Abstract: Defibrillators are provided that include a passive airway support device.

Abstract: A resuscitation system that includes at least two defibrillation electrodes configured to be applied to the exterior of the chest of a patient for delivering a defibrillation shock, a source of one or more ECG signals from the patient, a defibrillation circuit for delivering a defibrillation shock to the defibrillation electrodes, a control box that receives and processes the ECG signals to determine whether a defibrillation shock should be delivered or whether CPR should be performed, and that issues instructions to the user either to deliver a defibrillation shock or to perform CPR, wherein the determination of whether CPR should be performed and the instructions to perform CPR can occur at substantially any point during a rescue. The control box may include a user operable control for initiating delivery of a defibrillation shock, and the instructions to deliver a defibrillation shock include instructions to activate the user operable control.

Abstract: A defibrillator in which electrodes with a limited shelf life are stored largely out of view from the exterior of the unit, but the expiration date or other marking indicative of expiration or failure is positioned so as to be visible from the exterior of the defibrillation unit. A fracturable member is attached to the defibrillation unit so that opening the defibrillation unit requires fracturing the member, thereby providing an indication of whether the unit has been opened. Electrodes are releasably attached to the inside of the cover of a defibrillator, so that when the cover is removed the electrodes remain with the cover.

Abstract: Defibrillators are provided that include a graphical user interface to assist a caregiver in administering resuscitation.

Abstract: A medical electrode assembly includes a conductive electrode, an electrically insulative backing layer on one side of the electrode, an electrically conductive coupling agent in contact with another side of the electrode, an attachment mechanism rigidly connected to a center portion of the electrode, and an electrical conductor connected to the attachment mechanism. The combination of the electrode with the attachment mechanism is constructed with substantial circumferential uniformity such that electrical current provided to the center portion of the electrode through the low-profile attachment mechanism is distributed radially through the electrode in a substantially circumferentially uniform distribution. The electrode is constructed to perform defibrillation or cardioversion. The attachment mechanism is substantially flat and has a low profile. The electrical conductor has a substantially flat, strap-like configuration.

Abstract: An electrotherapy circuit administers to a patient a current waveform. The electrotherapy circuit includes a charge storage device, at least two discharge electrodes connected by electrical circuitry to opposite poles of the charge storage device, a variable impedance connected between the charge storage device and one of the electrodes, a sensor that senses a patient-dependent electrical parameter (such as a patient impedance sensor), and a control circuit. The control circuit is connected to the sensor and the variable impedance and controls the variable impedance during discharge of the charge storage device based on patient-dependent electrical parameter (such as the patient impedance) sensed by the sensor.

Abstract: A medical electrode assembly includes an electrically conductive electrode, an electrically conductive sacrificial element, and a layer of electrically conductive gel. The electrode has an electrical terminal to connect with external electrical circuitry. The sacrificial element is electrically connected with the electrode through an impedance element or a power supply. The layer of electrically conductive gel contacts both the electrode and the sacrificial element so as to form an anode-cathode cell in which the sacrificial element functions as a sacrificial anode that corrodes and the electrode functions as a cathode that is protected from corrosion.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and circuit for forming an electrotherapy current waveform. A charge storage device located externally of a patient's body is charged, and is discharged through the patient's body through at least two discharge electrodes connected by electrical circuitry to opposite poles of the charge storage device. A continuous discharge of the charge storage device through the electrodes is controlled so as to produce at least one phase of a current waveform that includes a ripple. The ripple has a height less than one-third of the height of the peak current of the phase, and the difference between the peak current of the phase and the lowest current of the phase is less than one third of the peak current of the phase. The current waveform has a sensing pulse portion that is integral with the therapeutic discharge portion of the current waveform.

Abstract: An electrotherapy circuit administers to a patient a current waveform. The electrotherapy circuit includes a charge storage device, at least two discharge electrodes connected by electrical circuitry to opposite poles of the charge storage device, a sensor that senses a patient-dependent electrical parameter (such as a patient impedance sensor), and a control circuit. The control circuit is connected to the sensor and the charge storage device and controls discharge of the charge storage device through the electrodes.

Abstract: An electrotherapy circuit administers to a patient a current waveform. The electrotherapy circuit includes a charge storage device, at least two discharge electrodes connected by electrical circuitry to opposite poles of the charge storage device, a sensor that senses a patient-dependent electrical parameter (such as a patient impedance sensor), and a control circuit. The control circuit is connected to the sensor and the charge storage device and controls discharge of the charge storage device through the electrodes, based on the patient-dependent electrical parameter (such as the patient impedance) as sensed by the sensor. The discharge is controlled in a manner so as to reduce the dependence of peak discharge current on the electrical parameter (such as patient impedance) for a given amount of charge stored by the charge storage device.

Abstract: An electrotherapy circuit administers to a patient a current waveform. The electrotherapy circuit includes a charge storage device, at least two discharge electrodes connected by electrical circuitry to opposite poles of the charge storage device, and a control circuit. The control circuit is connected to the charge storage device and controls a continuous discharge of the charge storage device through the electrodes so as to produce at least one phase of a current waveform that includes a sawtooth ripple with a height less than about one-quarter of the average height of the phase.

Abstract: An electrotherapy circuit administers to a patient a current waveform. The electrotherapy circuit includes a storage device, at least two discharge electrodes ted by electrical circuitry to opposite poles of the storage device, a resistive circuit connected between charge storage device and one of the electrodes, and a control circuit. The control circuit is connected to the resistive circuit and controls the resistance of the resistive circuit during discharge of the charge storage so as to shape a current waveform produced between the discharge electrodes.

Abstract: An electrotherapy circuit administers to a patient a current waveform. The electrotherapy circuit includes a charge storage device, at least two discharge electrodes connected by electrical circuitry to opposite poles of the charge storage device, a sensor that senses a patient-dependent electrical parameter (such as a patient impedance sensor), and a control circuit. The control circuit is connected to the sensor and the charge storage device and controls discharge of the charge storage device through the electrodes.

Abstract: A power supply for supplying power from an external power source to a medical device for charging a battery of the medical device and operating the medical device includes an external power connection for bringing external power into the power supply, a power module having a power circuit that converts power from the external power source to a form useable by the medical device, monitoring circuitry for monitoring the external power connection to determine whether the external power connection is connected to a source of external power, and alarm circuitry for generating an alarm when the monitoring circuitry determines that the external power connection is not connected to a source of external power.

Abstract: A semiautomatic defibrillator with the capability of delivering a synchronized shock. An advisory algorithm automatically determines whether a synchronized shock should be delivered (e.g., because a shockable tachycardia is detected) and what ECG event should trigger delivery of the shock. And following initiation of a shock by the operator, the defibrillator automatically waits until the required ECG event is detected to deliver the shock. This happens automatically, without the operator being asked to decide between a synchronized and unsynchronized shock, or having to do anything differently to deliver a synchronized shock (e.g., without having to hold a button depressed as necessary to deliver a synchronized shock in manual defibrillators). The unit delivers a shock at the end of a predetermined period if the required ECG event has not been detected, so that a shock always results when the operator initiates one.

Abstract: A detachable power supply for supplying power from an external power source to a portable defibrillator for charging a battery of the portable defibrillator and operating the portable defibrillator includes a housing shaped to attach to the portable defibrillator and a latch connected to the housing for mechanically attaching the power supply to the defibrillator so that the power supply and the defibrillator form a portable, integral unit.

Abstract: An electrode package in which one or more adhesively-applied skin electrodes may be sealed has an envelope that includes a sheet of material and a releasable seal joining portions of the envelope to provide a sealed first compartment in which an electrode may be isolated from an external environment. The envelope includes a first wall that defines a first interior surface facing the interior of the sealed first compartment. The first interior surface includes an electrode mounting surface for direct attachment of an adhesive portion of an electrode. The envelope is releasably sealed so that, when the envelope is sealed, the first interior surface is isolated from an external environment and, when the envelope is unsealed, the first interior surface is not isolated from the external environment.