Chest compression belt with belt position monitoring system

Abstract

An automated chest compression device for performing CPR, with distance sensors disposed on a compressing mechanism and on a structure fixed relative to the CPR patient, for determining inferior/superior movement of the compressing mechanism over the course of multiple compressions.

1 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A system for performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) compressions on a patient, the system comprising:
 a back plate configured to be disposed under a thorax of the patient during automatic application of the CPR compressions;   two support arms configured to be fixed to the back plate;   a piston driver suspended from, and fixed relative to, the two support arms;   
       a piston, the piston being fixed relative to the piston driver and configured for use in automatic application of the CPR compressions to the thorax of the patient, wherein a space between the piston and the back plate is for accommodating the patient during the automatic application of the CPR compressions;
 at least one sensor configured to generate data indicative of movement of the piston along an inferior/superior axis relative to the thorax of the patient; 
 a controller configured to:
 receive the data; and 
 based at least in part on the received data, detect the movement of the piston along the inferior/superior axis relative to the thorax of the patient during the automatic application of the CPR compressions; and 
 
 an output device communicatively coupled with the controller and configured to provide output based on the detected movement. 
 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23 , comprising a compression applier, the compression applier being fixed relative to the piston and used in the automatic application of the CPR compressions to the thorax of the patient. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein the compression applier comprises a compression surface for impinging upon the thorax of the patient during the automatic application of the CPR compressions. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein the compression applier comprises a compression pad. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein the compression applier is affixed to the piston. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the controller is configured to provide instructions to cause the automatic application of the CPR compressions to occur at a resuscitative rate and depth. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the controller is configured to detect, based at least in part on the detected movement, migration of the piston relative to a target area of the thorax of the patient, the migration being indicative that the piston has moved toward the patient's abdomen or head during the CPR compressions. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the controller is configured to, upon detecting that the detected movement exceeds a predetermined limit, stop the automatic application of the CPR compressions. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the controller is configured to calculate a distance of the movement. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the controller is configured to, based at least in part on the detected movement, cause the output device to provide the output, wherein the output comprises at least one of an alert, a warning and a prompt. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the controller is configured to, upon detecting that the detected movement exceeds a predetermined limit, cause the output device to provide the output, wherein the output comprises at least one of an alert, a warning and a prompt. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the output based at least in part on the calculated distance of the movement. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the at least one of the alert, the warning and the prompt comprises visual output provided via a display. 
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the at least one of the alert, the warning and the prompt comprises audio output provided via a speaker. 
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the output comprises an advisory. 
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the output is provided to a CPR provider. 
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one accelerometer. 
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 39 , wherein the at least one accelerometer generates acceleration data, and wherein the controller detects the movement based at least in part on the generated acceleration data. 
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one of one or more ultrasonic sensors, one or more optical sensors, one or more RFID sensors, one or more distance sensors, one or more motion sensors, one or more piezo-electric sensors, one or more electromagnetic sensors, one or more magnetic sensors, one or more pressure sensors, one or more emitters, and one or more one detectors. 
     
     
         42 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein controller is configured to use the generated data in determining at least one distance of at least one of the piston and the compression applier of the system from a target area of the thorax of the patient, and wherein the controller performs detection of the movement based at least in part on the determined at least one distance. 
     
     
         43 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one emitter configured for use with one or more detectable markers or with one or more reflectors. 
     
     
         44 . The system of  claim 43 , wherein the at least one emitter comprises at least one ultrasonic emitter. 
     
     
         45 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein the at least one sensor is attached to at least one of the compression applier and the piston. 
     
     
         46 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein the at least one sensor is attached to at least one of the back plate, the piston driver, and at least one of the two support arms. 
     
     
         47 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises a plurality of sensors. 
     
     
         48 . The system of  claim 47 , wherein the at least one sensor is attached to:
 at least one of the compression applier and the piston; and   at least one of the back plate, the piston driver, and at least one of the two support arms.   
     
     
         49 . The system of  claim 47 , wherein the at least one sensor is attached to:
 at least one of the compression applier, the piston and a second portion of the system that is fixed relative to the compression applier and the piston; and   at least one of the back plate, at least one of the two support arms, and a third portion of the system that is fixed relative to the back plate and the two support arms.   
     
     
         50 . The system of  claim 47 , comprising one or more array assemblies, wherein each of the one or more array assemblies comprises two or more sensors of the plurality of sensors. 
     
     
         51 . The system of  claim 50 , wherein the two or more sensors define a plane. 
     
     
         52 . The system of  claim 47 , wherein:
 the plurality of sensors includes two or more sensors affixed to the compression applier, the two or more sensors being disposed along the inferior/superior axis relative to the thorax of the patient; and   the controller is configured to detect, based at least in part on first data, of the data indicative of movement, received from the two or more sensors, an orientation of the compression applier relative to a horizontal orientation.