Apparatus and method for maintaining a defibrillator battery charge and optionally communicating

• US 20040212344A1
• Filed: 04/25/2003
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Physio-Control Incorporated (Stryker Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Physio-Control Incorporated (Stryker Corporation)
• Inventors: Johnson, Stephen B., Kelly, Patrick F., Yerkovich, Daniel, Williamson, Joseph Bradley, DeBardi, Gary, Tamura, Paul S., Nova, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 7,570,994 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/114
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3975 Power supply A61N1/378 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/23 The load being a medical device, a medical implant, or a life supporting device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/05 using capacitive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/30 using light, e.g. lasers
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence

Abstract

Defibrillator assemblies and methods to wirelessly transfer energy from an external source to a battery or other rechargeable power source within the defibrillator assembly. The transfer of energy may be through a non-contact interface on a defibrillator cradle or a docking station that mounts the defibrillator. The rate of energy transfer may be equal to the energy drain caused by self-discharge and automated self-testing. Accordingly, since the rate of energy transfer is lower than that required to run the defibrillator system continuously, several wireless methods of energy transfer may be used. In addition, the defibrillator assembly may communicate diagnostic and non-diagnostic data to the external source.

Claims

1. A defibrillator assembly, comprising:

a defibrillator housing;

a rechargeable internal power source carried in the housing and adapted to selectively source power used for a defibrillation shock; and

an external charging interface located outside of the housing, the external charging interface adapted to wirelessly charge the internal power source.

2. The defibrillator assembly of claim 1, wherein the external charging interface is located in a docking station, the docking station connectable to the housing while charging the power source.

3. The defibrillator assembly of claim 2, further including wireless communication means to transmit and receive defibrillator information between the housing and the docking station.

4. The defibrillator assembly of claim 3, wherein the wireless communication means includes the external charging interface.

5. The defibrillator assembly of claim 1, wherein defibrillator information is wirelessly transferred from within the housing to an external output.

6. The defibrillator assembly of claim 5, wherein the defibrillator information includes at least one of defibrillator status, patient ECG data, scene audio information recorded during use of the defibrillator housing, and diagnostic data.

7. The defibrillator assembly of claim 1, wherein the internal power source is electrically wired to an internal charging interface located in the housing, the external charging interface wirelessly transferring power to the internal charging interface to charge the power source.

8. The defibrillator assembly of claim 7, wherein the housing is free of external electrical contacts connecting to the internal charging interface.

9. The defibrillator assembly of claim 7, wherein the internal charging interface modulates the transfer of power, the modulation occurring in patterns that represent defibrillator information from within the housing.

10. The defibrillator assembly of claim 9, wherein the external charging interface receives the defibrillator information from the modulation of the transfer of power.

11. The defibrillator assembly of claim 7, wherein the external charging interface transfers power to the internal charging interface inductively.

12. The defibrillator assembly of claim 7, wherein the external charging interface transfers power to the internal charging interface capacitively.

13. The defibrillator assembly of claim 7, wherein the external charging interface transfers power to the internal charging interface optically.

14. The defibrillator assembly of claim 7, wherein the external charging interface transfers power to the internal charging interface acoustically.

15. The defibrillator assembly of claim 7, wherein the external charging interface transfers power to the internal charging interface magnetically.

16. The defibrillator assembly of claim 1, wherein the defibrillator housing is an automated external defibrillator.

17. The defibrillator assembly of claim 1, wherein the housing is portable.

18. A defibrillator, comprising:

a housing;

a rechargeable internal power source carried in the housing and adapted to selectively source power used for a defibrillation shock; and

an internal charging interface located within the housing and electrically coupled to the internal power source, the internal charging interface wirelessly receiving energy to charge the internal power source.

19. The defibrillator of claim 18, further including an external charging interface located in a docking station and adapted to wirelessly transfer the energy to charge the internal power source, the docking station connectable to the housing to charge the internal power source.

20. The defibrillator of claim 19, further including wireless communication means to transmit defibrillator information from within the housing to the docking station, the wireless communication means including the external charging interface.

21. The defibrillator of claim 19, wherein the docking station and the housing communicate wirelessly when the housing is connected to the docking station to indicate the presence of the housing.

22. The defibrillator of claim 21, wherein the wireless communication includes the actuation of a magnetic switch when the housing is connected to the docking station to indicate the presence of the housing.

23. A method comprising:

receiving line power into a docking station; and

wirelessly coupling the received line power to a defibrillator housed at the station.

24. The method of claim 23, in which the coupling is capacitive.

25. The method of claim 23, in which the coupling is inductive.

26. The method of claim 23, in which the coupling is optical.

27. The method of claim 23, in which the coupling is electromagnetic.

28. A defibrillator assembly comprising:

defibrillator housing means;

rechargeable internal power source means mounted within the defibrillator housing means for selectively sourcing power used for a defibrillation shock; and

charging interface means for wirelessly charging the internal power source means.

29. The defibrillator assembly of claim 28, further comprising an external charging interface wirelessly transferring power to the charging interface means to charge the internal power source means.

30. The defibrillator assembly of claim 29, wherein the housing means is free of external electrical contacts connecting to the charging interface means.

31. The defibrillator assembly of claim 30, wherein the charging interface means modulates the transfer of power, the modulation occurring in patterns that represent defibrillator information from within the housing.

32. A defibrillator comprising:

defibrillator housing means;

rechargeable internal power source means carried within the defibrillator housing means for selectively sourcing power used to generate a defibrillation shock; and

charging interface means electrically coupled to the internal power source means for charging the internal power source means, the defibrillator housing means being free of external electrical contacts connecting to the charging interface means.

33. The defibrillator of claim 32, further including an external charging interface means located in a docking station, the docking station connectable to the housing means for charging the internal power source.

34. The defibrillator of claim 33, further including wireless communication means to transmit and receive defibrillator information between the housing means and the docking station.

35. The defibrillator assembly of claim 34, wherein the wireless communication means includes the external charging interface.