Defibrillator Automatic Activation Pattern Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing defibrillators often experience unnecessary battery depletion due to inadvertent automatic activation, caused by faulty sensors, overstuffing of accessories, or unobservable latch failures, leading to delayed therapy and increased costs.

Innovation Solution

A defibrillator with an improved automatic power-on feature that detects patterns of inadvertent activation and disables the automatic power-on function when such patterns are detected, re-enabling it only when the device is manually activated by a user, ensuring that routine maintenance does not trigger unnecessary power-ups.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If the automatic power-on feature is enabled to minimize response time, then the readiness for emergency use is improved, but the battery suffers unnecessary depletion due to inadvertent activation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereadiness for emergency useVSAvoidbattery depletion
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system monitors activation patterns and uses this feedback to dynamically adjust the automatic power-on behavior. When inadvertent activations are detected through pattern analysis, the system automatically disables the automatic power-on feature, thereby preventing unnecessary battery depletion while maintaining rapid response capability when needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Productivity

If the automatic power-on feature is continuously enabled to ensure rapid response, then the productivity is improved, but the reliability deteriorates due to battery failure from unnecessary depletion

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverapid response capabilityVSAvoidbattery reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The automatic power-on feature transitions from a static always-enabled state to a dynamic state that adjusts based on detected activation patterns. The system automatically modifies its behavior in real-time, enabling rapid response when appropriate and disabling when inadvertent activation is detected, thereby maintaining both productivity and reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Ease of operation

If the automatic power-on sensor is highly sensitive to detect case opening, then the ease of operation is improved, but the measurement precision worsens due to false activation from overstuffing or latch failure

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecase opening detectionVSAvoidactivation detection accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses feedback from multiple activation events to refine its detection accuracy. By analyzing patterns across multiple cases, the system can distinguish between intentional case openings for use and inadvertent openings caused by overstuffing or latch failures, thereby improving measurement precision without sacrificing ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary analysis of activation patterns before making decisions about automatic power-on behavior. By evaluating historical activation data in advance, the system can identify inadvertent activation patterns and adjust its sensitivity accordingly, preventing false activations while maintaining responsive detection for legitimate use.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2978490B1Prevention of inadvertent battery depletion in an automatic external defibrillator
Publication Date: 2019.05.08 KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS NV
  • EP2978490B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2978490B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2978490B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A defibrillator (100) and method (300) are described having an improved automatic activation feature. The improvement comprises sensing a pattern of events which indicates that repeated activations are inadvertent, and thus are unnecessarily depleting the battery. The defibrillator then disables the automatic activation circuit (210) feature. Then, the sensing of a manual defibrillator operation may trigger a re-enablement of the automatic activation feature.