# US 10,478,631 B2 · Wearable cardioverter defibrillator (WCD) system using sensor modules with reassurance code for confirmation before shock

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- Number: US 10,478,631 B2
- Document ID: US10478631B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/905,575
- Filed: 2018-02-26
- Published: 2018-10-11
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2015-05-11
- Assignees: West Affum Holdings Corp.
- Applicants: West Affum Holdings Corp.
- Inventors: Fred William Chapman; Gregory T. Kavounas
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10478631B2

## CPC

- A61N 1/3987: {characterised by the timing or triggering of the shock}
- A61B 5/1032: {Determining colour of tissue for diagnostic purposes}
- A61B 5/318: Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
- A61B 5/361: Detecting fibrillation
- A61B 5/4836: {Diagnosis combined with treatment in closed-loop systems or methods (A61B5/0036 takes precedence)}
- A61B 8/0883: {for diagnosis of the heart}
- A61B 8/4427: {Device being portable or laptop-like}
- A61B 8/488: {involving Doppler signals}
- A61N 1/046: {Specially adapted for shock therapy, e.g. defibrillation}
- A61N 1/3968: {Constructional arrangements, e.g. casings (A61N1/375 takes precedence)}
- A61B 5/0024: {for multiple sensor units attached to the patient, e.g. using a body or personal area network}
- A61B 5/0059: {using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence (photoacoustic A61B5/0093; optical measurement of heart rate A61B5/02416; optical measurement of blood flow A61B5/0261; optical measurement of analytes A61B5/1455)}
- A61B 5/0205: Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
- A61B 5/021: Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels
- A61B 5/024: Measuring pulse rate or heart rate
- A61B 5/026: Measuring blood flow {(A61B3/1233, A61B3/1241 take precedence)}
- A61B 5/11: Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor or mobility of a limb {(A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721)}
- 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)
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)

## Abstract

A wearable cardioverter defibrillator (“WCD”) system includes a support structure that can be worn by a patient, and a defibrillator coupled to the support structure. An ECG input, rendered from an ECG of the patient, may meet a primary shock criterion. One or more sensor modules are further provided, which are worn by the patient at different times. The sensor modules may monitor different physiological parameters of the patient, and transmit signals about them. The WCD system further has a multi-sensor interface to receive the transmitted signals, and a processor to determine from them whether a secondary shock criterion is met. If both the primary and the secondary shock criteria are met, the decision is to shock. The signals increase specificity of the detection, while the patient can wear different modules depending on context.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A wearable cardioverter defibrillator (WCD) system, comprising:
a support structure that may be worn by a patient;
a processor coupled to the support structure;
a discharge circuit configured to discharge a stored electrical charge through a body of the patient, the discharge circuit in communication with the processor;
at least two sensors in communication with the processor, the at least two sensors including at least a physiological sensor configured and positioned to detect a physiological parameter of the patient and a motion sensor configured and positioned to detect that the WCD is in motion;
the processor configured to:
determine from the physiological parameter whether or not a first shock criterion is met;
in response to the first shock criterion being met, determine, from an output of the motion sensor, whether the WCD is in motion;
in response to motion being detected, determine a second shock criterion is not satisfied; and
maintain an inactivate state of the discharge circuit.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The WCD system of claim 1, wherein the second shock criterion is a lack of sufficient movement of the patient.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The WCD system of claim 1, wherein the motion sensor comprises an accelerometer and the accelerometer is coupled to the support structure.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The WCD system of claim 1 wherein the motion sensor comprises an accelerometer and the accelerometer is coupled to the body of the patient and is in wireless communication with the processor.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The WCD system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:
receive an output from a third sensor remote from the WCD system;
analyze the output from the third sensor; and
activate the discharge circuit when the analyzed output of the third sensor satisfies the second shock criterion.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The WCD system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:
receive outputs from a multiple sensors separate from the WCD system;
analyze the outputs from the multiple sensors; and
compare the analyzed outputs to the second shock criterion.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The WCD system of claim 1, wherein the motion sensor is one of an accelerometer and a pressure sensor.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The WCD system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to generate a polling signal to the motion sensor at a predetermined time interval.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The WCD system of claim 8, wherein the predetermined time interval is between 10 seconds and 60 seconds.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The WCD system of claim 8, wherein the processor is still further configured to cause the motion sensor to enter a rapid polling process.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The WCD system of claim 10, wherein the rapid polling process prompts the processor to continuously poll the motion sensor for a predetermined length of time.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The WCD system of claim 11; wherein, when a detected motion does not satisfy the second shock criterion during the predetermined length of time, the processor is configured to activate the discharge circuit.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The WCD system of claim 11, wherein, when a detected motion does not satisfy the second shock criterion during the predetermined length of time, the processor is configured to activate an alarm of an impending electrical charge.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The WCD system of claim 1, wherein the processor further generates a reassurance code from the determination of the second shock criterion, and wherein the reassurance code inhibits the discharge circuit from emitting the stored electrical charge.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The WCD system of claim 1, further comprising:
an active visual indicator coupled to each of the at least two sensors, wherein the active visual indicator is configured to indicate each the at least two sensors is transmitting data to the processor.

### Claim 16

A wearable cardioverter defibrillator system, comprising:
a support structure for wearing by a patient;
a defibrillator housing coupled to the support structure;
a discharge circuit in communication with the defibrillator housing; the discharge circuit configured to discharge a stored electrical charge through a body of the patient,
a processor within the defibrillator housing, the processor in communication with the discharge circuit;
at least one physiological sensor in communication with the processor, the physiological sensor positioned to ECG parameter of the patient; and
at least one motion sensor in communication with the processor, the motion sensor positioned to detect movement of the patient;
the processor configured to:
determine from the ECG parameter whether or not a first shock criterion is met;
receive a second parameter from the at least one motion sensor;
determine, from the received signal, whether the patient is in motion; and
activate the discharge circuit to emit the stored electrical charge to the patient when the motion does not satisfy a second shock criterion.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The WCD system of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to:
generate an alarm to be dispatched to the patient when the second shock criterion is not satisfied;
determine when a response to the generated alarm is received; and
deactivate the discharge circuit when the response to the generated alarm is received.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The WCD system of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to:
receive data from at least one sensor external to the WCD system;
analyze data from the at least one sensor; and
compare the analyzed data to the first and second shock criterion.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The WCD system of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to:
receive data from multiple sensors external to the WCD system; and
determine from the multiple sensors when a secondary shock criterion is met.

### Claim 20

A wearable cardioverter defibrillator system, comprising:
a support structure for wearing by a patient;
one or more electrodes for delivering a charge to the patient, while the patient is wearing the support structure;
a discharge circuit coupled to the electrodes, the discharge circuit configured to store an electrical charge;
a processor for activating the discharge circuit, the processor in communication with the discharge circuit;
at least one physiological sensor module in communication with the processor, the at least one physiological sensor module configured to monitor a physiological parameter of the patient while the patient wears the support structure and to transmit a first signal that communicates the physiological parameter; and
at least one motion sensor module in communication with the processor, the at least one motion sensor module configured to monitor a motion parameter of the patient while the patient wears the support structure and to transmit a second signal that communicates the motion parameter.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The WCD system of claim 20, in which
the at least one motion sensor module encodes a reassurance code generated from a value of the second signal.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The WCD system of claim 21, wherein the at least one motion sensor module is configured to communicate the reassurance code to the processor and the processor inhibits signals for shocking when the reassurance code is received.

### Claim 23 (depends on 20)

The WCD system of claim 20, wherein the at least one motion sensor module further includes:
a sensor housing configured to be worn by the patient; and
a sensor coupled to the sensor housing and configured to monitor the motion parameter while the sensor housing is worn by the patient.

### Claim 24 (depends on 20)

The WCD system of claim 20, in which the at least one motion sensor module includes a communication device configured to transmit the second signal to the processor.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The WCD system of claim 24, in which
the communication device is configured to transmit the second signal wirelessly.

### Claim 26 (depends on 24)

The WCD system of claim 24, in which
the communication device is configured to transmit the second signal periodically within one hour.

### Claim 27 (depends on 24)

The WCD system of claim 24, in which
the at least one motion sensor module is configured to receive a polling signal; and
the communication device is configured to transmit the second signal responsive to the at least one motion sensor receiving the polling signal.

### Claim 28 (depends on 27)

The WCD system of claim 27, wherein the at least one motion sensor module is configured to generate the second signal when the first signal transmits a shock code.

### Claim 29 (depends on 28)

The WCD system of claim 28, in which
the second signal encodes a reassurance code generated from a value of the motion parameter.

### Claim 30 (depends on 29)

The WCD system of claim 29, wherein the processor inhibits signals for shocking when the reassurance code is received from the at least one motion sensor module.