Portable defibrillators

• US 7,236,823 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2002
• Issued: 06/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Desmond Bryan Mills, Malcolm Bradley Mills, Stephen Colin Brown
• Original Assignee: Desmond Bryan Mills, Malcolm Bradley Mills, Stephen Colin Brown
• Inventors: Herbert, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): MANUEL, GEORGE C
• Application Number:
  US10/497,181
• Publication Number:
  US 20050085861A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,671 Days
• Field of Search: 607/42, 607/1, 607 4- 8, 607 27- 29, 607/50
• US Class Current: 607/8
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3904 External heart defibrillators [EHD]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3937 Monitoring output parameters

Abstract

A portable defibrillator includes a self-test circuit in which electrical energy is discharged from one or a bank of capacitors to a charge receiving circuit which recycles the energy to a rechargeable battery to prolong the original battery charge. A charge receiving circuit may contain a relatively high Ohmic value/low Wattage resistor such that the discharge occurs over a relatively long period of time, rendering a heat sink unnecessary. The resistor may be a single high value resistor or a network of plural smaller value resistors. Optional switching of the discharge electrical energy during a self-test either recycles it to the rechargeable battery or discharges it through the resistor. The self-test may be carried out on a bank of capacitors in rotation, discharging energy from one capacitor into the next such that all capacitors are charged and discharged from substantially a single power input.

Claims

1. A portable defibrillator comprising:

a processor and associated self-test circuit (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8 &

9) and comprising at least one capacitor (4), said self-test circuit being adapted to measure and monitor electrical energy discharged from said at least one capacitor (4);

in which during the self-test electrical energy is discharged from said at least one capacitor (4) to a charge receiving circuit (5, 8 &

2) which recycles the energy back to a rechargeable battery supply (1) to thereby prolong the original charge within the battery.

2. A portable defibrillator according to claim 1, further comprising:

the charge receiving and recycling circuit of claim 1 and a high Ohmic value discharge resistance such that the discharge occurs over a relatively long period of time, wherein provision is made in the circuitry of the defibrillator permitting optional switching (5, I1–

I4, S1–

S3, 21) of the discharged electrical energy during a self-test to either recycle it directly back to a rechargeable battery supply (1) or across the high value discharge resistance (21, 21a).

3. A portable defibrillator according to claim 1 further characterised in that the self-test is carried out on a bank of capacitors (4) in rotation such that for one self-test one capacitor is fully charged until a predetermined energy level is reached whilst the remaining capacitors in the bank are not, or may be only partially charged, and then following discharge during a self-test, the next capacitor in the bank is fully charged for discharge during the next self-test, the cycle repeating in sequence.

4. portable defibrillator according to claim 1, further characterised in that a single capacitor from a bank of capacitors (4) is fully charged as part of a self-test applied to a bank of capacitors (4) in rotation such that for one self-test one capacitor is fully charged until a predetermined energy level is reached whilst the remaining capacitors in the bank are not, or may be only partially charged, and then following discharge during a self-test, the next capacitor in the bank is fully charged for discharge during the next self-test, the cycle repeating in sequence;

but wherein during the self-test the single capacitor is discharged into the next capacitor, and so on, until all of the capacitors in the capacitor bank have been charged and discharged from substantially a single power input.

5. A portable defibrillator according to claim 1 further characterised in that measurement of the characteristics of a discharged pulse during a self-test occurs by the use of a measuring circuit (M3, M4, M5, M6) within the capacitor circuit.

6. A portable defibrillator according to claim 1 further characterised in that measurement of the characteristics of a discharged pulse during a self-test occurs by the use of a measuring circuit within the receiving circuit (M1, M2).

7. A portable defibrillator comprising:

a processor and associated self-test circuit (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 21 &

21a) and comprising at least one capacitor (4), said self-test circuit being adapted to measure and monitor electrical energy discharged from said at least one capacitor (4);

in which during the self-test electrical energy is discharged from said at least one capacitor (4) to a charge receiving circuit (I1–

I4, S1–

S3, 21, 21a) containing a relatively high Ohmic value discharge resistance (21, 21a) such that the discharge occurs over a relatively long period of time and such that the discharge is unsuitable for life-saving-defibrillating use.

8. A portable defibrillator according to claim 7 further characterised in that the high value resistance comprises a single high value resistor (21).

9. A portable defibrillator according to claim 7 further characterised in that the high value resistance comprises a network (21a) of at least two smaller value resistors.