Wearable monitoring and treatment device

• US 9,848,826 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2015
• Issued: 12/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zoll Medical Corporation (Asahi Kasei Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Zoll Medical Corporation (Asahi Kasei Corporation)
• Inventors: Volpe, Shane S., Kaib, Thomas E.
• Primary Examiner(s): KAHELIN, MICHAEL WILLIAM
• Application Number:
  US14/630,920
• Publication Number:
  US 20150164427A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,035 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/1281 with incorporated means for medical monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/053 Measuring electrical impedance or conductance of a portion of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1135 by monitoring thoracic expansion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/349 Detecting specific parameters of the electrocardiograph cycle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6804 Garments; Clothes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6805 Vests
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6844 Monitoring or controlling distance between sensor and tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7221 Determining signal validity, reliability or quality A61B5/7207 and A61B5/7217 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7455 characterised by tactile indication, e.g. vibration or electrical stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/046 Specially adapted for shock therapy, e.g. defibrillation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0484 Garment electrodes worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3925 Monitoring; Protecting
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3931 Protecting, e.g. back-up systems
• 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

Abstract

A wearable medical device is provided. The wearable medical device includes a garment that includes a sensing electrode, at least one of an inductive element and a capacitive element included in at least part of the garment, and a controller. The controller may be configured to determine a confidence level of information received from the sensing electrode based on at least one of an inductance of the inductive element and a capacitance of the capacitive element.

Claims

1. A wearable medical device, comprising:

a garment worn by a subject, the garment comprising one or more electrocardiograph sensing electrodes configured to receive electrocardiograph information from the subject;

at least one of an inductive element and a capacitive element included in at least part of the garment; and

a controller configured to determine a confidence level of the electrocardiograph information received from the one or more electrocardiograph sensing electrodes based on at least one of a change in an inductance of the inductive element and a change in a capacitance of the capacitive element, the confidence level indicating whether the one or more electrocardiograph sensing electrodes are properly positioned on the subject.

2. The wearable medical device of claim 1, further comprising an alarm module coupled to the controller and configured to provide a notification to the subject based on the confidence level.

3. The wearable medical device of claim 2, wherein the notification indicates that the garment is one of:

properly positioned about the subject, too loose about the subject, and too tight about the subject.

4. The wearable medical device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to identify, based on the at least one of the change in the inductance of the inductive element and the change in the capacitance of the capacitive element, at least one of:

expansion of the garment, tightening of the garment, improper positioning of the garment, and shifting of the garment.

5. The wearable medical device of claim 4, further comprising a therapy electrode included in the garment and wherein the controller is further configured to determine, based on the at least one of the expansion of the garment, the tightening of the garment, the improper positioning of the garment, and the shifting of the garment, that positioning of at least one of the one or more electrocardiograph sensing electrodes and the therapy electrode is outside a tolerance range and to withhold treatment of the subject by the therapy electrode based on the positioning of the at least one of the one or more electrocardiograph sensing electrodes and the therapy electrode.

6. The wearable medical device of claim 5, further comprising an alarm module configured to provide instructions to the subject regarding positioning of at least one of the one or more electrocardiograph sensing electrodes and the therapy electrode based on the at least one of:

the expansion of the garment, the tightening of the garment, the improper positioning of the garment, and the shifting of the garment.

7. The wearable medical device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to identify an expansion of the garment based on the at least one of the change in the inductance of the inductive element and the change in the capacitance of the capacitive element and to determine respiratory function of the subject based on the expansion of the garment.

8. The wearable medical device of claim 1, further comprising a therapy electrode included in the garment, wherein the confidence level further indicates whether the therapy electrode is properly positioned on the subject, and wherein the controller is further configured to identify an arrhythmic cardiac event, verify positioning of the therapy electrode included in the garment based on the confidence level, and cause the therapy electrode to apply treatment to the subject.

9. The wearable medical device of claim 1, wherein the garment comprises at least one of a belt and a strap configured to include the at least one of the capacitive element and the inductive element, and at least one of:

the one or more electrocardiograph sensing electrodes, the controller, an alarm module, a therapy electrode, and a defibrillator.

10. The wearable medical device of claim 1, wherein the wearable medical device includes both the inductive element and the capacitive element, and wherein the controller is configured to determine the confidence level of information received from the one or more electrocardiograph sensing electrodes based on both the change in the inductance of the inductive element and the capacitance of the capacitive element.

11. The wearable medical device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the confidence level at least in part by determining that the one or more electrocardiograph sensing electrodes is properly positioned on the subject based on the at least one of the change in the inductance of the inductive element and the change in the capacitance of the capacitive element.

12. The wearable medical device of claim 1, wherein the one or more electrocardiograph sensing electrodes senses electrocardiograph information of the subject, and wherein the controller is further configured to determine the confidence level based on the electrocardiograph information of the subject and the at least one of the change in the inductance of the inductive element and the change in the capacitance of the capacitive element.

13. The wearable medical device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine an absence of an arrhythmic cardiac event based on the electrocardiograph information of the subject and the at least one of the change in the inductance of the inductive element and the change in the capacitance of the capacitive element.

14. The wearable medical device of claim 1, wherein the wearable medical device is a wearable therapeutic device.