Embodiments of a wearable cardioverter defibrillator (WCD) system include a support structure for wearing by an ambulatory patient, a posture detector and at least one processor. When worn, the support structure maintains electrodes on the patient's body, and using the posture detector and the patient's ECG received via the electrodes, the processor determines the patient's posture, formulates posture-based templates of QRS complexes, and the patient's heart rate. The processor can use these determinations to distinguish between VT and SVT and make no-shock, and shock decisions.

The invention relates to a testing device for checking at least one first medical electrode (1), wherein the testing device comprises at least one first measuring electrode (2), which can be arranged relative to the first medical electrode (1) to be checked in such a way that the at least one first measuring electrode (2) and the first medical electrode (1) to be checked form a first capacitance (C.sub.11); a signal generating device (3), by way of which an alternating current voltage can be generated, by means of which the first capacitance (Cn) can be acted upon; an evaluation device (4), which is designed to determine at least one first test result (P.sub.11) in relation to the first capacitance (C.sub.11) from a measured impedance curve (I) of an impedance caused in response to the first capacitance (C.sub.11).

In one embodiment, a WCD is described. The WCD includes a support structure configured to be worn by a patient and a processor coupled to the support structure. The WCD also includes an energy storage module configured to store an electrical charge and in communication with the processor. The WCD also includes a discharge circuit coupled to the energy storage module, the discharge circuit in communication with the processor and configured to discharge the stored electrical charge through a body of the patient. The processor is configured to detect an event at the WCD, classify the detected event, and determine an alarm onset time of the detected event based at least in part on the event classification. The processor is further configured to issue the alarm after the alarm onset time.

A ventilation monitoring system for assisting in proper placement of an endotracheal tube in a subject includes: a capnography sensor configured to be placed in fluid communication with the endotracheal tube and to provide information representative of the subject's breath; and a processor in communication with the capnography sensor. The processor is configured to provide an indication of proper endotracheal tube placement when (1) a first indication of the subject's breath and a positive result of a first auscultation are identified within a first predetermined time period, and (2) a second indication of the subject's breath and a positive result of a second auscultation are identified within a second predetermined time period. The first auscultation includes auscultation of a subject's left lung, right lung, left axillary region, right axillary region, or abdomen. The second auscultation includes auscultation of another region of the subject different from the first auscultation.

A WCD system is configured to detect when a therapy administered to a patient by the WCD system is unsuccessful, and in response determine whether to send notifications to remote non-witness responders. The WCD system may be configured to decide to send such notifications after the WCD system determines it has administered a predetermined number of unsuccessful shocks to the patient. The predetermined number of unsuccessful shocks may be the maximum number of unsuccessful shocks the WCD system will administer to a patient, or every Xth shock (e.g., 3.sup.rd shock). The WCD system can be configured to periodically resend the notification. The notifications may be in the form of SMS, voice messages, emails, app notifications, etc. sent to cell phones, smartphones, computers, laptops, tablets, etc. of the responders either directly, via a server, or via a CAD-coupled server.

A personal wearable emergency medical treatment device, including: a first housing unit including an control unit for an automatic defibrillator device; at least two, and preferably three, electrodes in electrical communication with the housing unit; wherein the electrodes are adapted to be positioned in proximity to a human body at preselected positions selected for monitoring for heartbeat abnormalities and providing electric pulses to the human body.

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.

A wearable medical monitoring (WMM) system may be worn for a long time. Some embodiments of WMM systems are wearable cardioverter defibrillator (WCD) systems. In such systems, ECG electrodes sense an ECG signal of the patient, and store it over the long-term. The stored ECG signal can be analyzed for helping long-term heart rate monitoring of the patient. The heart rate monitoring can be assisted a) by special filtering techniques that remove short-term variations inherent in patients’ short-term heart rate determinations, and b) by indication techniques that indicate when conditions hampered sensing of the ECG signal too much for a reliable heart rate determination.

A medical device that includes a power source, a therapy delivery interface, therapy electrodes, electrocardiogram (ECG) sensing electrodes to sense ECG signal of a heart of a patient, a sensor interface to receive and digitize the ECG signal, and a processor. The processor is configured to analyze the ECG signal to determine a cardiac rhythm and a transform value representing a magnitude of a frequency component of the cardiac rhythm, analyze the cardiac rhythm and the transform value to detect a shockable cardiac arrhythmia by classifying the cardiac rhythm as a noise rhythm or a shockable cardiac arrhythmia rhythm based on the transform value, and causing the processor to detect the cardiac arrhythmia if classifying the cardiac rhythm as a shockable cardiac arrhythmia rhythm, initiate a treatment alarm sequence, adjust the shock delivery parameter for a defibrillation shock, and provide the defibrillation shock via the therapy electrodes.

A variety of electrode pad cartridges are described that are suitable for use with a defibrillator. In one aspect the cartridge includes a housing and a tray that carries a pair of defibrillation electrode pads. At least a portion of the tray is slidably received within the cartridge housing such that the electrode pads are received within the housing. The tray is configured to be slidably pulled from the cartridge housing while the housing remains attached to the defibrillator to provide access to the electrode pads to facilitate use of the defibrillator.