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US5225769A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Defibrillation discharge current sensor

Assignee: Zoll Medical Corp
•
Filing: 1992-02-21
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Granted: 1993-07-06
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Expires: 2012-02-21
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Abstract

Abstract Method and apparatus for determining the current in a defibrillation pulse discharge circuit 30 which has an inductor 38 with a characteristic inductance for shaping the defibrillation pulses. A sense winding 136 is wound around the inductor with at least one turn between ends of the winding for developing a sense voltage between the ends in response to the current in the inductor as a defibrillation pulse is discharged by the circuit. This sense voltage is measured, and based on the sense voltage and the characteristic inductance of the inductor, the current in the defibrillation discharge pulse is determined.

Inventors

  • 👤 Randall W. Fincke
  • 👤 Michael L. Lopin

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-09 19:04
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01R; G01R1/00; G01R1/02; G01R1/06; G01R1/067; G01R1/07; A; A61; A61N; A61N1/00; A61N1/18; A61N1/32; A61N1/38; A61N1/39; A61N1/3925; A61N1/3937

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim 115 words
An electrical energy discharge apparatus of the type that generates defibrillation energy pulses used to defibrillate a fibrillating heart of a patient, said discharge apparatus comprising an electrical inductor having a characteristic inductance for shaping the defibrillation energy pulses, and electrical capacitor for storing defibrillation pulse energy before the energy is discharged, and means for discharging the capacitor to generate the defibrillation pulse, a sense winding would around the inductor for developing a sense voltage between ends of the winding in response to the current in the inductor as a defibrillation pulse is generated, and voltage measurement circuitry connected to the ends of the sense winding for measuring the sense voltage developed between the ends.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 115 words
An electrical energy discharge apparatus of the type that generates defibrillation energy pulses used to defibrillate a fibrillating heart of a patient, said discharge apparatus comprising an electrical inductor having a characteristic inductance for shaping the defibrillation energy pulses, and electrical capacitor for storing defibrillation pulse energy before the energy is discharged, and means for discharging the capacitor to generate the defibrillation pulse, a sense winding would around the inductor for developing a sense voltage between ends of the winding in response to the current in the inductor as a defibrillation pulse is generated, and voltage measurement circuitry connected to the ends of the sense winding for measuring the sense voltage developed between the ends.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 44 words
The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising current monitoring means connected to the voltage measurement circuitry for determining the current in the discharge apparatus based on the characteristic inductance of the inductor and the sense voltage developed between the ends of the sense winding.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 28 words
The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising sampling means for sampling the sense voltage to produce voltage samples and to deliver the samples to the current monitoring means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 34 words
The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the voltage measurement circuitry and the current monitoring means together are able to numerically integrate the sense voltage over time to determine the current in the discharge apparatus.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 14 words
The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the electrical inductor comprises an air core choke.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 16 words
The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the electrical inductor comprises at least 1000 turns of wire.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 17 words
The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the sense winding comprises a copper band wound around the inductor.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 27 words
The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the sense winding can withstand a 2500 V differential between an electrical inductor voltage and the sense winding voltage without malfunction.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 25 words
The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the current monitoring means comprises means for integrating the sampled voltage values over time to produce current sample values.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 24 words
The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising means for comparing each of the current samples to determine the peak current in the defibrillation pulse.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 24 words
The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising means for comparing each of the current samples to determine the valley current in the defibrillation pulse.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 39 words
The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising means determining the resistance of a load at an output of the discharge apparatus based on the sense voltage, the characteristic inductance of the inductor, and the current of the defibrillation pulse.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 35 words
The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising means for determining the energy delivered in the defibrillation pulse based on the sense voltage, the characteristic inductance of the inductor, and the current in the defibrillation pulse.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 21 words
The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising means for the measuring the sense voltage throughout the duration of the defibrillation pulse.
Claim 16
Independent Claim 130 words
A method for monitoring the current delivered in a defibrillation pulse generated by a defibrillation energy pulse discharge circuit comprising an electrical inductor having a characteristic inductance for shaping the defibrillation energy pulses, and an electrical capacitor for storing defibrillation pulse energy before the energy is discharged, the method comprising discharging the capacitor to generate the defibrillation pulse, sensing the voltage of the electrical inductor with a sense winding wound around the inductor for developing a sense voltage between ends of the winding in response to the current in the inductor as a defibrillation pulse is generated, measuring the sense voltage, and determining the current in the defibrillation discharge pulse based on the characteristic inductance of the inductor and the sense voltage developed between the ends of the sense winding.
Claim 17
Independent Claim 130 words
A method for monitoring the current delivered in a defibrillation pulse generated by a defibrillation energy pulse discharge circuit comprising an electrical inductor having a characteristic inductance for shaping the defibrillation energy pulses, and an electrical capacitor for storing defibrillation pulse energy before the energy is discharged, the method comprising discharging the capacitor to generate the defibrillation pulse, sensing the voltage of the electrical inductor with a sense winding wound around the inductor for developing a sense voltage between ends of the winding in response to the current in the inductor as a defibrillation pulse is generated, measuring the sense voltage, and determining the current in the defibrillation discharge pulse based on the characteristic inductance of the inductor and the sense voltage developed between the ends of the sense winding.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 14 words
The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of measuring the sense voltage.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 38 words
The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of determining the current in the defibrillation discharge pulse based on the characteristic inductance of the inductor and the sense voltage developed between the ends of the sense winding.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 18 words
The method of claim 17 wherein the sense voltage is measured throughout the duration of the defibrillation pulse.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 44 words
The method of claim 18 wherein the sense voltage is measured by sampling the voltage between the ends of the sense winding over time to produce sampled voltage values, and the sampled voltage values are used to determine the current in the discharge circuit.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 28 words
The method of claim 19 wherein the current in the defibrillation discharge pulse is determined by integrating the sampled voltage values over time to produce current sample values.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 31 words
The method of claim 20 further comprising the step of comparing each of the current sample values to determine the peak current in the defibrillation pulse generated by the discharge circuit.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 31 words
The method of claim 21 further comprising the step of comparing each of the current sample values to determine the valley current in the defibrillation pulses generated by the discharge circuit.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim 42 words
The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of determining the resistance of a load at an output of the discharge circuit based on the sense voltage, characteristic inductance of the electrical inductor, and the current of the defibrillation discharge pulse.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 42 words
The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of determining the energy delivered in the defibrillation pulse generated by the discharge circuit based on the sense voltage, characteristic inductance of the electrical inductor, and the current in the defibrillation discharge pulse.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3449703A Cited
US3787767A Cited
US3747605A Cited
US3782389A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1996-07-05 1997-01-04 1997-07-06 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2000-07-05 2001-01-04 2001-07-06 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2004-07-05 2005-01-04 2005-07-06 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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