# US 11,896,832 B2 · Wearable cardiac defibrillator (WCD) system sounding alert to bystanders > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,896,832 B2 - Document ID: US11896832B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/995,557 - Filed: 2020-08-17 - Published: 2020-12-03 - Granted: 2024-02-13 - Earliest claimed: 2014-03-19 - Assignees: West Affum Holdings DAC - Applicants: West Affum Holdings Dac - Inventors: Joseph L. Sullivan; David Peter Finch; Phillip Dewey Foshee, Jr.; Isabelle Banville; Richard C. Nova; Krystyna Szul; Daniel Finney; Laura Marie Gustavson; Gregory T. Kavounas - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11896832B2 ## CPC - A61N 1/37254: {Pacemaker or defibrillator security, e.g. to prevent or inhibit programming alterations by hackers or unauthorised individuals} - A61B 5/02405: {Determining heart rate variability} - A61B 5/053: Measuring electrical impedance or conductance of a portion of the body - 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)} - A61B 5/4836: {Diagnosis combined with treatment in closed-loop systems or methods (A61B5/0036 takes precedence)} - A61B 5/6801: {specially adapted to be attached to or worn on the body surface} - A61B 5/7405: {using sound} - A61B 5/742: {using visual displays (displays for heart-related electrical signals, e.g. ECG, A61B5/339)} - A61N 1/3904: {External heart defibrillators [EHD]} - A61N 1/3925: {Monitoring; Protecting} - A61N 1/3968: {Constructional arrangements, e.g. casings (A61N1/375 takes precedence)} - A61N 1/3975: {Power supply (A61N1/378 takes precedence)} - A61N 1/3987: {characterised by the timing or triggering of the shock} - A61N 1/3993: {User interfaces for automatic external defibrillators} - A61B 5/74: {Details of notification to user or communication with user or patient; User input means} - A61B 2560/0242: adapted to measure environmental factors, e.g. temperature, pollution - A61N 1/39: Heart defibrillators - A61N 1/39044: {in combination with cardiopulmonary resuscitation [CPR] therapy} - A61N 1/39046: {User protection from shock} - 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 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 and a memory. Prompts have been saved in advance in the patient's own voice, and stored in the memory. In case of an emergency, the prompts may be played by the speaker system in the patient's own voice, and heard by a bystander. ## Claims ### Claim 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; one or more defibrillation electrodes configured to be coupled to the support structure; a discharge circuit configured to be coupled to the energy storage module and to discharge the electrical charge through the patient with the one or more defibrillation electrodes while the support structure is worn by the patient; a measurement circuit configured to render a physiological input from a patient physiological signal; a processor configured to make a determination from at least the physiological input whether the patient physiological signal indicates that the patient could be suffering from Pulseless Electrical Activity (P.E.A.), wherein the processor is separate from the one or more defibrillation electrodes; and a speaker system coupled to the processor, the processor further configured to cause the speaker to output, when the determination indicates that the patient could be suffering from P.E.A., a transmitted sound that communicates a request to a bystander to aid the patient, the aid including performing Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitations (CPR) on the patient. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The WCD system of claim 1, further comprising: a motion detector coupled to the support structure, and wherein the determination is further based on motion detector signal generated by the motion detector. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The WCD system of claim 1, further comprising: an alerting mechanism configured to attract the attention of the patient when activated; and an inputting mechanism, and wherein the determination that the patient could be suffering from P.E.A. is made only if no entry is received in the inputting mechanism responsive to the alerting mechanism being activated. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The WCD system of claim 3, further comprising: a motion detector coupled to the support structure, and wherein the determination is further based on a motion detector signal generated by the motion detector. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The WCD system of claim 1, in which the transmitted sound includes a transmitted sound having substantially periodic contents designed to assist the bystander to perform CPR chest compressions on the patient while the support structure is worn by the patient. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The WCD system of claim 1, in which the transmitted sound further communicates a request to not remove the support structure from the patient. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The WCD system of claim 1, in which the transmitted sound further communicates a request to say: “CLEAR”, “YES”, “ALL CLEAR”, “NO” or “WAIT”. ### Claim 8 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 store an electrical charge, one or more defibrillation electrodes configured to be coupled to the support structure and separate from the at least one processor, a discharge circuit configured to be coupled to the energy storage module and to discharge the electrical charge through the patient with the one or more defibrillation electrodes while the support structure is worn by the patient, a measurement circuit, and a speaker system, they result in operations comprising: rendering, by the measurement circuit, a physiological input from a patient physiological signal; making a determination from the physiological input whether the patient physiological signal indicates that the patient could be suffering from Pulseless Electrical Activity (P.E.A.); and when the determination indicates the patient could be suffering from P.E.A., outputting, via the speaker system, a transmitted sound that communicates a request to a bystander to render aid to the patient, the aid including to perform Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitations (CPR) on the patient. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, in which the WCD system further includes a motion detector, and where the determination is further based on a motion detector signal generated by the motion detector. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, in which the WCD system further includes an alerting mechanism and a user inputting mechanism, and wherein the determination that the patient could be suffering from P.E.A. is made only if no entry is received in the inputting mechanism responsive to the alerting mechanism being activated. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, in which the WCD system further includes a motion detector, and wherein the determination is further based on a motion detector signal generated by the motion detector. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, in which the transmitted sound includes a transmitted sound having substantially periodic contents designed to assist the bystander to perform CPR chest compressions on the patient while the support structure is worn by the patient. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, in which the transmitted sound further communicates a request to not remove the support structure from the patient. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, in which the transmitted sound further communicates a request to say: “CLEAR”, “YES”, “ALL CLEAR”, “NO” or “WAIT”. ### Claim 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 store an electrical charge, one or more defibrillation electrodes configured to be coupled to the support structure, a discharge circuit configured to be coupled to the energy storage module and to discharge the electrical charge through the patient with the one or more defibrillation electrodes while the support structure is worn by the patient, a processor separate from the one or more defibrillation electrodes, a measurement circuit and a speaker system, the method comprising: rendering, by the measurement circuit, a physiological input from a patient physiological signal; making a determination from at least the physiological input whether the patient physiological signal indicates that the patient could be suffering from Pulseless Electrical Activity (P.E.A.); and when the determination indicates that the patient could be suffering from P.E.A., outputting, via the speaker system, a transmitted sound that communicates a request to a bystander to aid the patient, the aid including performing Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitations (CPR) on the patient. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, in which the WCD system further includes a motion detector, and wherein the determination is further based on a motion detector signal generated by the motion detector. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, in which the WCD system further includes an alerting mechanism and a user inputting mechanism, and wherein the determination that the patient could be suffering from P.E.A. is made only if no entry is received in the inputting mechanism responsive to the alerting mechanism being activated. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, in which the WCD system further includes a motion detector, and wherein the determination is further based on a motion detector signal generated by the motion detector. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, in which the transmitted sound includes a transmitted sound having substantially periodic contents designed to assist the bystander to perform CPR chest compressions on the patient while the support structure is worn by the patient. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, in which the transmitted sound further communicates a request to not remove the support structure from the patient. ### Claim 21 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, in which the transmitted sound further communicates a request to say: “CLEAR”, “YES”, “ALL CLEAR”, “NO” or “WAIT”.