Defibrillator with controller operating in a low power mode

• US 6,671,545 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2002
• Issued: 12/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Zoll Medical Corporation (Asahi Kasei Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Science Operating Company (Cardica Incorporated)
• Inventors: Fincke, Randall W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jastrzab, Jeffrey R.
• Application Number:
  US10/227,698
• Publication Number:
  US 20030032988A1
• Time in Patent Office: 491 Days
• Field of Search: 607/5-8
• US Class Current: 607/5
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0452 Specially adapted for transcutaneous muscle stimulation [TMS]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0456 Specially adapted for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation [TENS]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/046 Specially adapted for shock therapy, e.g. defibrillation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0468 Specially adapted for promoting wound healing
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0472 Structure-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0476 Array electrodes (including any electrode arrangement with more than one electrode for at least one of the polarities)
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0492 Patch electrodes A61N1/0412, A61N1/0428 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0496 characterised by using specific chemical compositions, e.g. hydrogel compositions, adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3904 External heart defibrillators [EHD]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3918 characterised by shock pathway, e.g. by electrode configuration
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3925 Monitoring; Protecting
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3937 Monitoring output parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3987 characterised by the timing or triggering of the shock
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3993 User interfaces for automatic external defibrillators

Abstract

A method of treating a patient for ventricular tachycardia using a wearable defibrillator includes monitoring the patient for a predetermined condition via one or more electrodes on the defibrillator, sending a message to the patient in response to the predetermined condition, activating the defibrillator so that the defibrillator delivers defibrillation energy to the patient, and storing at least one of the results of the monitoring, sending and activating steps in a memory on the defibrillator. The method also includes downloading information stored in the memory of the defibrillator to a base station having an external interface, and transmitting the information downloaded from the memory of the base station to an external location via the external interface of the base station.

Claims

1. A defibrillator for delivering defibrillation energy to a patient, the defibrillator comprising:

a patient interface, over which patient information is received from the patient, and over which the defibrillation energy is transmitted to the patient; and

a processor which operates in a normal mode and a low-power consumption mode, wherein, during the normal mode, the processor receives the patient information and controls transmission of the defibrillation energy in accordance with the patient information; and

wherein said processor enters into said low-power consumption mode periodically for variable periods of time, said time periods being selected by the processor based on information specific to the patient.

2. The defibrillator of claim 1 wherein said patient classified as being one of a high and a low risk patient, and wherein said processor selects a time period for low-power consumption mode that is longer if the patient is a low risk patient then if the patient is a high risk patient.

3. The defibrillator of claim 2 wherein said processor is adapted to eliminate said low-power consumption mode if the patient is a high risk patient.

4. The defibrillator of claim 1 wherein said processor analyzes the patient information from the patient interface and determines if the patient is a low risk patient or a high risk patient.

5. The defibrillator of claim 4 wherein said processor classifies the patient based on at least one of the patient'"'"'s EGG and the patient'"'"'s prior history.

6. The defibrillator of claim 1 further comprising an external interface and wherein said processor receives data from said external interface indicating whether the patient is a low-risk patient or a high-risk patient.

7. A defibrillator according to claim 1, further comprising a user interface by which a user may place the processor in the normal mode manually.

8. A defibrillator according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of hardware components for use in outputting the defibrillation energy and for communicating with the patient;

wherein the processor causes each of the plurality of hardware components to be selectively powered-up and powered-down at predetermined time intervals.

9. A defibrillator according to claim 1 wherein said processor and patient interface are disposed in a housing, said housing being constructed and arranged to be worn by the patient.

10. An external defibrillator adapted to provide cardiac therapy to a patient classified as either a high risk or a low risk patient for cardiac arrhythmia, comprising:

sensing circuitry adapted to sense intrinsic activity of the patient;

pulse generating circuitry adapted to generate pulses to be applied to the patient in response to commands;

a processor adapted to receive information from said sensing circuitry about said intrinsic activity and to generate, in response to said information, said commands, said processor having a normal mode of operation during which said processor receives said information and generates said commands and a low power mode in which said processor does not generate commands, wherein said processor determinations a duration of said normal and said low mode in accordance with the classification of the patient.

11. The defibrillator of claim 10 wherein said processor is adapted to determine the patient'"'"'s classification based on said information.

12. The defibrillator if claim 10 wherein said processor is adapted to determine the patient'"'"'s classification based on a prior history of a patient.

13. The defibrillator of claim 10 wherein said processor operates in said low power mode for a longer period of time than in said normal mode if the patient'"'"'s classification is low risk.

14. The defibrillator of claim 10 wherein said processor is adapted to operate in said low power mode for a shorter period than in said normal mode if the patient'"'"'s classification is determined to be high risk.

15. The defibrillator of claim 10 wherein the patient can further be classified as being very high risk and wherein said processor is adapted to operate only in said normal mode if the patient classification is determined to be very high risk.

16. The defibrillator of claim 10 wherein said processor is operable in a deep low power mode during which a set of elementary routines are performed and a light low power in which more routines are performed.

17. The defibrillator of claim 16 wherein said processor consumes less power in said light low power mode then in said normal mode.

18. The defibrillator of claim 16 wherein said processor is operated in said deep low power mode when said information indicates benign cardiac rhythms for a predetermined time period.

19. The defibrillator of claim 16 wherein said processor is operated in said light low power mode for a predetermined period after a treatable rhythm has occurred.

20. The defibrillator of claim 10 wherein said processor is switched from said low power mode to said normal mode at predetermined time intervals.

21. The defibrillator of claim 10 further comprising a manual button and wherein said processor is switched from said low power mode to said normal mode in response to an activation of said manual button.

22. A defibrillator according to claim 21, further comprising a memory which stores a log of the patient information for a span of time;

wherein the processor varies the predetermined periods based on the log of patient information stored in the memory.

23. An external defibrillator adapted to provide cardiac therapy to a patient, comprising:

sensing circuitry adapted to sense intrinsic activity of the patient;

pulse generating circuitry adapted to generate pulses to be applied to the patient in response to commands;

a processor adapted to receive information from said sensing circuitry about said intrinsic activity and to generate, in response to said information, said commands, said processor having a normal mode of operation during which said processor receives said information and generates said commands and a low power mode in which said processor does not generate commands, wherein said processor is switched between said normal and said low mode in accordance with a cardiac condition of the patient;

wherein in said processor operates 50% of the time in said normal mode.

24. The defibrillator of claim 23 wherein said processor operates in said normal mode for about 4 msec before switching to said low power mode.

25. An external defibrillator adapted to provide cardiac therapy to a patient, comprising:

sensing circuitry adapted to sense intrinsic activity of the patient;

pulse generating circuitry adapted to generate pulses to be applied to the patient in response to commands;

a processor adapted to receive information from said sensing circuitry about said intrinsic activity and to generate, in response to said information, said commands, said processor having a normal mode of operation during which said processor receives said information and generates said commands and a low power mode in which said processor does not generate commands, wherein said processor is switched between said normal and said low mode in accordance with a cardiac condition of the patient;

wherein said processor is switched from said low power mode to said normal mode at predetermined time intervals.