Integrated wireless communications for automated external defibrillator (AED)

• US 10,058,709 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2015
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Tilton, Jr., Teddy D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schaetzle, Kennedy
• Application Number:
  US14/815,173
• Publication Number:
  US 20170028211A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3925 Monitoring; Protecting
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3993 User interfaces for automatic external defibrillators
• 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 70/20 relating to practices or guidelines

Abstract

An automated external defibrillation (AED) device includes a wireless interface to exchange data with one or more other devices. The AED device collects patient data associated with a patient and identifies, based on the patient data, a heart condition associated with the patient. The AED device directs a user to apply defibrillation to the patient to address the heart condition; and forwards via the wireless interface, a notification to a dispatch device. The notification may identify, for example, a location associated with the AED device. The dispatch device may direct emergency medical assistance to the location. The AED device may collect data, used to diagnose the heart condition, from a patient device and via the wireless interface. The AED device may further forward, to a user device and via the wireless interface, instructions guiding the user to use the AED device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

collecting, by a processor included in an automated external defibrillation (AED) device from a patient device, patient data associated with a patient, wherein the patient device includes a sensor to collect patient data, and wherein the patient device is different from the AED device;

comparing, by the processor, the patient data to historical data previously collected and stored by the patient device;

identifying, by the processor and based on the comparison, a heart condition associated with the patient;

forwarding, by the processor, instructions to a user device associated with a user of the AED device, wherein the instructions provide visual prompts that guide the user to apply defibrillation to the patient to address the heart condition, wherein the user device and the AED device are located at a common location, and wherein the user device is coupled to the AED device via a wireless local area network; and

forwarding, by the processor, a notification to a dispatch device, wherein the notification identifies a location associated with the AED device and an indication that the defibrillation has been applied to the patient, and wherein the dispatch device provides directions to a person who will provide emergency medical assistance at the location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein collecting the patient data further includes:

directing the user to attach a second device to the patient; and

using the second device to collect the patient data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein collecting the patient data includes:

establishing wireless communications with the patient device; and

receiving the patient data from the patient device via the wireless communications.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor includes an accelerometer and the patient data includes a vibration pattern detected by the accelerometer, and wherein identifying the heart condition includes:

comparing the detected vibration pattern to a plurality of stored vibration patterns associated with heart conditions; and

identifying one of the stored vibration patterns that corresponds to the detected vibration pattern, wherein the identified heart condition is associated with the identified stored vibration pattern.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification includes at least one of a machine-to-machine (M2M) communication between the AED device and the dispatch device or an E911 call to the dispatch device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein forwarding the instructions includes:

identifying the user device associated with the user;

establishing wireless communications with the user device via the wireless local area network; and

forwarding, via the wireless communications, the instructions.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a status of the AED device;

forwarding a status signal to a maintenance device, wherein the status signal identifies the status of the AED device; and

receiving, from the maintenance device, update data based on the status of the AED device.

8. An automated external defibrillation (AED) device comprising:

a memory configured to store instructions;

a wireless interface; and

a processor configured to execute one or more of the instructions to;

collect, from a patient device that is different than the AED device, patient data associated with a patient;

compare the patient data to historical data previously collected and stored by the patient device;

identify, based on the comparison, a heart condition associated with the patient;

forward guide instructions to a user device associated with a user of the AED device, wherein the guide instructions provide visual prompts to guide the user to apply defibrillation to the patient to address the heart condition, wherein the user device and the AED device are located at a common location, and wherein the user device is connected to the AED device via a wireless local area network; and

forward, via the wireless interface, a notification to a dispatch device, wherein the notification identifies the heart condition and a location associated with the AED device, and wherein the dispatch device provides directions to a person who will provide emergency medical assistance at the location.

9. The AED device of claim 8, wherein the processor, when collecting the patient data, is further configured to:

direct the user to attach a sensor on the patient; and

use the sensor to collect the patient data.

10. The AED device of claim 8, wherein the processor, when collecting the patient data, is further configured to:

receive the patient data from the patient device via the wireless interface.

11. The AED device of claim 8, wherein the patient device includes a sensor to collect the patient data, wherein the sensor includes an accelerometer and the patient data includes a vibration pattern detected by the accelerometer, and wherein the processor, when identifying the heart condition, is further configured to:

compare the detected vibration pattern to a plurality of stored vibration patterns associated with heart conditions; and

identify one of the stored vibration patterns that corresponds to the detected vibration pattern, wherein the identified heart condition is associated with the identified stored vibration pattern.

12. The AED device of claim 8, wherein the notification includes a machine-to-machine (M2M) communication between the AED device and the dispatch device or an E911 call to the dispatch device.

13. The AED device of claim 8, wherein the processor, when forwarding the guide instructions, is further configured to:

forward the guide instructions via the wireless interface.

14. The AED device of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine a status of the AED device;

forward, via the wireless interface, a status signal to a maintenance device, wherein the status signal identifies the status of the AED device, and wherein the maintenance device identifies update data based on the status of the AED device; and

receive, via the wireless interface and from the maintenance device, the update data.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium to store instructions, wherein the instructions comprise:

one or more instructions that, when executed by a processor included in an automated external defibrillation (AED) device, cause the processor to;

collect, from a patient device associated with a patient, patient data associated with the patient, wherein the patient device is different from the AED device;

compare the patient data to historical data collected by the patient device;

identify, based on the comparison, a heart condition associated with the patient;

forward guide instructions to a user device associated with a user, wherein the guide instructions provide visual prompts to guide the user to apply defibrillation to the patient to address the heart condition, wherein the user device and the AED device are located at a common location, and wherein the user device is connected to the AED device via a wireless local area network; and

forward, via a wireless interface, a notification to a dispatch device, wherein the notification identifies a location associated with the AED device, and wherein the dispatch device provides directions to a person who will provide emergency medical assistance at the location.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more instructions further cause the processor, when collecting the patient data, to:

direct the user to attach a second sensor on the patient; and

use the second sensor to collect the patient data.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more instructions further cause the processor, when collecting the patient data, to:

receive the patient data from the patient device via the wireless interface.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the patient device includes a sensor to collect the patient data, wherein the sensor includes an accelerometer and the patient data includes a vibration pattern detected by the accelerometer, and wherein the one or more instructions further cause the processor, when identifying the heart condition, to:

compare the detected vibration pattern to a plurality of stored vibration patterns associated with heart conditions; and

identify one of the stored vibration patterns that corresponds to the detected vibration pattern, wherein the identified heart condition is associated with the identified stored vibration pattern.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more instructions further cause the processor, when forwarding the guide instructions, to:

forward the guide instructions via the wireless interface.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more instructions further cause the processor to:

determine a status of the AED device;

forward, via the wireless interface, a status signal to a maintenance device, wherein the status signal identifies the status of the AED device, and wherein the maintenance device identifies update data based on the status of the AED device; and

receive, via the wireless interface and from the maintenance device, the update data.