Defibrillator communications architecture

A method of handling a defibrillator status message broadcast by an automated external defibrillator (AED) using an advertisement type protocol, the method comprising:

• receiving the defibrillator status message by a listening device, wherein the defibrillator status message is received wirelessly by the listening device without establishing a connection between the AED and the listening device;
• analyzing the received status message by the listening device and determining whether an action should be taken based at least in part on defibrillator status information contained in the defibrillator status message, wherein the determination that the action should be taken is based, at least in part, upon selected defibrillator status information received in the status message selected from the group consisting of:
• an indication of a charge level of an internal battery in the AED;
• an indication of a status of defibrillation electrode pads associated with the AED;
• an indication of a result of one or more self-test(s) performed by the AED;
• an indication of a firmware or software version currently installed on the AED;
• an indication of a cardiac rhythm diagnosis made by the AED;
• an indication of a number of defibrillation shocks delivered by the AED;
• an indication of an amount of time that has elapsed since the AED was activated for emergency use;
• an indication of whether the AED is in an adult or pediatric operating mode;
• and
• an indication of whether an ECG detected by the AED was characterized by the AED as a shockable rhythm or not a shockable rhythm;
• and
• the listening device performing the action when it is determined that the action should be taken based at least in part on the selected defibrillator status information.

A method of handling a defibrillator status message broadcast by a defibrillator using an advertisement type protocol, the method comprising:

• receiving the defibrillator status message by a listening device, wherein the defibrillator status message includes an information available indicator that indicates whether the defibrillator has new information available, and wherein the defibrillator status message is received wirelessly by the listening device without establishing a connection between the defibrillator and the listening device;
• analyzing the received status message by the listening device and determining whether the information available indicator indicates that the defibrillator has new information available;
• and
• the listening device requesting or initiating a connection with the defibrillator when it is determined that the information available indicator indicates that the defibrillator has new information available.

A method of handling a defibrillator status message broadcast by a defibrillator using an advertisement type protocol, the method comprising:

• receiving the defibrillator status message by a listening device, wherein the defibrillator status message is received wirelessly by the listening device without establishing a connection between the defibrillator and the listening device and wherein the status message includes a firmware or software version identifier that indicates a firmware or software version currently operational on the defibrillator;
• and
• analyzing the received status message by the listening device and determining whether the firmware or software version currently operational on the defibrillator is a most recent firmware or software version that is available for the defibrillator;
• and
• when the listening device determines that the firmware or software version currently operational on the defibrillator is not the most recent firmware or software version that is available for the defibrillator, the listening device directly or indirectly causes a firmware or software update available prompt to be generated.

A method of handling a defibrillator status message broadcast by a defibrillator, the method comprising:

• receiving the defibrillator status message by a listening device, wherein the defibrillator status message is received wirelessly by the listening device without establishing a connection between the defibrillator and the listening device;
• forwarding the received defibrillator status message from the listening device to a remotely located management server together with a timestamp that indicates a time that the defibrillator status message was received by the listening device;
• and
• by the management server:
• determining whether the defibrillator status message received from the listening device was transmitted by the defibrillator more recently than earlier received status messages from the defibrillator based at least in part on the timestamp;
• and
• when it is determined that the status message received from the listening device was transmitted by the defibrillator more recently than the earlier received status messages from the defibrillator, updating a database record associated with the defibrillator based on information in the defibrillator status message received from the listening device.

A method of handling a status message broadcast by an automated external defibrillator, the method comprising:

• receiving the status message by a listening device, wherein the status message contains a firmware or software version identifier indicative of a current firmware or software version used by the automated external defibrillator and wherein the status message is received by the listening device without establishing a connection between the automated external defibrillator and the listening device;
• determining whether the current firmware or software version used by the automated external defibrillator is a most recent firmware or software version available for use by the automated external defibrillator based at least in part on the received firmware or software version identifier;
• and
• when it is determined that the current firmware or software version used by the automated external defibrillator is not the most recent firmware or software version available for use by the automated external defibrillator, facilitating delivery of a firmware or software update from a management server to the automated external defibrillator via the listening device.