Electro-convulsive therapy (ECT) system with enhanced safety features
First Claim
1. A method of ensuring the safety of a patient during electro-convulsive therapy (ECT) by automatic self test and operation of ECT apparatus, the method comprising:
- applying a pre-treatment pulse train to a dummy load including a plurality of individual pre-treatment pulses, each pre-treatment pulse having pulse parameters that define the pulse, the pulse parameters defining a set of pulse train parameters;
measuring a pulse train parameter of the pre-treatment pulse train across the dummy load; and
applying a treatment pulse train to the patient only if the measured pulse train parameter satisfies a predetermined criteria; and
disabling the apparatus from applying the treatment pulse train to the patient if the measured pulse train parameter fails the predetermined criteria.
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Abstract
An electro-convulsive therapy (ECT) system includes both hardware and software safety detectors and monitors, including a pulse generator that generates a pulse train of a plurality of pulses with parameters specified by the user. The safety monitors monitor these user-specified parameters as well as other important pulse parameters both during treatment of a patient and prior to treatment in order to ensure that the system is operating according to specification and, therefore, will not injure the patient. The pulse generator is responsive to the safety monitors in that if any of the safety detectors detect a parameter that is out of tolerance, the safety monitor disables the pulse generator so that no further pulses are delivered to the patient. The safety detectors detect plurality of pulse characteristics including pulse width, frequency, voltage, current, treatment duration, as well as energy. In addition to these real time safety checks, the system includes a pre-treatment arming routine that applies a pre-treatment ECT pulse train to an internal load and monitors these same parameters during this internal test. If all of these parameters are within tolerance, the system moves to an armed state in which the user can proceed to apply an ECT treatment pulse train. If any one of these safety checks fails, however, the system does not arm and, therefore, prohibits treatment.
79 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A method of ensuring the safety of a patient during electro-convulsive therapy (ECT) by automatic self test and operation of ECT apparatus, the method comprising:
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applying a pre-treatment pulse train to a dummy load including a plurality of individual pre-treatment pulses, each pre-treatment pulse having pulse parameters that define the pulse, the pulse parameters defining a set of pulse train parameters; measuring a pulse train parameter of the pre-treatment pulse train across the dummy load; and applying a treatment pulse train to the patient only if the measured pulse train parameter satisfies a predetermined criteria; and disabling the apparatus from applying the treatment pulse train to the patient if the measured pulse train parameter fails the predetermined criteria. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification