Customized External Defibrillator Profiles for Anticipated Patients
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are not customized for individual patients, leading to potentially suboptimal treatment due to lack of personal medical history and physiological data, which can result in misdiagnosis and inappropriate therapy.
Innovation Solution
Customized external defibrillators that store profiles for specific patients, including medical history, physiological parameters, and treatment settings, allowing for tailored therapy based on individual patient data, with options for patient identification using RFID cards or biometric data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If existing AEDs use a general configuration suitable for any victim, then the device can be used universally, but the treatment may be suboptimal for particular victims due to lack of personalized medical history and physiological data
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by collecting and storing physiological data (ECG, impedance, heart rate) and medical history information before an emergency occurs. This baseline data is stored in association with the patient, enabling the AED to compare current emergency readings against known baseline values, thereby improving diagnostic accuracy while maintaining universal applicability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary information storage system (memory device, RFID card, or remote database) that mediates between the general AED and the specific patient data. This intermediary allows the universal device to access personalized information without requiring customization of the AED hardware itself, resolving the contradiction between universality and personalization.
2Reliability
If the AED stores multiple patient profiles locally, then treatment can be customized for anticipated patients, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patient information system is segmented into multiple components: local memory for essential baseline data, optional RFID cards for patient identification and profile selection, and remote database access for comprehensive medical history. This segmentation allows the AED to achieve personalized treatment without requiring all functionality to be present in the main device, thereby managing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Complexity-intensive functions such as comprehensive medical history storage and advanced profile management are extracted from the AED main body and placed in external storage devices or remote databases. The AED retains only the essential functions of comparing current readings against stored baselines, reducing device complexity while maintaining personalized treatment capability.
3Reliability
If the AED requires patient identification through RFID cards or biometric data, then personalized treatment can be delivered, but the ease of operation during emergency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The AED is designed with multi-functionality to accommodate multiple identification methods (RFID card reading, biometric scanning, or manual profile selection) while maintaining a simple operational interface. The system can automatically detect and switch between different identification modes, providing personalized treatment without requiring the user to master complex procedures during an emergency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates self-service features where the AED automatically performs patient identification and profile matching with minimal user input. For example, the device can automatically scan for RFID cards, prompt for biometric data, or select the most appropriate profile based on available information, reducing the operational burden on users during emergencies while ensuring accurate patient-specific treatment.
Data Source
AI summary
An external defibrillator is customized for at least one person, i.e., an anticipated patient, through creation of a profile for the anticipated patient that allows the defibrillator and users of the defibrillator to provide customized treatment to the patient. The profile may include treatment parameters for the anticipated patient, such as defibrillation therapy parameters selected for the patient. The profile may also include a baseline recording of a physiological parameter of the patient, and medical history and personal information regarding the patient. In some embodiments, the external defibrillator stores a profile for each of one or more anticipated patients within a memory. In other embodiments, a profile for an anticipated patient is stored within a medium associated with that anticipated patient. The medium may, for example, be a removable medium for external defibrillators.