Wearable cardiac defibrillator system not delivering shock upon hearing preset delaying word from bystander

• US 9,539,436 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2016
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: West Affum Holdings DAC
• Original Assignee: West Affum Holdings Corp
• Inventors: Sullivan, Joseph L., Finch, David Peter, Foshee, Phillip Dewey Jr., Banville, Isabelle, Nova, Richard C., Szul, Krystyna, Finney, Daniel, Gustavson, Laura Marie, Kavounas, Gregory T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wieland, Robert N
• Application Number:
  US15/097,554
• Publication Number:
  US 20160256699A1
• Time in Patent Office: 272 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0242 adapted to measure environmental factors, e.g. temperature, pollution
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02405 Determining heart rate variability
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/053 Measuring electrical impedance or conductance of a portion of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4836 Diagnosis combined with treatment in closed-loop systems or methods A61B5/0036 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6801 specially adapted to be attached to or worn on the body surface
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/74 Details of notification to user or communication with user or patient indicating measured values G01D7/00; user input means input or output arrangements for computers G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7405 using sound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37254 Pacemaker or defibrillator security, e.g. to prevent or inhibit programming alterations by hackers or unauthorised individuals
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/39 Heart defibrillators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3904 External heart defibrillators [EHD]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/39044 in combination with cardiopulmonary resuscitation [CPR] therapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/39046 User protection from shock
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3925 Monitoring; Protecting
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3968 Constructional arrangements, e.g. casings A61N1/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3975 Power supply A61N1/378 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3987 characterised by the timing or triggering of the shock
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3993 User interfaces for automatic external defibrillators

Abstract

A wearable cardiac defibrillator (“WCD”) system may include a support structure that a patient can wear, an energy storage module that can store an electrical charge, and a discharge circuit that can discharge the electrical charge through the patient so as to shock him or her, while the patient is wearing the support structure. Embodiments may actively take into account bystanders, both to protect them from an inadvertent shock, and also to enlist their help. In some embodiments the WCD system includes a microphone that can sense when a bystander speaks a preset delaying word like “WAIT” or “NO”, and prevent the discharge.

Claims

1. A wearable cardiac defibrillator (WCD) system, comprising:

a support structure configured to be worn by a patient;

an energy storage module configured to be coupled to the support structure and to store an electrical charge;

a discharge circuit coupled to the energy storage module and controllable to discharge the stored electrical charge through the patient while the support structure is worn by the patient;

a microphone configured to sense a sound that is ambient to the support structure while the support structure is worn by the patient; and

a processor configured to control the discharge circuit to thus discharge the stored electrical charge, but control the discharge circuit to not thus discharge if the sensed ambient sound includes a preset delaying word.

2. The WCD system of claim 1, in which

the microphone is coupled to the support structure.

3. The WCD system of claim 1, further comprising:

a head set configured to be worn by a rescuer, and

in which the microphone is coupled to the head set.

4. The WCD system of claim 1, further comprising:

a measurement circuit configured to render a physiological input from a patient physiological signal, and

in which the processor is further configured to detect a cardiac arrhythmia of the patient from the physiological input, and to control the discharge circuit to thus discharge the stored electrical charge responsive to the detected cardiac arrhythmia.

5. The WCD system of claim 1, further comprising:

a speaker configured to pose a question, and

in which the ambient sound is sensed as a response to the question.

6. The WCD system of claim 1, further comprising:

a display configured to pose a question, and

in which the ambient sound is sensed as a response to the question.

7. The WCD system of claim 1, in which

the preset delaying word is “

NO”

or “

WAIT”

.

8. The WCD system of claim 1, further comprising:

a memory configured to store a data file encoding the preset delaying word.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs which, when executed by at least one processor of a wearable cardiac defibrillator (WCD) system, the WCD system including a support structure configured to be worn by a patient, an energy storage module configured to be coupled to the support structure and to store an electrical charge, a discharge circuit coupled to the energy storage module and configured to discharge the stored electrical charge through the patient while the support structure is worn by the patient and a microphone, they result in operations comprising:

sensing, by the microphone, a sound that is ambient to the support structure while the support structure is worn by the patient; and

controlling the discharge circuit to thus discharge the stored electrical charge, but control the discharge circuit to not thus discharge if the sensed ambient sound includes a preset delaying word.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, in which

the WCD system further includes a measurement circuit, and

the operations further include:

rendering, by the measurement circuit, a physiological input from a patient physiological signal; and

detecting a cardiac arrhythmia of the patient from the physiological input, and

in which the discharge circuit is controlled to thus discharge the stored electrical charge responsive to the detected cardiac arrhythmia.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, in which

the WCD system further includes a speaker, and

the operations further include:

posing, by the speaker, a question, and

in which the ambient sound is sensed as a response to the question.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, in which

the WCD system further includes a display, and

the operations further include:

posing, by the display, a question, and

in which the ambient sound is sensed as a response to the question.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, in which

the preset delaying word is “

NO”

or “

WAIT”

.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, in which

the WCD system further includes a memory that stores a data file encoding the preset delaying word.

15. A method for a wearable cardiac defibrillator (WCD) system, the WCD system including a support structure configured to be worn by a patient, an energy storage module configured to be coupled to the support structure and to store an electrical charge, a discharge circuit coupled to the energy storage module and configured to discharge the stored electrical charge through the patient while the support structure is worn by the patient and a microphone, the method comprising:

sensing, by the microphone, a sound that is ambient to the support structure while the support structure is worn by the patient; and

controlling the discharge circuit to thus discharge the stored electrical charge, but control the discharge circuit to not thus discharge if the sensed ambient sound includes a preset delaying word.

16. The method of claim 15, in which

the WCD system further includes a measurement circuit, and

further comprising:

rendering, by the measurement circuit, a physiological input from a patient physiological signal; and

detecting a cardiac arrhythmia of the patient from the physiological input, and

in which the discharge circuit is controlled to thus discharge the stored electrical charge responsive to the detected cardiac arrhythmia.

17. The method of claim 15, in which

the WCD system further includes a speaker, and

further comprising:

posing, by the speaker, a question, and

in which the ambient sound is sensed as a response to the question.

18. The method of claim 15, in which

the WCD system further includes a display, and

further comprising:

posing, by the display, a question, and

in which the ambient sound is sensed as a response to the question.

19. The method of claim 15, in which

the preset delaying word is “

NO”

or “

WAIT”

.

20. The method of claim 15, in which

the WCD system further includes a memory, and

further comprising:

storing in the memory a data file encoding the preset delaying word.