Defibrillator with utility light

Abstract

Embodiments of the present concept are directed to external defibrillators that include a utility light for use by one or more rescuers using the defibrillator. In one implementation, an external defibrillator has a housing, an energy storage module for storing an electrical charge, a defibrillation port for guiding the stored electrical charge to a person, and a processor for determining when to guide the electrical charge. The defibrillator also includes a user interface that includes a screen showing indications by light, and a separate utility light coupled to the housing via a light-coupling structure. The utility light is structured to generate and cast a beam of light with a beam divergence angle of no more than 160 degrees in order to illuminate a certain point of the local environment. This illumination capability may help rescuers reach a person in need of medical attention and apply medical assistance to the person.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An external defibrillator for use in a local environment with an ambient light level, the external defibrillator comprising:
 a housing having a light-coupling structure;   an energy storage module in the housing for storing an electrical charge;   a defibrillation port for guiding, via at least one electrode coupled to the energy storage module, the stored electrical charge to a person;   a processor for determining when to guide the electrical charge;   a user interface that includes a screen showing indications by light; and   a utility light distinct from the screen for illuminating a certain point of the local environment, the utility light coupled to the housing by being received matingly with the light-coupling structure and structured to generate and cast a beam of light at the certain point with a beam divergence angle of no more than 160 degrees, wherein the user interface is configured to allow a rescuer to adjust a characteristic of the beam, and wherein the light-coupling structure includes at least a partially flexible connector for coupling the utility light to the housing.   
     
     
         2 . The external defibrillator of  claim 1 , in which the utility light is fixed to the housing via the light coupling structure. 
     
     
         3 . The external defibrillator of  claim 2 , in which the light-coupling structure allows a direction of the beam to change relative to the housing. 
     
     
         4 . The external defibrillator of  claim 1 , in which
 the housing defines a well for receiving therein a removable battery, and   the utility light is structured to be at least partially inserted in the well.   
     
     
         5 . The external defibrillator of  claim 1 , further comprising a retraction device structured to retract at least a portion of the flexible connector into the housing. 
     
     
         6 . The external defibrillator of  claim 1 , in which the flexible connector is structured to retain its position after having been moved by a rescuer. 
     
     
         7 . The external defibrillator of  claim 1 , in which the utility light is removable from the housing. 
     
     
         8 . The external defibrillator of  claim 7 , in which the light-coupling structure includes a dedicated port for connecting the removable utility light. 
     
     
         9 . The external defibrillator of  claim 8 , in which the removable utility light includes a dedicated power source and is operable after having been removed from the housing of the external defibrillator. 
     
     
         10 . The external defibrillator of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a power source for powering the screen, and   in which the removable utility light is powered from the power source.   
     
     
         11 . The external defibrillator of  claim 1 , further comprising a switch on the housing to operate the utility light, the switch structured to be activated by a rescuer. 
     
     
         12 . The external defibrillator of  claim 11 , further comprising a carrying handle in which the switch is positioned adjacent to handle and is controllable by a rescuer's carrying hand. 
     
     
         13 . The external defibrillator of  claim 1 , further comprising an ambient light sensor configured to detect the ambient light level of the local environment, and in which the processor is configured to control the illumination of the utility light according to the detected ambient light levels. 
     
     
         14 . The external defibrillator of  claim 1 , in which the utility light is configured to provide spectral filtering of a broadband light source. 
     
     
         15 . The external defibrillator of  claim 1 , in which the wavelength of the light illuminating the certain point of the local environment is adjustable. 
     
     
         16 . The external defibrillator of  claim 1 , in which the utility light includes at least one of a brightness control, a focusing control, or a beam divergence control. 
     
     
         17 . The external defibrillator of  claim 1 , in which the user interface is configured to display an operating mode of the utility light. 
     
     
         18 . The external defibrillator of  claim 1 , further comprising a timing circuit configured to deactivate the utility light when a predetermined time limit of illumination is reached. 
     
     
         19 . The external defibrillator of  claim 1 , in which the processor is configured to control the utility light to signal a rescuer by modulating the beam of light. 
     
     
         20 . The external defibrillator of  claim 19 , in which the beam of light is modulated in conjunction with signals from the user interface. 
     
     
         21 . An external defibrillator for use in a local environment with an ambient light level, the external defibrillator comprising:
 a housing having a light-coupling structure;   an energy storage module in the housing for storing an electrical charge;   a defibrillation port for guiding, via at least one electrode coupled to the energy storage module, the stored electrical charge to a person;   a processor for determining when to guide the electrical charge;   a user interface that includes a screen showing indications by light; and   a utility light distinct from the screen for illuminating a certain point of the local environment, the utility light coupled to the housing by being received matingly with the light-coupling structure and structured to generate and cast a beam of light at the certain point with a beam divergence angle of no more than 160 degrees, wherein the user interface is configured to allow a rescuer to adjust a characteristic of the beam, and wherein the utility light is removable from the housing.   
     
     
         22 . A method comprising:
 bringing within a rescue environment a defibrillator that stores an electrical charge, includes a screen showing indications by light, and also includes a light-coupling structure, the defibrillator having a utility light matingly received with the light-coupling structure and distinct from the screen;   activating a switch to provide power to the utility light so as to generate a beam of light with a beam divergence angle of no more than 160 degrees, in which activating the switch includes receiving a user input to activate the utility light;   directing the utility light so as to cast the beam towards a certain point of the environment, in which directing the utility light towards the certain point includes manipulating a partially flexible connector of the light-coupling structure to position a beam generated by the utility light at the certain point;   if it is otherwise indicated by the defibrillator, using the defibrillator to deliver the charge to treat a patient in the environment;   illuminating a pathway to the rescue environment with the utility light; and   detaching the utility light from the external defibrillator.