Defibrillation system for pediatric patients

• US 6,125,298 A
• Filed: 04/21/1999
• Issued: 09/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Zoll Medical Corporation (Asahi Kasei Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SurVivaLink Corporation (Cardica Incorporated)
• Inventors: Olson, Kenneth F., Gilman, Byron L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Getzow, Scott M.
• Application Number:
  US09/295,980
• Time in Patent Office: 524 Days
• Field of Search: 607/63, 607/5, 607/28
• US Class Current: 607/5
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3904 External heart defibrillators [EHD]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3925 Monitoring; Protecting

Abstract

An automatic external defibrillator (AED) includes a device for scaling the stored energy communicated to the patient responsive to a known patient weight. An electrode set, for use with an automatic external defibrillator (AED), the AED includes a plurality of electrodes for making electrical contact with a skin surface of a patient. Each electrode of the plurality of electrodes is electrically connectable to a electrical connector for communicating a stored energy to a patient. The electrodes system further includes a device for scaling the stored energy communicated to the patient responsive to a known patient weight. A method of defibrillating the heart of a human patient using an AED includes the steps of:

adherably placing at least two electrodes on the skin surface of the patient, the electrodes being spaced apart to define a desired energy path therebetween;

scaling the dischargeable defibrillating energy responsive to a known patient body weight; and

discharging defibrillating energy across the energy path, the discharge generating an energy vector, the vector being passable through the heart of the patient.

Claims

1. An automatic external defibrillator (AED) having a case containing a plurality of AED components, including a battery electrically coupled to an AED control system, the control system communicatively coupled to a charge system, the charge system for generating a stored quantity of energy responsive to a communication from the control system, the control system selectively commanding a discharge of the stored energy to an electrical connector, a plurality of removable electrodes in an electrode set, each electrode of the electrode set for making electrical contact with a skin surface of a patient, each electrode being electrically connectable to the AED electrical connector for communicating the stored energy to the patient, the AED comprising:

means for scaling the stored energy communicated to the patient responsive to a known patient weight, wherein each of a two electrodes of the plurality of electrodes has an electrical lead for effecting electrical connection to the AED electrical connector, the means for scaling being an electrical shunt between the two electrodes.

2. The AED of claim 1, wherein at least two of the plurality of electrodes is placeable on the patient spaced apart from each other to define an electrical path through the patient, the path extending between the at least two spaced apart electrodes.

3. The AED of claim 2, wherein the stored energy communicated to the patient generates an energy vector, the energy vector passing through the patient'"'"'s heart.

4. The AED of claim 1, wherein the electrical shunt is between the two electrode leads.

5. The AED of claim 1, wherein the electrical energy deliverable to the patient is between 10 joules and 160 joules.

6. The AED of claim 5, wherein the electrical energy deliverable to the patient is deliverable in a selectable series of successive shocks, a successive shock increasing in energy level with respect to a preceding shock.

7. The AED of claim 6, wherein the electrical energy deliverable to the patient is deliverable in a selectable series of successive shocks, each successive shock increasing the energy level with respect to the preceding shock, the energy level shocks being selectable as function of a known body weight of the patient and being selected from a list consisting substantially of:

10 joules, 20 joules, 40 joules;

60 joules, 80 joules, 100 joules; and

120 joules, 140 joules, 160 joules.

8. The AED of claim 1, including a plurality of electrode sets.

9. The AED of claim 8, wherein each of the electrode sets is scaled to a known patient body weight.

11. The AED of claim 9, wherein the coding means are recognizable at the AED electrical connector.

13. The AED of claim 11, wherein the coding means are selected from a list consisting of:

resistance coding;

inductance coding; and

an imbedded memory chip coding.

14. The AED of claim 9 wherein the coding means are selected from a list consisting of:

resistance coding,

inductance coding,

an imbedded chip coding.

15. The AED of claim 14 wherein the resistance coding is a selected amount of resistance added to a specific electrode set, the selected amount of resistance bearing a known relationship to a patient weight range.

16. The AED of claim 15 wherein the inductance coding is inherent to a specific electrode set, the size of the electrodes of the electrode set bearing a known relationship to a patient weight range.

17. The AED of claim 16 wherein the inductance coding is related to the current in a specific electrode set, the size of the electrodes of the electrode set bearing a known relationship to a patient weight range and affecting the current in the specific electrode set.

18. The AED of claim 17 wherein the coding means are detectable by control system software.

20. The electrode set of claim 13, wherein at least two of the plurality of electrodes is placeable on the patient spaced apart from each other to define an electrical path through the patient, the path extending between the at least two spaced apart electrodes.

21. The electrode set of claim 14, wherein the stored energy communicated to the patient generates an energy vector, the energy vector passing substantially through the patient'"'"'s heart.

22. The electrode set of claim 13, wherein the electrical shunt is between the two electrode leads.

23. The electrode set of claim 17, wherein the electrical shunt is selected from a list consisting of:

resistive means;

capacitive means; and

gas tube surge arrestor means.

26. The method of claim 21, further including the step of scaling the energy output of the AED electrical discharge circuitry responsive to the coding recognizable by the AED control system.

27. The method of claim 22, further including the step of scaling the energy output of the AED electrical discharge circuitry responsive to the coding recognizable by the AED control system by selecting an energy discharge from a list consisting substantially of:

successive discharges of 10 joules, 20 joules, 40 joules;

successive discharges of 60 joules, 80 joules, 100 joules; and

successive discharges of 120 joules, 140 joules, 160 joules.

32. The method of claim 27, wherein the sensing parameters are scaled to a pediatric patient.

10. An automatic external defibrillator (AED) having a case containing a plurality of AED components, including a battery electrically coupled to an AED control system, the control system communicatively coupled to a charge system, the charge system for generating a stored quantity of energy responsive to a communication from the control system, the control system selectively commanding a discharge of the stored energy to an electrical connector, a plurality of removable electrodes in an electrode set, each electrode of the electrode set for making electrical contact with a skin surface of a patient, each electrode being electrically connectable to the AED electrical connector for communicating the stored energy to the patient, the AED comprising:

means for scaling the stored energy communicated to the patient responsive to a known patient weight, wherein the means for scaling are coding means operably coupled to the plurality of electrode sets, each electrode set having coding means related to a known range of body weights of the patient.

12. The AED of claim 10, wherein the coding means are recognizable by the AED control system, the AED control system selectively commanding a reduced discharge of the stored energy to the electrical connector and to the electrode set responsive to the recognized coding means.

19. An electrode set, for use with an automatic external defibrillator (AED), the AED having a case containing a plurality of AED components, including a battery electrically coupled to an AED control system, the control system communicatively coupled to a charge system, the charge system for generating a stored quantity of energy responsive to a communication from the AED control system, the AED control system selectively commanding a discharge of the stored energy to an AED electrical connector, the electrode set comprising:

a plurality of electrodes for making electrical contact with a skin surface of a patient and each electrode of the plurality of electrodes being electrically connectable to the AED electrical connector for communicating the stored energy to the patient; and

means for scaling the stored energy communicated to the patient responsive to a known patient body weight, the means for scaling being an electrical shunt between the two electrodes.

25. The method of claim 19, further including the step of coding each of the plurality of different electrode packages, the coding being recognizable by an AED control system.

28. The method of claim 19, further including the step of providing a shunt between the at least two electrodes.

30. The method of claim 25, further including the step of scaling the energy output of the AED electrical discharge circuitry by providing a shunt for effecting an energy discharge across the at least two electrodes, the resulting energy discharge across the at least two electrodes for successive discharges being selected from a list consisting substantially of:

10 joules, 20 joules, 40 joules;

60 joules, 80 joules, 100 joules; and

120 joules, 140 joules, 160 joules.

31. The method of claim 19, further including the step of sensing the cardiac rhythm of the patient'"'"'s heart.

33. The method of claim 28, further including the step of analyzing the cardiac rhythm to determine whether to deliver a discharge of electrical energy to the patient'"'"'s heart.

34. The method of claim 31, further including the step of providing an audible voice prompt when a discharge of electrical energy to the patient'"'"'s heart is warranted.

35. The method of claim 19, further including the step of performing a self-test on the electrodes.

24. A method of defibrillating the heart of a human patient using an AED, the AED having electrical energy discharge circuitry for generating a dischargeable defibrillating energy to affect the heart of the patient, the heart being in a state of abnormal rhythm, comprising the steps of:

adherably placing at least two electrodes on a skin surface of the patient, the electrodes being spaced apart to define a desired energy path therebetween;

scaling the dischargeable defibrillating energy responsive to a known patient body weight;

discharging defibrillating energy across the energy path, the discharge generating an energy vector, the vector being passable through the heart of the patient; and

providing a plurality of different electrode sets with the AED, each electrode set being indicated for use with a selected and different patient body weight.

29. The method of claim 24, further including the step of scaling the energy output of the AED electrical discharge circuitry by means of the shunt, the shunt acting to shunt a desired portion of an energy output of the AED electrical discharge circuitry from the at least two electrodes.

36. The method of claim 29, wherein the self-test step is effected by applying an electrical current between at least two of the plurality of electrodes.