Assessing medical electrode condition
View Patent ↗The invention presents an apparatus and techniques for determining whether a medical electrode, such as a defibrillation electrode coupled to an automated external defibrillator, is in a condition for replacement. The determination can be made as a function of one or more data. In one exemplary embodiment, the determination is a function of one or more measurements of an impedance of a hydrogel bridge in a test module. In another exemplary embodiment, the determination is a function of one or more environmental condition data from one or more environmental sensors.
1. A defibrillator comprising:
an impedance measure module configured to measure an impedance between a first test lead and a second test lead in electrical contact with a hydrogel bridge, the first test lead and the second test lead being a separate structure from, and being electrically isolated from, a therapy delivery plate of a defibrillation electrode capable of delivering electrical therapy when coupled to the defibrillator; and
a processor configured to determine whether the defibrillation electrode is in a condition for replacement as a function of the measurement.
2. The defibrillator of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to receive at least one environmental condition datum from an environmental sensor and to determine the defibrillation electrode is in a condition for replacement as a function of the datum.
3. The defibrillator of claim 2 , further comprising the environmental sensor.
4. The defibrillator of claim 2 , wherein the environmental sensor comprises at least one of a temperature sensor or a humidity sensor.
5. The defibrillator of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to notify a person when the defibrillation electrode is in a condition for replacement.
6. The defibrillator of claim 1 , further comprising an alarm, wherein the processor is further configured to activate the alarm when the defibrillation electrode is in a condition for replacement.
7. The defibrillator of claim 1 , further comprising memory configured to store at least one of the expiration date and a manufacturing date received from an input module.
8. The defibrillator of claim 7 , further comprising the input module.
9. The defibrillator of claim 1 , wherein the defibrillator comprises an automated external defibrillator.