Elevators equipped with emergency medical devices

• US 6,948,592 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2003
• Issued: 09/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Physio-Control Incorporated (Stryker Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Emergency Response Systems Inc (Stryker Corporation)
• Inventors: Kavounas, Gregory T.
• Primary Examiner(s): SALATA, ANTHONY J
• Application Number:
  US10/395,715
• Publication Number:
  US 20040055828A1
• Time in Patent Office: 922 Days
• Field of Search: 187/401, 187/313, 187/239, 187/249, 187/380, 187/901, 187/381, 187/384, 187/388, 187/414, 187/391, 187/392
• US Class Current: 187/384
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3904 External heart defibrillators [EHD]
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/2408 where the allocation of a call to an elevator car is of importance, i.e. by means of a supervisory or group controller
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/468 Call registering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 11/0226 Constructional features, e.g. walls assembly, decorative panels, comfort equipment, thermal or sound insulation
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/104 Call input for a preferential elevator car or indicating a special request
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/4623 Wherein the destination is registered after boarding
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/4661 for priority users
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/4676 for checking authorization of the passengers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 187/901 Control modified for use by disabled individual

Abstract

The invention provides an elevator cab equipped with an emergency medical device, such as an automated external defibrillator (AED). The elevator cab equipped with the emergency medical device may be controlled in order to deliver the emergency medical device to a floor of a building on which an emergency medical situation occurred. In response to emergency medical input identifying the emergency medical situation, an elevator control unit overrides regular operation of the elevator cab in response to receiving emergency medical input, and directs the elevator cab to a floor on which an emergency medical situation occurs. For example, the elevator control unit may cancel active floor calls made by passengers within the elevator cab or individuals on one or more floors of the building and direct the elevator cab to the floor of the emergency situation.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving emergency medical input signifying an emergency medical situation at a floor of a building;

overriding regular operation of an elevator cab that carries an emergency medical device in response to receiving the input; and

directing the elevator cab to the floor.

2. The method of claim 1, in which overriding and directing is distinct from manual key switch override for fire operation and maintenance operation.

3. The method of claim 1, in which overriding operation of the elevator cab includes canceling active floor calls.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising conveying information to a passenger within the elevator cab.

5. The method of claim 4, in which conveying information to the passenger includes conveying instructions.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising directing the elevator cab to a floor on which a person trained to use the emergency medical device is located.

7. The method of claim 1, in which receiving input is performed via a user input medium.

8. The method of claim 7, in which the user input medium is on the floor on which the emergency situation occurs.

9. The method of claim 8, in which the user input medium is enclosed by at least one piece of glass and a user breaks the piece of glass to access the switch.

10. The method of claim 7, in which the user input medium is located within the elevator cab.

11. The method of claim 7, in which the user input medium is activated by a key.

12. The method of claim 7, in which the user input medium comprises one of a switch, a button, a dial, and a keypad.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically unlocking a station that houses the emergency medical device in response to receiving the input.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically opening a door of a station that houses the emergency medical device in response to receiving the input.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising activating an alarm upon removal of the emergency medical device from the station.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising activating an alarm upon arrival of the elevator cab at the floor on which the emergency situation occurs.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising contacting a safety agency.

18. The method of claim 17, in which contacting the safety agency includes sending an advisory to the safety agency.

19. The method of claim 18, in which the advisory includes at least one of location information, contact information of a prescribing physician, and a serial number of the emergency medical device.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating a record of events responsive to receiving the input.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising adding to the record the floors the cab traveled to responsive to receiving the input.

22. The method of claim 1, in which the emergency medical device includes an automated external defibrillator.

23. A system comprising:

an elevator cab moveable within a building;

a traveling cable attached to the bottom of the cab and to a fixed point of the building; and

a defibrillator in a station of the cab that communicates via the traveling cable.

24. The system of claim 23, in which the traveling cable includes at least one conductor dedicated for the defibrillator.

25. The system of claim 23, in which the traveling cable includes at least one conductor dedicated for the station.

26. The system of claim 23, in which the traveling cable includes at least one conductor that is shared for communication by the defibrillator and another feature of the cab.

27. The system of claim 23, in which the defibrillator communicates via the traveling cable for maintenance purposes.

28. The system of claim 23, further comprising an elevator control unit to control the operation of the elevator cab, the elevator control unit receiving input identifying an emergency medical situation, overriding operation of the elevator cab, and directing the elevator cab to a floor of the building on which the emergency situation occurs in response to the received input.

29. The system of claim 28, in which overriding and directing is distinct from manual key switch override for fire operation and maintenance operation.

30. The system of claim 28, in which the control unit further directs the elevator cab to a floor to on which a person trained to use the defibrillator is located.

31. The system of claim 28, further comprising an input medium to notify the control unit of the emergency situation.

32. The system of claim 23, further comprising an alarm to indicate arrival of the defibrillator.

33. An elevator cab comprising:

an enclosure with an openable elevator door;

a front panel behind which the door recedes for opening; and

a defibrillator in a station, wherein the station is at least in part between a main vertical surface of the front panel and the door when receded.

34. The cab of claim 33, in which the front panel has a cutout to access the defibrillator in the station.

35. The cab of claim 33, further comprising a traveling cable attached to the bottom of the enclosure, in which the station is adapted to communicate via the traveling cable.

36. The cab of claim 35, in which the defibrillator communicates via the traveling cable for maintenance purposes.

37. The cab of claim 35, in which the station communicates with a safety agency via the traveling cable.

38. The cab of claim 37, in which the station communicates with a safety agency via the traveling cable in response to detecting removal of the defibrillator from the station.

39. The cab of claim 33, in which the station activates an alarm in response to detecting removal of the defibrillator from the station.

40. A system comprising:

an elevator cab in a building;

a station within the elevator cab that houses an emergency medical device; and

an elevator control unit to control the operation of the elevator cab, the elevator control unit receiving input identifying an emergency situation, overriding regular operation of the elevator cab, and directing the elevator cab to a floor of the building on which the emergency situation occurs in response to the received input.

41. The system of claim 40, in which overriding and directing is distinct from manual key switch override for fire operation and maintenance operation.

42. The system of claim 40, in which the control unit further directs the elevator cab to a floor on which a person trained to use the emergency medical device is located.

43. The system of claim 40, further comprising an input medium to notify the control unit of the emergency situation.

44. The system of claim 43, in which the input medium is located within the elevator cab.

45. The system of claim 43, in which a key activates the input medium.

46. The system of claim 43, in which the input medium comprises a plurality of input media located at floors of the building.

47. The system of claim 43, in which the input medium includes one of a switch, a button, a dial, and a keypad.

48. The system of claim 40, in which the elevator cab is one of a plurality of elevator cabs, and the elevator control unit independently controls operation of the elevator cab in response to the input identifying the emergency situation.

49. The system of claim 40, in which the elevator control unit is located within the elevator cab.

50. The system of claim 40, in which the elevator control unit is located within a machine room associated with the cab.

51. The system of claim 40, further comprising an alarm to indicate arrival of the emergency medical device.

52. The system of claim 51, in which the alarm is activated upon removal of the emergency medical device from a station in which the device is stored.

53. The system of claim 51, in which the alarm is activated upon the elevator cab arriving at the floor on which the emergency situation occurs.

54. The system of claim 40, further comprising a station mounted within the elevator cab in which the emergency medical device is housed.

55. The system of claim 54, in which the station includes a locking mechanism to lock the station.

56. The system of claim 55, in which the station automatically unlocks the locking mechanism in response to the input identifying the emergency situation.

57. The system of claim 54, in which a door of the station automatically opens in response to the input identifying the emergency situation.

58. The system of claim 40, in which the elevator cab further includes an output medium to convey a message to one or more passengers of the elevator cab.

59. The system of claim 58, in which the output medium includes at least one of a display and a speaker.

60. The system of claim 40, further comprising a traveling cable attached to the bottom of the elevator cab from the outside to transmit communication signals.

61. The system of claim 60, in which the traveling cable includes at least one conductor dedicated for the emergency medical device.

62. The system of claim 60, the emergency medical device communicates via the traveling cable for maintenance purposes.

63. The system of claim 40, in which the emergency medical device includes an automated external defibrillator.

64. The system of claim 40, in which the elevator cab is a passenger elevator cab.

65. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions to cause a processor to:

receive a emergency medical input signifying a emergency medical situation;

override regular operation of an elevator cab that carries an emergency medical device suitable for the situation in response to receiving the input; and

direct the elevator cab to a floor on which the emergency situation occurs.

66. The computer-readable medium of claim 65, in which instructions that cause the processor to override operation of the elevator cab include instructions to cause the processor to cancel active floor calls.

67. The computer-readable medium of claim 65, further comprising instructions to cause the processor to convey information to a passenger within the elevator cab.

68. The computer-readable medium of claim 65, further comprising instructions to cause the processor to direct the elevator cab to a floor on which a person trained to use the emergency medical device is located.

69. The computer-readable medium of claim 65, further comprising instructions to cause the processor to:

identify one elevator cab of a group that includes a defibrillator, and

remove the identified cab from group operation.