# US 11,439,814 B2 · Stimulation device for electrotherapy and method for checking the polarity of contact electrodes

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- Number: US 11,439,814 B2
- Document ID: US11439814B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/972,459
- Filed: 2020-02-05
- Published: 2021-12-23
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2019-03-12
- Assignees: GS Elektromedizinische Geräte G. Stemple GmbH
- Applicants: Gs Elektromedizinische GeräTe G. Stemple GmbH
- Inventors: Mark Ulbrich; Michael Peukert
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11439814B2

## CPC

- A61N 1/08: Arrangements or circuits for monitoring, protecting, controlling or indicating {(for external stimulators A61N1/3603; for implantable neurostimulators A61N1/36128; for heart stimulators A61N1/37; for defibrillators A61N1/3925)}
- A61N 1/3918: {characterised by shock pathway, e.g. by electrode configuration}
- A61N 1/3625: {External stimulators}
- A61N 1/371: {Capture, i.e. successful stimulation}
- A61N 1/3904: {External heart defibrillators [EHD]}
- A61N 1/39046: {User protection from shock}
- A61N 1/3931: {Protecting, e.g. back-up systems}
- A61N 1/3937: {Monitoring output parameters}
- A61N 1/3993: {User interfaces for automatic external defibrillators}
- A61N 2001/083: {Monitoring integrity of contacts, e.g. by impedance measurement}
- A61N: ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY (measurement of bioelectric currents A61B; surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body A61B18/00; anaesthetic apparatus in general A61M; incandescent lamps H01K; infrared radiators for heating H05B)

## Abstract

The invention relates to a stimulation device for electrotherapy, in particular a defibrillator device and/or external pacemaker device, comprising at least two contact electrodes, which can be applied to the body of a patient at suitable stimulation positions and by means of which current pulses can be applied to the body of the patient, the first of the at least two contact electrodes acting as a charging electrode having positive polarity, and the second of the at least two contact electrodes acting as a discharging electrode having negative polarity with respect to an emitted current pulse, and with a current pulse generator, which is or can be connected to the contact electrodes by means of line connections. The invention further relates to a method for determining the polarity of contact electrodes applied to the body of a patient.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A stimulation device for electrotherapy, in particular defibrillator and/or an external pacemaker device, comprising:
at least two contact electrodes, which can be applied to suitable stimulation positions on the body of a patient, and are configured to subject the body of the patient to current pulses, wherein the first of the at least two contact electrodes acts as a charging electrode having positive polarity and the second of the at least two contact electrodes acts as a discharging electrode having negative polarity with respect to an emitted current pulse;
a current pulse generator, which is or can be connected to the contact electrodes via line connections; and
a signal evaluation unit, which is or can be connected to the contact electrodes, wherein the stimulation device is arranged, through the contact electrodes applied to the body of the patient, to record endogenous signals from the patient specific to the respective stimulation positions of the contact electrodes and to transmit them to the evaluation unit, wherein the evaluation unit is configured to determine the actual stimulation positions of the contact electrodes on the body of the patient based on the specific signals detected by the contact electrodes.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, further comprising a display device configured to display the stimulation position of the charging electrode and the discharging electrode on the body of the patient.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, further comprising a switch configured to interchange the line connections between the current pulse generator and the contact electrodes.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The device according to claim 3, wherein the switch comprises a change-over switch.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The device according to claim 4, wherein the change-over switch can be actuated by the evaluation unit in a controlled manner.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The device according to one of claim 1, wherein the specific signals are ECG signals.

### Claim 7

A method for checking the polarity of contact electrodes applied to the body of a patient of a stimulation device for electrotherapy, in particular a defibrillator device and/or pacemaker device, the method comprising: applying the contact electrodes to the body of the patient at suitable stimulation positions, recording endogenous signals from the patient specific to the respective stimulation positions of the contact electrodes, and transmitting the signals to an evaluation unit, wherein the evaluation unit determines an actual position of the contact electrodes on the body of the patient based on the signals detected at the contact electrodes.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method according to claim 7, wherein the evaluation unit compares the polarity of the treatment current provided for the electrotherapy actually applied to the respective contact electrode with a target polarity at the contact electrode at the respective actual position and, when the actual polarity and the target polarity do not match, outputs a signal and/or changes the actual polarity to the target polarity.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The method according to claim 7, wherein the specific signals are ECG signals.