Automatic external defibrillator

Abstract

To provide an automatic external defibrillator in which an electrode is instantaneously and easily attached to a patient whose skin surface is wet by body fluid such as blood due to actual wound or the like.SOLUTION: Electrodes 30A and 30B are attached and give electric shock to skin K of a person to be rescued (patient). As shown in Fig. 4(A), when the electrodes 30A and 30B are in a pad form, they are difficult to be attached to the skin in a wet state by body fluid such as blood due to wound or the like. In contrast, as shown in Fig. 4(B), by forming the electrodes 30A and 30B into a needle shape and puncturing at least a part of the needle-shaped electrodes 30A and 30B to the skin, the electrodes 30A and 30B can be instantaneously and easily attached even to the skin K in a wet state by body fluid such as blood due to wound or the like.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an automated external defibrillator. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, automated external defibrillators (AEDs) have been used to prevent cardiac arrest in the event of ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia, which are the most common causes of cardiac arrest (see, for example, Patent Document 1). An automated external defibrillator delivers an electric shock (high-voltage pulse) via electrodes to the heart of a patient in cardiac arrest, which may restore the patient's heart to a normal, regular beating state. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2013-543781 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in recent years, there has been a demand for automated external defibrillators that can quickly and easily attach electrodes to patients with bleeding on the anterior chest wall due to trauma to the chest wall or thoracic cavity, or for patients outdoors in the rain whose anterior chest skin surface remains wet despite repeated wiping.However, conventional automated external defibrillators, including those described in Patent Document 1, are unable to meet this demand.

[0005] The present invention was made in consideration of these circumstances, and its object is to enable the automatic external defibrillator to be constantly operational by quickly and easily attaching electrodes to a patient with bleeding on the anterior chest wall due to trauma to the chest wall or thoracic cavity, or a patient who is outdoors in the rain and whose anterior chest skin surface remains wet despite repeated wiping. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, an automated external defibrillator according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: A pair of electrodes is attached to the skin of the rescuee (patient) to administer an electric shock, The electrode has a first function of attaching a conductive portion to the skin in a wet state.

[0007] For example, the electrode It has a needle-like shape, The first function may be a function of at least a part of the needle-shaped electrode piercing the skin and subcutaneous tissue of the rescuee.

[0008] Further, for example, the electrode is The rescuer has a gripping portion that is gripped by a rescuer of the rescuee, and a gripping portion that grips the skin of the rescuee, As the first function, when the rescuer grasps the gripping portion, the gripping portion opens, and the skin of the rescuee is inserted and sandwiched between the gripping portions, and then when the gripping portion is released, the skin is grasped by the gripping portions.

[0009] Further, for example, the electrode is The electrode plate has a conductive adhesive containing a filler or a silicone coating gel containing an adhesive, The first function is to allow the application gel to be attached to the skin of the rescuee.

[0010] Furthermore, the electrode It is preferable that the device further has a second function of being attached so that at least a part of the device is present inside or under the skin of the rescuee.

[0011] For example, the electrode At least a part of the needle-shaped portion is provided. The second function can be a function of at least a part of the needle-shaped portion being present inside the skin by piercing the skin and subcutaneous tissue. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, electrodes can be quickly and easily attached to an automated external defibrillator, making it possible to keep the automated external defibrillator operational at all times, even for patients with bleeding on the anterior chest wall due to trauma to the chest wall or thoracic cavity, or for patients outdoors in the rain whose anterior chest skin surface remains wet despite repeated wiping. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the external configuration of an embodiment of an automatic external defibrillator of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 2] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the automated external defibrillator of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of how the automated external defibrillator of FIG. 1 is used. [Figure 4] 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of how the automated external defibrillator of FIG. 1 is used, illustrating the relationship between the electrodes and the heart in the state of FIG. 3. FIG. [Figure 5] 5 is a diagram showing an example of an electrode of an embodiment of an automatic external defibrillator of the present invention, which is different from that shown in FIG. 4. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the external configuration of an embodiment of an automatic external defibrillator of the present invention, which is different from that shown in FIG. 1 when it is made to function as an AED communication device. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the external configuration of an embodiment of an automatic external defibrillator of the present invention, which is different from the external configuration shown in FIGS. 1 and 6 when the automatic external defibrillator is made to function as an AED communication device. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the external configuration of an embodiment of the automatic external defibrillator of the present invention, and is a diagram showing an example of an external configuration different from those shown in FIGS. 1, 6, and 7 when it is made to function as an AED communication device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the external configuration of an embodiment of an automatic external defibrillator of the present invention. In the following, automated external defibrillators will be referred to as "AEDs" where appropriate. 1, the AED 1 includes a main body 10, electrodes 30A and 30B, and cables 40A and 40B. The cable 40A electrically connects the main body 10 to the electrode 30A. The cable 40B electrically connects the main body 10 to the electrode 30B.

[0016] 1, a display unit 11 and an operation unit 12 are provided on one surface of the main body 10. In the following, of the surfaces constituting the main body 10, the surface on which the display unit 11 is provided will be referred to as the "front surface," and the surface opposite to the front surface will be referred to as the "rear surface." The display unit 11 is configured with, for example, a liquid crystal display or the like, and displays an image showing the operating state of the AED 1 or the like. The operation unit 12 includes various operation elements such as buttons for instructing the user of the AED 1 to start operation.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the automated external defibrillator of FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, in addition to a display unit 11 and an operation unit 12, the AED 1 has a memory unit 13, a control unit 14, a communication unit 15, a high-voltage generation unit 16, a biosignal acquisition unit 17, a status detection unit 18, a power supply unit 19, and an audio output unit 20. The storage unit 13, the control unit 14, the communication unit 15, the high voltage generation unit 16, the biosignal acquisition unit 17, the state detection unit 18, the power supply unit 19, and the audio output unit 20 are built into the main body unit 10.

[0018] Power supply unit 19 includes a battery with an output voltage of about 12 V. In addition to the battery, power supply unit 19 may also include a charger that charges the battery with AC power supplied from a commercial power source. As shown in Fig. 2, the power supply unit 19 is connected to the high voltage generation unit 16. Although detailed illustration is omitted in Fig. 2, the power supply unit 19 is also connected to the display unit 11, the operation unit 12, the memory unit 13, the control unit 14, the communication unit 15, the biosignal acquisition unit 17, the state detection unit 18, and the audio output unit 20. The power supply unit 19 supplies power to each of the display unit 11, operation unit 12, memory unit 13, control unit 14, communication unit 15, high voltage generation unit 16, biosignal acquisition unit 17, status detection unit 18, and audio output unit 20 to drive each of them.

[0019] The control unit 14 includes a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), i.e., a computer. The control unit 14 may include a single computer or multiple computers. The control unit 14 also includes a gate array and an A / D converter. The control unit 14 is connected to each of the display unit 11, the operation unit 12, the storage unit 13, the communication unit 15, the high voltage generation unit 16, the biosignal acquisition unit 17, the state detection unit 18, and the audio output unit 20.

[0020] Control unit 14 functions as the control center of automated external defibrillator 1A by operating in accordance with a program (not shown in FIG. 2) stored in memory unit 13. Control unit 14 operating in accordance with the program controls the operation of display unit 11, operation unit 12, memory unit 13, communication unit 15, high-voltage generation unit 16, biological signal acquisition unit 17, status detection unit 18, and audio output unit 20, thereby performing real-time analysis of biological information such as electrocardiogram analysis and controlling the output of electric shocks.

[0021] The storage unit 13 is configured from a nonvolatile memory such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) or a volatile memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory). The nonvolatile memory stores the above-mentioned programs in advance. The volatile memory is used by the control unit 14 as a work area when executing the above-mentioned programs. The volatile memory also temporarily stores various types of biological information such as electrocardiogram signals.

[0022] The communication unit 15, under the control of the control unit 14, performs wireless or wired communication with other external information processing devices such as a server device. The audio output unit 20 is composed of a speaker and the like, and outputs various sounds such as audio guidance and warnings under the control of the control unit 14.

[0023] The electrode 30A is connected to the high voltage generation unit 16, the biological signal acquisition unit 17, and the state detection unit 18 via a cable 40A. Similarly, the electrode 30B is connected to the high voltage generation unit 16, the biological signal acquisition unit 17, and the state detection unit 18 via a cable 40B.

[0024] The biological signal acquisition unit 17 acquires various biological signals from the electrodes 30A and 30B, such as electrocardiogram signals, body temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, blood oxygen saturation, relative blood pressure, etc., and transmits them to the control unit 14 after filtering out noise and amplifying them. The control unit 14 performs analysis of the electrocardiogram and biological information based on biological signals such as electrocardiogram signals.

[0025] The state detection unit 18 detects the attachment state of the electrodes 30A and 30B to the patient, for example, by measuring the impedance between the electrodes 30A and 30B and the patient. The state detection unit 18 outputs a signal indicating the attachment state of the electrodes 30A and 30B to the control unit 14 as an attachment state signal. The control unit 14 determines the wearing state based on the wearing state signal, and causes the display unit 11 to display the determined wearing state as an image or causes the audio output unit 20 to output the determined wearing state as sound.

[0026] Based on a control signal from the control unit 14, the high voltage generating unit 16 generates a high voltage pulse (more specifically, a potential difference between the electrodes 30A and 30B) for the electric shock to be given to the patient from the electrodes 30A and 30B. The high voltage generating unit 16 is not particularly limited in its type as long as it can deliver to the patient an electric shock (high voltage pulse) necessary to restore the heart and heartbeat of a patient in cardiac arrest to a normal state, specifically an electric shock (high voltage pulse) with a voltage value of 2000 to 3000 volts and a current value of approximately 30 amperes. For example, it is preferable to adopt the high voltage generation unit 16 of the system described in the specifications and drawings originally attached to the applications of Japanese Patent Application Nos. 2021-89284 and 2021-89320 filed by the present applicant (hereinafter referred to as the "applicant's system"), because adopting the high voltage generation unit 16 of the present applicant's system makes it possible to provide an AED 1 that is small, lightweight, and ready for use in a short time.

[0027] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of how the automated external defibrillator of FIG. 1 is used. When the AED 1 is used, for example, the electrodes 30A and 30B are attached to the right anterior chest and the left lateral chest or flank of the patient, respectively. The attachment positions of the electrodes 30A and 30B are not limited to the example shown in Fig. 3 and may be any positions that are paired with each other on the heart, i.e., positions that allow the delivery of the above-described electric shock to the heart. Specifically, the electrodes 30A and 30B may be attached at any positions that allow a current generated by a high-voltage pulse to pass from one of the electrodes 30A and 30B through the heart and reach the other.

[0028] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of how the automated external defibrillator of FIG. 1 is used, illustrating the relationship between the electrodes and the heart in the state of FIG. FIG. 4(A) is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the electrode and the heart when a conventional pad-type electrode is used. Each of the conventional pad-type electrodes 30A and 30B was attached to the surface of the patient's skin K at a position that paired with the heart H, as described above in Figure 3, i.e., at a position where an electric shock from the AED 1 could be administered to the heart H. However, the situation in which the AED1 is used is one in which it is necessary to quickly and accurately measure the electrocardiogram, determine whether or not an electric shock is necessary as soon as possible, and, if necessary, administer the electric shock as soon as possible. In other words, it is a situation in which the electrodes 30A and 30B must be attached to the appropriate positions on the patient as soon as possible. Even in such a situation, there is a problem in that it is often difficult to attach the conventional pad-type electrodes 30A and 30B to the appropriate positions on the skin K of a patient whose surface of the skin K is wet with body fluids such as blood due to an injury or the like.

[0029] Therefore, in order to solve this problem, i.e., the problem of wanting to quickly and easily attach electrodes 30A and 30B to appropriate positions even on a patient whose surface of skin K is wet with body fluids such as blood due to an injury or the like, the inventor devised electrodes 30A and 30B of the type shown in Figure 4(B). That is, FIG. 4(B) is a diagram showing an example of electrodes of an embodiment of the AED of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 4(B), the electrodes 30A and 30B have a needle-like shape. Therefore, even if a patient has an injury or other cause that causes bodily fluids such as blood to cover the surface of the skin K, the user (rescuer) of the AED 1 can quickly and easily attach the electrodes 30A and 30B to the patient by simply inserting the needle-like tips of the electrodes 30A and 30B into the skin K or subcutaneously at appropriate positions (such as the positions shown in Fig. 4(B)) on the patient (rescuee).

[0030] Furthermore, as is clear from a comparison between Fig. 4(A) of the conventional example and Fig. 4(B) of the present embodiment, all of the conductive regions of the conventional pad-type electrodes 30A and 30B are located outside the patient's skin K. In contrast, at least a portion of the conductive regions of the electrodes 30A and 30B of the present embodiment are located inside the patient's skin K. In this way, since at least a portion of the conductive portions of the electrodes 30A and 30B of this embodiment is present inside the skin K, the bioimpedance between the electrodes 30A and 30B can be reduced compared to when they are present outside the skin K in the conventional case. Specifically, a person's bioimpedance is usually divided into skin impedance and subcutaneous tissue impedance. In the case of the conventional AED shown in Figure 4(A), electrodes 30A and 30B are attached to the surface of the skin K, so current flows through the human body in the order of skin impedance to subcutaneous tissue impedance. At this time, skin impedance is larger by 30 to 100 kΩ per cm^2 due to the stratum corneum on the surface. On the other hand, subcutaneous tissue impedance is approximately 70 to 200 Ω when the electrode radius is 0.5 cm. As described above, one of the causes of high bioimpedance is skin impedance, so by placing electrodes 30A and 30B inside the skin K as shown in Figure 4(B) of this embodiment, the stratum corneum can be avoided, and as a result, bioimpedance can be reduced. By reducing the bioimpedance, it is possible to prevent excessive current from flowing to a patient when an electric shock is administered by the AED 1. That is, since a large current flows through the patient due to an electric shock, even if only for a short time, there is a possibility of side effects such as burns on the surface of the patient's skin K or damage to the muscles of the heart H. By reducing the bioimpedance and preventing excessive current from flowing, it is possible to reduce such side effects.

[0031] To summarize the above, the needle-shaped electrodes 30A and 30B of this embodiment shown in Figure 4(B) can achieve the following first and second effects compared to the conventional pad-type electrodes 30A and 30B shown in Figure 4(A). In the following description, when there is no need to distinguish between electrodes 30A and 30B, they will be collectively referred to as "electrodes 30." Furthermore, when referring to electrodes 30, cables 40A and 40B will be collectively referred to as "cables 40." The first effect is that, because the electrode 30 of this embodiment shown in Fig. 4(B) is needle-shaped, it can be quickly and easily attached to the patient's skin K by simply piercing it at an appropriate position. This effect will be referred to as the "instant and easy attachment effect" hereinafter. The instant and easy attachment effect is particularly significant for patients whose skin K is wet with bodily fluids such as blood due to an injury or the like. The second effect is the effect of reducing bioimpedance by attaching the electrode 30 of this embodiment shown in Figure 4(B) so that at least a part of the needle-shaped conductive portion is present inside the skin K. Hereinafter, this effect will be referred to as the "impedance reduction effect."

[0032] In other words, the electrode 30 to which the present invention is applied is not particularly limited to the electrode 30 shown in Figure 4(B), but it is sufficient if it has the effect of being quickly and easily attached, and it is preferable if it also has the effect of reducing impedance, if necessary.

[0033] For example, the electrode 30 to which the present invention is applied may have a configuration as shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of an electrode of an embodiment of the automatic external defibrillator of the present invention, which is different from that shown in FIG.

[0034] The electrode 30 of this embodiment shown in FIG. 5 has a grip portion 301 and a gripping portion 302, similar to a so-called clothespin. The user (rescuer) of the AED1 grasps the grip portion 301 of the electrode 30 to open the grip portion 302, inserts and clamps the skin K between the grip portions 302, and then releases the grip of the grip portion 301 to allow the grip portion 302 to grasp the skin K, thereby attaching the electrode 30 to the skin K. In this way, the user of the AED 1 can attach the electrode 30 of this embodiment shown in Fig. 5 to the patient's skin K with a simple operation similar to that of a clothespin. That is, the electrode 30 of this embodiment shown in Fig. 5 can be attached quickly and easily.

[0035] Furthermore, the grip portion 302 of the electrode 30 of this embodiment shown in FIG. 5 has a plurality of needle-shaped portions 303 like a pin holder. When the skin K is gripped by the gripping portion 302, as shown in Fig. 5, at least a part of the needle-like portion 303 is present inside the skin K. This allows the electrode 30 of this embodiment shown in Fig. 5 to achieve an impedance reduction effect.

[0036] As described above, the electrodes 30 shown in each of FIGS. 4(B) and 5 have both the effect of quick and easy attachment and the effect of reducing impedance. However, as mentioned above, the electrode 30 to which the present invention is applied is sufficient as long as it can be quickly and easily attached. For example, even with the pad-type electrode 30 shown in FIG. 4(A), by adopting the following configuration, it is possible to achieve the effect of quick and easy attachment, although it is not possible to achieve the effect of reducing impedance. That is, as one embodiment of the pad-type electrode 30 to which the present invention is applied, a pad-type electrode 30 (normal electrode plate) shown in Fig. 4(A) may be applied with a conductive adhesive containing a filler or a silicone coating gel containing an adhesive. Hereinafter, such a coating gel will be referred to as the "coating gel of this embodiment." The filler contained in the coating gel of this embodiment is intended to improve the conductivity of the conductive adhesive or adhesive, and is usually made of inexpensive carbon. However, it is preferable to use silver as the filler, as it has the best conductivity of any metal. For details of the conductive adhesive or adhesive, please refer to "Conductive Adhesion Technology" in "Journal of the Japan Society for Precision Engineering, Vol. 79, No. 8, 2013, pp. 730-734." The application gel of this embodiment can be quickly and easily applied to, for example, the anterior chest or both upper limbs of a patient even when the surface of the skin K is wet with bodily fluids such as blood due to an injury or the like. Therefore, the pad-type electrode 30 of FIG. 4(A) to which the application gel of this embodiment is applied can be quickly and easily attached, and is therefore one embodiment to which the present invention can be applied.

[0037] Incidentally, if the emergency site where the use of an AED1 is necessary is in a depopulated area, if the patient (injured person) does not have anyone to accompany them to rescue them, it is necessary to secure rescuers nearby so that the patient is not left isolated. Also, to avoid isolating the patient and rescuers, a system is needed that allows for appropriate communication with the local medical community, including doctors, fire departments, and ambulance teams, who are far away. In other words, we need a social system that does not isolate rescuers who interact with patients (injured or ill people) at emergency scenes, and ultimately a system that allows everyone to participate in local medical care, including emergency care, including doctors, rescuers, fire and ambulance teams, the local community, and patients (injured or ill people). As one way to realize such a mechanism, it is preferable to make the AED 1 function as an AED communication device. By making the AED1 function as an AED communication device, various information can be exchanged with terminals of remote doctors and medical communities (ambulance teams and emergency hospitals in the case of an emergency) via the Internet, etc. For example, electrocardiogram (signals) and heart rate records acquired by the AED1 can be remotely provided to ambulance teams or emergency hospitals, and the ambulance teams or emergency hospitals can then communicate appropriate measures for the patient, such as whether or not an electric shock is required, to rescuers.

[0038] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the external configuration of an embodiment of the automatic external defibrillator of the present invention, and is a diagram showing an example of the external configuration different from that shown in FIG. 1 when it functions as an AED communication device. The AED1 shown in Figure 6 is integrated with a smartphone. This type of AED1 integrated with a smartphone is more expensive than commercially available smartphones because it has AED functionality, but because it is integrated, it can share a battery with commercially available smartphones and can be carried around at all times. The term "smartphone" as used here refers to a device that is equipped with the iPhone (registered trademark) or Android (registered trademark) OS, can perform various communication methods similar to commercially available devices, and is in an environment where it can be executed if various application software is installed. Furthermore, being integrated with a smartphone means that the functional configuration shown in Figure 2 is realized using hardware that is originally included in the smartphone, hardware that is attached externally to the smartphone, and a software program that runs on the smartphone. For example, the display unit 11 can be configured with a display placed on the surface of the smartphone as shown in Fig. 6(B). The operation unit 12 can be configured with hardware buttons that are originally provided on the smartphone or software buttons that are displayed on the display unit 11. Furthermore, the storage unit 13, the control unit 14, and the communication unit 15 can be configured using hardware that is originally built into the smartphone. The high voltage generating unit 16 can be configured by hardware that is originally included in the smartphone, or hardware that is attached externally to the smartphone. The biological signal acquisition unit 17 and the state detection unit 18 can be configured by a software program executed on a smartphone. The power supply unit 19 can be configured by a battery attached to the smartphone. That is, the battery of the smartphone can be shared as the power supply unit 19 of the AED 1. As shown in Fig. 6(A), the electrode 30A can be provided on the back of the smartphone. In this case, since the electrode 30A is a pad type, it is preferable to use one with the application gel of this embodiment to achieve the effect of quick and easy attachment. The cable 40A is wired inside the smartphone. The electrode 30B is a needle-shaped electrode as shown in FIG. 4(B), and as shown in FIG. 6(A), it is configured so that it can be stored on the side of the smartphone together with the cable 40B. It should be noted that the example of electrodes 30A and 30B shown in FIG. 6 is merely an example, and for example, electrode 30A may also be needle-shaped as shown in FIG. 4(B), or at least one of electrodes 30A and 30B may be shaped like a clothespin and pin holder as shown in FIG. 5.

[0039] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the external configuration of an embodiment of the automated external defibrillator of the present invention, and is a diagram showing an example of an external configuration different from that shown in FIGS. 1 and 6 when it is made to function as an AED communication device. The AED 1 shown in Fig. 7 has a configuration separate from the smartphone 50. Here, the smartphone 50 is a normal commercially available one that does not have an AED function, unlike the example in Fig. 6. This allows the smartphone 50 to be separated from the AED 1 and used alone as needed. However, if dedicated application software (hereinafter referred to as "AED app") that enables operation of the AED 1 is installed on the smartphone 50, the user (rescuer) of the AED 1 can wirelessly operate the AED 1 using the smartphone 50. Note that an Android (registered trademark) device is preferable as the smartphone 50, since information about the smartphone 50 is publicly available. The AED1 shown in Fig. 7 differs from the example shown in Fig. 1 in that the electrodes 30A are provided on the back side as shown in Fig. 7(A), but the rest of the configuration is the same as that shown in Fig. 1. In this case, the electrodes 30A are pad-type, so it is preferable to use electrodes with the application gel of this embodiment to achieve the effect of quick and easy attachment. The cable 40A is wired inside the main body 10 of the AED1. It should be noted that the example of electrodes 30A and 30B shown in FIG. 7 is merely an example, and for example, electrode 30A may also be needle-shaped as shown in FIG. 4(B), or at least one of electrodes 30A and 30B may be shaped like a clothespin and pin holder as shown in FIG. 5. The communication unit 15 of the AED 1 shown in FIG. 7 communicates with the smartphone 50 wirelessly via Wi-fi (registered trademark) or Bluetooth (trademark). For example, the communication unit 15 receives a control signal for operating the AED 1 (hereinafter referred to as an "operation signal") from the smartphone 50 and provides the control unit 14 with the control signal. The control unit 14 controls the operation of the AED 1 based on the operation signal. In other words, in the example of Fig. 7, the smartphone 50 functions as a substitute for the operation unit 12, that is, functions as a controller. Furthermore, for example, the communication unit 15 can transmit biosignals such as electrocardiogram signals acquired by the biosignal acquisition unit 17 of the AED 1 to the smartphone 50. The smartphone 50 can further transmit the biosignals such as electrocardiogram signals to a terminal of a remote doctor or medical community via the Internet or the like.

[0040] Incidentally, in order to make the smartphone 50 function as a controller for the AED 1 as in the example of FIG. 7, the smartphone 50 and the AED 1 need to be wirelessly connected. However, since commercially available smartphones 50 are designed to be wirelessly connected to an unspecified number of people, it takes a certain amount of time to establish a wireless connection with the AED 1. However, since time is of the essence when using the AED 1, there are cases where it is desirable to shorten the time required for connection to the AED 1 beyond this certain time. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 8, the controller function may be transferred from the smartphone 50 to a dedicated controller 60 so that the AED 1 can be immediately connected. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the external configuration of an embodiment of the automated external defibrillator of the present invention, and is a diagram showing an example of an external configuration different from those shown in FIGS. 1, 6, and 7 when the automated external defibrillator is made to function as an AED communication device. The dedicated controller 60 in FIG. 8 is pre-installed with a program having the same functions as the AED app for the smartphone 50 in FIG. That is, the AED 1 in Fig. 8 has the same configuration as that in Fig. 7 and is connected to a dedicated controller 60. The connection method is not particularly limited, and may be wireless as shown in Fig. 8, or may be infrared communication (not shown), etc. In the example of Fig. 7, the AED1 and the controller are connected in a 1:∞ ratio between the AED1 and the controller (smartphone 50), whereas in the example of Fig. 8, the AED1 and the controller (dedicated controller 60) are connected in a 1:1 ratio. As a result, in the example of Fig. 8, the AED1 is instantly connected to the dedicated controller 60, and the AED1 can be quickly operated.

[0041] An example in which the AED 1 functions as an AED communication device has been described above with reference to FIGS. By making the AED1 function as an AED communication device, as described above, for example, records of biometric information such as an electrocardiogram (signal) and heart rate acquired by the AED1 can be remotely transmitted in real time to an emergency team or emergency hospital, and the emergency team or emergency hospital can remotely transmit appropriate measures for the patient, such as whether or not an electric shock is necessary, to the rescuer. Furthermore, if the AED communication device could remotely transmit the patient's vital signs (biological signals, etc.) other than ECG signals to emergency teams or emergency hospitals in real time, it would be possible to provide even more appropriate measures to the patient. The sensor for acquiring such vital signs other than electrocardiogram signals may be built into the AED 1 (FIGS. 6 to 8), the smartphone 50 (FIG. 7), or the dedicated controller 60 (FIG. 8), or may be an external sensor. The external sensor can communicate with the AED 1 (FIGS. 6 to 8), the smartphone 50 (FIG. 7), or the dedicated controller 60 (FIG. 8) by any method.

[0042] Specifically, for example, although not shown, an earphone-type sensor (in addition to various vital sign sensors mounted on the compact AED 1 itself) may be stored in a removable state in the smartphone-integrated AED 1 shown in Figure 6. This earphone-type sensor is attached to and retained in the patient's outer ear, acquires the patient's vital signs (e.g., body temperature, respiratory rate, heart rate, relative blood pressure, blood oxygen saturation, etc.) from the circulatory dynamics of the tissues and structures in the middle ear behind the eardrum, and transmits them to the AED 1 via a predetermined wireless communication method such as Bluetooth (registered trademark). For example, at the scene of an emergency where cardiac arrest has occurred, a rescuer first attaches the electrodes 30A and 30B of the AED 1 to the anterior chest of the patient (rescued person). This allows the electrocardiogram (signal), heart rate, and other records acquired by the AED 1 to be remotely transmitted to an ambulance or emergency hospital. At the same time, the rescuer removes the earphone sensor built into the AED1 and inserts it into the ear canal of the patient who has collapsed in front of them and is in near-cardiac arrest.The earphone sensor then acquires the patient's vital signs from the tissue and structure deep under the eardrum, and transmits them remotely in real time to the ambulance team or emergency hospital via the AED1.

[0043] In summary, the AED 1 is suitable for use in combination with the functions of a smartphone. The method of combination is not particularly limited, and the AED 1 and smartphone may be integrated as shown in Figure 6 or separated as shown in Figure 7.

[0044] For example, by using a short-range communication function (Bluetooth Low Energy: BLE) (registered trademark) via a smartphone function, AED1 can refine not only the biometric information (heart rate, etc.) obtained from the electrodes 30 but also the AED activation condition algorithm. Furthermore, for example, the AED 1 can link (communicate) with an IoT medical device using the above-mentioned BLE to supplementarily acquire vital signs that cannot be acquired from the electrodes 30. Specifically, for example, the above-mentioned earphone-type sensor can acquire vital signs such as body temperature, respiratory rate, heart rate, relative blood pressure, and blood oxygen saturation. Using such vital signs can prevent the AED 1 from erroneously starting up or failing to fire. In addition, by adopting integrated (detachable) IoT medical devices such as earphone-type sensors, it will be possible to obtain reliable vital signs.

[0045] Furthermore, for example, the AED1 can use its smartphone function for long-distance communication (WAN 4G / 5G (registered trademark), Internet connection function) to notify a remote doctor or medical community (an ambulance team or emergency hospital in an emergency) of the patient's condition in real time. Here, the medical community includes government agencies (nearby fire stations, ambulance teams, medical institutions, etc.). Furthermore, the AED1 can use the short-range communication function described above to notify medical personnel who are nearby (within a 10-100m radius) of the patient. The medical personnel who receive the notification can use the AED1 to take appropriate measures (such as operating the AED1 itself or communicating with the remote doctor or medical community described above) to rescue the patient (person being rescued). In this way, the survival rate of patients can be improved by having medical professionals participate in rescue efforts early.

[0046] For example, the AED1 may further have the function of transmitting an image (which may be a still image or a video) of the patient's condition to a corresponding emergency team or emergency hospital when a rescuer rescues the patient (person being rescued) (such as by using the AED1). In this way, images of the patient can be obtained in addition to the vital signs of the patient being rescued at the scene, which allows the patient's injury status and posture (including the direction of the head, the state of airway management, and the position of the limbs) to be known in advance, enabling appropriate preparations to be made. The resolution of the patient's image may be automatically controlled up to a maximum of 8K resolution depending on the communication conditions. In addition, the AED1 (smartphone function) of the rescuer may be controlled to provide a communication band (communication bands for multiple smartphones as needed) that enables communication between the rescuer's AED1 (smartphone function) and the smartphones of other rescuers in the vicinity via short-range communication. By effectively using multiple communication bands, it becomes possible to exchange large amounts of image information, such as 8K resolution images.

[0047] Furthermore, for example, the AED 1 may further have a function of communicating with a corresponding emergency team or emergency hospital when a rescuer rescues (by using the AED 1, etc.) a patient (person to be rescued). In this way, emergency teams and emergency hospitals can communicate with rescuers on the scene based on the vital signs of the patient being rescued, and appropriately provide instructions on first aid appropriate to the patient's condition and ask questions to further understand the situation. Furthermore, by combining this with the function of sending images of the patient to the emergency team or emergency hospital, the emergency team or emergency hospital can more appropriately instruct first aid measures and ask further questions based on the patient's traumatic condition and posture (including the direction of the head, the status of airway management, and the direction of the limbs, etc.).

[0048] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and modifications, improvements, etc. within the scope of achieving the object of the present invention are included in the present invention. In the various embodiments of the present invention, the accumulation of actual records of emergency cardiac arrests in the community, which are rarely encountered in ordinary medical facilities or medical activities, and the processes and results of the treatments (such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation) that result from them (i.e., moment-by-moment life-saving decisions and resulting life-saving treatments, as well as the biological reactions and medical effects of the rescued person (patient) in response to them) is recorded and accumulated as so-called big data, which will bring about a dramatic advancement in the creation of life-saving treatment guidelines using AI that are more tailored to the situation at the scene.

[0049] For example, the electrodes 30 of the AED 1 are not limited to the forms of the above-described embodiments, i.e., the needle-shaped form of Figures 1 and 4(B), the so-called clothespin and pin holder-shaped form of Figure 5, and the form in which the application gel of the above-described embodiment is attached to the pad (electrode plate) of Figure 4(A). That is, the electrodes 30 of the AED 1 to which the present invention is applied are sufficient if they can be attached quickly and easily, and preferably also have an impedance reducing effect as required.

[0050] Here, in order to achieve the effect of immediate and easy attachment, it is sufficient that the pair of electrodes that are attached to the skin of the rescuee (patient) to administer the electric shock have the first function of attaching the conductive part to the skin in a wet state. Specifically, in the case of the needle-shaped electrode 30 shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 4(B), the function of at least a part of the needle-shaped electrode 30 piercing the skin is an example of the first function. Also, for example, in the case of the so-called clothespin and pinholder-shaped configuration of Figure 5, the function of a so-called clothespin, that is, when the rescuer grasps gripping portion 301, gripping portions 302 open, and the skin of the rescuee (patient) is inserted and pinched between gripping portions 302, and then when the grip of gripping portion 301 is released, gripping portion 30 grasps the skin (it is not excluded that the tips of the many electrodes arranged in a pinholder shape may partially penetrate subcutaneously, causing a decrease in bioimpedance due to the epidermal tissue), is an example of the first function. Furthermore, for example, in the case where the application gel of the present embodiment described above is attached to the pad (electrode plate) of Figure 4(A), the function of the application gel of the present embodiment being attached to the surface of the skin of the rescuee (patient) is an example of the first function.

[0051] Furthermore, in order to achieve the impedance reduction effect, it is sufficient for the electrode 30 to have a second function of being attached so that at least a part of it is present inside the skin of the rescuee (patient). Specifically, for example, in the case of the needle-shaped form of Figure 1 or Figure 4(B), an example of the second function is the function of at least a part of the needle-shaped electrode 30 piercing the skin so that at least a part of the electrode is present inside the skin. For example, in the case of the so-called clothespin and pinholder-like form of Figure 5, the gripping portion 302 has multiple needle-like portions 303 like a pinholder, and an example of the second function is the function of at least a portion of the needle-like portions 303 piercing the skin so that at least a portion of the needle-like portions 303 remains inside the skin.

[0052] 2 is merely an example and is not particularly limited. That is, it is sufficient if the function capable of executing the above-described series of processes as a whole is provided, and the type of functional block used to realize this function is not particularly limited to the example in FIG. 2.

[0053] Furthermore, the locations of the functional blocks are not limited to those shown in Fig. 2 and may be arbitrary. For example, at least some of the functional blocks of the AED 1 may be provided in another information processing device that can communicate with the AED 1 (for example, the smartphone 50 in Fig. 7 or the dedicated controller 60 in Fig. 8), or vice versa. A single functional block may be configured by a single piece of hardware, or may be configured in combination with a single piece of software.

[0054] When the processing of each functional block is performed by software, the program that constitutes the software is installed into a computer or the like from a network or a recording medium. The computer may be a computer built into dedicated hardware, or may be a computer capable of executing various functions by installing various programs, such as a server, a general-purpose smartphone, or a personal computer.

[0055] The recording medium containing such a program may not only be composed of removable media that is distributed separately from the device itself in order to provide the program to each user, but may also be composed of recording media that are provided to each user in a state where they are pre-installed in the device itself.

[0056] In this specification, the steps describing the program to be recorded on the recording medium include not only processes that are performed in chronological order, but also processes that are not necessarily performed in chronological order but are performed in parallel or individually.

[0057] In summary, an automated external defibrillator to which the present invention is applied is sufficient if it has the following configuration, and various embodiments are possible. That is, an automated external defibrillator to which the present invention is applied (for example, the AED1 shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 4 to 8) A pair of electrodes (for example, electrodes 30 (electrodes 30A and 30B) in FIGS. 1 to 8) are attached to the skin of the rescuee (patient) to administer an electric shock; The electrode only needs to have a first function of attaching the conductive portion to the skin in a wet state. By having such a first function, it is possible to achieve the effect of quick and easy attachment. For example, the electrode may have a needle-like shape, and as the first function, at least a part of the needle-like electrode may pierce the skin and subcutaneous tissue of the rescuee (patient) (see Figures 1 and 4(B)). For example, the electrode has a gripping portion (e.g., gripping portion 301 in FIG. 5) that is gripped by a rescuer of the rescuee (patient) and a gripping portion (e.g., gripping portion 302 in FIG. 5) that grips the skin of the rescuee (patient), and has the following function as the first function: When the gripping portion is gripped by the rescuer, the gripping portions open, and the skin of the rescuee (patient) is inserted and sandwiched between the gripping portions, and when the gripping portion is released, the skin is gripped by the gripping portions (see FIG. 5). For example, the electrode has an electrode plate (see, for example, Figure 4(A)) and a conductive adhesive containing a filler or a silicone-based coating gel containing adhesive (for example, the coating gel of the present embodiment described above), and has, as the first function, a function for the coating gel to be attached to the skin of the rescuee (patient).

[0058] Furthermore, it is preferable that the electrodes of the automated external defibrillator to which the present invention is applied have a second function of being attached so that at least a part of the electrodes is present inside the skin of the rescuee (patient). This is because the electrode having the second function can provide an impedance reducing effect. For example, the electrode has a needle-shaped portion at least in part (specifically, for example, in the cases of Figures 1 and 4(A), the electrode 30 itself is a needle-shaped portion, and in the case of Figure 5, it has multiple needle-shaped portions 303 like a pin holder), and as the second function, at least a part of the needle-shaped portion pierces the skin, so that at least a part of the needle-shaped portion becomes present inside the skin. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 1:AED (automated external defibrillator) 10: Main body 11 Display section 12 Control section 13 Storage section 14 Control Unit 15 Communications Department 16 High voltage generation unit 17 Biosignal acquisition unit 18 Status detection unit 19 Power supply section 20 Audio output section 30, 30A, 30B: Electrode 40, 40A, 40B: Cable 50 smartphones 60 dedicated controller 300 Grip 301 Gripping part 302 Acicular region

Claims

1. A pair of electrodes is attached to the skin of the rescuee to administer an electric shock; The electrode has a first function of attaching a conductive portion to the skin in a wet state. Automated external defibrillator.

2. The electrode is It has a needle-like shape, As the first function, at least a part of the needle-shaped electrode has a function of piercing the skin and subcutaneous tissue of the rescuee.

10. The automated external defibrillator of claim 1.

3. The electrode is The rescuer has a gripping portion to be gripped by a rescuer of the rescuee, and a gripping portion to grip the skin of the rescuee, As the first function, when the rescuer grasps the gripping portions, the gripping portions open, and the skin of the rescuee is inserted and sandwiched between the gripping portions, and then when the rescuer releases the gripping portions, the skin is grasped by the gripping portions.

10. The automated external defibrillator of claim 1.

4. The electrode is The electrode plate has a conductive adhesive containing a filler or a silicone coating gel containing an adhesive, As the first function, the application gel has a function of being attached to the skin of the rescuee.

10. The automated external defibrillator of claim 1.

5. The electrode is The rescuer further has a second function of being attached so that at least a portion of the rescuer is present inside the skin of the rescuee.

4. An automated external defibrillator according to claim 1.

6. The electrode is At least a part of the needle-shaped portion is provided. The second function is a function of at least a part of the needle-shaped portion piercing the skin so that the at least part of the needle-shaped portion is present inside the skin.

6. The automated external defibrillator of claim 5.

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