Embodiments of this disclosure are directed to a wearable cardioverter defibrillator (“WCD”) system design in which a WCD implements an alert prioritization scheme to provide the patient with feedback in an order that is less likely to cause confusion. Different conditions (e.g., device status, equipment condition, or physiologic condition) are prioritized based on an analysis of severity of the condition and timeliness of user action needed. The prioritization scheme defines what alert, if any, is presented to the user by the WCD system as a result of various conditions. Generally stated, an alert for the highest priority condition currently detected is presented to the user and maintained until that condition either changes or becomes surpassed in the prioritization scheme.

In one example, a cardiac monitoring system comprises a processor to receive a segment of an electrocardiogram (ECG) signal of a patient, and a memory to store the segment of the ECG. The processor is configured to identify QRS complexes in the segment of the ECG signal, generate a supraventricular (SV) template for SV complexes in the QRS complexes, identify SV complexes in the QRS complexes using the template, identify normal sinus rhythm (NSR) complexes in the segment of the ECG signal, obtain an atrial template for atrial waveforms in the NSR complexes, measure a range of a P-wave of the atrial waveforms from the NSR complexes, save the measured P-waves, and classify the identified SV complexes as either atrial fibrillation (AF) or supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) using the atrial template. Other examples and related methods are also disclosed herein.

A wearable cardioverter defibrillator (WCD) system is configured to selectively provide cooling and/or heating to a component of the WCD system. In some embodiments, a Peltier device is used to provide the cooling to wearer of the WCD at or near where the WCDs defibrillation electrodes are positioned proximate or contacting the patient's body.

Technologies and implementations for a wearable healthcare system having an irremovable wirelessly chargeable energy storage device. The technologies and implementations facilitate at least continual monitoring.

Technologies and implementations for a wearable healthcare system, which may be worn by a person. The wearable healthcare systems may include one or more motion sensors. A motion analysis modules may be included in the wearable healthcare system, which may be configured to determine physical activities and intensity of the physical activities of the person.

In one aspect, an example wearable cardioverter defibrillator (WCD) system implementing the disclosed techniques includes a support structure, the support structure configured to be worn by a subject. The WCD system also includes a consciousness detection module configured to determine whether the subject wearing the support structure is unconscious. The WCD system further includes an interactive bystander module configured to, responsive to a determination that the subject wearing the support structure is unconscious, generate a first voice prompt inquiring as to a presence of a bystander.

A wearable cardioverter defibrillator (WCD) comprises a plurality of electrocardiography (ECG) electrodes. An episode is opened responsive to a string of consecutive segments meeting one or more shock criteria, and a shockable rhythm is confirmed for the episode responsive to a subsequent string of consecutive segments meeting one or more confirmation criteria.

A medical monitoring and treatment device that includes a therapy delivery interface, a plurality of therapy electrodes coupled to the therapy delivery interface, a plurality of electrocardiogram sensing electrodes to sense electrocardiogram signals of a patient, a sensor interface to receive the electrocardiogram signals and digitize the electrocardiogram signals, and at least one processor coupled to the sensor interface and the therapy delivery interface to analyze the digitized electrocardiogram signals, to detect a cardiac arrhythmia based on the digitized electrocardiogram signals, and to control the therapy delivery interface to apply electrical therapy to the patient based upon the detected cardiac arrhythmia. The at least one processor is further configured to analyze a frequency domain transform of the digitized electrocardiogram signals, to determine a metric indicative of a metabolic state of a heart of the patient, and to accelerate or delay application of the electrical therapy based upon the metric.

An electrode test system of a defibrillator including electrodes in a face-to-face test arrangement forming a capacitor, an impedance measurement signal generator connected to the electrodes and configured to send an ac signal to the electrodes, an impedance measurement signal processor connected to the electrodes which is placeable in an electrode test state and configured to receive an electrode test ac signal from the electrodes and process the electrode test ac signal to obtain a processed electrode test ac signal, a defibrillator processor connected to the impedance measurement signal generator and the impedance measurement signal processor configured to place the impedance measurement signal processor in the electrode test state and to receive the processed electrode test ac signal, analyze the processed electrode test ac signal to obtain an electrode test impedance signal and analyze the electrode test impedance signal to determine a pass condition or a fail condition of the electrodes.

Disclosed are embodiments directed to security methods applied to connections between components in a distributed (networked) system including medical and non-medical devices, providing secure authentication, authorization, patient and device data transfer, and patient data association and privacy for components of the system.