Wearable transthoracic echocardiography patch

Abstract

A wearable transthoracic echocardiogram patch employing an ultrasound imager and a cardiac compression monitor. When the ultrasound imager is affixed to a patient's chest during cardiopulmonary resuscitation of the patient, the ultrasound imager is operated to generate a series of ultrasound images of a compression of a cardiac structure of the patient during the cardiopulmonary resuscitation of the patient, and the cardiac compression monitor is operated to derive a compression profile of the cardiac structure from the series of ultrasound images generated by the ultrasound imager during the cardiopulmonary resuscitation of the patient. The cardiac structure can be a right ventricle or a left ventricle, and the compression profile can be derived from a perimeter, a volume, a pulse rate, a blood flow rate, a blood pressure level, and / or an electrical activity level of the segmented cardiac structure.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). In particular, this disclosure relates to improving the quality of CPR and facilitating more accurate detection of spontaneous pulses than traditional manual palpation methods. Background Technology

[0002] Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a life-saving intervention performed when a patient experiences cardiac arrest, i.e., when the heart has no or ineffective mechanical activity. Providing high-quality chest compressions is a crucial aspect of CPR. The primary purpose of chest compressions is to compress the left ventricle of the heart, forcing blood through the systemic circulatory loop. The main objective is to provide blood supply to the brain to prevent nerve damage and / or death. This gives the CPR team time to categorize the cause of cardiac arrest and take appropriate intervention. The challenge of providing compressions lies in the lack of feedback regarding their physiological effectiveness. CPR rescuers may become fatigued and begin delivering low-quality CPR, such as insufficient depth, rate, or recoil.

[0003] For example, Figure 1 An illustration shows a CPR monitor 30 positioned on the sternum of patient 10, with CPR rescuer 20 applying chest compressions in a conventional manner using both hands, one hand resting on the other. Specifically, the CPR rescuer 20's hands are placed on the CPR monitor 30, and chest compressions are applied to the heart of patient 10 by the CPR rescuer 20 according to a standard CPR protocol. As is known in the art of this disclosure, the CPR monitor 30 monitors the quality of the CPR applied to the heart of patient 10 by CPR rescuer 20, such as, for example, whether the CPR is effective or ineffective in terms of the depth and rate of compressions, chest release and recoil, and the placement of the rescuer's hands on the chest of patient 10. A cable 31 is attached to a basic cardiac life support device in the form of an automated external defibrillator (AED) 40 to connect the monitoring of CPR quality to the defibrillator 40 and to provide audible CPR instructions via the speaker of the defibrillator 40.

[0004] For example, Figure 1AED 40 is further illustrated by being attached to patient 10 via electrodes 41a and 41b. As known in the art of this disclosure, AED 40 is operated to deliver one or more defibrillation shocks to patient 10 as needed during CPR. More specifically, when patient 10 is experiencing arrhythmias without spontaneous circulation (e.g., ventricular fibrillation (VF) or ventricular tachycardia (VT)), AED 40 is operable to deliver a high-voltage pulse to patient 10's heart to restore normal rhythm and systolic function. During operation, AED 40 automatically analyzes the electrocardiogram (ECG) rhythm of patient 10's heart to determine if defibrillation is required. When defibrillation is required, fully automated defibrillation via AED 40, as known in the art of this disclosure, involves AED 40 instructing CPR rescuer 20 to terminate CPR, after which AED 40 delivers a defibrillation shock to patient 10. When defibrillation is required, as is known in the art of this disclosure, semi-automatic defibrillation via AED 40 involves AED 40 instructing a non-professional rescuer 20 to terminate CPR and further instructing the CPR rescuer 20 to press the shock button on AED 40 to deliver a defibrillation shock to the patient 10.

[0005] Note that CPR rescuers may become fatigued and begin delivering low-quality CPR, such as insufficient depth, frequency, or rebound.

[0006] Even when using existing technology versions of CPR monitor 30 (e.g., such as...) Figure 2 The QCPR 30 shown (with pad 31 and display 32) only provides the CPR rescuer 20 with information about the mechanics of CPR, such as the frequency, depth and rebound of chest compressions, but not the physiological effectiveness of CPR on specific cardiac structures.

[0007] like Figure 1 The alternatives to manual CPR shown, mechanical CPR, involve the use of mechanical CPR equipment that ensures the aforementioned mechanical properties of chest compressions; however, the actual quality of CPR may still be lower because there is no control over its actual effectiveness. For example, Figure 3 An example of a CPR mechanical device 40, as known in the art of this disclosure, employs a holding structure 41, a control system 42, and a compression mechanism 43. During operation, when the patient's torso 11 is properly positioned within the holding structure 41, the control system 42 is activated to control the operation of the compression mechanism 43 as chest compressions are performed on the patient's torso 11, taking into account the mechanics of CPR, such as the frequency, depth, and rebound of the compressions, rather than the physiological effectiveness of CPR on specific cardiac structures. Summary of the Invention

[0008] This disclosure relates to ultrasound imaging of one or more cardiac structures (e.g., the right ventricle and / or the left ventricle) during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to derive a compression profile of one or more cardiac structures for the purpose of understanding the physiological effects of CPR on one or more cardiac structures.

[0009] This disclosure may be embodied in (1) a wearable transthoracic echocardiography patch, (2) an artificial cardiopulmonary resuscitation device and (3) a mechanical cardiopulmonary resuscitation system.

[0010] Various exemplary embodiments of the wearable transthoracic echocardiography patch disclosed herein encompass an ultrasound imager and a cardiac compression monitor. When the ultrasound imager is attached to a patient's chest during cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the ultrasound imager can be operated to generate a series of ultrasound images of compressions of the patient's cardiac structures, and the cardiac compression monitor can be operated to derive a compression profile of the cardiac structures from the series of ultrasound images generated by the ultrasound imager during the patient's cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

[0011] The cardiac structures can be the right ventricle or the left ventricle, and the compression profile can be derived from the circumference, volume, pulse rate, blood flow rate, blood pressure level, and / or electrical activity level of the segmented cardiac structures.

[0012] The cardiac compression monitor can be further operated to generate (1) an image indicator of the compression profile of cardiac structures within a time-series display of at least a subset of ultrasound images, said ultrasound images including non-compression ultrasound images of the heart, particularly when the heart is active but not pumping blood or the heart is electrically active (no-pulsing electrical activity) although it is not active, (2) a visual indicator of the compression profile of cardiac structures indicating acceptable or unacceptable compression ranges of the cardiac structures (e.g., a bar graph), (3) an audio indicator of the compression profile indicating acceptable or unacceptable compression ranges of the cardiac structures, and / or (4) a compression control indicator indicating the compression profile of the cardiac structures as an input control variable for mechanical cardiopulmonary resuscitation of the patient.

[0013] Various exemplary embodiments of the cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) device disclosed herein encompass wearable transthoracic echocardiography patches and CPR compression devices. The wearable transthoracic echocardiography patch includes an ultrasound imager and a cardiac compression monitor. When the ultrasound imager is attached to a patient's chest during CPR, the ultrasound imager can be operated to generate a series of ultrasound images of compressions into the patient's cardiac structures, and the cardiac compression monitor can be operated to derive a compression profile of the cardiac structures from the series of ultrasound images generated by the ultrasound imager during the patient's CPR.

[0014] The cardiac structures can be the right ventricle or the left ventricle, and the compression profile can be derived from the circumference, volume, pulse rate, blood flow rate, blood pressure level, and / or electrical activity level of the segmented cardiac structures.

[0015] The cardiac compression monitor can be further operated to generate (1) an image indicator of the compression profile of the cardiac structures within a temporal display of at least a subset of ultrasound images, (2) a visual indicator of the compression profile of the cardiac structures indicating acceptable or unacceptable compression ranges of the cardiac structures, and (3) an audio indicator of the compression profile indicating acceptable or unacceptable compression ranges of the cardiac structures.

[0016] When an ultrasound imager is attached to a patient's chest during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), a CPR compression device can be used to perform artificial CPR on the patient and can be operated to display image indicators and / or visual indicators, and / or to activate an audio indicator.

[0017] Various exemplary embodiments of the mechanical cardiopulmonary resuscitation system disclosed herein encompass wearable transthoracic echocardiography patches and cardiopulmonary resuscitation mechanical devices. The wearable transthoracic echocardiography patch includes an ultrasound imager and a cardiac compression monitor. When the ultrasound imager is attached to a patient's chest during cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the ultrasound imager can be operated to generate a series of ultrasound images of compressions of the patient's cardiac structures, and the cardiac compression monitor can be operated to derive a compression profile of the cardiac structures from the series of ultrasound images generated by the ultrasound imager during the patient's cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

[0018] The cardiac structures can be the right ventricle or the left ventricle, and the compression profile can be derived from the circumference, volume, pulse rate, blood flow rate, blood pressure level, and / or electrical activity level of the segmented cardiac structures.

[0019] When communicating with a heart monitor, the cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) machine can be operated to perform mechanical CPR on the patient, based in part on the compression profile of the heart structure.

[0020] The foregoing exemplary and other embodiments of this disclosure, as well as the various structures and advantages of this disclosure, will become more apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of various embodiments read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The detailed description and drawings are illustrative only and not limiting of this disclosure, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. Attached Figure Description

[0021] This disclosure will present in detail exemplary embodiments described below with reference to the following figures, wherein: Figure 1 Examples of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) performed by a rescuer on a patient's heart, as is known in the art of this disclosure; Figure 2 Exemplary embodiments of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) compression devices known in the art as disclosed herein are illustrated; Figure 3 Exemplary embodiments of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) devices known in the art as described in this disclosure are illustrated; Figure 4 Exemplary embodiments of cardiopulmonary resuscitation monitoring modules according to this disclosure and those known in the art as disclosed herein are illustrated; Figure 5 An exemplary embodiment of an ultrasonic transducer array according to the present disclosure is illustrated; Figure 6 Exemplary embodiments of an ultrasound imaging device according to the present disclosure are illustrated; Figure 7 A flowchart illustrating an exemplary embodiment of the transthoracic echocardiography monitoring method according to the present disclosure is shown; Figure 8A and Figure 8B A first exemplary embodiment of a wearable transthoracic echocardiography patch according to the present disclosure is illustrated; Figure 9A and Figure 9B A second exemplary embodiment of the wearable transthoracic echocardiography patch according to the present disclosure is illustrated; Figure 10A and Figure 10B A third exemplary embodiment of the wearable transthoracic echocardiography patch according to the present disclosure is illustrated; Figure 11A and Figure 11B A fourth exemplary embodiment of the wearable transthoracic echocardiography patch according to the present disclosure is illustrated; and Figure 12 An exemplary embodiment of a transthoracic echocardiography controller according to the present disclosure is illustrated. Detailed Implementation

[0022] This disclosure relates to ultrasound imaging of one or more cardiac structures (e.g., the right ventricle and / or left ventricle) during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) of a patient to derive a compression profile of one or more cardiac structures for the purpose of understanding the physiological effects of CPR on one or more cardiac structures. To this end, this disclosure describes and teaches the principles for manufacturing and using a wearable transthoracic echocardiography patch to derive a compression profile of cardiac structures during manual or mechanical CPR of a patient.

[0023] For the purposes of describing and claiming protection of this disclosure, the terms “cardiopulmonary resuscitation,” “artificial cardiopulmonary resuscitation,” “mechanical cardiopulmonary resuscitation,” “cardiopulmonary resuscitation gauge,” and “mechanical cardiopulmonary resuscitation device” as used in this disclosure broadly encompass the definitions of these terms as known in the art of this disclosure.

[0024] For ease of understanding of this disclosure, the following... Figure 4-7 The description based on this disclosure teaches various embodiments for making and using this disclosure. Figure 4-7 The following description will enable those skilled in the art to understand how to apply this disclosure to make and use other embodiments of this disclosure.

[0025] refer to Figure 4 This disclosure covers CPR monitoring based on the principle of using an ultrasound imager 50 and a heart compression monitor 60.

[0026] For the purposes of description and claiming protection of this disclosure, the term "ultrasound imager" broadly encompasses all devices incorporating ultrasound elements, as known in the field of this disclosure and contemplated below, for generating ultrasound images representing one or more structures of the heart (e.g., the right ventricle and / or the left ventricle).

[0027] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, an ultrasound imager may include a single transducer element, including but not limited to, an array of transducer elements, such as, for example, a PZT transducer or a CMUT transducer as known in the art of this disclosure.

[0028] In a second exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the ultrasound imager may include an array of transducer elements having overlapping fields of view, such as, for example, an array of transducer elements 80a-80c having overlapping fields of view 81a-81c. Figure 5 As shown. Furthermore, the transducer element array can have any arrangement within a flexible substrate, such as, for example, as... Figure 6 The arrangement of the transducer element array (black box) shown is 90a-90c.

[0029] Refer again Figure 4 For the purposes of description and claiming protection of this disclosure, the term "cardiac compression monitor" broadly encompasses all devices known in the art of this disclosure and contemplated below for deriving a compression profile of one or more cardiac structures from ultrasound imaging data of one or more cardiac structures during a patient's cardiopulmonary resuscitation, such as, for example, a cardiac compression monitor 60 that derives a cardiac compression profile 71 from ultrasound image data 70 during a patient's CPR.

[0030] In practice, the cardiac compression monitor of this disclosure may be embodied as a dedicated motherboard or application-specific integrated circuit for deriving compression profiles of one or more cardiac structures from ultrasound imaging data of one or more cardiac structures during a patient’s cardiopulmonary resuscitation, as exemplarily described in this disclosure.

[0031] Similarly, in practice, the cardiac compression monitor of this disclosure may be electronic circuitry (e.g., electronic components and / or hardware) and / or executable program (e.g., executable software and / or firmware stored on one or more non-transitory computer-readable media) embodying an application module for performing a specific application for deriving a compression profile of one or more cardiac structures from ultrasound imaging data of one or more cardiac structures during a patient's cardiopulmonary resuscitation, as exemplarily described in this disclosure.

[0032] Still referencing Figure 4 This disclosure provides a wearable transthoracic echocardiography patch that incorporates an ultrasound imager 50 and a cardiac compression monitor 60, wherein at least the ultrasound imager 50 can be attached to the patient's chest.

[0033] Non-limiting examples of attaching the ultrasound imager 50 to a patient's chest include, but are not limited to, adhering, bundling, attaching, and mounting the patch of the ultrasound imager 50 to the patient's chest.

[0034] When the ultrasound imager 50 is attached to the patient's chest, particularly during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), the ultrasound imager 50 can be operated to generate a series of ultrasound images of compressions of the patient's cardiac structures, and the cardiac compression monitor 60 can be operated to derive a compression profile of the cardiac structures from the series of ultrasound images generated by the ultrasound imager 50 during CPR. The cardiac compression monitor 60 can be further operated to generate (1) an image indicator of the compression profile of the cardiac structures within a time-series display of at least a subset of the ultrasound images, (2) a visual indicator of the compression profile of the cardiac structures indicating acceptable or unacceptable compression ranges of the cardiac structures, (3) an audio indicator of the compression profile indicating acceptable or unacceptable compression ranges of the cardiac structures, and / or (4) a compression control indicator indicating the compression profile of the cardiac structures as an input control variable for mechanical CPR of the patient.

[0035] In one exemplary embodiment, when the ultrasound imager 50 is attached to the patient's chest, particularly during cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the ultrasound imager 50 and the cardiac compression monitor 60 achieve... Figure 7 Flowchart 100 illustrates the transthoracic echocardiography monitoring method of this disclosure.

[0036] refer to Figure 7 Phase S102 of flowchart 100 covers the operation of ultrasound imager 50 as known in the art of this disclosure to generate the i-th set of ultrasound imaging data of cardiac structures (e.g., right or left ventricle). In one embodiment of phase S101, the ultrasound imaging data is in B mode as known in the art of this disclosure to allow imaging of cardiac structures best suited to the present disclosure.

[0037] Phase S104 of flowchart 100 covers the identification and segmentation of cardiac structures, as represented in ultrasound imaging data, by ultrasound imager 50 or cardiac compression monitor 60, as known in the art of this disclosure.

[0038] Phase S106 of flowchart 100 encompasses the quantification of one or more compression parameters of the segmented cardiac structure by the cardiac compression monitor 60. For purposes of description and claiming protection of this disclosure, the term "compression parameter" broadly encompasses any parameter known in the art of this disclosure or contemplated below that indicates the compression effect of CPR on a cardiac structure. Examples of compression parameters include, but are not limited to, the circumference, volume, pulse rate, blood flow rate, blood pressure level, and / or electrical activity level of the segmented cardiac structure. More specifically, monitors 61-64 may be used to facilitate the quantification of the pulse rate, blood flow rate, blood pressure level, and / or electrical activity level of the segmented cardiac structure.

[0039] Phase S108 of flowchart 100 covers the heart compression monitor 60 generating / updating the compression profile of the heart structure.

[0040] In one exemplary embodiment of stage S108, when the compression parameter is the circumference of a segmented heart structure, the compression profile is a waveform or table of the circumference of the segmented heart structure derived from each i-th set of ultrasound imaging data, thereby determining the compression range of the heart structure for each CPR compression.

[0041] In a second exemplary embodiment of stage S108, when the compression parameter is the volume of the segmented heart structure, the compression profile is a waveform or table of the volume of the segmented heart structure derived from each i-th set of ultrasound imaging data, thereby determining the compression range of the heart structure for each CPR compression.

[0042] In a third exemplary embodiment of stage S108, when the compression parameters are the pulse rate, blood flow rate, blood pressure level, or electrical activity level of the segmented cardiac structure, the compression profile is a waveform or table of the blood or electrical state of the segmented cardiac structure derived from each i-th set of ultrasound imaging data, thereby determining the compression range of the cardiac structure for each CPR compression.

[0043] Phase S110 of flowchart 100 covers the heart compression monitor 60 generating one or more heart compression indicators from the compression profile.

[0044] In one exemplary embodiment of stage S110, the cardiac compression monitor 60 generates an image indicator of the compression profile of the cardiac structures within a temporal display of at least a subset of the ultrasound images.

[0045] In a second exemplary embodiment of stage S110, the cardiac compression monitor 60 generates a visual indicator of the compression profile of the cardiac structures, suggesting acceptable or unacceptable compression ranges for the cardiac structures.

[0046] In a third exemplary embodiment of stage S110, the cardiac compression monitor 60 generates an audio indicator of the compression profile, indicating acceptable or unacceptable compression ranges for the cardiac structure.

[0047] In a fourth exemplary embodiment of stage S110, the cardiac compression monitor 60 generates a compression control indicator that indicates the compression profile of the cardiac structures as an input control variable for mechanical cardiopulmonary resuscitation of the patient.

[0048] Repeat phases S102-S110 during the patient's cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

[0049] To facilitate understanding of this disclosure, the following description of Figures 8-10 teaches various embodiments of the wearable transthoracic echocardiography patch according to this disclosure. From the following description of Figures 8-10, those skilled in the art will understand how to apply this disclosure to manufacture and use other embodiments of the wearable transthoracic echocardiography patch of this disclosure.

[0050] refer to Figure 8A The wearable transthoracic echocardiography patch 120a disclosed herein comprises an adhesive layer 123, a flexible solid gel pad 122 having an ultrasound imager 50 embedded therein, and an electronic layer 121 having a controller 130 integrated with a cardiac compression monitor 60.

[0051] like Figure 8B As shown, when the adhesive layer 123 adheres to the patient's chest during cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the ultrasound imager 50 can be operated to generate a series of ultrasound images of the compression of the patient's cardiac structures, and the cardiac compression monitor 60 can be operated to derive a compression profile of the cardiac structures from the series of ultrasound images generated by the ultrasound imager during the patient's cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The cardiac compression monitor 60 can be further operated to (1) generate an image indicator of the compression profile of the cardiac structures within a temporal display of at least a subset of the ultrasound images and transmit it to the instrument 30a, (2) generate a visual indicator of the compression profile of the cardiac structures and transmit it to the instrument 30a, the visual indicator indicating acceptable or unacceptable compression ranges of the cardiac structures, (3) generate an audio indicator of the compression profile and transmit it to the instrument 30a, the audio indicator indicating acceptable or unacceptable compression ranges of the cardiac structures, and / or (4) generate a compression control indicator and transmit it to the device 40 as an input control variable for mechanical cardiopulmonary resuscitation of the patient, the compression control indicator indicating the compression profile of the cardiac structures.

[0052] refer to Figure 9A The wearable transthoracic echocardiography patch 120b disclosed herein comprises an adhesive layer 123, a flexible solid gel pad 122 having an ultrasound imager 50 embedded therein, an electronic layer 121 having a controller 130 combined with a cardiac compression monitor 60, and a display 124.

[0053] like Figure 9B As shown, when the adhesive layer 123 adheres to the patient's chest during cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the ultrasound imager 50 can be operated to generate a series of ultrasound images of the compression of the patient's cardiac structures, and the cardiac compression monitor 60 can be operated to derive a compression profile of the cardiac structures from the series of ultrasound images generated by the ultrasound imager during the patient's cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The cardiac compression monitor 60 can be further operated to (1) display an image indicator of the compression profile of the cardiac structures 125a within a temporal display of at least a subset of the ultrasound images, (2) display a visual indicator of the compression profile of the cardiac structures 125b indicating acceptable or unacceptable compression ranges of the cardiac structures, and / or (3) activate an audio indicator of the compression profile indicating acceptable or unacceptable compression ranges of the cardiac structures.

[0054] refer to Figure 10A The wearable transthoracic echocardiography patch 120c disclosed herein comprises an adhesive layer 123, a flexible solid gel pad 122 having an ultrasound imager 50 embedded therein, an electronic layer 121 having a controller 130 with a cardiac compression monitor 60, and an unattached display 124.

[0055] like Figure 10B As shown, when the adhesive layer 123 adheres to the patient's chest during cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the ultrasound imager 50 can be operated to generate a series of ultrasound images of the compression of the patient's cardiac structures, and the cardiac compression monitor 60 can be operated to derive a compression profile of the cardiac structures from the series of ultrasound images generated by the ultrasound imager during the patient's cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The cardiac compression monitor 60 can be further operated to (1) display an image indicator of the compression profile of the cardiac structures 125a within a temporal display of at least a subset of the ultrasound images, and / or (2) activate an audio indicator of the compression profile, indicating acceptable or unacceptable compression ranges of the cardiac structures.

[0056] refer to Figure 10A The wearable transthoracic echocardiography patch 120d disclosed herein employs an adhesive layer 123, a flexible solid gel pad 122 having an ultrasound imager 50 embedded therein, and an unattached integration of an electronic layer 121 having a controller 130 combined with a cardiac compression monitor 60 and a display 124.

[0057] like Figure 10B As shown, when the adhesive layer 123 adheres to the patient's chest during cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the ultrasound imager 50 can be operated to generate a series of ultrasound images of the compression of the patient's cardiac structures, and the cardiac compression monitor 60 can be operated to derive a compression profile of the cardiac structures from the series of ultrasound images generated by the ultrasound imager during the patient's cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The cardiac compression monitor 60 can be further operated to (1) display an image indicator of the compression profile of the cardiac structures 125a within a temporal display of at least a subset of the ultrasound images, and / or (2) activate an audio indicator of the compression profile, indicating acceptable or unacceptable compression ranges of the cardiac structures.

[0058] To facilitate a further understanding of this disclosure, Figure 12 The following description teaches exemplary implementations of a controller according to this disclosure. Figure 12 Based on the description, those skilled in the art will understand how to apply this disclosure to manufacture and use other embodiments of the controller according to this disclosure.

[0059] refer to Figure 12 An exemplary implementation 130a of a BCLS controller 130 is shown, which includes one or more processors 131, memory 132, user interface 133, network interface 134, and memory 135 interconnected via one or more system buses 136.

[0060] Each processor 131 can be any hardware device, as known in the art of this disclosure or contemplated below, capable of executing instructions stored in memory 132 or a memory, or otherwise processing data. In non-limiting instances, one or more processors 131 may include microprocessors, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or other similar devices.

[0061] Memory 132 may include various types of memory, such as those known in the art of this disclosure or contemplated below, including but not limited to L1, L2, or L3 caches or system memory. In non-limiting instances, memory 132 may include static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), flash memory, read-only memory (ROM), or other similar memory devices.

[0062] User interface 133 may include one or more devices, as known in the art of this disclosure or contemplated below, for enabling communication with users such as administrators. In a non-limiting instance, the user interface may include a command-line interface or a graphical user interface that can be presented to a remote terminal via network interface 134.

[0063] Network interface 134 may include one or more devices, as known in the art of this disclosure or contemplated below, for enabling communication with other components of the medical device. In a non-limiting instance, network interface 134 may include a network interface card (NIC) configured to communicate according to the Ethernet protocol. Additionally, network interface 134 may implement a TCP / IP protocol stack for communication according to the TCP / IP protocol. Various alternative or additional hardware or configurations for network interface 134 will be readily apparent.

[0064] Memory 135 may include one or more machine-readable storage media, such as those known in the art of this disclosure or contemplated below, including but not limited to read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disk storage media, optical storage media, flash memory devices, or similar storage media. In various non-limiting embodiments, memory 135 may store instructions for execution by one or more processors 131 or data that can be operated on by one or more processors 131. For example, memory 135 may store a basic operating system for controlling various basic operations of the hardware.

[0065] The memory 135 may also store application modules in the form of executable software / firmware for implementing as previously described in this disclosure. Figure 7 The various functions of the method.

[0066] In one exemplary embodiment shown in the figure, memory 135 stores application module 137, which includes ultrasound imaging module 138 for implementation. Figure 7 The flowchart 100 includes stage S102 and the heart compression controller 139 to achieve Figure 7 The stages S104-S110.

[0067] According to this article Figure 1-12 As described herein, those skilled in the art will understand the numerous benefits of this disclosure, including, but not limited to: (1) enabling rescuers during artificial CPR to visualize the heart in real time and assess the effectiveness of chest compressions during a CPR event; (2) enabling closed-loop mechanical systems to adjust compressions in real time based on feedback provided by echocardiography of the heart to ensure high-quality CPR; and (3) enabling the detection of spontaneous pulses with greater accuracy than conventional manual palpation methods for general resuscitation.

[0068] In addition, such as Figure 4 As shown, additional CPR monitoring may be incorporated into this disclosure.

[0069] refer to Figure 4As is known in the art, blood flow monitoring can be achieved by a Doppler sensor 51 and a blood flow monitor 61; as is known in the art, CPR quality can be achieved by a compression sensor 52 and a CPR quality monitor 62; as is known in the art, patient physiological monitoring can be achieved by a physiological sensor 53 and a patient physiological monitor 63; and as is known in the art, ECG waveforms can be achieved by an ECG waveform generator 54 and an ECG monitor 64.

[0070] The present disclosure is now described with reference to preferred embodiments. After reading and understanding the foregoing detailed description, others may conceive of modifications and alterations. The invention is intended to be construed as including all such modifications and alterations, provided they fall within the scope of the appended claims or their equivalents.

[0071] Furthermore, in light of the teachings provided herein, those skilled in the art will understand that features, elements, components, etc., disclosed and described in this disclosure / specification and / or depicted in the drawings and / or recited in the claims can be implemented in various combinations of hardware and software, and provide functionality that can be combined in a single element or multiple elements. For example, the functionality of various features, elements, components, etc., shown / illustrated / depicted in the drawings and / or recited in the claims can be provided by using dedicated hardware and hardware capable of executing software associated with appropriate software. When provided by a processor, functionality can be provided by a single dedicated processor, a single shared processor, or multiple separate processors, some of which may be shared and / or multiplexed. Furthermore, the explicit use of the terms “processor” or “controller” should not be construed as exclusively referring to hardware capable of executing software, and may implicitly include, but is not limited to, digital signal processor (“DSP”) hardware, memory (e.g., read-only memory (“ROM”), random access memory (“RAM”), non-volatile memory, etc.) for storing software, and virtually any means and / or machine (including hardware, software, firmware, combinations thereof) capable of (and / or configurable) executing and / or controlling processes.

[0072] Furthermore, all statements herein recounting the principles, aspects, and exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to cover their structural and functional equivalents. Additionally, such equivalents include both currently known equivalents and those developed in the future (e.g., any element developed that can perform the same or substantially similar functions, regardless of its structure). Therefore, for example, in light of the teachings provided herein, those skilled in the art will understand that any block diagram presented herein may represent a conceptual view of illustrative system components and / or circuits embodying the principles of the invention. Similarly, in light of the teachings provided herein, those skilled in the art should understand that any flowchart, diagram, etc., may represent various processes that can be substantially presented in a computer-readable storage medium and thus performed by a computer, processor, or other device with processing capabilities, whether or not such a computer or processor is explicitly shown.

[0073] Preferred and exemplary embodiments of this disclosure have been described. These embodiments are intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. It should be noted that modifications and variations can be made by those skilled in the art in light of the teachings provided herein, including the drawings and claims. Therefore, it should be understood that changes can be made to the preferred and exemplary embodiments of this disclosure within the scope of this disclosure and the exemplary embodiments disclosed, described, and taught herein.

[0074] Furthermore, it is contemplated that devices and / or corresponding and / or related systems, such as those that can be used / implemented in devices according to this disclosure, are also contemplated and considered to be within the scope of this disclosure. Additionally, corresponding and / or related methods for manufacturing and / or using devices and / or systems according to this disclosure are also contemplated and considered to be within the scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A wearable transthoracic echocardiography patch, comprising: An ultrasound imager, operable to be attached to the patient's chest during cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The ultrasound imager is configured to generate a series of ultrasound images of compressions to the patient's cardiac structures when the ultrasound imager is attached to the patient's chest during cardiopulmonary resuscitation; and A chest compression monitor, operable to communicate with the ultrasound imager when the ultrasound imager is attached to the patient's chest during cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The cardiac compression monitor is configured to derive a compression profile of the cardiac structures from a series of ultrasound images generated by the ultrasound imager (50) during the patient's cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and The cardiac compression monitor is further configured to be at least one of the following: During the patient's cardiopulmonary resuscitation, within the temporal display of at least a subset of the ultrasound images, an image indicator of the compression profile of the cardiac structure is generated; During the patient's cardiopulmonary resuscitation, a visual indicator is generated to show the compression profile of the cardiac structures, indicating acceptable or unacceptable compression ranges for the cardiac structures. During cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) of the patient, an audio indicator is generated to summarize the compression status of the cardiac structures, indicating acceptable or unacceptable compression ranges for the cardiac structures; and During mechanical cardiopulmonary resuscitation of the patient, a compression control indicator is generated, which indicates the compression status of the cardiac structures.

2. The wearable transthoracic echocardiography patch according to claim 1, wherein, The heart structure is either the left ventricle or the right ventricle.

3. The wearable transthoracic echocardiography patch according to claim 1, wherein, The ultrasound imager includes an array of transducer elements with overlapping fields of view.

4. The wearable transthoracic echocardiography patch according to claim 1, wherein, The cardiac compression monitor derives a compression profile of the cardiac structure from the series of ultrasound images generated by the ultrasound imager during the patient's cardiopulmonary resuscitation, including the cardiac compression monitor being further configured to: The heart structure is segmented from each ultrasound image in the ultrasound image set; Quantify at least one compression parameter from each segmented cardiac structure; and The compression profile of the heart structure is derived from the at least one compression parameter.

5. The wearable transthoracic echocardiography patch according to claim 1, wherein, The at least one pressing parameter includes at least one of the following: The perimeter of the segmented heart structure; The volume of the segmented heart structure; The pulse rate of the segmented cardiac structure; Blood flow rate of the segmented cardiac structure; The blood pressure levels of the segmented cardiac structures; and The electrical activity levels of the segmented cardiac structures.

6. An artificial cardiopulmonary resuscitation device, comprising: A wearable transthoracic echocardiography patch for providing a compression profile of the patient's cardiac structures during cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the wearable transthoracic echocardiography patch comprising: An ultrasound imager operable to be attached to the patient's chest during the patient's cardiopulmonary resuscitation, wherein the ultrasound imager is configured to generate a series of ultrasound images of compressions to the patient's cardiac structures when attached to the patient's chest during the artificial cardiopulmonary resuscitation; and A cardiac compression monitor, operable to communicate with the ultrasound imager when the ultrasound imager is attached to the patient's chest during the patient's cardiopulmonary resuscitation, wherein the cardiac compression monitor is configured to derive a compression profile of the cardiac structures from the series of ultrasound images generated by the ultrasound imager during the patient's cardiopulmonary resuscitation; and A cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) compression device, wherein the CPR compression device is integrated with the wearable transthoracic echocardiography patch. Wherein, the cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) compression device is operable for performing CPR on the patient when the ultrasound imager is attached to the patient's chest during the CPR; and The cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) compression device is configured to be at least one of the following: During the patient's cardiopulmonary resuscitation, within the temporal display of at least a subset of the ultrasound images, an image indicator of the compression profile of the cardiac structure is generated; During cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) of the patient, a visual indicator is generated to summarize the compression profile of the cardiac structures, indicating acceptable or unacceptable compression ranges for the cardiac structures; and During cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) of the patient, an audio indicator is generated to show the compression profile of the cardiac structures, indicating acceptable or unacceptable compression ranges for the cardiac structures.

7. The cardiopulmonary resuscitation device according to claim 6, wherein, The heart structure is either the left ventricle or the right ventricle.

8. The cardiopulmonary resuscitation device according to claim 6, wherein, The ultrasound imager includes an array of transducer elements with overlapping fields of view.

9. The cardiopulmonary resuscitation device according to claim 6, wherein, The cardiac compression monitor derives a compression profile of the cardiac structure from the series of ultrasound images generated by the ultrasound imager during the patient's cardiopulmonary resuscitation, including the cardiac compression monitor being further configured to: The heart structure is segmented from each ultrasound image in the ultrasound image set; Quantify at least one compression parameter from each segmented cardiac structure; and The compression profile of the heart structure is derived from the compression parameters.

10. The cardiopulmonary resuscitation device according to claim 9, wherein, The at least one pressing parameter includes at least one of the following: The perimeter of the segmented heart structure; The volume of the segmented heart structure; The pulse rate of the segmented cardiac structure; Blood flow rate of the segmented cardiac structure; The blood pressure levels of the segmented cardiac structures; and The electrical activity levels of the segmented cardiac structures.

11. A mechanical cardiopulmonary resuscitation system, comprising: A wearable transthoracic echocardiography patch for providing a compression profile of cardiac structures during mechanical cardiopulmonary resuscitation in a patient, the wearable transthoracic echocardiography patch comprising: An ultrasound imager operable to be attached to the patient's chest during mechanical cardiopulmonary resuscitation, wherein the ultrasound imager is configured to generate a series of ultrasound images of compressions of the patient's cardiac structures when attached to the patient's chest during artificial cardiopulmonary resuscitation; and A cardiac compression monitor, operable to communicate with the ultrasound imager when the ultrasound imager is attached to the patient's chest during the patient's mechanical cardiopulmonary resuscitation, wherein the cardiac compression monitor is configured to derive a compression profile of the cardiac structures from the series of ultrasound images generated by the ultrasound imager during the patient's mechanical cardiopulmonary resuscitation; and A cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) machine, operable to communicate with a chest compression monitor when the ultrasound imager is attached to the patient's chest. The cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) device is configured to perform mechanical CPR on the patient in part based on the compression profile of the heart structure.

12. The mechanical cardiopulmonary resuscitation system according to 11, wherein, The heart structure is either the left ventricle or the right ventricle.

13. The mechanical cardiopulmonary resuscitation system according to 11, wherein, The ultrasound imager includes an array of transducer elements with overlapping fields of view.

14. The mechanical cardiopulmonary resuscitation system according to 11, wherein, The cardiac compression monitor derives a compression profile of the cardiac structure from the series of ultrasound images generated by the ultrasound imager during the patient's mechanical cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The cardiac compression monitor is further configured to: The heart structure is segmented from each ultrasound image in the ultrasound image set; Quantify at least one compression parameter from each segmented cardiac structure; and The compression profile of the heart structure is derived from the compression parameters.

15. The mechanical cardiopulmonary resuscitation system according to 14, wherein, The at least one pressing parameter includes at least one of the following: The perimeter of the segmented heart structure; The volume of the segmented heart structure; The pulse rate of the segmented cardiac structure; Blood flow rate of the segmented cardiac structure; The blood pressure levels of the segmented cardiac structures; and The electrical activity levels of the segmented cardiac structures.

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