External defibrillation electrode conductive electrolyte dispersal pad

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10737090-B2
Application number	US-201715646901-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 11, 2017
Priority date	Jul 11, 2017
Publication date	Aug 11, 2020
Grant date	Aug 11, 2020

Abstract

An external defibrillator system may include processing circuitry; signal generation circuitry communicatively coupled to the processing circuitry; and a plurality of electrodes, each including an electrode body electrically coupled to the signal generation circuitry and configured to deliver an electrical pulse therapy to a patient; and an electrolyte dispersal pad that includes a substrate defining a plurality of wells, each defining an opening; an electrolyte material, e.g., fluid, disposed within at least a portion of the plurality of wells; and a conductive material disposed over at least a portion of the openings and configured to retain the electrolyte material within the plurality of wells, where the processing circuitry is configured control the signal generation circuitry to pass a current pulse through a portion of the conductive material to fuse the portion of the conductive material to release the electrolyte material from at least one of the wells.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An external defibrillator system, the system comprising:
processing circuitry;
signal generation circuitry communicatively coupled to the processing circuitry; and
a plurality of electrodes, each respective electrode comprising:
an electrode body electrically coupled to the signal generation circuitry and configured to deliver an electrical pulse therapy to a patient; and
an electrolyte dispersal pad over the electrode body, the electrolyte dispersal pad comprising:
a substrate having a first surface adjacent the electrode body and a second surface opposing the first surface, wherein the second surface defines a plurality of wells, each respective well defining an opening;
an electrolyte material disposed within the plurality of wells; and
a conductive material disposed adjacent the second surface over at least a portion of the plurality of openings and configured to retain the electrolyte material within the plurality of wells,

wherein the processing circuitry is configured control the signal generation circuitry to pass a current pulse through a portion of the conductive material, and
wherein the portion of the conductive material is configured to, in response to the current pulse, fuse to release the electrolyte material from at least one of the wells.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to cause the signal generation circuitry to pass the current pulse through the portion of the conductive material to fuse the portion of the conductive material to release the electrolyte material from at least one of the wells prior to controlling the signal generation circuitry to deliver an electrical pulse therapy to the patient.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising switching circuitry electrically coupled to the signal generation circuitry and communicatively coupled to the processing circuitry wherein:
each respective electrode further comprises a plurality of electrical connections electrically coupled to the switching circuitry, the plurality of electrical connections comprising:
a first electrical connection electrically coupled to the conductive material at a first position;
a second electrical connection electrically coupled to the conductive material at a second position;
a third electrical connection electrically coupled to the conductive material at a third position; and
a fourth electrical connection electrically coupled to the conductive material at a fourth position,

wherein:
the switching circuitry is configured to pass a first portion of the current pulse from the first position, through a first portion of the conductive material, to the second position to fuse the first portion of the conductive material to release the electrolyte material from at least one first well of the plurality of wells, and
the switching circuitry is configured to pass a second portion of the current pulse from the third position, through a second portion of the conductive material, to the fourth position to fuse the second portion of the conductive material to release the electrolyte material from at least one second well of the plurality of wells.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein:
the processing circuitry is configured cause the signal generation circuitry to pass a first current pulse to the switching circuitry and to pass a second, different current pulse to the switching circuitry,
the first portion of the current pulse comprises the first current pulse, and
the second portion of the current pulse comprises the second, different current pulse.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the conductive material comprises aluminum or titanium.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises silicon.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte material is configured to reduce the impedance between a skin of the patient and the electrode body during an electrical pulse therapy.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte material is configured to increase the surface area on the skin of the patient through which an electrical pulse passes during an electrical pulse therapy.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte material comprises an electrolyte powder.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte material comprises an electrolyte fluid.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the electrolyte fluid comprises at least one of a saline solution or a silver chloride solution.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte dispersal pad is conformal to a contour of a surface of a skin of the patient.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the system is mounted on a garment wearable by the patient, and
the plurality of electrodes are disposed on the garment to pass the electrical pulse therapy through at least a portion of the heart of the patient.

14. The system of claim 1 , the plurality of electrodes further comprising a textile adjacent the conductive material and a body of the patient, wherein the textile is configured to allow the electrolyte material to pass from the plurality of wells, through the textile, to the body of the patient.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the textile comprises an electrically conductive textile.

16. An external defibrillator electrode electrolyte dispersal pad, the electrolyte dispersal pad comprising:
a substrate having a first surface adjacent the electrode body and a second surface opposing the first surface, wherein the second surface defines a plurality of wells, each respective well defining an opening;
an electrolyte material disposed within the plurality of wells; and
a conductive material disposed adjacent the second surface over at least a portion of the plurality of openings and configured to retain the electrolyte material within the plurality of wells, wherein the conductive material is configured to receive a current pulse through a portion of the conductive material, and wherein the portion of the conductive material is configured to, in response to the current pulse, fuse to release the electrolyte material from at least one of the wells.

17. The electrolyte dispersal pad of claim 16 , further comprising:
a first electrical connection electrically coupled to the conductive material at a first position;
a second electrical connection electrically coupled to the conductive material at a second position;
a third electrical connection electrically coupled to the conductive material at a third position; and
a fourth electrical connection electrically coupled to the conductive material at a fourth position, wherein:
the first electrical connection and second electrical connect are configured to pass a first current pulse from the first position, through a first portion of the conductive material, to the second position to fuse the first portion of the conductive material to release the electrolyte material from at least one first well of the plurality of wells, and
the third electrical connection and fourth electrical connection are configured to pass a second portion of the current pulse from the third position, through a second portion of the conductive material, to the fourth position to fuse the second portion of the conductive material to release the electrolyte material from at least one second well of the plurality of wells.

18. The electrolyte dispersal pad of claim 16 , wherein the conductive material comprises aluminum or titanium.

19. The electrolyte dispersal pad of claim 16 , wherein the substrate comprises silicon.

20. The

Assignees

• Medtronic Inc

Inventors

• Crutchfield Randolph E
• Bast Gerard A
• Cano David A
• Mesias Lisa Anne Harness
• Norgaard Clark B
• Porter Mark E
• Sims Ii Jerome
• Timson Philip

Classifications

• A61N1/3904

  External heart defibrillators [EHD] · CPC title

• A61N1/08

  Arrangements or circuits for monitoring, protecting, controlling or indicating {(for external stimulators A61N1/3603; for implantable neurostimulators A61N1/36128; for heart stimulators A61N1/37; for defibrillators A61N1/3925)} · CPC title

• A61N1/3987

  characterised by the timing or triggering of the shock · CPC title

• A61N1/0484

  Garment electrodes worn by the patient · CPC title

• A61N1/0496

  characterised by using specific chemical compositions, e.g. hydrogel compositions, adhesives · CPC title