Medical device power supply with AC disconnect alarm and method of supplying power to a medical device

• US 5,575,807 A
• Filed: 12/02/1994
• Issued: 11/19/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Zoll Medical Corporation (Asahi Kasei Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Zmd Corporation
• Inventors: Faller, Frederick W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamm, William E.
• Application Number:
  US08/353,389
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• Field of Search: 607/5, 607/33, 607/61, 340/568, 340/635, 340/652, 340/654, 340/656
• US Class Current: 607/5
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3904 External heart defibrillators [EHD]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3975 Power supply A61N1/378 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/23 The load being a medical device, a medical implant, or a life supporting device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00304 Overcurrent protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00308 Overvoltage protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0036 using connection detecting circuits H02J7/0034 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/28 using discharge tubes with control electrode or semiconductor devices with control electrode to produce the intermediate ac

Abstract

A power supply for supplying power from an external power source to a medical device for charging a battery of the medical device and operating the medical device includes an external power connection for bringing external power into the power supply, a power module having a power circuit that converts power from the external power source to a form useable by the medical device, monitoring circuitry for monitoring the external power connection to determine whether the external power connection is connected to a source of external power, and alarm circuitry for generating an alarm when the monitoring circuitry determines that the external power connection is not connected to a source of external power.

Claims

1. A power supply for supplying power from an external power source to a battery-powered medical device for charging a battery of the medical device and operating the medical device, comprising:

an external power connection for bringing external power into the power supply;

a power module connected to receive power from the external power connection and having a power circuit configured to convert power from the external power connection to a form useable by a medical device to which the power supply may be connected;

monitoring circuitry configured to monitor the external power connection to determine whether the external power connection is connected to a source of external power and further configured to determine whether the medical device to which the power supply may be connected is turned on; and

alarm circuitry configured to generate an alarm when the monitoring circuitry determines that the external power connection is not connected to a source of external power and that the medical device to which the power supply may be connected is not turned on.

2. The power supply of claim 1, wherein the monitoring circuitry further comprises circuitry configured to determine whether a battery is present in the medical device to which the power supply may be connected, and the alarm circuitry is operable to generate the alarm when the monitoring circuitry determines that the external power connection is not connected to a source of external power, that the medical device to which the power supply may be connected is not turned on, and that a battery is present in the medical device to which the power supply may be connected.

3. The power supply of claim 2, wherein the power supply is configured to be detachable from the medical device to which the power supply may be connected and further comprises:

a housing shaped to conform to a shape of the medical device for attachment to the medical device; and

an electrical connector connected to the housing, the connector supplying power from the power supply to the medical device, the connector being located so that it engages a mating electrical connector on the medical device when the power supply is connected to the medical device.

4. The power supply of claim 3, wherein the monitoring circuitry further comprises circuitry configured to determine whether the power supply is connected to the medical device, wherein the alarm circuitry is operable to generate the alarm when the monitoring circuitry determines that the external power connection is not connected to a source of external power, that a battery is present in the medical device, that the medical device is not turned on, and that the power supply is connected to the medical device.

5. The power supply of claim 1, wherein the power supply is configured to be detachable from the medical device to which the power supply may be connected and further comprises:

a housing shaped to conform to a shape of the medical device for attachment to the medical device; and

an electrical connector connected to the housing, the connector supplying power from the power supply to the medical device, the connector being located so that it engages a mating electrical connector on the medical device when the power supply is connected to the medical device.

6. The power supply of claim 5, wherein the monitoring circuitry further comprises circuitry configured to monitor the electrical connector to determine whether the power supply is connected to the medical device, wherein the alarm circuitry is operable to generate the alarm when the monitoring circuitry determines that the external power connection is not connected to a source of external power and that the power supply is connected to the medical device.

7. The power supply of claim 1, wherein the power supply is configured to connect to a portable defibrillator and the power circuit is configured to convert power from the external power source to a form useable by the portable defibrillator.

8. The power supply of claim 7, wherein the monitoring circuitry further comprises circuitry configured to determine whether the portable defibrillator is turned on by detecting a signal produced by the portable defibrillator when the portable defibrillator is turned on, and the alarm circuitry is operable to generate the alarm when the monitoring circuitry determines that the external power connection is not connected to a source of external power and the portable defibrillator is not turned on.

9. The power supply of claim 1, wherein the alarm circuitry comprises circuitry configured to produce a visible alarm.

10. The power supply of claim 9, wherein the alarm circuitry comprises an LED and circuitry configured to repeatedly activate and deactivate the LED to produce the visible alarm.

11. The power supply of claim 9, wherein the alarm circuitry further comprises circuitry configured to produce an audible alarm.

12. The power supply of claim 11, wherein the alarm circuitry comprises a disabling component operable to selectively disable the audible alarm.

13. The power supply of claim 12, wherein the disabling component is operable to disable the audible alarm without disabling the visible alarm.

14. The power supply of claim 1, wherein the alarm circuitry is operable to generate the alarm after the monitoring circuitry determines that the external power connection is not connected to a source of external power and a predetermined, selectable delay period has expired.

15. A method of supplying power from an external power source to a battery-powered medical device for charging a battery of the medical device and operating the medical device, comprising:

providing a power supply having an external power connection;

connecting the power supply to a medical device;

bringing external power into the power supply from an external power source through the external power connection;

converting power from the external power source to a form useable by the medical device;

monitoring the external power connection to determine whether the external power connection is connected to the source of external power;

determining whether the medical device is turned on; and

generating an alarm when the external power connection is not connected to the external power source and the medical device is not turned on.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the medical device includes a removable battery, the monitoring step further comprises determining whether a battery is present in the medical device, and the generating step comprises generating the alarm when the monitoring step determines that the external power connection is not connected to a source of external power, that the medical device is not turned on, and that a battery is present in the medical device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the power supply is detachable from the medical device, the monitoring step further comprises determining whether the power supply is connected to the medical device, and the generating step comprises generating the alarm when the monitoring step determines that the external power connection is not connected to a source of external power, that a battery is present in the medical device, that the medical device is not turned on, and that the power supply is connected to the medical device.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the power supply is detachable from the medical device, the monitoring step further comprises determining whether the power supply is connected to the medical device, and the generating step comprises generating the alarm when the monitoring step determines that the external power connection is not connected to a source of external power, that the medical device is not turned on, and that the power supply is connected to the medical device.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the generating step comprises generating a visible alarm.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the generating step further comprises generating an audible alarm.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the generating step comprises generating the alarm after the monitoring step determines that the external power connection is not connected to a source of external power and a predetermined, selectable delay period has expired.