An implantable medical device system is configured to sense cardiac events in response to a cardiac electrical signal crossing a cardiac event sensing threshold. A control circuit is configured to determine a drop time interval based on a heart rate and control a sensing circuit to hold the cardiac event sensing threshold at a threshold value during the drop time interval.

A system for assisting a rescuer with treatment of a patient is described. An example system includes a mobile computing device that includes a user interface and a processor coupled to memory. The processor is configured to cause the user interface to prompt the rescuer to select a proficiency level from among multiple proficiency levels including a basic proficiency level and at least one non-basic proficiency level. The basic proficiency level includes basic resuscitation instructions for the rescuer. The system is further configured to receive an input from the rescuer of the selected proficiency level. The system provides, if the rescuer selects the basic proficiency level, the basic resuscitation instructions to the rescuer, and provides, if the rescuer selects the at least one non-basic proficiency level, non-basic instructions to the rescuer. The system transmits signals to control a defibrillator according to the selected proficiency level.

Several defibrillators, defibrillator architectures, defibrillator components and methods of operating defibrillators are described. In one aspect, a modular defibrillator architecture is described. A base unit provides a fully functional defibrillator. The functionality of the base unit can be supplemented by attaching an interface unit to the base unit or by connecting a smartphone the base unit. Such devices provide connectivity as well as a screen for displaying supplementary graphics and/or videos which are useful to support both emergency and maintenance & monitoring activities. In some embodiments a battery pack may also or alternatively be coupled to the base unit to prolong the unit's shelf life before recharging or replacement of its batteries is required. If necessary the base unit can be powered from a connected external device such as a mobile communication device.

A respiration device (1) supports cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and a method for operating a respiration device (1) supports cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The respiration device (1) has a control and regulation unit (7) in order to actuate an expiratory metering unit (3), and an inspiratory metering unit (2) such that, in a first phase, a current value of pressure is increased relative to a first pre-defined value (16) and such that, in a second phase, the current value of the pressure is reduced relative to the first pre-defined value (16).

A system for facilitating resuscitation includes: a first electrode assembly having a therapy side and a first motion sensor; a second electrode assembly having a therapy side and a second motion sensor; processing circuitry operatively connected to and programmed to receive and process signals from the first and second motion sensors to estimate at least one of a chest compression depth and rate during administration of chest compressions and to compare the chest compression depth or rate to a desired range; and an output device for providing instructions to a user to administer chest compressions based on the comparison of the estimated chest compression depth or rate to the desired range. One or both of the electrode assemblies may be constructed so that the conductive therapeutic portion is able to maintain substantial conformance to the anatomy of the patient when coupled thereto. For example, at least a portion of the flexible electrode pad may be able to flex from a more rigid sensor housing, or the sensor housing itself may be relatively small compared to the flexible electrode pad so as not to cause lift off of the therapeutic side from the patient.

An object of the present invention is to provide a new electric device for defibrillation and a method for generating a defibrillation signal. The electric device for defibrillation includes an electrocardiogram waveform input unit; and an enable signal generating unit, wherein the electric device for defibrillation is configured to generate an enable signal from the enable signal generating unit after a peak of an event is surpassed and when or after condition 1 is satisfied, the event being estimated to be an R-wave of an electrocardiogram waveform, the electrocardiogram waveform being obtained from a human body and inputted from the electrocardiogram waveform input unit, and the condition 1 is that a differential value in a differentiated waveform generated based on the electrocardiogram waveform, which corresponds to the event estimated to be the R-wave, is a negative constant C.sub.3 value or less.

A method and medical device for detecting a cardiac event that includes sensing cardiac signals from a plurality of electrodes forming a first sensing vector sensing a first interval of the cardiac signal during a predetermined time period and a second sensing vector simultaneously sensing a second interval of the cardiac signal during the predetermined time period, identifying each of the first interval and the second interval as being one of shockable and not shockable in response to first processing of the first interval and the second interval and in response to second processing of one or both of the first interval and the second interval, the second processing being different from the first processing, and determining whether to deliver therapy for the cardiac event in response to identifying each of the first interval and the second interval as being one of shockable and not shockable in response to both the first processing and the second processing of the first interval and the second interval.

An ambulatory medical device configured to analyze heart rates in different operating modes includes a plurality of ECG sensing electrodes, a plurality of therapy electrodes and at least one processor configured to in a default operating mode, perform a default heart rate calculation for determining a heart rate of the patient for use in detecting a cardiac arrhythmia condition of the patient. The at least one processor is configured to change a device operating mode from a default mode based on detecting patient activity to an activity operating mode, and in the activity operating mode, perform a different heart rate calculation from the default heart rate calculation for determining the heart rate for use in detecting the cardiac arrhythmia condition of the patient during the activity operating mode. The at least one processor is configured to deliver the treatment in response to detecting the cardiac arrhythmia condition.

An extra-cardiovascular implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) having a low voltage therapy module and a high voltage therapy module is configured to select, by a control module of the ICD, a pacing output configuration from at least a low-voltage pacing output configuration of the low voltage therapy module and a high-voltage pacing output configuration of the high voltage therapy module. The high voltage therapy module includes a high voltage capacitor having a first capacitance and the low voltage therapy module includes a plurality of low voltage capacitors each having up to a second capacitance that is less than the first capacitance. The ICD control module controls a respective one of the low voltage therapy module or the high voltage therapy module to deliver extra-cardiovascular pacing pulses in the selected pacing output configuration via extra-cardiovascular electrodes coupled to the ICD.

An extra-cardiovascular implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) having a high voltage therapy module is configured to control a high voltage charging circuit to charge a capacitor to a pacing voltage amplitude to deliver charge balanced pacing pulses. The capacitor is chargeable to a shock voltage amplitude that is greater than the pacing voltage amplitude. The ICD is configured to enable switching circuitry of the high voltage therapy module to discharge the capacitor to deliver a first pulse having a first polarity and a leading voltage amplitude corresponding to the pacing voltage amplitude for pacing the patient's heart via a pacing electrode vector selected from extra-cardiovascular electrodes. The high voltage therapy module delivers a second pulse after the first pulse. The second pulse has a second polarity opposite the first polarity and balances the electrical charge delivered during the first pulse.