power, circuits which may be operatively connected to a patient for monitoring cardiac function, means for actuating said transmitter to transmit coded alarm signals when predetermined high or low levels of said cardiac function are exceeded, a receiver within radio range of said transmitter operatively connected to the associated central alarm console, said alarm being connected to said alarm console, means in said receiver for decoding the alarm signals and causing said alarm to indicate when said alarm signals are received, means for controlling and turning off said alarm, said console and receiver also including means to identify the location transmitting the alarm by the coding of the transmitted signal, and means for periodically transmitting, receiving and decoding coded pulses representing the heart rate of the patient being monitored, the periodicity of said coded pulses automatically checking the operation of said system, and means in said receiver for operating said alarm when said coded pulses are absent.