The present invention relates generally to defibrillation systems. Particularly, the invention relates to defibrillation pads operable in conjunction with other medical systems during various medical procedures.
Defibrillation devices, otherwise known as defibrillators, are used to correct a medical condition known as fibrillation, which is a very rapid, disorganized twitching or trembling of the heart muscle in place of a normal rhythmic beat. To correct such a condition, a defibrillator directs a pulse of electrical direct-current (DC) into the heart to return it to its regular rhythm. To deliver such a pulse of electrical current to the heart of a patient, two defibrillation pads are attached, typically on the chest area of the patient. An electrical voltage applied between the defibrillation pads induces current through the heart of the patient, restoring the normal rhythm of the heart. Defibrillation pads are typically spread out in two dimensions, with typical lengths of several inches in each direction to provide a large contact area with the skin.
Various medical procedures may require coupling a patient to a defibrillator, via its defibrillation pads, as a precautionary measure. This may be done in order to expedite defibrillation therapy to the patient in the event the patient does experience fibrillation during the medical procedure. However, there are instances where the defibrillator pads can interfere with the medical procedure, such that it may not be operationally practical to couple the patient to the defibrillator. For example, during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a patient is placed within a partial enclosure whereby the patient is surrounded by static magnetic fields, dynamically-pulsed gradient magnetic fields, and radio frequency (RF) fields. These fields are used to interact with the atomic nuclei, exciting the population of magnetic moments and detecting microscopic magnetic fields induced by precessing nuclei. Electromagnetic interactions of the gradient and RF magnetic fields with various components of the defibrillation pads, e.g., wire leads and electrodes, may induce eddy currents that could interfere with imaging signals producing patient image data. To the extent such interference effects are present during the imaging procedure, they may create image artifacts and degrade image quality. Without a means to preserve image quality in the presence of defibrillation pads, it could become unfeasible to place such pads in the proximity of the MR imaging coils and expedite delivery of therapy in the event of urgent medical need.
There is a need in the art for improved defibrillation pads couplable to a patient during medical procedures. Particularly, there is a need for defibrillation pads couplable to a patient while the patient is situated within an MRI system such that the defibrillation pads minimally interfere with electromagnetic fields contained within the enclosure of the MRI system. There is also a need for similar pads that can be used during clinical interventional procedures such as cardiovascular ablation procedures.
The present technique provides a defibrillation system based upon defibrillation pads couplable to a patient while the patient undergoes a medical procedure. In accordance with embodiments of the present technique, the defibrillation pads are operable within an imaging device such as an MRI device. Accordingly, the provided defibrillation pads and components thereof are configured to minimally interfere with electromagnetic signals produced by the MRI device. In this manner, image artifacts are minimized to the extent the images can provide desirable information relating to the patient to a clinician. Further, the present technique enables use of the defibrillation pads within the patient volume of the MRI device, thus eliminating time delays otherwise incurred in situations requiring exiting the patient from the MRI system before defibrillation pads can be applied to the patient.
The present technique further enables utilizing pads with similar geometry as defibrillation pads in other medical procedures, such as cardiovascular ablation procedures, whereby a conducting pad disposed on a patient provides an electrical ground connection for an ablation device.
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:
Turning now to the drawings and referring to
As further discussed below, defibrillation pads 12 may be coupled to the patient via an adhesive and/or a gel that securely attaches defibrillation pads 12 to patient 14. Such an adhesive and/or gel may also be configured to conduct electric current between pads 12 and patient 14, thereby ensuring that a desirable level of current is delivered to the patient when voltage is applied to the defibrillation pads via defibrillation control system 16.
As depicted by
Switch 25 is adapted to connect or disconnect each of leads 24 from defibrillation controller 16 so that, for example, when pads 12 are not in use, switch 25 (in an open state) electrically disconnects each of leads 24 from a power source, as well as from the other leads 24. Hence, switch 25 and the manner in which the defibrillation pads are segmented, as further described below, enables obtaining electrical configurations minimizing the extent to which eddy currents may interfere with surrounding electromagnetic fields about defibrillation pads 12 while the defibrillation system is idle. When the defibrillation system is in use, switch 25 is switched to a closed state, whereby each of leads 24 is placed at a desirable electrical potential and defibrillation pads 12 become electrically connected.
It should be borne in mind that the segmentation of pad 12 shown above is exemplary and that alternative segmentation patterns of pad 12 are possible, and within the scope of the invention, so as to accommodate various operational needs. For example, the number and shape of the segments may be varied to achieve the desired effects. That is, leads 18, 24 and electrodes 22 and the manner in which those elements are disposed throughout pads 12 and their segments 20 may determine the extent to which eddy currents produced by these elements influence a particular medical procedure in which the defibrillation pads are applied to the patient. Accordingly, certain medical procedures may require that defibrillation pads, such as defibrillation pads 12, be custom segmented in a manner which minimizes their interaction with the medical procedure, typically their interfering electromagnetic fields resulting from eddy current generation.
When the defibrillation pad 12 is in operation, each of the electrodes 24 is configured to sustain an electrical current such that the overall current delivered to or from the electrodes 22 conforms to a desirable electrical current used in defibrillation treatments. Further, partitioning pad 12 into individual segments, such as segments 20, reduces the overall magnitude of eddy currents produced by electrodes 22 and wire leads 24, and by the conductive components of the pads themselves. In other words, by segmenting the overall conductive area of each pad, connecting each electrode 22 separately to a voltage supply, and placing a plurality of such electrodes throughout pad 12, eddy currents due to changing magnetic fields are reduced. It should be borne in mind that the electrical configuration shown in
As further shown by
Packaged defibrillation pad 12 further includes an adhesive layer 36 disposed on a side of the pad facing away from the electrodes 22 and wire leads 24. Accordingly, adhesive 36 is configured to securely affix pad 12, specifically electrodes 22, to the patient so as to ensure that pad 12 is retained on the patient for a prolonged period of time, as would be needed throughout a medical procedure in which defibrillation pads are employed. Further, adhesive layer 36 ensures that a suitable electrical contact exists between the patient and electrodes 22. Accordingly, adhesive layer 36 may be formed of materials having mechanical, electrical and/or thermal properties suited for interfacing between the defibrillation pads and the patient.
Defibrillation pad 12 further includes a gel layer 38 disposed over adhesive layer 36. Gel layer 38 is configured to enhance electrical coupling between the electrodes 22 and a patient to which pad 12 is applied. In other words, gel 38 may improve the electrical conductivity between the patient and the pad so as to better facilitate current flow to and from the pad during defibrillation. Such gels may be similar to those used conventionally on electrocardiograph and similar electrodes.
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Further, non-invasive devices, such as external coils used in tracking, are also within the scope of the present embodiments. In such embodiments, device 64 may include an RF tracking coil 66 for receiving emissions from gyromagnetic material. Tracking coil 66 may be mounted, for example, in the operative end of device 64. Tracking coil 66 also may serve as a transmitting coil for generating radio frequency pulses for exciting the gyromagnetic material. Thus, tracking coil 66 may be coupled with driving and receiving circuitry in passive and active modes for receiving emissions from the gyromagnetic material and for applying RF excitation pulses, respectively. Hence, in a procedure utilizing RF tracking, wiring of defibrillation pads 12 may interact with the RF signals produced by the tracking the tracking device and RF coils so as to minimize generation of eddy currents.
Referring again to MRI system 50, scanner 52 includes a series of associated coils for producing controlled magnetic fields, for generating RF excitation pulses, and for detecting emissions from gyromagnetic material within the patient in response to such pulses. In the diagrammatical view of
The coils of scanner 52 are controlled by external circuitry to generate desired fields and pulses, and to read signals from the gyromagnetic material in a controlled manner. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, when the material, typically bound in tissues of the patient, is subjected to the primary field, individual magnetic moments of the magnetic resonance-active nuclei in the tissue partially align with the field. While a net magnetic moment is produced in the direction of the polarizing field, the randomly oriented components of the moment in a perpendicular plane generally cancel one another. During an examination sequence, an RF frequency pulse is generated at or near the Larmor frequency of the material of interest, resulting in rotation of the net aligned moment to produce a net transverse magnetic moment. This transverse magnetic moment precesses around the main magnetic field direction, emitting RF (magnetic resonance) signals. For reconstruction of the desired images, these RF signals are detected by scanner 50 and processed. For location of device 64, these RF signals are detected by RF tracking coil 66 mounted in device 64 and processed. As mentioned above, the minimal interaction of the defibrillation pads 12 (
Further, the coils of scanner 52 are controlled by scanner control circuitry 54 to generate the desired magnetic field and RF pulses. In the diagrammatical view of
Interface between the control circuit 80 and the coils of scanner 52 and device 64 is managed by amplification and control circuitry 84 and by transmission and receive interface circuitry 86. Circuitry 84 includes amplifiers for each gradient field coil to supply drive current to the field coils in response to control signals from control circuit 80. Interface circuitry 86 includes additional amplification circuitry for driving RF coil 76. Moreover, where RF coil 76 serves both to emit the radiofrequency excitation pulses and to receive MR signals, circuitry 86 will typically include a switching device for toggling the RF coil 76 between active or transmitting mode, and passive or receiving mode. Interface circuitry 86 further includes pre-amplification circuitry to amplify the signals received by RF tracking coil 66 mounted in device 64. Furthermore, where RF tracking coil 66 serves as both a transmitting coil and a receiving coil, circuitry 86 will typically include a switching device for toggling RF tracking coil 66 between active or transmitting mode, and passive or receiving mode. Finally, circuitry 54 includes interface components 88 for exchanging configuration and image and tracking data with operator interface station 56. Hence, in situations, such as those described above, where RF signals are amplified or otherwise modified, wirings of wire leads 24 with electrodes 22 may be modified accordingly to obtain an electrical configuration of those elements which interact minimally with the RF and magnetic fields.
Operator interface station 56 may include a wide range of devices for facilitating interface between an operator or radiologist and scanner 52 via scanner control circuitry 54. In the illustrated embodiment, for example, an operator controller 90 is provided in the form of a determiner work station employing a general purpose or application-specific determiner. Operator controller 90 may be coupled to interface 88 of controller circuitry 54, as well as to defibrillator controller 16, so that an operator may monitor and control parameters pertinent to the mechanical procedure. The station also typically includes memory circuitry for storing examination pulse sequence descriptions, examination protocols, user and patient data, image data, both raw and processed, and so forth. The station may further include various interface and peripheral drivers for receiving and exchanging data with local and remote devices. In the illustrated embodiment, such devices include a conventional determiner keyboard 92 and an alternative input device such as a mouse 94. A printer 96 is provided for generating hard copy output of documents and images reconstructed from the acquired data. A determiner monitor 98 is provided for facilitating operator interface. In addition, system 50 may include various local and remote image access and examination control devices, represented generally by reference numeral 100 in
While only certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the invention.