Combination pacer defibrillator electrodes and pacer-defibrillator and method for use therewith

Claim 2

A pacing and defibrillating paddle for placement in contact with a patient to apply pacing and defibrillating pulses to the patient, comprising: (a) a defibrillating electrode; (b) a region of high electrical conductivity connected to the defibrillating electrode, for delivering the defibrillating pulses, to the patient; (c) a pacing electrode; and (d) a region of low electrical conductivity connected to the pacing electrode that is distinct from the defibrillating electrode for delivering the pacing pulses to the patient, wherein the regions of conductivity are physically coupled.

Claim 3

A pacing and defibrillating paddle as recited in claim 1 wherein the regions are in electrical contact.

Claim 4

A pacing and defibrillating paddle as recited in claim 2 wherein the regions comprise concentric annular regions.

Claim 5

A pacing and defibrillating paddle as recited in claim 1 wherein the region of high electrical conductivity is encircled by the region of low electrical conductivity.

Claim 6

A pacing and defibrillating paddle as recited in claim 2 wherein the regions comprise concentric regions.

Claim 7

A pacing and defibrillating paddle as recited in claim 1 further comprising a second region of low electrical conductivity.

Claim 8

A pacing and defibrillating paddle as recited in claim 1 wherein the region of high electrical conductivity comprises a region of polymeric gel.

Claim 9

A pacing and defibrillating paddle as recited in claim 7 wherein the polymeric gel for the region of high electrical conductivity has an electrical resistance on the order of magnitude of 10 ohms.

Claim 10

A pacing and defibrillating paddle as recited in claim 1 wherein the region of low electrical conductivity comprises a region of polymeric gel.

Claim 11

A pacing and defibrillating paddle as recited in claim 9 wherein the polymeric gel for the region of low electrical conductivity has an electrical resistance on the order of magnitude of 10 3 ohms.

Claim 12

A pacing and defibrillating paddle for placing in contact with a patient to deliver defibrillating pulses to the patient, comprising: (a) at least one defibrillating electrode for delivering the defibrillating pulses to the patient; (b) at least one pacing electrode for delivering the pacing pulses to the patient; (c) a region of hydro-gel coupled to the defibrillating electrode, said hydro-gel having a high electrical conductivity; and (d) a region of hydro-gel coupled to the said at least one pacing electrode, said hydro-gel having a low electrical conductivity, wherein the regions of conductivity are physically coupled.

Claim 13

A pacing and defibrillating paddle for placing in contact with a patient to deliver defibrillating pulses to the patient, comprising: (a) at least one defibrillating electrode for delivering the defibrillating pulses to the patient; (b) at least one pacing electrode for delivering the pacing pulses to the patient; (c) a region of hydro-gel coupled to the defibrillating electrode, said hydro-gel having a high electrical conductivity; and (d) a region of hydro-gel coupled to the said at least one pacing electrode, said hydro-gel having a low electrical conductivity, wherein the regions of conductivity are physically coupled.

Claim 14

A pacing and defibrillating paddle as recited in claim 1 wherein the regions of hydro-gel are in electrical contact.

Claim 15

A pacing and defibrillating paddle as recited in claim 11 further comprising an additional region of the hydro-gel coupled to the pacing electrode, said additional region having a low electrical conductivity.

Claim 16

A pacing and defibrillating paddle as recited in claim 13 wherein the regions comprise concentric regions.

Claim 17

A pacing and defibrillating paddle as recited in claim 11 further comprising an encasement for encasing the regions and electrodes.

Claim 18

A pacing and defibrillating paddle as recited in claim 11 wherein the region of low electrical conductivity has a resistance on the order of magnitude of 0 3 ohms.

Claim 19

A pacing and defibrillating paddle as recited in claim 11 wherein the region of high electrical conductivity has a resistance on the order of magnitude of 10 ohms.

Claim 20

A pair of paddles for applying pacing and defibrillating pulses to a patient, comprising: (a) a delivery paddle capable of delivering both the defibrillating and the pacing pulses to a patient, said delivery paddle being comprised of (1) a region of high electrical conductivity that is coupled to at least one defibrillating electrode for delivering the defibrillating pulses to the patient; (2) a region of low electrical conductivity that is coupled to at least one pacing electrode for delivering the defibrillating pulses to the patient wherein the regions of conductivity are physically coupled; (b) a receiving paddle for receiving electrical pulses from the patient; and (c) a pulse source, connected to said delivery and receiving paddles, for applying voltages to the delivery paddle to generate the defibrillating and the pacing pulses.

Claim 21

A pair of paddles for applying pacing and defibrillating pulses to a patient, comprising: (a) a delivery paddle capable of delivering both the defibrillating and the pacing pulses to a patient, said delivery paddle being comprised of (1) a region of high electrical conductivity that is coupled to at least one defibrillating electrode for delivering the defibrillating pulses to the patient; (2) a region of low electrical conductivity that is coupled to at least one pacing electrode for delivering the defibrillating pulses to the patient wherein the regions of conductivity are physically coupled; (b) a receiving paddle for receiving electrical pulses from the patient; and (c) a pulse source, connected to said delivery and receiving paddles, for applying voltages to the delivery paddle to generate the defibrillating and the pacing pulses.

Claim 22

A pair of paddles as recited in claim 18 wherein the regions of the delivery paddle are in electrical contact.

Claim 23

A pair of paddles as recited in claim 18 wherein the receiving paddle has an identical construction to the delivery paddle.

Claim 24

A pair of paddles as recited in claim 18 wherein the delivery paddle further comprises an additional region of low electrical conductivity

Claim 25

A pair of paddles as recited in claim 21 wherein the regions comprise concentric regions.

Claim 26

A pair of paddles as recited in claim 22 wherein the additional region of low conductivity is surrounded by the region of high conductivity which, in turn, is surrounded by the region of low electrical conductivity.

Claim 27

A pair of paddles as recited in claim 22 wherein the region of high electrical conductivity is encircled by at least one region of low electrical conductivity.

Claim 28

A pair of paddles as recited in claim 18 wherein the region of high electrical conductivity has an electrical resistance on the order of magnitude of 10 ohms.

Claim 29

A pair of paddles as recited in claim 18 wherein the region of low electrical conductivity has an electrical resistance on the order of magnitude of 10 3 ohms

Claim 30

A pair of paddles as recited in claim 18 wherein the regions are comprised of hydro-gel.

Claim 31

A pacing/defibrillation unit for applying pacing pulses or defibrillating pulses, comprising: (a) a pulse source for applying voltages to a delivery paddle to generate the defibrillating and the pacing pulses; (b) the delivery paddle for delivering the defibrillating and the pacing pulses to the patient, said delivery paddle being comprises of: (1) at least one pacing electrode; (2) at least one defibrillating electrode; (3) a region of high electrical conductivity coupled to the defibrillating electrode, said region being placed in contact with the patient to deliver the defibrillating pulses; (4) a region of low electrical conductivity coupled to the pacing electrode, said region being placed in contact with the patient to deliver the pacing pulses; (c) a receiving paddle for receiving the defibrillating and the pacing pulses; and (d) connectors for electrically connecting the electrodes to the pulse source.

Claim 32

A pacing/defibrillation unit for applying pacing pulses or defibrillating pulses, comprising: (a) a pulse source for applying voltages to a delivery paddle to generate the defibrillating and the pacing pulses; (b) the delivery paddle for delivering the defibrillating and the pacing pulses to the patient, said delivery paddle being comprises of: (1) at least one pacing electrode; (2) at least one defibrillating electrode; (3) a region of high electrical conductivity coupled to the defibrillating electrode, said region being placed in contact with the patient to deliver the defibrillating pulses; (4) a region of low electrical conductivity coupled to the pacing electrode, said region being placed in contact with the patient to deliver the pacing pulses; (c) a receiving paddle for receiving the defibrillating and the pacing pulses; and (d) connectors for electrically connecting the electrodes to the pulse source.

Claim 33

A pacing/defibrillation unit as recited in claim 28 wherein the pulse source delivers different voltages to the pacing electrodes than to the defibrillating electrodes.

Claim 34

A pacing/defibrillation unit as recited in claim 28 wherein the receiving paddle has an identical construction to the delivery paddle.

Claim 35

A pacing/defibrillation unit as recited in claim 28 wherein the regions of the delivery paddle include concentric regions.

Claim 36

A pacing/defibrillation unit as recited in claim 28 wherein the region of high electrical conductivity is encircled by the region of low electrical conductivity.

Claim 37

A pacing/defibrillation unit as recited in claim 28 wherein the delivery paddle further comprises an additional region of low electrical conductivity.

Claim 38

A pacing/defibrillation unit as recited in claim 33 wherein the additional region of low electrical conductivity is surrounded by the region of high electrical conductivity which, in turn, is surrounded by the other region of low electrical conductivity.