Electroshock device for monitoring target response

• US 9,381,372 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2013
• Issued: 07/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Cheatham, Jesse R. III, Chin, Hon Wah, Hyde, Alexander G., Hyde, Roderick A., Kare, Jordin T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stigell, Theodore
• Assistant Examiner(s): CAREY, MICHAEL JAMES
• Application Number:
  US14/097,038
• Publication Number:
  US 20150153144A1
• Time in Patent Office: 944 Days
• Field of Search: 607/7, 607/62, 607/115, 42/10.8
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/046 Specially adapted for shock therapy, e.g. defibrillation
• 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 1/3987 characterised by the timing or triggering of the shock
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 13/0025 for remote electrical discharge via conducting wires, e.g. via wire-tethered electrodes shot at a target

Abstract

An electroshock device for delivering an electrical discharge to a target includes an electrical discharge circuit, an electrode coupled to the electrical discharge circuit and having an attachment feature attachable to the target. Upon attachment the electrode is enabled to monitor a physiological condition of the target, generate a signal based on the physiological condition, and deliver the electrical discharge to the target. The electroshock device also includes a controller communicatively coupled to the electrical discharge circuit and the electrode. The controller is configured to modulate delivery of the electrical discharge based on the signal.

Claims

1. An electroshock device for delivering an electrical discharge to a target, the electroshock device comprising:

an electrical discharge circuit;

one or more electrodes coupled to the electrical discharge circuit, each of the one or more electrodes having an attachment feature attachable to the target, upon attachment at least one of the one or more electrodes being enabled to;

monitor an involuntary muscular condition of the target;

generate a signal based on the involuntary muscular condition; and

deliver the electrical discharge to the target; and

a controller communicatively coupled to the electrical discharge circuit and the one or more electrodes, the controller being configured to determine whether the target is temporarily incapacitated based on the signal, and to modulate at least one of an intensity and a duration of the electrical discharge based on the determination.

2. The electroshock device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the electrodes is configured to sense the involuntary muscular condition of the target while the electrical discharge is delivered to the target, and wherein the involuntary muscular condition includes an involuntary response of the target to delivery of the electrical discharge.

3. The electroshock device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the target is sufficiently subdued based on the signal, and wherein the controller is configured to modulate at least one of an intensity and a duration of the electrical discharge based on the determination.

4. The electroshock device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to modulate a predefined electrical discharge based on the signal prior to allowing the one or more electrodes to deliver the electrical discharge to the target.

5. The electroshock device of claim 1, wherein the at least one electrode is configured to monitor the involuntary muscular condition of the target by electromyography.

6. The electroshock device of claim 1, wherein the at least one electrode is further configured to monitor a physiological condition of the target by detection of an electrocardiographic signal.

7. The electroshock device of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to detect at least one of heart arrhythmia and heart fibrillation in the target based on the electrocardiographic signal, and wherein the controller is configured to decrease at least one of an intensity and a duration of the electrical discharge based on detecting at least one of heart arrhythmia and heart fibrillation.

8. The electroshock device of claim 6, wherein the electrical discharge circuit is configured to produce a defibrillating pulse.

9. The electroshock device of claim 8, wherein at least one of the electrodes is configured to deliver the defibrillating pulse.

10. The electroshock device of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to control delivery of the defibrillating pulse based on the electrocardiographic signal.

11. The electroshock device of claim 8, further comprising:

a defibrillating electrode configured to be coupled to the electrical discharge circuit and having a second attachment feature attachable to the target;

wherein the defibrillating electrode is configured to deliver the defibrillating pulse.

12. The electroshock device of claim 1, wherein the electrical discharge includes two or more pulses separated by one or more listening periods, and wherein the controller is configured to modulate subsequent pulses based on the signal received during the one or more listening periods.

13. The electroshock device of claim 1, wherein the electroshock device is configured to propel at least one of the electrodes towards the target.

14. An electroshock device for delivering an electrical discharge to a target, the electroshock device comprising:

an electrical discharge circuit for providing the electrical discharge;

a first electrode coupled to the electrical discharge circuit;

a second electrode coupled to the electrical discharge circuit; and

a controller coupled to the first and second electrodes and configured to receive one or more signals from the first and second electrodes and determine a position of the first and second electrodes at the target based on the one or more signals;

wherein the first and second electrodes are attachable to the target and configured to deliver an electrical discharge from the electrical discharge circuit to the target.

15. The electroshock device of claim 14, wherein the first electrode is configured to emit a first locating wave in the direction of the second electrode when attached to the target.

16. The electroshock device of claim 15, wherein the one or more signals provide an indication of a time delay based on the second electrode receiving the first locating wave, and wherein the controller is configured to determine a distance between the first electrode and the second electrode based on the time delay.

17. The electroshock device of claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to determine a proximity of at least one of the first and second electrodes to a body boundary of the target based on the time delay.

18. The electroshock device of claim 14, wherein the position of the first and second electrodes includes relative distances of the first and second electrodes from the heart of the target, and wherein the controller is configured to determine the relative distances based on the heartbeat reception differential between the first and second electrodes.

19. The electroshock device of claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to modulate the electrical discharge based on the position of the first and second electrodes.

20. The electroshock device of claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to prevent delivery of the electrical discharge prior to receiving at least one of the one or more signals.

21. The electroshock device of claim 14, wherein the electrical discharge includes two or more pulses separated by one or more listening periods, and wherein the controller is configured to modulate subsequent pulses based on the one or more signals received during the one or more listening periods.

22. The electroshock device of claim 14, wherein the first and second electrodes are configured to monitor a physiological condition of the target by electromyography.

23. The electroshock device of claim 22, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the target is temporarily incapacitated based on the physiological condition, and to modulate at least one of an intensity and a duration of the electrical discharge based on the determination.

24. The electroshock device of claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to detect at least one of heart arrhythmia and heart fibrillation in the target by detection of an electrocardiographic signal, and wherein the controller is configured to decrease at least one of an intensity and a duration of the electrical discharge based on detecting at least one of heart arrhythmia and heart fibrillation.

25. The electroshock device of claim 14, wherein the electrical discharge circuit is configured to provide a defibrillating pulse, and wherein the controller is configured to modulate delivery of the defibrillating pulse based on the one or more signals.

26. The electroshock device of claim 25, wherein the controller is configured to detect fibrillation in the target based on the one or more signals, and to enable delivery of the defibrillating pulse by the first and second electrodes based on a determination that fibrillation in the target is detected.

27. The electroshock device of claim 25, further comprising:

a defibrillating electrode configured to be coupled to the electrical discharge circuit and having an attachment feature for attaching to the target;

wherein the defibrillating electrode is configured to deliver the defibrillating pulse.

28. The electroshock device of claim 14, further comprising:

one or more optical sensors for capturing an image;

wherein the controller is configured to receive the image from the one or more optical sensors and to determine the position of the first and second electrodes based on the image.

29. The electroshock device of claim 28, wherein the first and second optical sensors are configured to capture the one or more images at more than one point in time as the first and second electrodes approach the target.

30. The electroshock device of claim 14, wherein the controller includes a memory device, and wherein the controller is configured to store data associated with the one or more signals in the memory device.

31. An electroshock device having an electroshock mode and a defibrillating mode, the electroshock device comprising:

an electrical discharge circuit configured to provide an electrical discharge and a defibrillating pulse;

one or more electrodes coupled to the electrical discharge circuit and being attachable to a target, the one or more electrodes being configured to deliver the electrical discharge in the electroshock mode and the defibrillating pulse in the defibrillating mode, and to monitor a physiological condition of the target and generate a signal based on the physiological condition; and

a controller coupled to the electrical discharge circuit and the one or more electrodes, the controller being configured to;

receive the signal from the one or more electrodes;

determine whether the target is temporarily incapacitated based on the signal, and modulate at least one of an intensity and a duration of the electrical discharge based on the determination;

modulate the defibrillating pulse based on the signal; and

reconfigure the electroshock device between the electroshock mode and the defibrillating mode based on the signal.

32. The electroshock device of claim 31, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the target is sufficiently subdued based on the physiological condition and modulate at least one of an intensity and a duration of the electrical discharge based on the determination.

33. The electroshock device of claim 31, wherein the controller is configured to detect at least one of heart arrhythmia and heart fibrillation in the target based on the signal, and to decrease at least one of an intensity and a duration of the electrical discharge based on detecting at least one of heart arrhythmia and heart fibrillation.

34. The electroshock device of claim 33, wherein the controller is configured to deliver the defibrillating pulse via at least one of the one or more electrodes based on detecting at least one of heart arrhythmia and heart fibrillation in the target.

35. The electroshock device of claim 31, wherein at least one of the one or more electrodes is connected to the electrical discharge circuit by a flexible conductor.