Patent ID: 6961612
Filing Date: 2005-11-01
Classification: A61N

Abstract:
1. A method for automatically delivering defibrillation shocks to a patient, comprising applying electrodes to the chest of the patient for delivering a defibrillation shock to the patient and for detecting an ECG signal; using a sensor to detect when a rescuer is delivering a CPR chest compression to the patient; analyzing the ECG signal to determine if the cardiac rhythm is shockable (treatable by defibrillation therapy); analyzing the output of the sensor to determine when a CPR chest compression has been delivered, and integrating the ECG analysis and CPR detection so that the determination of whether the cardiac rhythm is shockable is based only on time periods of the ECG signal during which there has not been a CPR chest compression delivered. wherein the ECG analysis includes analysis of the ECG signal over a minimum ECG analysis time to determine whether the cardiac rhythm is shockable, and wherein integration of the ECG analysis and CPR detection is done so that a determination that the cardiac rhythm is shockable is only made if the time period over which the ECG signal has been analyzed to make that determination includes a time period at least as long as the minimum ECG analysis time during which there has not been a CPR chest compression delivered.