Visual and aural user interface for an automated external defibrillator

• US 6,697,671 B1
• Filed: 10/04/2001
• Issued: 02/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Physio-Control Incorporated (Stryker Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Physio-Control Manufacturing Corp.
• Inventors: Bertagnole, Shawn R., Nova, Richard C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Getzow, Scott M.
• Application Number:
  US09/972,028
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• Field of Search: 607/4, 607/5, 607/6-8
• US Class Current: 607/5
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/39044 in combination with cardiopulmonary resuscitation [CPR] therapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3968 Constructional arrangements, e.g. casings A61N1/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3993 User interfaces for automatic external defibrillators

Abstract

An automated external defibrillator (AED) (10) designed for use by a rescuer with minimal or no training during a medical emergency is provided. The AED implements a user interface program (22) which guides the rescuer through operation of the AED and application of CPR and defibrillation therapy to a patient by displaying a series of visual instructions on a graphic display (14) or other visual output device, and by providing additional aural instructions via a speaker (18) or other aural output device. The rescuer merely needs to press a start button (12) to initiate operation of the AED and begin CPR and defibrillation instruction.

Claims

1. A defibrillator capable of providing a user with defibrillator and treatment instruction, the defibrillator comprising:

a processing unit;

a visual output device coupled to the processing unit for displaying instructions to the user;

an aural output device coupled to the processing unit for issuing instructions to the user; and

a memory coupled to the processing unit for storing program code that, when executed by the processing unit, generates;

emergency notification instruction on at least one of the visual and aural output devices;

CPR instruction on at least one of the visual and aural output devices;

patient assessment instruction on at least one of the visual and aural output devices; and

defibrillation therapy instruction on at least one of the visual and aural output devices,

wherein the emergency notification instruction comprises;

causing the defibrillator to establish a communication link to an emergency response system;

if the communication link is established, notifying the user that the communication link with the emergency response system has been established; and

if the communication link fails, instructing the user to notify the emergency response system.

2. The defibrillator of claim 1, further comprising a user input mechanism coupled to the processing unit for enabling the user to input responses to at least one of the instructions.

3. The defibrillator of claim 1, wherein the CPR instruction comprises:

instructing the user to deliver a predetermined number of breaths to the patient;

instructing the user to deliver a predetermined number of chest compressions to the patient; and

instructing the user to repeat the delivery of breaths and chest compressions to the patient.

4. The defibrillator of claim 1, wherein the defibrillation therapy instruction comprises:

notifying the user that analysis of a patient'"'"'s heart rhythm has begun;

notifying the user that a shockable heart rhythm has been detected; and

notifying the user that a defibrillation shock has been delivered to the patient.

5. The defibrillator of claim 4, wherein the defibrillation therapy instruction further comprises instructing the user to deliver CPR if it is determined that CPR should be delivered before delivering the defibrillation shock to the patient.

6. The defibrillator of claim 4, wherein the defibrillation therapy instruction further comprises instructing the user to deliver CPR if a predetermined number of consecutive defibrillation shocks have already been delivered.

7. The defibrillator of claim 4, wherein the defibrillation shock is delivered automatically when a shockable rhythm has been detected.

8. The defibrillator of claim 4, wherein the defibrillation shock is delivered when a shockable rhythm is detected and when the user initiates delivery of the shock using the user input mechanism.

9. The defibrillator of claim 1, wherein when the program code is executed by the processing unit, the program code further generates an electrode attachment instruction.

10. The defibrillator of claim 9, wherein the electrode attachment instruction comprises:

instructing the user to attach a set of defibrillation electrodes to the patient; and

instructing the user to deliver the sequence of CPR instructions to the patient if the defibrillation electrodes have not been attached properly to the patient.

11. The defibrillator of claim 1, wherein the patient assessment instruction comprises:

instructing the user to check the patient'"'"'s circulation; and

if the patient has no circulation, instructing the user to deliver CPR to the patient.

12. The defibrillator of claim 11, wherein the patient assessment instruction further comprises instructing the user to deliver a first predetermined number of rescue breaths to the patient if the patient is not breathing.

13. The defibrillator of claim 12, wherein the patient assessment instruction further comprises instructing the user to deliver a second predetermined number of rescue breaths to the patient if the patient is not breathing, but the patient'"'"'s pulse is detected.

14. The defibrillator of claim 13, wherein the patient assessment instruction further comprises instructing the user to place the patient in a recovery position if the patient is breathing.

15. The defibrillator of claim 1, wherein said memory generates said emergency notification instruction in parallel with generation of said CPR instruction, said patient assessment instruction, and said defibrillation therapy instruction.

16. In a defibrillator, a user interface for providing a user with instructions for operating the defibrillator and administering CPR, the user interface comprising:

a plurality of graphical illustrations denoting at least some of the instructions for operating the defibrillator and administering CPR; and

a plurality of indicator lights, each light corresponding Lo a graphical illustration,

wherein a first set of one or more of stud indicator lights may be illuminated for an interval of time to denote a first set of one or more of said instructions, and a second set of one or more of said indicator lights may be illuminated to denote a send set of one or more instructions due to lack of completion of said first set of one or more instructions by said user within said interval of time.

17. The user interface of claim 16, wherein

when an indicator light is illuminated, the indicator light draws attention to the corresponding graphical illustration.

18. The user interface of claim 16, further comprising:

an aural output device for providing the user with aural instructions for operating the defibrillator, wherein when an aural instruction is being provided, a corresponding graphical illustration is illuminated with an indicator light.

19. The user interface of claim 18, wherein the aural instructions comprise aural instructions for notifying the emergency response system.

20. The user interface of claim 18, wherein at least some of the aural instructions provided by the aural output device are repeated.

21. The user interface of claim 18, wherein at least some of the aural instructions provided by the aural output device are tonal prompts.

22. The user interface of claim 18, wherein at least some of the aural instructions provided by the aural output device are verbal prompts.

23. The user interface of claim 16, wherein the graphical illustrations comprise graphical illustrations for notifying an emergency response system.

24. The user interface of claim 16, wherein at least some of the graphical illustrations are textual prompts.

25. The user interface of claim 16, wherein the graphical illustrations for operating the defibrillator comprise graphical illustrations for attaching defibrillation electrodes to the patient and instructions not to touch the patient while the defibrillator is analyzing the patient'"'"'s heart rhythm.

26. The user interface of claim 16, wherein the graphical illustrations for administering CPR comprise graphical illustrations for checking the patient'"'"'s responsiveness, opening the patient'"'"'s airway, checking the patient'"'"'s circulation, and administering chest compressions and rescue breaths if no circulation is detected.

27. A method for providing instructions t a user for operating a defibrillator having electrodes couplable to a patient, wherein the instructions for operating the defibrillator include instructions for administering CPR and defibriliaton therapy to the patient, the method comprising:

causing the defibrillator to illustrate to the user how to attach the electrodes to the patient;

causing the defibrillator to analyze the ECG signals received via the electrodes to detect if there is a shockable heart rhythm;

causing the defibrillator to instruct the user to deliver CPR to the patient, wherein causing the defibrillator to instruct the user to deliver CPR to the patient comprises;

instructing the user to check the circulation of the patient;

instructing the user to deliver a predetermined number of breaths and chest compressions to the patient, if no circulation is detected; and

causing the defibrillator to deliver a defibrillation shock to the patient via the electrodes if the shockable heart rhythm is detected.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising causing the defibrillator to instruct the user to initiate shock delivery when the shockable heart rhythm is detected.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising causing the defibrillator to deliver the defibrillation shock automatically when the shockable heart rhythm is detected.

30. The method of claim 27, further comprising causing the defibrillator to notify an emergency response system.

31. The method of claim 27, further comprising causing the defibrillator to instruct the user to notify an emergency response system.

32. The method of claim 27, wherein the defibrillator visually instructs the user.

33. The method of claim 27, wherein the defibrillator aurally instructs the user.

34. The method of claim 27, wherein the defibrillator both visually and aurally instructs the user.

35. The method of claim 27, wherein checking the circulation of the patient comprises determining if the patient is breathing and determining if the patient has a pulse.

36. A computer-readable medium having a computer-executable user interface component that causes a defibrillator to generate graphical instructions for administering CPR to a patient, wherein at least some of said graphical illustrations are animated illustrations, and the graphical instructions for administering CPR to the patient include graphical instructions to assess the patient'"'"'s condition.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the graphical instructions to assess the patient'"'"'s condition include graphical instructions to check the patient'"'"'s breathing, check the patient'"'"'s pulse, and deliver rescue breaths if appropriate.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the user interface component further causes the defibrillator to generate graphical instructions for operating the defibrillator.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 38, wherein the graphical instructions for operating the defibrillator include instructions to attach electrodes to the patient.

40. The computer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein the graphical instructions for operating the defibrillator further include graphical instructions for the user to initiate delivery of a defibrillation shock if a shockable heart rhythm is detected.

41. The computer-readable medium of claim 36, wherein said computer-executable user interface component further causes a defibrillator to generate aural CPR and defibrillator instructions, wherein said aural COR instructions comprise instructions to assess the patient'"'"'s condition by checking the patient'"'"'s breathing, checking the patient'"'"'s pulse, and delivering rescue breaths if appropriate.

42. The computer-readable medium of claim 41, wherein the aural defibrillator instructions comprise aural instructons for attaching electrodes to the patient.

43. The computer-readable medium of claim 42, wherein the aural defibrillator instructions further comprise aural instructions for the user to initiate delivery of a defibrillation shock if a shockable heart rhythm is detected.

44. A method comprising:

receiving first inputs from electrodes;

diagnosing a patient condition from the first inputs;

identifying at least one of a plurality of graphical illustrations that corresponds to instructions for dealing with the patient condition; and

illuminating at least one indicator light that corresponds to the identified graphical illustration,

wherein a first set of one or more of said indicator lights are illuminated for an interval of time to denote a first set of one or more of said instructions, and a second set of one or more of said indicator lights are illuminated to denote a second set of one or more instructions due to lack of completion of said first set of one or more instructions by said user within said interval of time.

45. The method of claim 44 further comprising issuing aural prompts that correspond to instructions for dealing with the patient condition.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein at least some of the aural prompts are repeated.

47. The method of claim 45, wherein at least some of the aural prompts are tonal prompts.

48. The method of claim 45, wherein at least some of the aural prompts are verbal prompts.

49. The method of claim 44, wherein at least some of the graphical illustrations correspond to instructions for notifying an emergency response system.

50. The method of claim 44, wherein at least some of the graphical illustrations correspond to instructions for attaching defibrillation electrodes to the patient and instructions not to touch the patient while the defibrillator is analyzing the patient'"'"'s heart rhythm.

51. The method of claim 44, wherein at least some of the graphical illustrations correspond to instructions for checking the patient'"'"'s responsiveness, opening the patient'"'"'s airway, checking the patient'"'"'s circulation, and administering chest compressions and rescue breaths.

52. A medium containing instructions which, when executed by a defibrillator result in:

processing first inputs from electrodes;

diagnosing a patient condition from the first inputs;

identifying one of a plurality of graphical illustrations that corresponds to instructions for dealing with the patient condition; and

illuminating an indicator light that corresponds to the identified graphical illustration,

wherein a first set of one or more of said indicator lights are illuminated for an interval of time to denote a first set of one or more of said instructions, and a second set of one or more of said indicator lights are illuminated to denote a second set of one or more instructions due to lack of completion of said first set of one or more instructions by said user within said interval of time.

53. The medium of claim 52, further comprising issuing aural prompts that correspond to instructions for dealing with the patient condition.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein at least some of the aural prompts are repeated.

55. The medium of claim 53, wherein at least some of the aural prompts are tonal prompts.

56. The medium of claim 53, wherein at least some of the aural prompts are verbal prompts.

57. The medium of claim 52, wherein at least some of the graphical illustrations correspond to instructions for notifying an emergency response system.

58. The medium of claim 52, wherein at least some of the graphical illustrations correspond to instructions for attaching defibrillation electrodes to the patient and instructions not to touch the patient while the defibrillator is analyzing the patient'"'"'s heart rhythm.

59. The medium of claim 52, wherein at least some of the graphical illustrations correspond to instructions for checking the patient'"'"'s responsiveness, opening the patient'"'"'s airway, checking the patient'"'"'s circulation, and administering chest compressions and rescue breaths.

60. In a defibrillator, a user interface for providing a user with instructions for operating the defibrillator and administering CPR, the user interface comprising:

a plurality of graphical illustrations denoting at least some of the instructions for operating the defibrillator and administering CPR, wherein at least some of said graphical illustrations are animated illustrations; and

a plurality of indicator lights, each light corresponding to a graphical illustration.