AUTOMATED EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATOR DEVICE WITH INTEGRATED WIRELESS MODEM

• US 20110060378A1
• Filed: 09/07/2009
• Published: 03/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: TUYSSERKANI, Bijan B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,565,871 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/5
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37282 characterised by communication with experts in remote locations using a network
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3904 External heart defibrillators [EHD]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/39044 in combination with cardiopulmonary resuscitation [CPR] therapy

Abstract

An automatic external defibrillator (AED) includes an integral wireless modem configured so that, upon activation, the AED automatically connects to a wireless network and reports the event to an emergency services center or remote server to call for an ambulance. The activation report may be accomplished by calling an emergency services center and playing a prerecorded voice message that includes AED location information. Alternatively, the activation report may be transmitted via a wireless data network to a remote server which routes the information to appropriate authorities. After the activation report is transmitted, the AED may transmit patient and treatment data to the server. The AED may include a speaker phone capability so a caregiver can talk with a dispatcher or medical team. The AED may also automatically report activation data and periodic self-diagnostic testing results to a manufacturer or service provider via a wireless data call to a remote server.

Claims

1. An automatic external defibrillator (AED), comprising:

a processor;

a wireless modem coupled to the processor; and

an antenna coupled to the processor,

wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform steps comprising;

automatically establishing a communication link to a wireless network upon activation of the AED; and

transmitting information regarding the AED activation via the communication link.

2. The AED of claim 1, wherein:

the wireless modem is a mobile station modem;

automatically establish a communication link to a wireless network comprises establishing a communication link with a cellular telephone network; and

transmitting information regarding the AED activation via the communication link comprises;

placing a placing a cellular telephone call to an emergency services center; and

communicating a verbal message stored in memory identifying a location of the AED.

3. The AED of claim 2, further comprising:

a speaker coupled to the processor; and

a microphone coupled to the processor,

wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform further steps comprising;

operating the speaker and the microphone as a speaker phone to enable a voice call with the emergency services center.

4. The AED of claim 2, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform further steps comprising:

establishing a data communication link with a cellular data network after the verbal message has been communicated to the emergency services center;

accessing an Internet via the established data communication link;

accessing a remote server via the Internet; and

transmitting patient diagnostic data to the remote server.

5. The AED of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions such that:

automatically establish a data communication link to a wireless network comprises establishing a communication link with a wireless wide area WiFi network and accessing an Internet via the established communication link; and

transmitting information regarding the AED activation via the communication link comprises;

accessing a remote server via the Internet; and

communicating an AED activation message to the remote server via the Internet.

6. The AED of claim 1, wherein:

the wireless modem is a mobile station modem (MSM); and

the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions such that;

automatically establish a data communication link to a wireless network comprises establishing a communication link with a cellular data network via the MSM and accessing an Internet via the established communication link; and

transmitting information regarding the AED activation via the communication link comprises;

accessing a remote server via the Internet; and

communicating an AED activation message to the remote server via the Internet.

7. The AED of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform further steps comprising transmitting patient diagnostic data to the remote server.

8. The AED of claim 6, further comprising:

a speaker coupled to the processor; and

a microphone coupled to the processor,

wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform further steps comprising;

receiving and processing voice-over-IP (VoIP) message packets; and

conducting a VoIP voice call via the established communication link while operating the speaker and the microphone as a speaker phone.

9. The AED of claim 1, wherein processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform further steps comprising:

monitoring the established communication link to determine if the communication link has been terminated inadvertently; and

automatically re-establishing a new communication link if it is determined that the communication link was terminated inadvertently.

10. The AED of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform further steps comprising:

automatically transmitting results of periodic self-tests to a remote server via a wireless communication link to a network.

11. The AED of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform further steps comprising:

automatically determining whether servicing is needed;

automatically establishing a data communication link to a wireless data network when it is determined that service is needed; and

transmitting a service request to a remote server via the established data communication link.

12. The AED of claim 1, further comprising:

a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver coupled to the processor,

wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform further steps comprising;

receiving location data from the GPS receiver; and

including the location data in the transmitted information regarding the AED.

13. The AED of claim 7, further comprising:

a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver coupled to the processor,

wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform further steps comprising;

receiving location data from the GPS receiver; and

transmitting the location data to the remote server.

14. A method implemented in an automatic external defibrillator having an integral wireless modem, comprising:

activating the wireless modem in response to the automatic external defibrillator being activated;

accessing a wireless network via the wireless modem;

communicating an activation message via the wireless network.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the wireless network is a cellular telephone network; and

communicating the activation message comprises;

placing a cellular telephone call to an emergency services center; and

communicating a verbal message stored in memory identifying a location of the automatic external defibrillator.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising connecting the cellular telephone call to a speaker phone after the verbal message is communicated to the emergency services center.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

establishing a data communication link with a cellular data network after the verbal message has been communicated to the emergency services center;

accessing an Internet via the established data communication link;

accessing a remote server via the Internet; and

transmitting patient diagnostic data to the remote server.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the wireless network is a wireless data network; and

communicating the activation message comprises;

establishing a data communication link to a remote server via the wireless data network; and

transmitting a location of the automatic external defibrillator to a remote server via the data communication link.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the data communication link to the remote server is via an Internet.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising transmitting patient diagnostic data to the remote server.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

conducting a voice-over-IP voice call via the data communication link to the remote server and a speaker phone included within the automatic external defibrillator.

22. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

monitoring the established communication link to determine if the communication link has been terminated inadvertently; and

automatically re-establishing a new communication link if it is determined that the communication link was terminated inadvertently.

23. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

automatically transmitting results of periodic self-tests to a remote server via a wireless communication link to a network.

24. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

automatically determining whether servicing of the automatic external defibrillator is needed;

automatically establishing a data communication link to a wireless data network when it is determined that service is needed; and

transmitting a service request to a remote server via the established data communication link.

25. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving location data from the Global Positioning System receiver; and

including the location data in the transmitted information regarding the AED.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

receiving location data from the Global Positioning System receiver; and

transmitting the location data to the remote server.

27. A method implemented in a server, comprising:

receiving a communication link from an automatic external defibrillator;

receiving an automatic external defibrillator activation message via the established communication link;

obtaining information from the received automatic external defibrillator activation message;

determining an appropriate response to the automatic external defibrillator activation message based upon the obtained information; and

transmitting information regarding a location of the automatic external defibrillator to an emergency services center.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

receiving patient and treatment data from the automatic defibrillator via the established communication link; and

forwarding at least a portion of the received data to another server via a network.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

placing a telephone call to a telephone number identified as part of determining the appropriate response to the automatic external defibrillator activation message; and

enabling a voice-over-IP telephone call between the dialed telephone number and the automatic external defibrillator via the established communication link.