SINGLE USE AED

摘要

An automatic external defibrillator (AED) is described which is designed for use in a single cardiac emergency. If the AED is in standby for a year without being deployed, the AED is removed from service and replaced with another AED. The AED requires a rescuer only to deploy the electrodes on the torso of the victim; the AED turns itself on, performs rhythm analysis and delivers a shock if needed automatically. The AED thus requires no user controls. Preferably the AED requires no on-site maintenance, as the AED communicates its readiness for use to a remote monitoring site which responds to any problems detected by self-testing. In addition to its electro-resuscitation function, the AED can be used on the chest of the victim to administer CPR compressions.

主权项

1. A method for maintaining an automatic external defibrillator, AED, for a single use for a single rescue, in readiness for use comprising:
providing an AED for storage and potential use at a customer location for a predetermined period of time, wherein the AED is stored and maintained at the customer location ready for use to resuscitate a subject, further wherein the AED comprises an AED base unit that includes a housing containing a controller, a rhythm analysis processor, a shock delivery circuit, and a battery, wherein the battery has a capacity to support delivery of only a limited number of shocks for the single use, further wherein, during storage of the AED prior to the single use and for up to a useful lifetime, the AED base unit is configured for being coupled to an external power source for continually charging the battery, at full capacity to support delivery of only the limited number of shocks, ready for use, wherein the AED further comprises first and second electrodes packaged with but separately deployable away from the housing, the first and second electrodes having leads extending between (a)(i) the housing and (a)(ii) the first and second electrodes, wherein the leads are connected to the AED base unit, further wherein responsive to (b)(i) the AED base unit being uncoupled from the external power source and (b)(ii) the first and second electrodes being deployed separately away from the housing and applied to a torso for the single rescue, the AED base unit is automatically powered ON for automatically implementing, via the controller, a rescue protocol that includes receiving, via the first and second electrodes, ECG signals for rhythm analysis via the rhythm analysis processor and delivering, via the battery, the shock delivery circuit, and the electrodes, a shock in response to an identification of a shockable rhythm from the rhythm analysis, and repeating the delivering for up to the limited number of shocks for the single use; monitoring, via an AED self-testing circuit, a readiness for use of the AED while the AED is stored at the customer location; and communicating, via a communication unit of the AED, a service message for returning the AED to a supplier in response to one selected from the group consisting of (i) an end of the predetermined period of time, and (ii) prior to the expiration of the predetermined period of time, a usage of the AED for a rescue.