摘要 |
<p>A portable defibrillator which includes a self-test circuit (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8 & 9) in which during the self-test electrical energy is discharged from one or a bank of capacitors (4) to a change receiving circuit (5, 8) which recycles the energy to a rechargeable battery (1) to thereby prolong the original charge within the battery. An alternative embodiment of the invention includes a charge receiving circuit (I1-I4, S1-S3, 21) containing a relatively high Ohmic value/low Wattage resistor means (21) such that the discharge occurs over a relatively long period of time, therefore dispensing with the requirement for a heat sink. The resistor means may be a single high value resistor or comprise a network (21a) of two or more smaller value resistors. The invention also provides optional switching (5, I1-I4, S1-S3, 21) of the discharge electrical energy during a self-test to either recycle it to the rechargeable battery or discharge it through the resitor. In a further refinement the self-test is carried out on a bank of capacitors (4) in rotation, which may also include the energy discharged from one capacitor being discharged into the next capacitor in the bank such that all capacitors are charged and discharged from substantially a single power input.</p> |