Wearable defibrillator with audio input/output

• US 9,492,676 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2015
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zoll Medical Corporation (Asahi Kasei Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Zoll Medical Corporation (Asahi Kasei Corporation)
• Inventors: Macho, John D., Volpe, Shane S., Rattanni, Richard A., Skalos, Philip C., Kaib, Thomas E., Linder, Marshal W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Nicole F
• Application Number:
  US14/607,843
• Publication Number:
  US 20150148857A1
• Time in Patent Office: 657 Days
• Field of Search: 607/4
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/282 Holders for multiple electrodes for introduction into the body A61B5/287
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/046 Specially adapted for shock therapy, e.g. defibrillation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0484 Garment electrodes worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37217 characterised by the communication link, e.g. acoustic or tactile
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3904 External heart defibrillators [EHD]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3925 Monitoring; Protecting
• 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

Abstract

A wearable device and method of monitoring the condition of a patient. The wearable device includes at least one sensor and at least one processor operatively connected to the at least one sensor. The wearable device also includes an operator interface device operatively connected to the at least one processor. The at least one processor causes the device to allow for customization of at least one output message to be delivered via the operator interface device.

Claims

1. An external monitoring device comprising:

at least one sensor configured to be removably attached to a patient and to sense data indicative of a cardiac condition of the patient;

an operator interface device; and

at least one processor disposed in the external monitoring device, the at least one processor configured to allow for customization of information provided in at least one output message to be delivered via the operator interface device;

wherein the external monitoring device can be worn by the patient.

2. The external monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the at least one output message comprises a customized audio notification.

3. The external monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the at least one output message comprises an instruction to the patient.

4. The external monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the at least one output message can be customized by at least one of the patient and a health care provider.

5. The external monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the at least one output message comprises a customized alarm, and wherein the at least one processor causes the operator interface device to provide the customized alarm upon detecting the cardiac condition of the patient.

6. The external monitoring device of claim 5, wherein the at least one output message comprises an instruction to the patient to provide a response to the customized alarm, and wherein the at least one processor causes the operator interface device to suspend the customized alarm upon receiving indication of the response from the patient.

7. The external monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the at least one output message comprises a customized alarm indicative of an issue concerning the external monitoring device other than the cardiac condition of the patient.

8. The external monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the at least one output message comprises a customized alarm, one or more characteristics of the customized alarm being adjustable by an operator.

9. The external monitoring device of claim 8, wherein the customized alarm comprises one or more of a tactile simulation alarm, a visual alarm, an audio alarm, and a voice alarm.

10. The external monitoring device of claim 8, wherein the one or more characteristics comprises one or more of a change in a voice instruction provided as the customized alarm, a frequency of an audio signal emitted by the operator interface device as the customized alarm, and a volume of the customized alarm.

11. The external monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the at least one output message comprises a message addressing the patient by his or her name.

12. The external monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the at least one output message comprises a voice message provided in a language spoken by the patient.

13. The external monitoring device of claim 12, wherein the language of the voice message can be selected during setup of the external monitoring device for the patient.

14. The external monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the at least one output message comprises a message requesting a response from the patient.

15. The external monitoring device of claim 14, wherein responsive to the patient not providing the response, the at least one processor provides verbal instructions to the patient via the operator interface device.

16. The external monitoring device of claim 1, comprising at least one response button in communication with the at least one processor, wherein the at least one output message comprises a notification to the patient to push the at least one response button.

17. The external monitoring device of claim 1, comprising a memory in communication with the at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor causes the memory to store the at least one output message.

18. The external monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to allow for customization of the at least one output message at least in part by allowing an operator to perform the customization.

19. The external monitoring device of claim 18, wherein the operator comprises one of the patient and a health care provider.

20. The external monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to allow for customization of the at least one output message at least in part by allowing for customization of the at least one output message during a device setup phase.

21. The external monitoring device of claim 1, comprising a communication device to communicate with at least one of a central facility network and a health care provider network.

22. The external monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the at least one output message comprises a survey question to the patient.

23. The external monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the operator interface device comprises an audio input device, wherein the at least one processor causes the audio input device to receive a spoken message.

24. The external monitoring device of claim 1, further comprising a wireless communications device configured to communicate at least one of the data indicative of the cardiac condition of the patient and the at least one output message between the external monitoring device and at least one of a health care provider, emergency medical support personnel, and customer support personnel.

25. The external monitoring device of claim 24, wherein the wireless communications device is configured to communicate with the at least one of the health care provider, the emergency medical support personnel, and the customer support personnel via a base station.

26. The external monitoring device of claim 24, wherein the wireless communications device is configured to send the data indicative of the cardiac condition of the patient to the at least one of the health care provider, the emergency medical support personnel, and the customer support personnel.

27. The external monitoring device of claim 24, wherein the wireless communications device is configured to receive the at least one output message from the at least one of the health care provider, the emergency medical support personnel, and the customer support personnel.

28. The external monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the at least one output message comprises a voice activated menu of different languages in which instructions can be provided, and wherein a language in which the instructions are provided can be selected using the voice activated menu.

29. The external monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the at least one output message comprises a customized message recorded during setup of the external monitoring device for the patient.

30. The external monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the at least one output message comprises at least one survey question regarding at least one of a health of the patient and a condition of the external monitoring device.

31. The external monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the at least one output message comprises verbal instructions responsive to the patient having difficulty understanding instructions.

32. An external monitoring device comprising:

at least one sensor configured to be removably attached to a patient and to sense data indicative of a cardiac condition of the patient;

an operator interface device; and

at least one processor disposed in the external monitoring device, the at least one processor configured to allow for customization of information provided in at least one output message to be delivered via the operator interface device;

wherein the external monitoring device can be worn by the patient; and

wherein the external monitoring device can provide treatment relating to the cardiac condition to the patient.

33. The external monitoring device of claim 32, wherein the at least one output message comprises a customized alarm, and wherein the at least one processor causes the operator interface device to provide the customized alarm upon providing the treatment relating to the cardiac condition.

34. An external monitoring device comprising:

at least one sensor configured to be removably attached to a patient and to sense cardiac data relating to the patient;

an operator interface device for providing one or more customized alarms upon detecting a cardiac condition in the cardiac data; and

at least one processor configured to allow for adjusting one or more aspects of the one or more customized alarms;

wherein the external monitoring device comprises a wearable monitoring device.

35. The external monitoring device of claim 34, wherein the cardiac condition comprises an arrhythmia.

36. The external monitoring device of claim 34, wherein the operator interface device comprises an audio output device, and wherein the one or more aspects of the one or more customized alarms that can be adjusted includes at least one of a frequency and an amplitude of the one or more customized alarms.

37. The external monitoring device of claim 36, wherein the operator interface device further comprises one or more microphones, and wherein the at least one of the frequency and the amplitude of the one or more customized alarms is adjusted based upon audio input received from the one or more microphones.

38. The external monitoring device of claim 37, wherein the amplitude of the one or more customized alarms is increased responsive to the audio input received from the one or more microphones indicating the external monitoring device is in a high noise environment.