Wearable defibrillator system communicating via mobile communication device

• US 9,079,045 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2014
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: West Affum Holdings DAC
• Original Assignee: Physio-Control Incorporated (Stryker Corporation)
• Inventors: Cowan, Kenneth Frederick, Banville, Isabelle, Buchanan, Robert Reuben, Finch, David Peter, Sullivan, Joseph Leo, Foshee, Phillip D. Jr., Gustavson, Laura Marie, Piha, Daniel Ralph, Chacon, Carmen Ann, Krusor, Blaine, Debardi, Gary, Nova, Richard C., Szul, Krystyna, Kavounas, Gregory T.
• Primary Examiner(s): MANUEL, GEORGE C
• Application Number:
  US14/454,517
• Publication Number:
  US 20150039040A1
• Time in Patent Office: 341 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0024 for multiple sensor units attached to the patient, e.g. using a body or personal area network
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/332 Portable devices specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/361 Detecting fibrillation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6823 Trunk, e.g., chest, back, abdomen, hip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 Straps, bands or harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6843 Monitoring or controlling sensor contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/08 Arrangements or circuits for monitoring, protecting, controlling or indicating for external stimulators A61N1/3603; for implantable neurostimulators A61N1/36128; for heart stimulators A61N1/37; for defibrillators A61N1/3925
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/20 for electronic clinical trials or questionnaires
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 : Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

A wearable defibrillation system can establish a local comlink with a mobile communication device, such as a smartphone, tablet-type computer and the like. The mobile communication device can in turn establish a remote comlink with other devices in a network such as the internet. Accordingly, communication tasks relating to the wearable defibrillation system can be performed via the local and the remote comlinks, with or without the participation of the patient, who is wearing the system. The wearer can thus use the familiar interface of a mobile communication device for interacting with his defibrillator system. Moreover, he can do so while keeping on his regular clothes, which could conceal completely the wearable defibrillator system. The patient can thus preserve his dignity and privacy.

Claims

1. A method for a patient, comprising:

wearing a wearable defibrillation system;

carrying a mobile communication device that is exchanging data via a wireless remote comlink with one of other devices in a network, the wearable defibrillation system having an established wireless local comlink with the mobile communication device and exchanging data via the local comlink, the local comlink distinct from and concurrent with the remote comlink;

perceiving a human-perceptible indication from the mobile communication device, the human-perceptible indication resulting from guidance data that has been transmitted via the local comlink, the human-perceptible indication being a request to reduce the patient'"'"'s body motion so as to improve readings;

acting according to the indication, in which acting includes reducing an amount of the patient'"'"'s body motion; and

receiving a defibrillation shock from the wearable defibrillation system while wearing it.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing the mobile communication device to establish the remote comlink.

3. The method of claim 2, in which

causing the remote comlink to become established is performed by entering a remote access request in the mobile communication device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

entering a disconnection input to disestablish the local comlink.

5. The method of claim 1, in which

the mobile communication device includes a wireless telephone.

6. A wearable defibrillation system configured to be worn by a patient and to defibrillate the patient, the patient carrying a mobile communication device capable of exchanging data via a remote wireless comlink with one of other devices in a network, the mobile communication device including a user interface for emitting human-perceptible indications, the system comprising:

a support structure configured to be worn by the patient;

a capacitor coupled to the support structure and configured to store electrical charge for delivering to the patient'"'"'s body so as to defibrillate the patient;

ECG electrodes; and

a communication module coupled to the support structure and configured to establish, with the mobile communication device, a local wireless comlink that is distinct from the remote comlink, and

in which

the communication module and the mobile communication device are configured to exchange data via the local comlink, the exchanged data including guidance data transmitted from the communication module for emitting by the user interface of the mobile communication device as the human-perceptible indications, and

the human-perceptible indications include a request to reduce the patient'"'"'s body motion so as to improve readings from the ECG electrodes.

7. The system of claim 6, in which

the mobile communication device includes a wireless telephone.

8. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

a certain component; and

in which

the exchanged data includes received control data, and

an operation of the certain component becomes adjusted responsive to the receipt of the control data.

9. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

a monitoring device for sensing a local parameter, and

in which the exchanged data includes the local parameter.

10. The system of claim 9, in which

the local parameter includes one of a patient physiological parameter, a patient state parameter, a system parameter and an environmental parameter.

11. The system of claim 9, in which

the local parameter is a physiological parameter chosen from one of the patient'"'"'s blood perfusion, blood flow, blood pressure, blood oxygen level, pulsatile change in light transmission or reflection properties of perfused tissue, heart sounds, breathing sounds, and pulse.

12. The system of claim 9, in which

the local parameter is a detected trend in a monitored physiological parameter of the patient.

13. The system of claim 6, in which

the exchanged data includes patient status data,

one of a plurality of possible notifying times is selected based on the patient status data, and

the remote comlink is caused to become established at the selected notifying time.

14. The system of claim 6, in which

the communication module is configured to attempt to establish the local comlink when a local connection condition is met.

15. The system of claim 6, in which

the communication module is further configured to cause the remote comlink to be established automatically with one of the other devices in the network.

16. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

a user interface coupled to the support structure for receiving a disconnection input, and

in which the local comlink becomes disestablished responsive to receiving the disconnection input.

17. The system of claim 6, in which

the wearable defibrillation system has been associated with the mobile communication device in advance of establishing the local comlink.

18. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

a user interface coupled to the support structure for receiving a connection input, and

the local connection condition is met if the connection input is received.

19. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

a user interface coupled to the support structure, and

in which the user interface outputs a human-perceptible indication if the attempt to establish the local comlink fails.