Wearable cardiac defibrillator system sounding louder if sensing no bystander nearby

• US 9,950,184 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2016
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• 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, Jr., Phillip Dewey, Banville, Isabelle, Nova, Richard C., Szul, Krystyna, Finney, Daniel, Gustavson, Laura Marie, Kavounas, Gregory T.
• Primary Examiner(s): DIETRICH, JOSEPH M
• Application Number:
  US15/362,801
• Publication Number:
  US 20170182329A1
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• 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 speaker system, a memory and a proximity detector. Prompts have been stored in the memory. In case of an emergency, upon inferring that no bystander is nearby, the speaker system may transmit a sound at a higher intensity than otherwise, hoping to attract attention.

Claims

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

a support structure configured to be worn by a patient;

a power source;

an energy storage module configured to receive an electrical charge from the power source, and to store the received electrical charge;

a discharge circuit configured to be 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;

a proximity detector coupled to the support structure and configured to infer a proximity to the support structure of a person other than the patient and who is not contacting the patient; and

a speaker system coupled to the support structure and configured to output a transmitted sound that has a first intensity if the inferred proximity is closer than a threshold, and a second intensity that is larger than the first intensity otherwise.

2. The WCD system of claim 1, in which

the proximity detector includes a microphone.

3. The WCD system of claim 1, in which

the proximity detector includes an illumination detector.

4. The WCD system of claim 1, in which

the proximity detector includes a thermal imager.

5. The WCD system of claim 1, in which

the proximity detector includes a camera.

6. The WCD system of claim 1, in which

the proximity detector includes a wireless signal receiver.

7. The WCD system of claim 1, in which

the proximity detector includes a touch sensor.

8. The WCD system of claim 1, in which

the speaker system has a manual volume setting configured to adjust an intensity of the transmitted sound, and

the manual volume setting is adjustable by the person.

9. The WCD system of claim 1, in which

the transmitted sound has a first content if the inferred proximity is closer than the threshold, and a second content different from the first content otherwise.

10. 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, a power source, an energy storage module configured to receive an electrical charge from the power source, and to store the received electrical charge, a discharge circuit configured to be coupled to the energy storage module, a proximity detector coupled to the support structure and a speaker system coupled to the support structure, they result in operations comprising:

inferring, from the proximity detector, a proximity to the support structure of a person other than the patient and who is not contacting the patient;

outputting, via the speaker system a transmitted sound that has a first intensity if the inferred proximity is closer than a threshold, and a second intensity that is larger than the first intensity otherwise; and

controlling the discharge circuit to discharge the stored electrical charge through the patient while the support structure is worn by the patient.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, in which when the one or more programs are so executed, they result in the operations to further comprise:

receiving a manual volume adjustment input, and

in which an intensity of the transmitted sound is adjusted responsive to the received manual volume adjustment input.

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

the transmitted sound has a first content if the inferred proximity is closer than the threshold, and

a second content different from the first content otherwise.

13. A method for a wearable cardiac defibrillator (WCD) system, the WCD system including a support structure configured to be worn by a patient, a power source, an energy storage module configured to receive an electrical charge from the power source, and to store the received electrical charge, a discharge circuit configured to be coupled to the energy storage module, a proximity detector coupled to the support structure and a speaker system coupled to the support structure, the method comprising:

inferring, from the proximity detector, a proximity to the support structure of a person other than the patient and who is not contacting the patient;

outputting, via the speaker system a transmitted sound that has a first intensity if the inferred proximity is closer than a threshold, and a second intensity that is larger than the first intensity otherwise; and

controlling the discharge circuit to discharge the stored electrical charge through the patient while the support structure is worn by the patient.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a manual volume adjustment input, and

in which an intensity of the transmitted sound is adjusted responsive to the received manual volume adjustment input.

15. The method of claim 13, in which

the transmitted sound has a first content if the inferred proximity is closer than the threshold, and a second content different from the first content otherwise.