초록 ▼

A patient-worn harness or vest protects at-risk patients from the possibly fatal results of heart arrhythmias. The harness or vest incorporates sensing electrodes for monitoring heart condition, a microprocessor and memory for processing signals received from the sending electrodes and comparing sam

A patient-worn harness or vest protects at-risk patients from the possibly fatal results of heart arrhythmias. The harness or vest incorporates sensing electrodes for monitoring heart condition, a microprocessor and memory for processing signals received from the sending electrodes and comparing same with patient\s data, and skin-contacting pulsing electrodes for applying electrical pulses to the patient\s chest wall responsive to signals received from the microprocessor. The electrodes include automatic tightening and electrolyte gel release mechanisms for reducing impedance at the electrode-skin interface. A servicing subsystem is provided for the harness or vest and may be used to interface with the harness or vest and also to communicate with remote health care personnel through a suitable telephone link.

대표청구항 ▼

A patient-worn device for automatically delivering electrical therapy to the heart upon the occurrence of a treatable heart arrhythmia, the device comprising: monitoring means for continuously sensing the patient\s heart condition, skin-contacting treatment electrode means having a surface adapted f

A patient-worn device for automatically delivering electrical therapy to the heart upon the occurrence of a treatable heart arrhythmia, the device comprising: monitoring means for continuously sensing the patient\s heart condition, skin-contacting treatment electrode means having a surface adapted for contact with the patient\s skin, a source of electrical energy for supplying electrical pulses to the electrode means, discrimination means for receiving signals from the monitoring means and determining the presence of a treatable heart arrhythmia, impedance reducing means associated with the electrode means for actuation by the discrimination means responsive to the detection of a treatable heart arrhythmia for automatically reducing the impedance to electrical current flow at an interface between said surface of the electrode means and the patient\s skin, and switching means actuated by the discrimination means responsive to the detection of a treatable arrhythmia for connecting the source of electrical energy to the electrode means thereby applying appropriate electrical pulses to the heart.