# US 2026/0097221 A1 · Sequential shocks as an antiarrhythmic therapy > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2026/0097221 A1 - Document ID: US20260097221A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 19/352,368 - Filed: 2025-10-07 - Published: 2026-04-09 - Earliest claimed: 2024-10-09 - Assignees: Stryker Corporation - Applicants: Stryker Corporation - Inventors: Tyson G. Taylor; Rose Tingwei Yin; Fred W. Chapman; Robert G. Walker; Daniel W. Piraino; David J. Linville; Ryan William Apperson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20260097221A1 ## CPC - A61N 1/39044: {in combination with cardiopulmonary resuscitation [CPR] therapy} - A61B 5/0205: Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition - A61B 5/026: Measuring blood flow {(A61B3/1233, A61B3/1241 take precedence)} - A61B 5/053: Measuring electrical impedance or conductance of a portion of the body - A61B 5/349: Detecting specific parameters of the electrocardiograph cycle - A61B 5/361: Detecting fibrillation - A61B 5/363: Detecting tachycardia or bradycardia - A61B 5/364: Detecting abnormal ECG interval, e.g. extrasystoles, ectopic heartbeats - A61B 5/366: Detecting abnormal QRS complex, e.g. widening - A61B 5/4836: {Diagnosis combined with treatment in closed-loop systems or methods (A61B5/0036 takes precedence)} - A61B 5/4848: {Monitoring or testing the effects of treatment, e.g. of medication} - A61B 5/7275: {Determining trends in physiological measurement data; Predicting development of a medical condition based on physiological measurements, e.g. determining a risk factor} - A61B 5/742: {using visual displays (displays for heart-related electrical signals, e.g. ECG, A61B5/339)} - A61B 5/7475: {User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick} - A61N 1/3904: {External heart defibrillators [EHD]} - A61N 1/3925: {Monitoring; Protecting} - A61N 1/3937: {Monitoring output parameters} - A61N 1/3987: {characterised by the timing or triggering of the shock} - A61N 1/3993: {User interfaces for automatic external defibrillators} - 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 An example method includes determining, before a subject has developed an arrhythmia or recurrence of the arrhythmia, that the subject is predicted to develop the arrhythmia. In response to determining that the subject is predicted to develop the arrhythmia, the example method further includes administering a sequence of external shocks to a heart of the subject, thereby preventing the subject from developing the arrhythmia or the recurrence of the arrhythmia. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A defibrillator, comprising: a measurement circuit configured to detect an electrocardiogram (ECG) of a subject by detecting a voltage across electrodes configured to be disposed on skin of the subject; a treatment circuit comprising a capacitor; and a processor configured to: determine, by analyzing a segment of the ECG that is not indicative of ventricular fibrillation (VF), that the subject is predicted to develop VF; and in response to determining that the subject is predicted to develop VF, prevent the subject from developing VF by causing the treatment circuit to output a sequence of external shocks to a heart of the subject by: outputting a first external shock by partially discharging the capacitor; and outputting a second external shock by partially discharging the capacitor. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The defibrillator of claim 1, further comprising: a transceiver configured to output, to another defibrillator, an instruction to output a third external shock that temporally overlaps with the first external shock or the second external shock. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The defibrillator of claim 1, further comprising: a display configured to output a recommendation to administer the sequence of external shocks; and an input device configured to receive an input signal from a user, wherein the processor is further configured to: in response to determining that the subject is predicted to develop VF, cause the display to output the recommendation to administer the sequence of external shocks, and in response to the input device receiving the input signal, cause the treatment circuit to output the sequence of external shocks to the heart of the subject. ### Claim 4 A method, comprising: determining, before a subject has developed an arrhythmia or recurrence of the arrhythmia, that the subject is predicted to develop the arrhythmia; and in response to determining that the subject is predicted to develop the arrhythmia, administering a sequence of external shocks to a heart of the subject, thereby preventing the subject from developing the arrhythmia or the recurrence of the arrhythmia. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the arrhythmia comprises at least one of VF, VT, a premature ventricular contraction (PVC), atrial fibrillation, or supraventricular tachycardia. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein determining, before the subject has developed the arrhythmia or recurrence of the arrhythmia, that the subject is predicted to develop the arrhythmia comprises: determining that an ECG of the subject is indicative of coarse VF, STEMI, OMI, atrial fibrillation, supraventricular tachycardia, excessive PVCs, insufficient PVCs, or an AV block. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein a number of external shocks in the sequence of external shocks is in a range of 2 to 10. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the external shocks are administered at multiple energy levels or at multiple vectors. ### Claim 9 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein: the sequence of external shocks are administered by a first defibrillator and a second defibrillator, and administering the sequence of external shocks to the heart of the subject comprises: outputting, by the first defibrillator, a first external shock among the sequence of external shocks; in response to outputting, by the first defibrillator, the first external shock among the sequence of external shocks, recharging a capacitor of the first defibrillator; outputting, by the second defibrillator, a second external shock among the sequence of external shocks; and in response to recharging the capacitor of the first defibrillator, outputting, by the first defibrillator, a third external shock among the sequence of external shocks. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the first defibrillator or the second defibrillator comprises a wearable defibrillator. ### Claim 11 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the sequence of external shocks are administered by a single defibrillator, and wherein administering the sequence of external shocks to the heart of the subject comprises: outputting, by the single defibrillator, a first external shock by partially discharging a capacitor of the single defibrillator; and in response to outputting the first external shock, outputting, by the single defibrillator, a second external shock by fully discharging the capacitor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, further comprising: determining that an ECG of the subject comprises QRS complexes, wherein administering the sequence of external shocks to the heart of the subject comprises administering the sequence of external shocks synchronized with QRS complexes of the subject. ### Claim 13 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein administering the sequence external shocks to the heart of the subject comprises administering one of the external shocks during a release phase of chest compressions administered to the subject. ### Claim 14 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein administering the sequence of external shocks to the heart of the subject comprises administering one of the external shocks during a compression phase of chest compressions administered to the subject. ### Claim 15 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, further comprising: determining that the subject is unconscious, wherein administering the sequence of external shocks to the heart of the subject is further in response to determining that the subject is unconscious. ### Claim 16 A medical device, comprising: a measurement circuit configured to detect a physiological parameter of a subject; and a processor configured to: determine, by analyzing the physiological parameter before the subject has developed an arrhythmia or recurrence of the arrhythmia, that the subject is predicted to develop the arrhythmia; and in response to determining that the subject is predicted to develop the arrhythmia, outputting a recommendation to administer a sequence of external shocks to a heart of the subject. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The medical device of claim 16, wherein the physiological parameter comprises an ECG, a blood flow, or a transthoracic impedance. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The medical device of claim 16, further comprising: a treatment circuit configured to output, to the subject, a first external shock among the sequence of external shocks. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The medical device of claim 18, wherein: the treatment circuit comprises a capacitor, and the treatment circuit is configured to: output the first external shock by partially discharging the capacitor; and in response to outputting the first external shock, output a second external shock by partially discharging the capacitor. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The medical device of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to: determine that the subject is unconscious by detecting an absence of an irregular motion artifact in the physiological parameter, wherein outputting the recommendation to administer the sequence of external shocks to the heart of the subject is further in response to determining that the subject is unconscious.