Self-contained emergency situation assistance kit with programmed audio and visual instructions

• US 9,286,440 B1
• Filed: 06/07/2007
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Retrac, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Retrac, Inc.
• Inventors: Carter, Annette, Wickham, Paula, Dighton, Kirk, Mundt, Troy
• Primary Examiner(s): Musselman, Timothy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Carlos, Alvin
• Application Number:
  US11/759,618
• Time in Patent Office: 3,204 Days
• Field of Search: 434/262, 206/570, 607/5
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3993 User interfaces for automatic external defibrillators
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

An emergency response information and supply system, software and method capable of providing audio and/or visual or video instructions as to how to use the medical supplies contained in the kit and location information to emergency professionals. The system is organized so that the medical supplies for different traumas or emergency situations are packaged into individual and separated bags. The user can activate the audio and/or visual or video instructions by pushing at least one button on the unit'"'"'s console that corresponds to the particular trauma or emergency event. Alternatively, instructions can be activated by removing a bag from the case which automatically begins the instructions. If a victim has sustained multiple injuries and the user has depressed multiple buttons or removed multiple bags, then the device automatically prioritizes the emergency situations and provides instructions on the appropriate emergency response to provide and in the proper order. The system can potentially notify emergency professionals and provide information on the status of a patient or first responder using the system.

Claims

1. A method of providing an emergency responder with prioritized audible instruction assistance comprising the steps of:

providing a portable, battery-powered, electronic device, configured to provide one of a plurality of audible instruction sets for predetermined emergency situations when one of a plurality of switches is activated wherein each of the plurality of switches is associated with one of a plurality of traumas and corresponds to one of a plurality of sets of supplies adapted to treat the associated trauma; and

receiving a plurality of signals representative of the fact that the plurality of switches have been activated; and

in response thereto, prioritizing provisioning of the plurality of audible instruction sets based upon a predetermined prioritization algorithm which determines relative medical urgency levels for each of the plurality of switches activated.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

in response to receiving an individual or a plurality of signals, determining if additional information is necessary to prioritize a plurality of emergency situation instruction sets and issuing a request for additional information if more information is needed to make a proper prioritization.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the plurality of switches are a plurality of soft switches which are part of a touch-screen display.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of providing a GPS receiver and determining a geographic location of the electronic device and transmitting information representative of the geographic location.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

monitoring a plurality of sets of supplies to determine if any have been deployed; and

providing a report that one of the plurality of sets of supplies has been deployed.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the report is an inventory of the plurality of sets of supplies.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the report is transmitted electronically via a radio communication link.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of monitoring comprises detecting a change of status of a bag of supplies from a predetermined location in a plurality of bags of differing supplies.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the change of status is a change of location.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the change of status is caused by opening a bag.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the electronic device is a handheld multi-purpose personal digital assistant with an operating system which is configured to execute a plurality of personal information management-related programs and which has a touch screen which is configured to have soft keys and wherein the plurality of personal information management programs comprises a calendar program, a task program, and an address book program.

12. An apparatus for aiding emergency response providers comprising:

a portable battery-powered electronic device, configured to execute software resident on the electronic device;

the software being configured to receive a plurality of indications of simultaneous medical conditions requiring first aid based upon the activation of a plurality of switches wherein each of the plurality of switches is associated with one of a plurality of traumas and corresponds to one of a plurality of sets of supplies adapted to treat the associated trauma;

the software further configured to prioritize the plurality of indications in accordance with a predetermined medical criteria, and first provide audible instructions to aid in delivery of first aid for a first one of the plurality of indications which corresponds to a first-highest priority situation and thereafter provide a delayed delivery of instructions for first aid for a second one of the plurality of indications which corresponds to a second-highest priority situation.

13. An apparatus of claim 12 further comprising:

means for monitoring a deployment of a set of supplies and for generating a report indicating that a set of supplies has been deployed.

14. An apparatus of claim 13 further comprising means for communicating the report.

15. An apparatus of claim 13 wherein a display device communicates the report.

16. An apparatus of claim 13 wherein a communication transceiver communicates the report.

17. An apparatus of claim 12 wherein the electronic device comprises a handheld, portable, battery-operated personal digital assistant.

18. An apparatus of claim 12 further comprising an automatic external defibrillator.

19. An apparatus of claim 18 further comprising patient sensors.

20. A method of aiding first-aid providers comprising the steps of:

providing a handheld, battery-operated personal digital assistant which is configured to execute a prioritizing emergency response/first-aid assistance application program;

wherein the prioritizing emergency response/first-aid assistance application program is configured to receive a plurality of inputs from a user with respect to one patient, where each of the plurality of inputs corresponds to an indication that the patient has simultaneous medical conditions which might require emergency response or first aid and wherein the inputs are provided by a user activating a plurality of switches wherein each of the plurality of switches is associated with one of a plurality of traumas and corresponds to one of a plurality of sets of supplies adapted to treat the associated trauma;

determining whether a request for additional information is necessary before a prioritization decision can be made;

prioritizing the plurality of inputs using the prioritizing emergency response/first-aid assistance application software program and generating an instruction set which provides the user with emergency response instructions for a first of the plurality of inputs which corresponds to a highest priority medical condition or emergency situation; and

delaying providing information with respect to a second-highest priority medical condition until first-aid instruction is provided with respect to the highest priority emergency situation.