Wearable cardioverter defibrillator (WCD) system having main UI that conveys message and peripheral device that amplifies the message

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12226646-B2
Application number	US-202117351045-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 17, 2021
Priority date	Mar 1, 2018
Publication date	Feb 18, 2025
Grant date	Feb 18, 2025

Abstract

In embodiments, a Wearable Cardiac Defibrillator (WCD) system is configured to be worn by an ambulatory patient. The WCD system includes a main user interface (UI) output device that can output an image, sound or vibration as a main message about a condition of the patient or the WCD system. The patient may further carry a peripheral device that can also output an image, sound or vibration as a peripheral message about the condition. The peripheral message may mirror the main message at least in part, amplify it, and so on. The availability of the peripheral message provides the patient with the opportunity to better perceive the main message, and the flexibility to receive and react to it discreetly, learn more about the condition, and so on.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, main components of a wearable cardioverter defibrillator (WCD) system configured to be worn by an ambulatory patient and a peripheral device that is configured to be carried by the ambulatory patient, wherein:
the main components comprise:
an electrode;
a support structure configured to be worn by the ambulatory patient to maintain the electrode on a body of the ambulatory patient;
an energy storage module configured to store an electrical charge, and to discharge at least some of the stored electrical charge via the electrode;
a main housing;
a main user interface (UI) output device located at least partly within the main housing;
a main communication module; and
a main processor configured to:
receive an input about a condition, the condition being about one of the ambulatory patient, one of the main components of the WCD system, or both;
transmit a main driving signal to the main UI output device;
cause, responsive to the received input and the main driving signal, the main UI output device to output a main human-perceptible indication (HPI), the main HPI being about the condition;
transmit a main notification signal to the main communication module; and
cause, responsive to the received input and the main notification signal, the main communication module to transmit an amplification signal, the amplification signal encoding a message about the condition; and

the peripheral device comprises:
a peripheral housing distinct from the main housing;
a peripheral communication module (PCM) located at least partly within the peripheral housing, wherein the PCM is configured to, responsive to receiving the transmitted amplification signal with the encoded message, amplify the encoded message; and
a peripheral UI output device configured, responsive to the PCM amplifying the encoded message, to output a peripheral HPI, the peripheral HPI being about the condition.

2. The combination of claim 1 , wherein the energy storage module is located within the main housing.

3. The combination of claim 1 , wherein the PCM includes an antenna, and the amplification signal is transmitted wirelessly.

4. The combination of claim 1 , wherein the peripheral device is a component of the WCD system.

5. The combination of claim 1 , wherein the peripheral device is a general purpose machine running a software application.

6. The combination of claim 1 , wherein the peripheral device further comprises:
a peripheral processor configured, responsive to the PCM receiving the amplification signal, to decode the encoded message and drive the peripheral UI output device to output the peripheral HPI.

7. The combination of claim 1 , wherein the peripheral HPI is output concurrently with the main HPI.

8. The combination of claim 1 , wherein the main components further comprise a sensor configured to monitor a patient parameter of the ambulatory patient, and the condition includes a value of the patient parameter.

9. The combination of claim 1 , wherein the main components further comprise a sensor configured to monitor an operational parameter of the WCD system, and the condition includes a value of the operational parameter.

10. The combination of claim 1 , wherein the main components further comprise a sensor configured to monitor an operational parameter of the WCD system, and the condition includes that a value of the operational parameter is beyond a threshold.

11. The combination of claim 1 , wherein the main components further comprise:
a battery; and
a charge monitor configured to monitor a state of charge of the battery, the condition includes a value for the state of charge.

12. The combination of claim 1 , wherein the main components further comprise a wear monitor configured to:
determine whether or not the support structure is worn by the ambulatory patient in a certain way; and
output a wear confirmation, responsive to determining that the support structure is worn by the ambulatory patient in the certain way, wherein the condition includes an indication of the wear confirmation.

13. The combination of claim 1 , wherein:
the main HPI includes a sound, wherein the main UI output device includes a main speaker configured to emit the sound; and
the peripheral HPI includes an image, wherein the peripheral UI output device includes a peripheral screen configured to display the image.

14. The combination of claim 1 , wherein:
the main HPI includes a vibration, wherein the main UI output device includes a main vibration device configured to emit the vibration; and
the peripheral HPI includes an image, wherein the peripheral UI output device includes a peripheral screen configured to display the image.

15. The combination of claim 1 , wherein the peripheral HPI includes a sound, and wherein the peripheral UI output device includes a peripheral speaker configured to emit the sound.

16. The combination of claim 1 , wherein the peripheral HPI includes a vibration, and the peripheral UI output device includes a peripheral vibration device configured to generate the vibration.

17. The combination of claim 1 , wherein:
the main HPI includes a main image, wherein the main UI output device includes a main screen configured to display the main image; and
the peripheral HPI includes a peripheral image, wherein the peripheral UI output device includes a peripheral screen configured to display the peripheral image.

18. The combination of claim 17 , wherein the peripheral image includes the entire main image.

19. The combination of claim 17 , wherein the peripheral image includes a second image that is not included in the main image.

20. The combination of claim 17 , wherein the peripheral image includes an aspect of the main image, and the aspect of the main image as displayed on the peripheral screen has at least 24% larger area than as displayed on the main screen.

21. The combination of claim 17 , wherein the peripheral image includes an aspect of the main image.

22. The combination of claim 17 , wherein the peripheral image includes text that is not included in the main image.

23. The combination of claim 17 , wherein the peripheral image has a first portion and a second portion, and the peripheral UI output device includes a screen configured to initially display the first portion but not the second portion, and then to display the second portion.

24. The combination of claim 23 , wherein the peripheral UI output device includes a touchscreen configured to display the second portion responsive to the touchscreen being touched.

25. The combination of claim 23 , wherein the first portion includes a link, and the peripheral UI output device includes a touchscreen configured to display the second portion responsive to the touchscreen being touched at the link.

26. The combination of claim 1 , wherein the main HPI being about the condition comprises the main HPI including an indication of one or more of:
a value of a patient parameter monitored by a sensor that monitors the patient parameter of the ambulatory patient;
a value of an operational parameter monitored by a sensor that monitors the operational parameter of the WCD system;
a value of an operational parameter exceeding a threshold monitored by the sensor—that monitors the operational parameter of the WCD system is beyond the threshold; and
a value of a state of charge of a battery of the WCD s

Assignees

• West Affum Holdings Corp
• West Affum Holdings Dac

Inventors

• Engman Zoie
• Piazza Aaron
• Hansen Christoffer Peter Hart
• Finch David P
• Gustavson Laura M
• Schneider Erik L
• Roane Erick
• Hall Amanda K

Classifications

• A61B5/363

  Detecting tachycardia or bradycardia · CPC title

• A61B5/026

  Measuring blood flow {(A61B3/1233, A61B3/1241 take precedence)} · CPC title

• A61B7/003

  Detecting lung or respiration noise · CPC title

• A61B5/0002

  Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network (endoradiosondes A61B5/07) · CPC title

• A61B5/11

  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)} · CPC title