Emergency call patient locating system for implanted automatic defibrillators
View Patent ↗Methods and systems for placing a distress call in response to the operation of an implanted device. The implanted device may be any of a plurality of medical devices capable of monitoring and/or regulating an organ. When threshold conditions are reached, a distress signal transmitted by the implanted device activates an external communications system. The external communications system then places a distress call, which may be responded to by the appropriate medical personnel.
1. A method for selectively placing a distress call in response to activity of an implanted medical device worn by a human subject, comprising:
receiving a wireless signal from the implanted medical device; and
in response receiving the wireless signal:
generating, by an external voice synthesizer, a voice synthesized message providing information about a nature of the human subject's condition even in the event the human subject wearing the implanted medical device is incapable of verbal communication; and
transmitting, by an external communications device, the distress call in the form of the voice synthesized message to a remote location;
wherein the distress call includes at least one of a serial number and a model number of the implanted medical device.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless signal is indicative of a medical emergency experienced by the human subject wearing the implanted medical device.
3. The method of claim 1 , prior to transmitting, determining that the wireless signal is indicative of a medical emergency being experienced by the human subject wearing the implanted medical device.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless signal and distress call contain vital data pertaining to an organ being monitored by the implanted medical device.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the distress call contains location information indicating a location of a device initiating the distress call.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the implanted medical device comprises one of a pacemaker, an implantable cardioverter defibrillator and a combination thereof.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the implanted medical device comprises a transmitter configured to transmit the wireless signal and a heart regulating device.
8. A system for selectively placing and handling a distress call, comprising:
an implanted medical device worn by a human subject and comprising a wireless transmitter for issuing a wireless signal;
a wireless external receiver configured to receive the wireless signal from the implanted medical device;
a voice synthesizer configured to generate a voice synthesized message in response to the wireless signal, the voice synthesized message providing information about a nature of the human subject's condition; and
an external communications device communicative with the wireless external receiver and configured to transmit a distress call in the form of the voice synthesized message to a remote location in response to receiving input from the wireless external receiver even in the event the human subject wearing the implanted medical device is incapable of verbal communication;
wherein the distress call comprises at least one of the serial number and the model number of the implanted medical device.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the distress call contains location information indicating a location of the external communications device.
10. The system of claim 8 , further comprising a locator device configured to provide location information to the external communications device, wherein the location information is included in the distress call.
11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the wireless signal and distress call contain vital data pertaining to an organ being monitored by the implanted medical device.
12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the implanted medical device comprises one of a pacemaker, an implantable cardioverter defibrillator and a combination thereof.
13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the implanted medical device comprises a transmitter configured to transmit the wireless signal and a heart regulating device.
14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the external communications device is configured to determine, prior to transmitting the distress call, that the wireless signal is indicative of a medical emergency being experienced by the human subject wearing the implanted medical device.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the external communications device is a cell phone.
16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving, by the external device, a wireless power status signal from the implanted medical device indicating a low battery power of the implanted medical device.
17. The system of claim 8 , wherein the external communications device is a cell phone.
18. The system of claim 8 , wherein the implanted medical device is configured to transmit a wireless power status signal to the external communications device indicating a low battery power of the implanted medical device.
19. The system of claim 8 , wherein the implanted medical device is configured to transmit a wireless power status signal to the external communications device indicating a low battery power of the implanted medical device.
20. A method for selectively placing and handling a distress call in response to activity of an implanted medical device worn by a human subject, comprising:
receiving, by an external communications device, a wireless signal from the implanted medical device; and
in response to receiving the wireless signal:
generating, by an external voice synthesizer, a voice synthesized message providing information about a nature of the human subject's condition even in the event the human subject is incapable of verbal communication;
transmitting the distress call, with the voice synthesized message, to a remote location in response to receiving the wireless signal;
receiving the distress call at the remote location;
in response to receiving the distress call at the remote location, automatically accessing a patient record from a database; and
displaying the patient record to an operator;
wherein the external communications device is a cell phone, and further comprising:
inputting the voice synthesized message into the cell phone from which the voice synthesized message is transmitted with the distress call.
21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the wireless signal and distress call contain vital data pertaining to an organ being monitored by the implanted medical device.
22. The method of claim 20 , further comprising receiving, by the external device, a wireless status signal from the implanted medical device indicating a low battery power of the implanted medical device.