External defibrillator with power and battery sharing capabilities with a pod

Abstract

A modular external defibrillator system in embodiments of the teachings may include one or more of the following features: (a) a base containing a defibrillator module to deliver a defibrillation shock to a patient, (b) a patient parameter monitoring pod connectable to a patient via patient lead cables to collect patient data, the patient data including at least one patient vital sign, (c) a power supply sharing link between the base and the pod, the pod receiving power from the base via the power sharing link, the pod being operable to collect patient data without receiving power from the base, and (d) an external battery charger, the battery charger interrogating the batteries to determine battery information used for battery charging, the battery information including at least one of charging voltage, charging current, and charge time.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A monitoring system, comprising:
 a portable base including a base battery;   a patient parameter monitoring pod including a pod battery, the patient parameter monitoring pod configured to receive patient data, the patient data including at least one patient vital sign, and the patient parameter monitoring pod is operable to collect patient data without receiving power from the portable base; and   a power supply sharing link between the portable base and the patient parameter monitoring pod, wherein the portable base includes a power module configured to determine a pod battery charge condition and a base battery charge condition, and the power supply sharing link is configured to share power between the pod battery and the base battery based on the patient parameter monitoring pod battery charge condition and the base battery charge condition.   
     
     
         2 . The monitoring system of  claim 1 , wherein the portable base is configured to share power with the pod battery in response to the power module determining the base battery charge condition is a low charge condition. 
     
     
         3 . The monitoring system of  claim 1 , wherein the patient parameter monitoring pod is configured to share power with the base battery in response to the power module determining the pod battery charge condition is a low charge condition. 
     
     
         4 . The monitoring system of  claim 1 , further comprising a defibrillator module configured to provide at least one of pacing, defibrillation, and cardioversion. 
     
     
         5 . The monitoring system of  claim 1 , wherein the patient monitoring pod is structured to operate when detached from the portable base and when mounted on the portable base. 
     
     
         6 . The monitoring system of  claim 5 , wherein the patient monitoring pod communicates wirelessly with the portable base when detached from the portable base. 
     
     
         7 . The monitoring system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the portable base and the patient parameter monitoring pod includes a display. 
     
     
         8 . A monitoring system, comprising:
 a portable base including a base battery;   a patient parameter monitoring pod including a pod battery, the patient parameter monitoring pod configured to connect to a patient and to receive patient data, the patient data including at least one patient vital sign; and   a power supply sharing link between the portable base and the patient parameter monitoring pod, the power supply sharing link configured to share power between the base battery and the pod battery when the patient monitoring pod is connected to the portable base.   
     
     
         9 . The monitoring system of  claim 8 , wherein the portable base is configured to share power with the pod battery in response to a power module determining a base battery charge condition is a low charge condition. 
     
     
         10 . The monitoring system of  claim 8 , wherein the patient parameter monitoring pod is configured to share power with the base battery in response to a power module determining a pod battery charge condition is a low charge condition. 
     
     
         11 . The monitoring system of  claim 8 , the portable base further includes a defibrillator module configured to provide at least one of pacing, defibrillation, and cardioversion. 
     
     
         12 . The monitoring system of  claim 8 , wherein the patient parameter monitoring pod is structured to operate when detached from the portable base and when mounted on the portable base. 
     
     
         13 . The monitoring system of  claim 8 , wherein the patient parameter monitoring pod communicates wirelessly with the portable base when detached from the portable base. 
     
     
         14 . The monitoring system of  claim 8 , the portable base further includes a printer. 
     
     
         15 . The monitoring system of  claim 8 , wherein the patient parameter monitoring pod includes a transmitter configured to transmit a signal based on the patient data to a receiver located in the portable base. 
     
     
         16 . The monitoring system of  claim 8 , wherein each of the portable base and the patient parameter monitoring pod includes a display. 
     
     
         17 . A method for power sharing between a portable base having a base battery and a patient parameter monitoring pod having a pod battery, comprising:
 electrically connecting the portable base and the patient parameter monitoring pod;   determining a charge condition of a base battery;   determining a charge condition of a pod battery; and   sharing electrical energy between the portable base and the patient parameter monitoring pod based on the charge condition of at least one of the base battery and the pod battery.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein sharing electrical energy between the portable base and the patient parameter monitoring pod comprises sharing the electrical energy from the base battery to the pod battery based on a determined low charge condition of the pod battery or sharing the electrical energy from the pod battery to the base battery based on a determined low charge condition of the base battery. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising communicating wirelessly between the portable base and the patient parameter monitoring pod. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein sharing electrical energy between the portable base and the patient parameter monitoring pod is based on the charge condition of both the base battery and pod battery.