Detecting loss of full skin contact in patient electrodes

• US 9,237,858 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2013
• Issued: 01/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: West Affum Holdings DAC
• Original Assignee: West Affum Holdings Corp
• Inventors: Krusor, Blaine, Banville, Isabelle, Sullivan, Joseph Leo, Finch, David Peter, Piha, Daniel Ralph, Gustavson, Laura Marie, Cowan, Kenneth Frederick, Nova, Richard C., Chacon, Carmen Ann, Kavounas, Gregory T.
• Primary Examiner(s): VOORHEES, CATHERINE M
• Application Number:
  US14/064,468
• Publication Number:
  US 20140051962A1
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0276 Determining malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• 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 5/0531 Measuring skin impedance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/276 Protection against electrode failure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/28 for electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6843 Monitoring or controlling sensor contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7405 using sound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7455 characterised by tactile indication, e.g. vibration or electrical stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/746 Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms alarms per se G08B
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/046 Specially adapted for shock therapy, e.g. defibrillation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0492 Patch electrodes A61N1/0412, A61N1/0428 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3904 External heart defibrillators [EHD]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3925 Monitoring; Protecting
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2001/083 Monitoring integrity of contacts, e.g. by impedance measurement

Abstract

Patient electrodes, patient monitors, defibrillators, wearable defibrillators, software and methods may warn when an electrode stops being fully attached to the patient'"'"'s skin. A patient electrode includes a pad for attaching to the skin of a patient, a lead coupled to the pad, and a contact detector that can change state, when the pad does not contact fully the skin of the patient. When the detector changes state, an output device may emit an alert, for notifying a rescuer or even the patient.

Claims

1. A patient electrode adapted to be used with an output device that is configured to emit an alert, comprising:

a pad configured to be attached onto a skin of a patient;

an electrode lead coupled to the pad;

a plug coupled to the electrode lead, and adapted to be plugged into a socket; and

a contact detector coupled to the pad, the contact detector adapted to be in one of a plurality of detector states, and

in which the output device is adapted to emit an alert responsive to a determination from a current one of the detector states that the pad does not contact fully the skin of the patient.

2. The electrode of claim 1, in which

the detector states are different values of an electrical property of the contact detector.

3. The electrode of claim 1, in which

the contact detector is a temperature sensor,

the detector state indicates a detected temperature, and

the determination is made if the detected temperature changes beyond a threshold, or changes beyond a threshold within a preset time.

4. The electrode of claim 1, in which

the contact detector is an optical sensor,

the detector state indicates a detected illumination, and

the determination is made if the detected illumination changes beyond a threshold.

5. The electrode of claim 1, in which

the contact detector is a capacitive sensor,

the current one of the detector states indicates a detected capacitance, and

the determination is made if the detected capacitance changes beyond a threshold.

6. The electrode of claim 1, in which

a sense signal is generated that encodes the current one of the detector states, and

the output device is adapted to receive a version of the sense signal.

7. The electrode of claim 6, further comprising:

a power source configured to query the contact detector about the current one of the detector states, and to generate the sense signal accordingly.

8. The electrode of claim 7, in which

the detector states are different values of an electrical property of the contact detector.

9. The electrode of claim 6, further comprising:

at least one sense lead configured to transfer the sense signal.

10. The electrode of claim 6, in which

the sense signal is wireless.

11. The electrode of claim 10, further comprising:

an RFID tag coupled to the contact detector, and

in which the RFID tag is adapted to be interrogated by an RFID reader, and

the RFID tag backscatters the sense signal responsive to being thus interrogated.

12. A patient electrode, comprising:

a pad configured to be attached onto a skin of a patient;

an electrode lead coupled to the pad;

a plug coupled to the electrode lead, and adapted to be plugged into a socket;

a contact detector coupled to the pad, the contact detector configured to be in one of a plurality of detector states; and

an output device coupled to one of the pad and the electrode lead, the output device configured to emit an alert responsive to a determination from a current one of the detector states that the pad does not contact fully the skin of the patient.

13. The electrode of claim 12, in which

the detector states are different values of an electrical property of the contact detector.

14. The electrode of claim 12, in which

the contact detector is a temperature sensor,

the detector state indicates a detected temperature, and

the determination is made if the detected temperature changes beyond a threshold, or changes beyond a threshold within a preset time.

15. The electrode of claim 12, in which

the contact detector is an optical sensor,

the detector state indicates a detected illumination, and

the determination is made if the detected illumination changes beyond a threshold.

16. The electrode of claim 12, in which

the contact detector is a capacitive sensor,

the current one of the detector states indicates a detected capacitance, and

the determination is made if the detected capacitance changes beyond a threshold.

17. The electrode of claim 12, further comprising:

a power source coupled to the pad and configured to query the contact detector about the current one of the detector states, and to generate a sense signal that encodes the current one of the detector states, and

in which the output device is configured to receive the sense signal.

18. The electrode of claim 17, in which

the detector states are different values of an electrical property of the contact detector.

19. The electrode of claim 12, in which

the alert is auditory.

20. The electrode of claim 12, in which

the alert is visual.

21. The electrode of claim 12, in which

the alert is tactile.

22. A patient electrode adapted to be used with an output device that is configured to emit an alert, comprising:

a pad adapted to be attached onto a skin of a patient;

an electrode lead coupled to the pad; and

a contact detector coupled to the pad, the contact detector being a capacitive sensor, the contact detector adapted to be in one of a plurality of detector states that indicate a detected capacitance from a mass of the patient, and

in which the output device is adapted to emit an alert responsive to a determination from a current one of the detector states that the pad does not contact fully the skin of the patient, the determination being made when the detected capacitance changes beyond a threshold.

23. The patient electrode of claim 22, in which

a sense signal is generated that encodes the current one of the detector states, and

the output device is adapted to receive a version of the sense signal.

24. The patient electrode of claim 23, further comprising:

at least one sense lead configured to transfer the sense signal.

25. The patient electrode of claim 23, in which

the sense signal is wireless.

26. The patient electrode of claim 25, further comprising:

an RFID tag coupled to the contact detector, and

in which the RFID tag is adapted to be interrogated by an RFID reader, and

the RFID tag backscatters the sense signal responsive to being thus interrogated.

27. A patient electrode adapted to be used with an output device that is configured to emit an alert, comprising:

a pad adapted to be attached onto a skin of a patient;

an electrode lead coupled to the pad; and

a contact detector coupled to the pad, the contact detector adapted to be in one of a plurality of detector states, and

in which

a wireless sense signal is generated that encodes the current one of the detector states, and

the output device is adapted to receive a version of the sense signal, and to emit an alert responsive to a determination from a current one of the detector states that the pad does not contact fully the skin of the patient.

28. The electrode of claim 27, in which

the contact detector is a capacitive sensor,

the current one of the detector states indicates a detected capacitance, and

the determination is made if the detected capacitance changes beyond a threshold.

29. The electrode of claim 27, further comprising:

an RFID tag coupled to the contact detector, and

in which the RFID tag is adapted to be interrogated by an RFID reader, and

the RFID tag backscatters the sense signal responsive to being thus interrogated.

30. The electrode of claim 29, in which

the contact detector is a capacitive sensor,

the current one of the detector states indicates a detected capacitance, and

the determination is made if the detected capacitance changes beyond a threshold.