Defibrillator system condition indicator

• US 6,016,059 A
• Filed: 06/06/1995
• Issued: 01/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Philips Electronics North America Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Heartstream, Inc. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Morgan, Carlton B.
• Primary Examiner(s): REGAN, MAURA K
• Application Number:
  US08/467,062
• Time in Patent Office: 1,687 Days
• Field of Search: 324/537, 324/127, 324/556, 128/706, 607/6-8
• US Class Current: 324/556
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/046 Specially adapted for shock therapy, e.g. defibrillation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/048 Electrodes characterised by a specific connection between lead and electrode
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0492 Patch electrodes A61N1/0412, A61N1/0428 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3925 Monitoring; Protecting
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3931 Protecting, e.g. back-up systems

Abstract

A defibrillator and electrode system that gives the user a visible and/or audible indication of the condition of the electrodes and other parts of the defibrillator system prior to deployment of the electrodes and use of the defibrillator. In a preferred embodiment of the method of this invention, a patient simulation and analyze circuit within the defibrillator periodically tests the condition of the system and provides the user with a visual indication of the system'"'"'s condition.

Claims

1. A method for maintaining a defibrillator comprising the following steps:

periodically delivering a test pulse in a defibrillator from an energy source through conductors to a patient simulator within the defibrillator automatically without external activation;

analyzing a signal detected at the patient simulator to determine a condition of the defibrillator; and

providing an indication of the condition of the defibrillator.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the delivering step is controlled by a microprocessor.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of periodically delivering a test ECG signal in the defibrillator from a test signal source to a patient simulator within the defibrillator automatically without external control.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising analyzing the test ECG signal to determine a condition of the defibrillator.

5. A method for maintaining a defibrillator prior to deployment of the defibrillator, the method comprising the following steps:

(1) performing a defibrillator self-test automatically without external activation; and

(2) providing an indication of a result of the defibrillator self-test.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein step (1) is performed periodically.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein steps (1) and (2) are performed periodically.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein step (1) comprises delivering a test pulse from an energy source to a patient simulator within the defibrillator.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein step (1) further comprises analyzing a signal received at the patient simulator to determine a condition of the defibrillator.

10. The method of claim 5 wherein step (1) comprises delivering a test ECG signal from a test signal source.

11. A method for maintaining a defibrillator prior to deployment of the defibrillator, the method comprising the following steps:

(1) performing a plurality of self-tests automatically without external control, the self-tests comprising a first self-test being performed at a first frequency and a second self-test being performed at a second frequency; and

(2) providing an indication of a result at least one of the first and second self-tests.