Patents by Inventor Robert G. Walker

Robert G. Walker has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20200253820
    Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods directed to the collection and analysis of data related to a patient during an emergency advanced airway management process. The collected data may be obtained using various types of sensors, with the data collection process being managed or coordinated by a suitable system, such as a combination monitor-defibrillator. The monitor-defibrillator (alone or in combination with other system elements, such as a wired or wireless communications capability, a processor, data storage, etc.) may include a capability to process some or all of the acquired data, and in response indicate to a user when some of the collected data may be unreliable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2020
    Publication date: August 13, 2020
    Applicant: Physio-Control, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert G. Walker
  • Patent number: 10695264
    Abstract: A CPR system includes a retention structure to retain the patient's body, and a compression mechanism to perform CPR compressions to the patient's chest. The CPR system further includes a processor to control the compression mechanism, and thus the performance of the CPR compressions. In embodiments, the CPR system compresses at a rate or frequency that is purposely sub-optimal for circulation at least some of the time, and especially when it is detected that the patient has regained consciousness. An advantage can be that the patient may thus faint again, and therefore perceive less of the unpleasant experience of the mechanical chest compressions that the CPR system continues to perform on them as it preserves them alive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: JOLIFE AB
    Inventors: Tyson G. Taylor, Alex Esibov, Bjarne Madsen Hardig, Fred Chapman, Robert G. Walker, Gregory T. Kavounas
  • Publication number: 20200170513
    Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods directed to the collection and analysis of data related to a patient during an emergency advanced airway management process. The collected data may be obtained using various types of sensors, with the data collection process being managed or coordinated by a suitable system, such as a combination monitor-defibrillator. The monitor-defibrillator (alone or in combination with other system elements, such as a wired or wireless communications capability, a processor, data storage, etc.) may include a capability to process some or all of the acquired data, and in response to generate a summary report containing one or more figures-of-merit that may be of assistance in evaluating the airway management process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2018
    Publication date: June 4, 2020
    Inventor: Robert G. Walker
  • Patent number: 10625088
    Abstract: A defibrillation device for administering an electrotherapy, such as a dual-sequential defibrillation (DSD) electrotherapy. The defibrillation device can include a defibrillation therapy module, a physiological parameter module and a control module. The defibrillation therapy module can output one or more energies and the physiological parameter module can receive one or more physiological parameters, including electrocardiogram (ECG) data. The control module can analyze the physiological parameters to determine an indication for the administration of an electrotherapy and can determine a DSD electrotherapy. The DSD electrotherapy can be based at least in part on the physiological parameters, the indication for the administration of an electrotherapy or a review of the ECG data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: PHYSIO-CONTROL, INC.
    Inventors: Fred W. Chapman, Robert G. Walker, Mitchell A. Smith, Blaine Krusor, William E. Crone, David J. Linville, Steven Heightman, Tyson G. Taylor
  • Publication number: 20190387989
    Abstract: A portable medical device having an intravenous line flow sensor integrated into a cable. The portable medical device may be a defibrillator having an ECG or electrode cable couple to ECG or electrode leads. The flow sensor may be integrated into the ECG or electrode cable. The portable medical device uses the flow sensor to capture and store information about fluids delivered to a patient being treated with the portable medical device. The information may include total volume provided, flow rate, and the like. The information may then be used to evaluate the treatment provided to the patient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2019
    Publication date: December 26, 2019
    Inventors: Robert G. Walker, Barry D. Curtin
  • Patent number: 10500405
    Abstract: An external defibrillator may have a controller to set the defibrillator in a synchronous shock operating mode or an asynchronous shock operating mode, a shock module to cause the defibrillator to deliver shock therapy to a patient according to the present operating mode of the defibrillator, and a heart rhythm detector to detect a heart rhythm of the patient. The defibrillator may also have a mode assessment module to determine whether the present operating mode or selected defibrillation energy of the defibrillator is appropriate based on the detected heart rhythm of the patient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: Physio-Control, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert G. Walker, Fred W. Chapman, Isabelle Banville
  • Publication number: 20190365600
    Abstract: A medical device uses UWB units to infer a position of an adjunct positioned in proximity to an exterior portion of a patient's body. The position information can be used to provide CPR feedback to a rescuer. In other applications, the position information can be used to provide prompts to a user to change the position of the adjunct.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Inventors: Robert G. Walker, Robert P. Marx, JR.
  • Patent number: 10490308
    Abstract: Devices, systems, software and methods for CPR quality assessment. Patient data is received that may be derived from a session of administering sets of CPR chest compressions to a patient. The sets can be separated by pauses. Then a figure of merit (FOM) can be computed from the data. In the computation, at least one pause can contribute a penalty to the FOM. The penalty has a value determined from at least one control factor, other than a constant linear dependence on the duration of the pause. This way, pauses can incur penalties to the FOM computation depending on their context, instead of merely their duration. For example, a penalty can escalate non-linearly if its pause becomes unduly long, or if it follows a set of chest compressions that was unduly short. As such, a better CPR quality assessment is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: PHYSIO-CONTROL, INC.
    Inventors: Fred W. Chapman, Robert G. Walker
  • Patent number: 10478632
    Abstract: The defibrillator may include a heart rhythm detector to detect the heart rhythm of a patient, a manual mode controller structured to set the defibrillator in a synchronous shock operating mode or an asynchronous shock operating mode depending on an input from a human operator, a shock module to cause the defibrillator to deliver a shock to the patient according to the operating mode, and an automatic mode controller structured to, after the shock module has delivered the shock to the patient, set the external defibrillator to the synchronous shock operating mode or the asynchronous shock operating mode depending on the detected heart rhythm of the patient and without input from the human operator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: Physio-Control, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert G. Walker, Fred W. Chapman, Isabelle Banville, James W. Taylor
  • Patent number: 10463865
    Abstract: An external defibrillator can have a synchronous shock operating mode and an asynchronous shock operating mode and include a controller to set the defibrillator in the synchronous shock operating mode or the asynchronous shock operating mode. The defibrillator can also include a shock module to cause the defibrillator to deliver shock therapy to the patient according to the operating mode of the defibrillator, and a prompt module to transmit a prompt, after delivery of the shock therapy, that includes the operating mode of the defibrillator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: Physio-Control, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert G. Walker, Fred W. Chapman, Isabelle Banville
  • Publication number: 20190298206
    Abstract: The present disclosure encompasses an “artifact score” derived from the signal characteristics of an acquired 12-lead ECG, (2) a “patient context score” derived from key elements of the patient's history, presentation, and pre-hospital emergency care, and (3) techniques for integrating these scores into an emergency medical care system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2019
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Inventors: Robert G. Walker, Daniel W. Piraino
  • Patent number: 10420702
    Abstract: Devices, systems, software and methods for CPR quality assessment. Patient data is received, derived from a session of administering sets of CPR chest compressions to a patient. The sets can be separated by pauses. In some embodiments, a penalty value can be determined for at least one of the pauses, from at least one control factor unrelated to a constant linear dependence on the pause duration. An indicative value can be derived from the penalty value. In some embodiments, at least some of the pauses are classified in one or more pause groups, depending on how well they meet one or more classification criteria. The indicative value can be derived for one of the pause groups. The indicative value can be output, and/or an alarm can be emitted if it exceeds a threshold. CPR quality assessment can be improved in real time, and provide feedback for training.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: PHYSIO-CONTROL, INC.
    Inventors: Robert G. Walker, Ronald E. Stickney, Fred W. Chapman
  • Patent number: 10405767
    Abstract: A portable medical device having an intravenous line flow sensor integrated into a cable. The portable medical device may be a defibrillator having an ECG or electrode cable couple to ECG or electrode leads. The flow sensor may be integrated into the ECG or electrode cable. The portable medical device uses the flow sensor to capture and store information about fluids delivered to a patient being treated with the portable medical device. The information may include total volume provided, flow rate, and the like. The information may then be used to evaluate the treatment provided to the patient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: PHYSIO-CONTROL, INC.
    Inventors: Robert G. Walker, Barry D. Curtin
  • Publication number: 20190261844
    Abstract: Disclosed are embodiments of a laryngoscope that facilitates targeted recording (video, or audio, or both video and audio) of time intervals associated with active laryngoscopy. In accordance with the teachings of the disclosure, a characteristic that reliably defines the interval of active laryngoscopy is used to trigger recording. One such characteristic is that the operator's hand is gripping the handle of the laryngoscope. Accordingly, preferred embodiments implement a laryngoscope having a handle so designed that when the handle is gripped by the operator's hand, recording is initiated and continued for as long as the operator's hand maintains a grip on the laryngoscope handle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2019
    Publication date: August 29, 2019
    Inventors: Robert G. Walker, Fred W. Chapman
  • Patent number: 10383789
    Abstract: A medical device uses UWB units to infer a position of an adjunct positioned in proximity to an exterior portion of a patient's body. The position information can be used to provide CPR feedback to a rescuer. In other applications, the position information can be used to provide prompts to a user to change the position of the adjunct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: PHYSIO-CONTROL, INC.
    Inventors: Robert G. Walker, Robert P. Marx, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10321836
    Abstract: The present disclosure encompasses an “artifact score” derived from the signal characteristics of an acquired 12-lead ECG, (2) a “patient context score” derived from key elements of the patient's history, presentation, and prehospital emergency care, and (3) techniques for integrating these scores into an emergency medical care system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: PHYSIO-CONTROL, INC.
    Inventors: Robert G. Walker, Daniel W. Piraino
  • Patent number: 10299668
    Abstract: Disclosed are embodiments of a laryngoscope that facilitates targeted recording (video, or audio, or both video and audio) of time intervals associated with active laryngoscopy. In accordance with the teachings of the disclosure, a characteristic that reliably defines the interval of active laryngoscopy is used to trigger recording. One such characteristic is that the operator's hand is gripping the handle of the laryngoscope. Accordingly, preferred embodiments implement a laryngoscope having a handle so designed that when the handle is gripped by the operator's hand, recording is initiated and continued for as long as the operator's hand maintains a grip on the laryngoscope handle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: PHYSIO-CONTROL, INC.
    Inventors: Robert G. Walker, Fred W. Chapman
  • Publication number: 20190082959
    Abstract: A remote patient monitoring system having a main patient monitor and a remote patient monitor. The main patient monitor is configured to receive and collect one or more patient physiological parameters and to provide an alarm in response to an alarm trigger. The alarm trigger includes a determination that at least one of the collected patient physiological parameters has reached a predetermined value. The remote patient monitor has an alarm reset and is configured to be carried by a caregiver. It is also configured to receive a signal from the main patient monitor in response to the alarm and to transmit an indication about the alarm trigger. The indication includes one or more of a notification that the patient is being attended to, a request by the caregiver for additional help, or a message about resolution of the alarm trigger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2018
    Publication date: March 21, 2019
    Inventors: RICHARD MARK LYON, ROBERT G. WALKER, JEFFERY S. EDWARDS, NIKLAS ANDERSSON, BETHANY JOYCE JOHNSON
  • Publication number: 20180368804
    Abstract: The disclosed non-invasive blood pressure systems and methods measure a patient's blood pressure without restricting blood flow. Other sensors, such as physiological sensors, sensors that sense data about the NIBP system components, and/or environment sensors sense data that is combined with the NIBP signal. The combined NIBP and sensor signals are used to measure a patient's non-invasive blood pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2018
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Inventors: Clinton T. Siedenburg, Arthur T. Lounsbery, Mitchell A. Smith, Robert G. Walker
  • Publication number: 20180369065
    Abstract: Non-invasive blood pressure (NIBP) systems and methods are disclosed that measure a blood pressure, and in some examples a beat-to-beat blood pressure, of a patient without restricting blood flow. The NIBP systems determine an efficacy of administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to the patient based on the measured blood pressure and are able to optionally output the CPR efficacy or generate user prompts based on the CPR efficacy. Further, the disclosed NIBP systems can generate user instructions to administer further treatment to the patient based on the CPR efficacy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2018
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Inventors: Clinton T. Siedenburg, Arthur T. Lounsbery, Mitchell A. Smith, Robert G. Walker