Automated external defibrilator with the ability to store rescue information

• US 6,668,192 B1
• Filed: 04/08/1998
• Issued: 12/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Zoll Medical Corporation (Asahi Kasei Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Science Operating Company (Cardica Incorporated)
• Inventors: Parker, William S., Olson, Kenneth F., Tvedt, Michael A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schaetzle, Kennedy
• Application Number:
  US09/057,044
• Time in Patent Office: 2,085 Days
• Field of Search: 607/5, 607/2, 607/6, 607/59, 600/522
• US Class Current: 607/5
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3904 External heart defibrillators [EHD]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3931 Protecting, e.g. back-up systems

Abstract

An automated external defibrillator (AED) includes the ability to store rescue information. The AED has a case for housing a power supply that is electrically connected to a circuit for generating a defibrillation pulse. The circuit is electrically connected to a pair of electrodes that are applied to a patient to deliver the defibrillation pulse. The AED further comprises an archival storage means for storing rescue information. The archival storage means is containable within the case and is able to store various types of rescue information including patient data, operational data of the AED, and sound that occurs within the immediate vicinity of the AED during a rescue.

Claims

1. An automated external defibrillator (AED) with the ability to store rescue information, the AED having a case for housing a power supply that is electrically connected to a circuit for generating a defibrillation pulse and wherein the circuit is electrically connected to a pair of electrodes that are applied to a patient to deliver the defibrillation pulse, comprising:

an archival storage means for storing rescue information, said archival storage means containable within said case, wherein said archival storage means comprises a data card designed to be insertable in a data card reader of a personal computer and wherein said personal computer is designed to retrieve the stored rescue information from the inserted data card and for entry of additional information to identify the retrieved rescue information and to log the retrieved rescue information;

wherein the rescue information comprises patient data, AED analysis of the patient data, operational data of the AED and key events detected during a rescue operation, and sound occurring within the immediate vicinity of the AED, and

wherein the AED is designed to provide audible notification when the inserted data card is full of previously stored rescue information.

2. The AED of claim 1, wherein said data card is a RAM memory card having a RAM storage capacity selected from a list of capacities consisting of:

2 megs;

4 megs;

8 megs;

10 megs; and

15 megs.

3. The AED of claim 1, wherein the AED further comprises a lid attached to the case, said lid having a data card storage clasp for holding said data card.

4. The AED of claim 1, wherein the AED further comprises a lid attached to the case and wherein said archival storage mean automatically begins storing the rescue information upon opening of said lid.

5. An automated external defibrillator (AED) with the ability to store rescue information, the AED having a case for housing a power supply that is electrically connected to a circuit for generating a defibrillation pulse and wherein the circuit is electrically connected to a pair of electrodes that are applied to a patient to deliver the defibrillation pulse, comprising:

an archival storage system comprising a processor internal to the case and a data card that is removably, insertable within the case, the inserted data card communicatively interfaced to said processor wherein said processor directs storage of the rescue information to the inserted data card;

wherein the rescue information comprises patient data that is obtainable during a rescue, operational data of the AED that is obtainable during the rescue, and sound occurring within the immediate vicinity of the AED that is obtainable during the rescue, and

wherein the AED is designed to provide audible notification when the interfaced data card is full of previously stored rescue information.

6. The AED of claim 5, wherein said removably, instertable data card is a two, four, eight or ten mega RAM memory card.

7. The AED of claim 5, wherein the AED further comprises a lid attached to the case, said lid having a data card storage clasp for holding said data card.

8. The AED of claim 5, wherein the AED further comprises a lid attached to the case and wherein said archival storage system automatically being storing the rescue information upon opening of said lid.

9. The AED of claim 5, wherein said removably, insertable data card is designed to be insertable within a data card reader of a personal computer and wherein said personal computer is designed to retrieve the stored rescue information from the inserted data card.

10. The AED of claim 9, where said personal computer is designed for entry of additional information to identify the retrieved rescue information and to log the retrieved rescue information.

11. The AED of claim 9, wherein said removably, insertable data card is a RAM memory card having a RAM storage capacity selected from a list of capacities consisting of:

2 megs;

4 megs;

8 megs;

10 megs; and

15 megs.

12. An automated external defibrillator (AED) with the ability to store rescue information, the AED having a case, comprising:

an archival storage system comprising a processor internal to the case, a data card that is removably, insertable in the case and a memory internal to the case, the inserted data card and said memory communicatively interfaced to said processor, wherein said processor directs storage of the rescue information to the inserted data card unless the inserted data card is full wherein said processor directs storage of the rescue information to said memory.

13. The AED of claim 12, wherein the rescue information comprises sound occurring within the immediate vicinity of the AED.

14. The AED of claim 13, wherein the rescue information further comprises patient data and operational data of the AED.

15. The AED of claim 12, wherein the AED further comprises a lid attached to the case, said lid having a data storage clasp for holding said data card.

16. The AED of claim 12, wherein the AED further comprises a lid attached to the case and wherein said archival storage system automatically begins storing the rescue information upon opening of said lid.

17. The AED of claim 12, wherein the AED is designed to provide audible notification when the inserted data card is full of previously stored rescue information.

18. The AED of claim 12, wherein the AED further comprises a serial port communicatively interfaced to said archival storage system and wherein said serial port is used in transferring the stored rescue information to a personal computer when the personal computer is communicatively coupled to the serial data port.

19. The AED of claim 18, wherein the AED is configured to provide personal computer access to a data card when the personal computer is communicatively coupled to the serial data port, the data card being communicatively coupled to an AED microprocessor.

20. The AED of claim 19, wherein said personal computer is designed for entry of additional information to identify the retrieved rescue information and to log the retrieved rescue information.

21. The AED of claim 12, wherein said removably, insertable data card is designed to be insertable within a data card reader of a personal computer and wherein said personal computer is designed to retrieve the stored rescue information from the inserted data card.

22. An automated external defibrillator (AED) with the ability to store rescue information, the AED having a case for housing a power supply that is electrically connected to a circuit for generating a defibrillation pulse and wherein the circuit is electrically connected to a pair of electrodes that are applied to a patient to deliver the defibrillation pulse, comprising:

an archival storage means for storing rescue information, said archival storage means containable within said case;

wherein the archival storage means comprises a data card, the data card being insertable in a data card reader of a personal computer, and the personal computer is designed to retrieve the stored rescue information from the inserted data card; and

wherein the personal computer is designed for entry of additional information to identify the retrieved rescue information and to log the retrieved rescue information, and the AED is designed to provide audible notification when the inserted data card is full of previously stored rescue information.

23. An automated external defibrillator (AED) with the ability to store rescue information generated during treatment of a patient, the AED having a case for housing a power supply that is electrically connected to a circuit for generating a defibrillation pulse and wherein the circuit is electrically connected to a pair of electrodes that are applied to a patient to deliver the defibrillation pulse, comprising:

an archival storage means for storing rescue information, said archival storage means containable within said case, wherein the AED is designed to provide an audible notification of remaining capacity of the archival storage means for storing rescue information.

24. The AED of claim 23, wherein the rescue information comprises patient data, AED analysis of the patient data, operational data of the AED and key events detected during a rescue operation, and sound occurring within the immediate vicinity of the AED.

25. The AED of claim 23, wherein said archival storage means comprises a memory internal to the AED.

26. The AED of claim 23, wherein said archival storage means comprises a data card.

27. The AED of claim 26, wherein said data card is a RAM memory card having a RAM storage capacity selected from a list of capacities consisting of:

2 megs;

4 megs;

8 megs;

10 megs; and

15 megs.

28. The AED of claim 26, wherein the AED further comprises a lid attached to the case, said lid having a data card storage clasp for holding said data card.

29. The AED of claim 26, wherein said data card is designed to be insertable in a data card reader of a personal computer and wherein said personal computer is designed to retrieve the stored rescue information from the inserted data card.

30. The AED of claim 29, wherein said personal computer is designed for entry of additional information to identify the retrieved rescue information and to log the retrieved rescue information.

31. The AED of claim 23, wherein the AED further comprises a lid attached to the case and wherein said archival storage means automatically begins storing the rescue information upon opening of said lid.

32. The AED of claim 23, wherein the AED further comprises a serial port communicatively interfaced to said archival storage means and wherein said serial port is used in transferring the stored rescue information to a personal computer when the personal computer is communicatively coupled to the serial data port.

33. The AED of claim 32, wherein the AED is configured to provide personal computer access to a data card when the personal computer is communicatively coupled to the serial port, the data card being communicatively coupled to an AED microprocessor.

34. An automated external defibrillator (AED) with the ability to store rescue information, the AED having a case for housing a power supply that is electrically connected to a circuit for generating a defibrillation pulse and wherein the circuit is electrically connected to a pair of electrodes that are applied to a patient to deliver the defibrillation pulse, comprising:

an archival storage system comprising a processor internal to the case and a data card that is removably, insertable within the case, the inserted data card communicatively interfaced to said processor wherein said processor directs storage of the rescue information to the inserted data card, wherein the AED is designed to provide an audible notification of remaining data card storage means storable capacity for storing rescue information.

35. The AED of claim 34, wherein the rescue information comprises patient data that is obtainable during a rescue, operational data of the AED that is obtainable during the rescue, and sound occurring within the immediate vicinity of the AED that is obtainable during the rescue.

36. The AED of claim 34, wherein said removably, insertable data card is a two- or four-mega RAM memory card.

37. The AED of claim 34, wherein the AED further comprises a lid attached to the case, said lid having a data card storage clasp for holding said data card.

38. The AED of claim 34, wherein the AED further comprises a lid attached to the case and wherein said archival storage system automatically begins storing the rescue information upon opening of said lid.

39. The AED of claim 34, wherein the AED further comprises a serial port communicatively interfaced to said archival storage system and wherein said serial port is used in transferring the stored rescue information to a personal computer when the personal computer is communicatively coupled to the serial data port.

40. The AED of claim 39, wherein the AED is configured to provide personal computer access to a data card when the personal computer is communicatively coupled to the serial data port, the data card being communicatively coupled to an AED microprocessor.

41. The AED of claim 39, wherein said removably, insertable data card is designed to be insertable within a data card reader of a personal computer and wherein said personal computer is designed to retrieve the stored rescue information from the inserted data card.

42. The AED of claim 39, wherein said personal computer is designed for entry of additional information to identify the retrieved rescue information and to log the retrieved rescue information.