Electrode assembly having various communicative solutions

• US 9,844,658 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2014
• Issued: 12/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Physio-Control Incorporated (Stryker Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Physio-Control Incorporated (Stryker Corporation)
• Inventors: Jensen, Jennifer Goeman, Hoss, Jennifer Elaine, Smith, Mitchell A., Peterson, Kenneth J., Nelson, Maren Louise, Belalcazar, Andres, Piraino, Daniel W., Knapinski, John Robert, Bielstein, Matthew L., Albright, Ethan P., Edwards, Jeffery S., Tamura, Paul S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wieland, Robert N
• Application Number:
  US14/907,251
• Publication Number:
  US 20160158527A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,243 Days
• 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

Abstract

Technologies and implementations for a defibrillator electrode having communicative capabilities are generally disclosed.

Claims

1. A communicative apparatus for use with a defibrillator device, the communicative apparatus comprising:

an electrode, the electrode configured to be used with the defibrillator device;

a thin film circuit disposed on a first surface of the electrode, the thin film circuit configured to be a radio-frequency identification (RFID) circuit;

a gel disposed on a second surface substantially opposite the first surface;

a gel integrity sensor disposed in physical contact with the gel, the gel integrity sensor communicatively coupled to the thin film circuit; and

a connector electrically coupled to the electrode, the connector configured to electrically connect the electrode to the defibrillator device and communicatively coupled to the thin film circuit.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electrode comprises an electrode compatible with an Automated External Defibrillator (AED).

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the thin film circuit comprises a processor module.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the thin film circuit comprises an RFID tag.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the RFID tag comprises at least one of a passive tag, an active tag, or battery-assisted passive tag.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the thin film circuit comprises a storage medium.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the thin film circuit comprises a thin film circuit having at least one of a transmit module or a receive module, both being wireless based.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the thin film circuit comprises a thin film circuit having a transmit/receive module, the transmit/receive module being wireless based.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the gel comprises at least one of a conductive gel or an adhesive gel for use with the electrode.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the gel integrity sensor comprises a conductivity sensor, the conductivity sensor capable of determining a conductivity level of the gel and capable of communicating the conductivity level of gel to the thin film circuit.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the gel integrity sensor comprises a combined humidity and temperature sensor, the combined humidity and temperature sensor capable of determining humidity and temperature the gel was subjected to before being communicatively coupled to the defibrillator device.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the connector comprises a connector having an electrical signal interrupt module communicatively coupled to the thin film circuit, the electrical signal interrupt module configured to interrupt substantially most electrical signals between the electrode and the defibrillator device upon receiving an interrupt signal from the thin film circuit.

13. A communicative apparatus for use with a defibrillator device, the communicative apparatus comprising:

an electrode;

a watermark, the watermark integrated with the electrode on a first surface of the electrode;

a gel, the gel being disposed on a second surface substantially opposite the first surface of the electrode;

a connector, the connector electrically coupled to the electrode, the connector configured to electrically connect the electrode to the defibrillator device; and

an electrical signal interrupt module communicatively coupled to the connector and the defibrillator device, the electrical signal interrupt module configured to interrupt an electrical signal from the defibrillator device based at least in part on an interrupt signal from the defibrillator device.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the electrode comprises an electrode compatible with an Automated External Defibrillator (AED).

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the watermark comprises an optical machine-readable watermark.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the watermark comprises an automatic identification and data capture (AIDC) watermark.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the watermark comprises a universal product code (UPC).

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the watermark comprises a linear type code.

19. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the watermark comprises a matrix type code.

20. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the watermark comprises a Quick Response (QR) code.

21. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the watermark comprises a watermark configured to visually change over time.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the watermark configured to visually change over time comprises a watermark having migrating ink.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the watermark configured to visually change over time comprises visually changing paper.

24. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the connector comprises a quick release connector having a pull tab device.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the quick release connector comprises a looped flange.

26. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the electrical signal interrupt module comprises a residual-current device (RCD).

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the RCD comprises an automatic disconnection of supply (ADS) type device.

28. A communicative apparatus for use with a defibrillator device, the communicative apparatus comprising:

an electrode;

a printed circuit disposed on a first surface of the electrode;

a display device disposed on the first surface of the electrode, the display device communicatively coupled to the printed circuit;

a gel disposed on a second surface substantially opposite the first surface;

a gel integrity sensor disposed in physical contact with the gel, the gel integrity sensor communicatively coupled to the printed circuit;

a connector electrically coupled to the electrode, the connector configured to electrically connect the electrode to the defibrillator device; and

an electrical signal interrupt module communicatively coupled to the connector and the defibrillator device, the electrical signal interrupt module configured to interrupt an electrical signal from the defibrillator device based at least in part on an interrupt signal from the printed circuit.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the electrode comprises an electrode compatible with an Automated External Defibrillator (AED).

30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the printed circuit comprises:

a processor; and

a display controller, the display controller communicatively coupled to the processor and to the display device.

31. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the display device comprises a liquid crystal display (LCD) device.

32. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the gel comprises at least one of a conductive gel or an adhesive gel for use with the electrode.

33. A communicative apparatus for use with a defibrillator device, the communicative apparatus comprising:

an electrode, the electrode configured to be used with the defibrillator device;

a thin film circuit disposed on a surface of the electrode, the thin film circuit configured to be a storage medium; and

a connector electrically coupled to the electrode, the connector configured to electrically connect the electrode to the defibrillator device and communicatively coupled to the thin film circuit.