Communicating Medical Event Information

Abstract

In general, the invention provides techniques for wireless communication of medical event information between medical devices that treat a particular patient. In general, medical event information describes the condition and treatment of a patient. A medical device may detect another medical device via a wireless communications medium, and establish a local wireless communication session the other device in order to receive medical event information stored by the other device for a patient. The wireless communications medium may be a radio frequency communications medium, and the medical devices may establish a local wireless communication session according to any of a number of local wireless data communication standards. The medical event information received from the other medical device may be used to select a therapy, or to generate a report or patient chart detailing the condition and treatment of the patient.

1 . A method for communicating medical event information collected during a response to a medical emergency comprising: 
 detecting a device via a wireless communication medium;    determining whether the detected device is a medical device;    determining whether the detected device is associated with a patient; and    if the device is determined to be a medical device and is determined to be associated with a patient, 
 establishing a local wireless communication session with the device, and  
 receiving medical event information from the detected device.  
   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the medical event information includes at least one of an electrocardiogram of the patient, a capnograph of the patient, a plethysmograph of the patient, a heart rate of the patient over time, a pulse rate of the patient over time, a blood oxygen saturation of the patient over time, a blood pressure of the patient over time, end tidal carbon dioxide measurements of the patient, measurements of the fraction of carbon dioxide in air inspired or expired by the patient, one or more therapies delivered to the patient, times at which the one or more therapies were delivered to the patient, or an audio recording.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , in which the detected device is an external defibrillator.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , in which the wireless medium is a radio frequency medium, and the wireless communication session is a radio frequency communication session.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein detecting a device includes perfoming a wireless inquiry and response procedure.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein: 
 determining whether a device is a medical device includes receiving a device type indication from the detected device; and    determining whether the device is associated with a patient includes receiving a device identification from the detected device and comparing the device identification to a user input.    
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein detecting the detected device includes broadcasting messages and receiving a response to a broadcast message from the detected device, the response including at least one of the device type indication and the device identification.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of sending medical event information to the detected device via the local wireless communication session.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising selecting a therapy to deliver to the patient based on the received medical event information.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising: 
 delivering the selected therapy to the patient;    generating additional medical event information as a function of the delivery of the selected therapy; and    storing the generated medical event information with the received medical event information.    
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the detected device is a first medical device;    the step of establishing a local wireless communication session with the first medical device comprises establishing a local wireless communications session between the first medical device and a second medical device; and    the step of receiving medical event information comprises receiving medical event information at the second medical device.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising: 
 coordinating delivery of therapy to the patient by the first and the second medical devices via the local wireless communication session.    
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising generating at least one of a run report or a patient chart based on the received medical event information.  
   
   
       14 . A medical device comprising: 
 a transceiver to transmit and receive signals via a wireless medium;    a processor which controls the transceiver; and    a memory associated with processor which stores instructions that are capable of causing the medical device to: 
 detect a device via a wireless communications medium;  
 determine whether the detected device is a second medical device,  
 determine whether the detected device is associated with a patients and  
 if the detected device is determined to be a second medical device and is determined to be associated with a patient, establish a local wireless communication session with the detected device.  
   
   
   
       15 . The medical device of  claim 14  further comprising a circuit externally coupled to the patient, wherein the processor is capable of controlling delivery of a therapy to the patient via the circuit.  
   
   
       16 . The medical device of  claim 15  wherein the instructions further include an instruction to receive medical event information from the detected device, and select a therapy for delivery to the patient via the circuit based on the received medical event information.  
   
   
       17 . A computer-readable medium comprising instructions that cause a processor to: 
 detect a device via a wireless communication medium;    determining whether the detected device is a medical device;    determine whether the detected device is associated with a patient; and    if the device is determined to be a medical device and is determined to be associated with a patient, 
 a) establish a local wireless communication session with the device; and  
 b) receive medical event information from the detected device via the local wireless communication session with the medical device;  
 c) select a therapy to deliver to a patient based on the medical event information; and  
 d) deliver the selected therapy to the patient,  
   
   
   
       18 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 17  wherein the instructions to select a therapy include instructions to cause a processor to select an energy level for defibrillation therapy.  
   
   
       19 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 18  in which the instructions to select an energy level comprise instructions that cause a processor to: 
 provide at least some of the medical event information to a user; and    receive an energy level selection from the user that is based on the medical event information provided.    
   
   
       20 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 19  wherein the medical event information includes at least one of an electrocardiogram of the patient, a capnograph of the patient, a plethysmograph of the patient, a heart rate of the patient over time, a pulse rate of the patient over time, a blood oxygen saturation of the patient over time, a blood pressure of the patient over time, end tidal carbon dioxide measurements of the patient, measurements of the fraction of carbon dioxide in air inspired or expired by the patient, one or more therapies delivered to the patient, times at which the one or more therapies were delivered to the patient, or an audio recording.