Solid-State Defibrillator Circuit With Variable Bias Waveforms
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional AEDs are bulky, costly, and complex, limiting their availability and effectiveness in addressing sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) outside public access locations, primarily due to their design for reusability and high voltage generation components, which are prone to failure and increase size and weight.
Innovation Solution
AED pulse generation circuits that provide floating, adjustable bias voltages for a solid-state defibrillation waveform generator, reducing component count and complexity, allowing for a compact, reliable, and affordable design suitable for single-use applications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional AEDs are designed for reusability with high voltage generation components, then reliability is improved, but size and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies disposable single-use AED design where the device is discarded after one use. This eliminates the need for complex reusable high voltage generation components, significantly reducing weight and cost while maintaining reliability for the intended single application. The disposable nature removes requirements for durable batteries, robust transformers, and fail-safe mechanisms needed in reusable devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes heavy high voltage generation components (transformers, large capacitors, complex switching circuits) from the AED design. By eliminating these components through the disposable approach, the device weight is dramatically reduced while still achieving the necessary defibrillation function for single-use applications.
2Reliability
If conventional AEDs are designed for reusability and constant self-testing, then reliability is improved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The disposable design eliminates expensive quality assurance measures required for reusable devices. Constant self-testing circuits, redundant components, and robust battery management systems that increase cost in reusable AEDs are removed. The device is manufactured to a lower cost standard appropriate for single-use disposal.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent removes expensive telemetry functionality, complex self-testing circuits, and redundant safety mechanisms from the design. These extracted components represent significant cost reductions while the core defibrillation function remains intact for the single intended use.
3Power
If conventional AEDs include transformers for high voltage generation, then defibrillation capability is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical/electromagnetic high voltage generation (transformers, large capacitors, complex switching circuits) with solid-state electronic circuitry. This substitution uses modern semiconductor devices to generate the necessary high voltage pulses, dramatically simplifying the circuit design while maintaining the required power output for defibrillation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operating parameters and methodology of high voltage generation from traditional transformer-based approaches to solid-state switching and voltage multiplication techniques. This involves using high-frequency switching of solid-state devices to generate the necessary voltages, reducing component count and circuit complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A defibrillator is provided. The defibrillator includes: one or more power generation subcircuits configured to generate a variable voltage bias supply; a solid-state defibrillation waveform therapy generator circuit including a plurality of elements at least portion of which is configured to be driven by the variable voltage bias supply, the generator configured to: generate one or more defibrillation waveforms when the voltage is in a high energy state, activating at least some of the elements of the generator in the saturated region; and generate one or more internal discharge waveforms that are isolated from the patient when the voltage is in a low energy state, activating at least some of the elements of the generator in the transconductance region and dissipating energy as heat; and a microcontroller control unit configured to control whether the voltage supply is provided to the generator circuit at the high or low energy state.