Defibrillator/monitor system having a pod with leads capable of wirelessly communicating

• US 7,957,798 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2004
• Issued: 06/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Physio-Control Incorporated (Stryker Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Physio-Control Incorporated (Stryker Corporation)
• Inventors: McMahon, Michael D., Nordness, Rockland W., McGrath, Thomas J., Edwards, D. Craig, Daynes, John C., Peterson, Kenneth J., Hoierman, Eric T., Neumiller, James S., Merry, Randy L., Pearce, Christopher, Wung, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Getzow; Scott M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dietrich; Joseph M
• Application Number:
  US10/583,209
• Publication Number:
  US 20080077185A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,363 Days
• Field of Search: 607/3, 607 5- 8
• US Class Current: 607/5
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0215 by means inserted into the body catheters A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02405 Determining heart rate variability
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0836 Measuring rate of CO2 production
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14542 for measuring blood gases A61B5/14551 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3702 Physiological parameters A61N1/365 takes precedence; evoked response A61N1/371
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3904 External heart defibrillators [EHD]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3925 Monitoring; Protecting
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3968 Constructional arrangements, e.g. casings A61N1/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3975 Power supply A61N1/378 takes precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034

Abstract

A modular external defibrillator system in embodiments of the teachings may include one or more of the following features: a base containing a defibrillator to deliver a defibrillation shock to a patient, (b) one or more pods each connectable to a patient via patient lead cables to collect at least one patient vital sign, the pods operable at a distance from the base, (c) a wireless communications link between the base and a selected one of the two or more pods to carry the at least one vital sign from the selected pod to the base, the selection being based on which pod is associated with the base.

Claims

1. A modular external defibrillator system for treating a patient, comprising:

a base containing a display and an external defibrillator module configured to deliver a defibrillation shock to the patient;

a first pod operable when separated from the base, the first pod having a first patient parameter module and connectable to the patient to collect first patient data related to at least a first patient vital sign, the first pod capable of wirelessly transmitting the first patient data to the base; and

a second pod operable when separated from the base, the second pod having a second patient parameter module and connectable to the patient to collect second patient data related to at least a second patient vital sign independent from the first vital sign, the second pod capable of wirelessly transmitting the second patient data to the base,

in which, when one of the first or the second patient data is transmitted to the base, the base is configured to display an aspect of the transmitted one of the first or the second patient data;

wherein the system is configured to select one of the first or the second pods over the other to transmit to the base the patient data the selected pod collects;

wherein the selection of the selected pod is based on a comparison of the first patient data with the second patient data for detecting an abnormality in either the first patient data or the second patient data.

2. The external defibrillator system of claim 1, in which

the external defibrillator module is configured to deliver the defibrillation shock based on the one of the first or the second patient data transmitted to the base.

3. The external defibrillator system of claim 1, in which

the first pod contains an interpretive algorithm to analyze a patient condition based on the first patient data.

4. The external defibrillator system of claim 1, in which

while the base is receiving the first patient data, the base is configured to sense a nearby presence of the second pod, and provide an alert in response to sensing the second pod.

5. The external defibrillator system of claim 1, in which

the one of the first or the second patient data that is transmitted to the base is encrypted.

6. The external defibrillator system of claim 1, in which

the base is configured to control which of the first or the second pods is selected over the other.

7. The external defibrillator system of claim 1, in which

a unique pod identifier is transmitted from the selected pod to the base.

8. The external defibrillator system of claim 1, in which

the selected pod is configured to provide an indication when prompted by the base to confirm that the selected pod has been selected over the other pod.

9. The external defibrillator system of claim 1, in which, when the base and the selected pod are communicating wirelessly over a link, if the link degrades, one of the base or the selected pod is configured to provide an alert.

10. The external defibrillator system of claim 1, in which, when the base and the selected pod are communicating wirelessly over a link, if the link degrades, less patient data is carried to the base.

11. The external defibrillator system of claim 1, in which, when the base and the selected pod are communicating wirelessly over a link, if the link is lost, the system is configured to output an alarm.

12. The external defibrillator system of claim 11, in which

if the link is not reestablished within a preset time period after the alarm is output, the selected pod configured to enter a sleep mode.

13. A method for a modular external defibrillator system for treating a patient, the system including:

a base containing a display and an external defibrillator module configured to deliver a defibrillation shock to the patient and to control which of the first or the second pods is selected over the other, wherein the selection is made by comparing the first patient data with the second patient data for detecting an abnormality in either the first patient data or the second patient data, a first pod operable when separated from the base, the first pod having a first patient parameter module and connectable to the patient to collect first patient data related to at least a first patient vital sign, the first pod capable of wirelessly transmitting the first patient data to the base, and a second pod operable when separated from the base, the second pod having a patient parameter module and connectable to the patient to collect second patient data related to at least a second patient vital sign independent from the first vital sign, the second pod capable of wirelessly transmitting the second patient data to the base, the method comprising;

selecting one of the first or the second pods over the other;

establishing a communications link between the base and the selected pod, in which the one of the first or the second patient data collected by the selected pods is transmitted wirelessly to the base; and

displaying at the display an aspect of the transmitted one of the first or the second patient data.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

delivering a defibrillation shock based on the one of the first or the second patient data transmitted to the base.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

analyzing a patient condition based on an interpretive algorithm in the selected pod and the patient data collected by the selected pod.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

while the base has the communications link established with the selected pod, sensing a nearby presence of the second pod, and providing an alert in response to sensing the second pod.

17. The method of claim 13, in which

the one of the first or the second patient data that is transmitted to the base is encrypted.

18. The method of claim 13, in which

the selection is made by electrically directly connecting the one of the first or the second pods to the base.

19. The method of claim 13, in which

a unique pod identifier is carried from the selected pod to the base.

20. The method of claim 13, in which

the selected pod provides an indication when prompted by the base to confirm that the selected pod has been selected over the other pod.

21. The method of claim 13, in which

if the link degrades, one of the base and the selected pod provides an alert.

22. The method of claim 13, in which

if the link degrades, less patient data is carried to the base.

23. The method of claim 13, in which

if the link is lost, an alarm is output.

24. The method of claim 23, in which

if the link is not reestablished within a preset time period after the alarm is output, the selected pod enters a sleep mode.