Abstract: A defibrillator has a treatment mode and a training mode. The defibrillator includes an energy source; an electrode connector; a controller, including a feature for connecting the energy source to the electrode connector; and training mode features for stimulating the operation of the defibrillator in treatment mode. Also included is a method of operating a defibrillator including the steps of providing a defibrillator (with the defibrillator including a defibrillation energy source, a controller and electrode connectors, and with the controller including circuitry for actuating the defibrillator to deliver a defibrillation shock from the defibrillation energy source to the electrode connectors) and operating the defibrillator in a training mode to simulate delivery of a shock from the energy source to the electrode connectors without delivering a defibrillation shock from the energy source to the electrode connectors.

Abstract: A defibfillator has a self healing storage capacitor connected in parallel with a safety resistor, and a microcontroller. Upon receipt of a calibration request, the microcontroller charges the capacitor to a charging voltage greater than a starting voltage, then discharges the capacitor through the safety resistor. As the capacitor is discharging, the microcontroller continuously measures the voltage across the capacitor. When the microcontroller detects that the voltage across the capacitor is less than or equal to a starting voltage, a timer in the microcontroller is started. When the microcontroller detects that the voltage across the capacitor is less than or equal to an ending voltage, the timer in the microcontroller is stopped. The microcontroller then determines an elapsed time between the time the timer was started and stopped. The microcontroller then calculates a capacitance value of the capacitor based on the starting voltage, the ending voltage, and the elapsed time.

Abstract: A defibrillator/monitor architecture is disclosed with a defibrillator-only mode of operation to provide for shocking a patient notwithstanding failure of the monitor subsystem. The defibrillator/monitor subsystem is partitioned into a defibrillator subsystem and a monitor subsystem. The defibrillator subsystem includes the patient charging circuits and other components necessary to carry out basic defibrillation. The monitor subsystem includes an ECG front-end, CRT display, data recorder and other features. In normal operation, the defibrillator subsystem relies on periodic ECG data ready interrupts from the monitor subsystem for system timing. In the event that the ECG interrupts do not arrive within a predetermined time limit, the monitor subsystem is presumed dead and the defibrillator subsystem switches to defibrillator-only mode of operation, in which system timing is provided by a local standby timer.