Neuorological condition detection unit and method of using the same

Abstract

A neurological condition detection unit can include a computer device that is connected to at least two leads that are connectable to a patient for evoking a response from that patient via an electrical current passed through the leads (e.g. a shock) and at plurality of sensors connected to the computer device to sense how the left side and right side of the patient's brain reacts to the evoked event (e.g. the shock). The stroke detection device and/or neurological condition detection unit can be configured to output a warning when one side of the patient's brain is determined to react differently than the opposite side of the patient's brain by at least a pre-selected threshold value. The warning can include an identification of a nearby care facility that may be best suited for providing care to a patient determined to have a neurological condition (e.g. a stroke).

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for detecting a neurological condition comprising:
 attaching evoked electrodes on opposite sides of a body;   positioning sensors on the opposite sides of the body;   communicatively connecting the evoked electrodes and the sensors to a computer device having non-transitory memory connected to a processor;   using the computer device to shock the body via the evoked electrodes for a pre-selected number of shocks within a pre-selected time period;   the computer device generating at least one of wave forms and curves that identify morphological features for responses from the pre-selected number of shocks the opposite sides of the body are measured to have;   the computer device comparing the morphological features to determine a difference between a morphological feature for a left side of the body and a morphological feature for a right side of the body that is at or exceeds a pre-selected threshold; and   the computer device generating a notification to identify a detection of a neurological condition in response to a result of the comparing of the morphological features indicating that the difference between the morphological feature for the left side of the body and the morphological feature for the right side of the body is at or exceeds the pre-selected threshold.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the wave forms and the curves are generated from measurement data the computer device receives from the sensors. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , comprising:
 the computer device receiving the measurement data from the sensors and storing the measurement data in the memory; and   wherein the morphological features are amplitudes and the responses from the pre-selected number of shocks the opposite sides of the body are electrical responses a central nervous system of the body has to the pre-selected number of shocks.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 filtering measurement data received from the sensors for generating the at least one of the wave forms and the curves.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the notification includes indicia identifying a location of a hospital determined to be most capable of providing care for the neurological condition. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , comprising:
 the computer device communicating data to an output device for identifying directions for routing an ambulatory vehicle to the hospital.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , comprising:
 the computer device communicating data to a communication system of the hospital relating to the detection of the neurological condition.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , comprising:
 the computer device searching at least one data store to identify the hospital based on the detected neurological condition.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the evoked electrodes are on pads that are adhesively attached to the body for removable attachment to the body; and wherein the sensors are on at least one pad that is adhesively attached to the body, the method further comprising:
 removing coverings that cover adhesive portions of the pads.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the evoked electrodes are positioned adjacent left and right wrists of the body and the sensors are positioned on a head of the body or on a neck of the body; and
 wherein each of the coverings has indicia identifying a location on which the pad of that covering is to be positioned on the body.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the pads having the evoked electrodes also have at least one of the sensors. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the evoked electrodes are on gloves and wherein the attaching of the evoked electrodes on opposite sides of the body comprises:
 inserting hands of the body into the gloves.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the attaching of the evoked electrodes on opposite sides of the body also comprises:
 verifying that the gloves are not twisted.   
     
     
         14 . A neurological condition detection unit comprising:
 non-transitory memory;   a processor connected to the memory;   a plurality of evoked electrodes connectable to the neurological condition detection unit such that a pre-selected number of shocks within a pre-selected time period is transmittable into a body of a patient via the evoked electrodes;   a plurality of sensors communicatively connectable to the memory such that measurement data relating to responses opposite sides of the body of the patient have to the shocks is storable in the memory;   the neurological condition detection unit configured to utilize the measurement data to generate at least one of wave forms and curves that identify amplitudes for responses from the shocks the opposite sides of the body are measured to have, compare the amplitudes to determine a difference between an amplitude for a left side of the body and an amplitude for a right side of the body that is at or exceeds a pre-selected threshold; and generate a notification to identify a detection of a neurological condition in response to a result of the comparing of the amplitudes indicating that the difference between the amplitude for the left side of the body and the amplitude for the right side of the body is at or exceeds the pre-selected threshold.   
     
     
         15 . The neurological condition detection unit of  claim 14 , wherein the neurological condition detection unit is positioned in an ambulatory vehicle. 
     
     
         16 . The neurological condition detection unit of  claim 14 , comprising:
 a wireless transceiver unit configured to communicatively connect the processor and the memory to the sensors.   
     
     
         17 . The neurological condition detection unit of  claim 14 , comprising:
 a wireless transceiver unit configured to communicatively connect the processor and the memory to the evoked electrodes.   
     
     
         18 . The neurological condition detection unit of  claim 14 , comprising:
 a power source connected to the evoked electrodes such that electricity is transmittable into the body via the evoked electrodes.   
     
     
         19 . The neurological condition detection unit of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the sensors are on at least one pad that is configured to adhesively attach to the body;   the evoked electrodes are on pads that are configured to adhesively attach to the opposite sides of the body.   
     
     
         20 . The neurological condition detection unit of  claim 14 , wherein the pads each have a covering that removably covers adhesive of the pad that is configured to adhesively attach the pad to the body, the covering having indicia identifying a location on the body to which the pad is to be attached.