Environment-responsive method for maintaining an electronic device such as an external defibrillator

• US 5,899,926 A
• Filed: 07/21/1998
• Issued: 05/04/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Heartstream, Inc. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Powers, Daniel J., MacDuff, Ian G., Ochs, Dennis E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamm, William E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): EVANISKO, GEORGE ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US09/120,680
• Time in Patent Office: 287 Days
• Field of Search: 607/1, 607/2, 607/4, 607/5, 607/6, 607/9, 607/27, 607/29, 702/63
• US Class Current: 607/5
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3904 External heart defibrillators [EHD]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3925 Monitoring; Protecting

Abstract

A method of maintaining an electronic device, the method including the steps of monitoring ambient an environmental condition such as temperature or humidity; monitoring a self-test initialization criterion; performing an automatic device self-test if the self-test criterion is met and if the environmental condition is within a predetermined range; and not performing the automatic device self-test if the self-test criterion is met but the environmental condition is outside the predetermined range. In a preferred embodiment, the device is an external defibrillator.

Claims

1. A method of preventing adverse effects of an environmental condition on an electronic device comprising:

monitoring said environmental condition;

monitoring a self-test initialization criterion;

performing an automatic device self-test if said self-test initialization criterion is met and if said environmental condition is within a predetermined range of values; and

not performing said automatic device self-test if said self-test initialization criterion is met and if said environmental condition is outside said predetermined range of values.

2. A method of preventing adverse effects of an environmental condition on an electronic device according to claim 1 further comprising, after the not performing step, performing said automatic device self-test if said environmental condition returns to said predetermined range of values after being outside said predetermined range of values.

3. A method of preventing adverse effects of an environmental condition on an electronic device according to claim 2 further comprising scheduling an additional automatic device self-test after said environmental condition returns to said predetermined range of values after being outside said predetermined range of values.

4. A method of preventing adverse effects of an environmental condition on an electronic device according to claim 1 further comprising, before the performing step, waking up said electronic device from a stand-by mode.

5. A method of preventing adverse effects of an environmental condition on an electronic device according to claim 1 further comprising providing an indication of device operating status.

6. A method of preventing adverse effects of an environmental condition on an electronic device according to claim 5 further comprising changing said indication of device operating status if said automatic self-test is not performed.

7. A method of preventing adverse effects of an environmental condition on an electronic device according to claim 5 further comprising changing said indication of device operating status if said environmental condition is outside said predetermined range of values.

8. A method of preventing adverse effects of an environmental condition on an electronic device according to claim 1 wherein said environmental condition comprises temperature.