Surgery – Radioactive substance applied to body for therapy – Radioactive substance placed within body
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-13
2001-10-09
Kamm, William E. (Department: 3762)
Surgery
Radioactive substance applied to body for therapy
Radioactive substance placed within body
Reexamination Certificate
active
06299574
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the field of electrotherapy. More particularly, this invention relates to a hardware implementation of an electrotherapy apparatus and a method for using the electrotherapy apparatus.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Some electrotherapy apparatuses used to perform electrotherapy dynamically control the electrotherapy waveform applied to the patient in response to real time impedance measurements made upon the patient. Hardware implementations of these electrotherapy apparatuses measure such parameters as the charge delivered to the patient or the voltage of the electrotherapy waveform applied to the patient to estimate the impedance. In response to these measurements, the electrotherapy apparatuses adjust the electrotherapy waveform delivered to the patient to improve the effectiveness of the electrotherapy.
Electrotherapy apparatuses that dynamically control the electrotherapy waveform applied to the patient have implemented threshold comparison functions in hardware. The hardware has included such things as comparators using voltage references to determine when a measured parameter has reached a threshold value. A cost savings and a reliability improvement could be realized if the hardware required for implementing the threshold comparison could be simplified. A need exists for an electrotherapy apparatus having reduced hardware complexity.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an implementation of an electrotherapy apparatus having reduced hardware and a method for using the electrotherapy apparatus have been developed. An electrotherapy apparatus for performing electrotherapy on a patient through a first electrode and a second electrode includes an energy source to provide energy for performing the electrotherapy and a connecting mechanism configured for coupling and decoupling the energy source, respectively, to and from the first electrode and the second electrode. The electrotherapy apparatus also includes a first sensor configured for measuring a first parameter related to the energy supplied to the patient by the energy source. Additionally, the electrotherapy apparatus includes a controller arranged to receive the first parameter from the first sensor. The controller is configured to perform an operation, using the first parameter, for actuating the connecting mechanism to decouple the energy source from the first electrode and from the second electrode.
An electrotherapy apparatus includes an energy source and a controller. A method for performing electrotherapy on a patient includes coupling the energy source to the patient. The method also includes measuring a first parameter related to energy supplied to the patient. Additionally, the method includes performing an operation upon the first parameter using the controller. The method further includes decoupling the energy source from the patient based upon the operation.
A defibrillator for delivering a multi-phasic waveform to a patient through a first electrode and a second electrode includes a capacitor having a first terminal and having a second terminal. The capacitor stores charge used for delivery of the multi-phasic waveform to the patient. The defibrillator further includes a first sensor configured for measuring a first parameter related to the energy supplied to the patient by the capacitor. Additionally, the defibrillator includes a connecting mechanism coupled between the first terminal and the second terminal of capacitor and the first electrode and the second electrode. The connecting mechanism permits the first terminal of the capacitor to selectively couple to one of the first electrode and the second electrode and to permit the second terminal of the capacitor to selectively couple to one of the first electrode and the second electrode. The defibrillator also includes a controller arranged to receive the first parameter from the sensor. The controller is configured to perform an operation, using the first parameter, for actuating the connecting mechanism to decouple the capacitor from the first electrode and the second electrode. The defibrillator also includes a power supply configured for charging the capacitor to an initial voltage determined by the controller.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3747605 (1973-07-01), Cook
patent: 3860009 (1975-01-01), Bell et al.
patent: 5111813 (1992-05-01), Charbonnier et al.
Ochs Dennis E.
Powers Daniel J.
Agilent Technologie,s Inc.
Kamm William E.
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