Defibrillator network system

• US 10,124,181 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2016
• Issued: 11/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Physio-Control Incorporated (Stryker Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Physio-Control Incorporated (Stryker Corporation)
• Inventors: Aoyama, David Dean, Bielstein, Matthew Lawrence, Curtin, Barry D., Drew, Kevin C., Lim, Mina, McKay, E. Thomas, Merry, Randy L., Peterson, Ken
• Primary Examiner(s): Carey, Michael
• Application Number:
  US15/152,248
• Publication Number:
  US 20160250491A1
• Time in Patent Office: 916 Days
• Field of Search: 607 5, 607 6, 607 32, 607 37
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3925 Monitoring; Protecting
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3937 Monitoring output parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3968 Constructional arrangements, e.g. casings A61N1/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3975 Power supply A61N1/378 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3987 characterised by the timing or triggering of the shock
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3993 User interfaces for automatic external defibrillators
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2270/041 Controlled or regulated
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• 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: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/26 at least one of which is mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing or adjusting assemblages of electric components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 999/99 dummy group
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A defibrillator system optimizes the timing and manner of applying a defibrillator charge to a patient based upon data provided to the defibrillator from a utility module or one or more external devices. A parameter module on the utility module provides the defibrillator with patient parameter information. Devices external to the utility module may provide the utility module with coaching data that the utility module may pass through to the defibrillator as a proxy to the external devices. The utility module may also provide external devices with patient data that the utility module may pass through to the external devices as a proxy to the defibrillator on a scheduled or other basis. The utility module may additionally provide a reserve of power to enable defibrillators to be used where power is unavailable and to enable defibrillators to deliver multiple charges more readily anywhere, anytime.

Claims

1. A utility module having no independent defibrillation capability, the utility module comprising:

a communication module configured to transmit data from the utility module, the communication module being configured to provide wireless communications with an external device;

a signal strength display to indicate a signal strength of the wireless communications;

a module processor configured to control the communication module, the module processor being configured to execute an instance of an event service that provides data communications from the utility module, the event service also configured to pull data from and transmit data to a separate defibrillator, wherein the defibrillator comprises an energy storage device for storing an electrical charge and a defibrillator processor configured to control when to defibrillate a patient; and

wherein the utility module is configured to be carried with the defibrillator to the patient.

2. The utility module of claim 1, wherein the signal strength display comprises a five-bar display.

3. The utility module of claim 1, wherein the utility module is selected from the group consisting of a personal computer, a laptop computer, a tablet and a mobile computing device.

4. The utility module of claim 1, wherein the utility module polls the defibrillator to determine the existence of data residing in the defibrillator and prompts a user of the defibrillator on the existence of the data by a rendering of information on a display of the defibrillator.

5. The utility module of claim 1, wherein the event service that provides data communications from the utility module is configured to reside on the utility module as a client.

6. The utility module of claim 1, wherein the event service provides data communications to the external device of data from the defibrillator that occurs substantially at a predetermined period of time.

7. The utility module of claim 6, wherein the period of time is configurable by one of the defibrillator, the utility module, the external device, a user, a medical director or an asset manager.

8. The utility module of claim 1, wherein the event service is configured to periodically poll the defibrillator to determine the existence of data residing in the defibrillator, select a type of data for the defibrillator to transmit, and command transmitting of the selected data to the utility module.

9. The utility module of claim 8, wherein the periodic polling of the defibrillator provides a scheduled downloading of data for storage in the utility module.

10. The utility module of claim 8, wherein the periodic polling of the defibrillator provides a scheduled downloading of data from the defibrillator for pass-through to the external device through the utility module acting as proxy for the external device.

11. The utility module of claim 10, wherein the external device that receives the data from the defibrillator is a server.

12. The utility module of claim 1, wherein the communication module is configured to:

transmit data received from the defibrillator to the one or more external devices without communicating through the defibrillator; and

transmit data received from the one or more external devices to the defibrillator.

13. The utility module of claim 1 wherein the communication module is configured to provide wired transmission of data from the utility module to the defibrillator.

14. A utility module having no independent defibrillation capability, the utility module comprising:

a parameter module configured to detect a parameter of a patient;

a receptacle to receive a module cartridge configured to provide wireless communications with one or more external devices, the module cartridge comprising a signal strength display to indicate a signal strength of the wireless communications;

a module processor configured to control the module cartridge, the module processor being configured to execute an instance of an event service that provides data communications from the utility module and data communications with a separate defibrillator, wherein the defibrillator comprises an energy storage device for storing an electrical charge and a defibrillator processor configured to control when to defibrillate a patient; and

wherein the utility module is configured to be carried with the defibrillator to the patient.

15. The utility module of claim 14, wherein the one or more external devices is a computer selected from the group consisting of a server, a personal computer, a tablet, a mobile computing device, a video device, an ultrasound device, and a printer.

16. The utility module of claim 14, wherein the event service is configured to periodically poll the defibrillator to determine the existence of data residing in the defibrillator, select a type of data for the defibrillator to transmit, and command transmitting of the selected data to the utility module.

17. The utility module of claim 16, wherein the periodic polling of the defibrillator provides a scheduled downloading of data for storage in the utility module.

18. The utility module of claim 16, wherein the event service is configured to transmit the selected data from the utility module to the one or more external devices via a server, the one or more external devices having no independent defibrillation capability.

19. The utility module of claim 18, wherein the selected data is transmitted to the one or more external devices for use by the one or more external devices in at least one of generating coaching data for use by the defibrillator in coaching a user of the defibrillator, providing post-defibrillation treatment or asset management.

20. The utility module of claim 16, wherein the selected type of data also includes one or more of patient episode data, patient waveform data, patient vital sign data, incident information, therapy attempted, CPR performance, test interface commands, data transfer status, device self-test data, device self-test status, device status, utility module status, power status of the defibrillator, power status of the utility module, and defibrillator settings.

21. The utility module of claim 14, wherein the module processor is configured to control communications between the parameter module and the defibrillator.

22. The utility module of claim 21, wherein the communications between the parameter module and the defibrillator includes transmission of one or more patient parameter data from the parameter module to the defibrillator for rendering on a display of the defibrillator.

23. The utility module of claim 22, wherein the one or more patient parameter data rendered on the display of the defibrillator is selected from the group consisting of:

CO.sub.2 exhaled by a patient;

an electrical activity of the heart of the patient;

an exchange of air between lungs of the patient and an atmosphere;

a pressure of blood in the patient;

a temperature of the patient;

an oxygen saturation in the blood of the patient;

a chest compression of the patient;

an image of an internal structure of the patient;

an oxygen saturation in the blood in a brain of the patient; and

an acidity or alkalinity of fluids in the patient.

24. The utility module of claim 23, wherein:

the CO₂ exhaled by the patient is measured using capnography techniques;

the electrical activity of the heart of the patient is measured using ECG techniques;

the exchange of air between the lungs of the patient and the atmosphere is measured using ventilation techniques;

a measurement of the pressure of the blood in the patient is measured using non-invasive blood pressure measurement techniques or invasive blood pressure measurement techniques;

the temperature of the patient is measured using temperature measurement techniques;

the oxygen saturation in the blood of the patient is measured using pulse oximeter techniques or tissue oximetry techniques;

the chest compression of the patient is measured using chest compression detection and feedback techniques;

the image of the internal structure of the patient is measured using ultrasound measurement techniques;

the oxygen saturation in the blood in the brain of the patient is measured using cerebral oximetry techniques; and

the acidity or alkalinity of fluids in the patient is measured using non-invasive pH measurement techniques.

25. The utility module of claim 14, wherein the signal strength display comprises a five-bar display.