Patent ID: 7277752

Claim:
A cardiac monitoring and external defibrillation system which allows an untrained human enabler immediate access to a medical professional who can and will remotely monitor, diagnose and treat a victim of medical emergency at one of a plurality of remote sites, said system comprising, in combination: (a) a central station comprising: (1) a display device for displaying cardiac information from a victim for evaluation by said medical professional; (2) at least one input device, responsive to said medical professional, for producing a plurality of control signals for controlling the application of electrical therapy to said victim, said therapy providing cardiac defibrillation; and (3) a first transmitting/receiving (T/R) device, coupled to said display device and to said at least one input device, for electronic communication with emergency cardiac monitoring and defibrillation apparatus disposed at each of a plurality of remote sites; and (b) emergency cardiac monitoring and external defibrillation apparatus disposed at each of a plurality of remote sites, each said apparatus comprising a portable unit including: (1) a second transmitting/receiving (T/R) device for electronic communication with said first T/R device of said central station; (2) a defibrillator circuit, having a defibrillation control input coupled to said second T/R device, for producing a defibrillation pulse at a defibrillator circuit output in response to a selected control signal received at said defibrillation control input from said central station, said defibrillation pulse having at least one variable parameter, selected from the group consisting of defibrillation pulse energy, defibrillation pulse synchronization and defibrillation pulse waveform, which may be modified by said control signal; (3) an electrocardiogram (ECG) circuit, having an ECG circuit output, coupled to said second T/R device, and having an ECG electrode input; (4) a plurality of contact electrodes, adapted to be placed by a nearby enabler upon a chest wall of said victim, said plurality of contact electrodes being adapted to be arranged at separate locations on said chest wall for (1) the receipt of ECG signals from said victim and (2) for application of said defibrillation pulse to said victim; and (5) a connecting cable having a plurality of electric wires for connecting each of said contact electrodes to at least one of (i) said ECG electrode input and (ii) said defibrillator output; whereby (1) said ECG signals may be transmitted from a plurality of said contact electrodes via said ECG circuit to said central station for evaluation by said medical professional, (2) said control signals may be transmitted from said central station to said defibrillation control input; and (3) in response thereto, said defibrillation pulse with at least one parameter selected by the medical professional may be applied from said defibrillator output to a plurality of said contact electrodes for resuscitation of said victim.