Medical Electrodes with Camera Feedback for Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cardiac therapy electrodes lack effective methods to ensure proper attachment and positioning on a patient's chest, which can lead to inadequate electrical current delivery during defibrillation.
Innovation Solution
The electrodes are equipped with a camera that generates image information to determine their position relative to the patient's chest, and an electronic interface that provides feedback to the rescuer through indicators, such as LEDs, to ensure correct positioning and attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If electrodes are made as simple adhesive pads with conductive layers, then ease of operation and ease of manufacture are improved, but reliability of proper positioning and attachment is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode system incorporates a camera that captures images of the patient's chest and provides real-time feedback to the rescuer about electrode positioning. The system analyzes the captured images to determine whether electrodes are correctly positioned and attached, providing visual feedback indicators (such as green checkmarks or color-coded signals) to confirm proper placement. This feedback mechanism resolves the contradiction by maintaining simple adhesive pad operation while significantly improving positioning reliability through automated visual verification.
2Reliability
If electrodes include additional positioning verification components, then reliability of attachment is improved, but device complexity is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The camera system serves multiple functions: it captures images for positioning verification, detects electrode attachment status, provides visual feedback to rescuers, and can guide proper electrode placement. By making the camera multi-functional, the system achieves high reliability in attachment verification without proportionally increasing complexity. The same hardware component performs several critical functions that would otherwise require separate devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically captures images, analyzes electrode positioning and attachment status, and provides feedback without requiring manual inspection by the rescuer. The automated image analysis and verification process reduces the need for complex manual checking procedures, allowing the system to achieve high reliability while keeping the user interface simple and intuitive.
3Device complexity
If manual inspection of electrode positioning is required, then device complexity is reduced, but loss of time in verification is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The camera continuously captures images of the patient's chest and pre-analyzes electrode positioning as electrodes are being applied, rather than requiring manual inspection after placement. The system performs preliminary verification during the application process itself, providing real-time feedback that allows rescuers to correct positioning issues immediately. This eliminates the need for separate manual inspection steps, reducing verification time while keeping the device relatively simple.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems are provided for guiding a rescuer in treatment of a patient. A method may include initializing one or more cameras on an external electrode assembly including a pair of electrodes. The method may further include capturing image information via the one or more cameras, the image information comprising a series of images acquired by the one or more cameras. The method may further include, based at least in part on the image information, providing feedback, comprising at least one of visual feedback and audio feedback, on at least one output device to guide the rescuer in the treatment of the patient.