US Patent 10029108 Adaptive self-testing and stress analysis of medical devices

An improved self-testing method is described which is incorporated into a defibrillator (20). The method performs a self-testing protocol which operates on a first frequency until a threshold condition is reached. When the threshold condition is reached, the self-testing protocol switches to a second frequency. Such a method enables quicker identification of a failure mode in a population of defibrillators, while maintaining acceptable battery life in the device.