WEARABLE CARDIOVERTER DEFIBRILLATOR (WCD) SYSTEM LOGGING EVENTS AND BROADCASTING STATE CHANGES AND SYSTEM STATUS INFORMATION TO EXTERNAL CLIENTS
Methods, apparatus, and systems relating to a Wearable Cardioverter Defibrillator (WCD) system capable of logging event data and/or broadcasting state changes and/or system status information to external clients are described. In an embodiment, a processor stores data corresponding to one or more event markers in memory in response to occurrence of an event. Occurrence of the event is detected based at least in part on detection of one or more parameters by one or more sensors or a signal to be generated by one or more of electrodes of the WCD system. A communication device transmits at least a portion of the stored data to a remote device. A patient condition or a WCD system condition can then be detected based at least in part on analysis of the stored data and/or the transmitted portion of the stored data. Other embodiments are also disclosed and/or claimed.
1 - 20 . (canceled)
21 . A Wearable Cardioverter Defibrillator (WCD) system for a patient comprising:
electrodes;
a support structure configured to be worn by the patient so as to maintain at least some of the electrodes in proximity with a body of the patient;
one or more processors coupled to the electrodes, the one or more processors to store data corresponding to one or more event markers as stored event marker data in a memory in response to an occurrence of an event, wherein the one or more processors are configured to analyze the stored event marker data to determine a number of alarms that have occurred;
one or more sensors to detect one or more parameters, wherein the occurrence of the event is to be detected based at least in part on detection of the one or more parameters by the one or more sensors or a signal generated by one or more of the electrodes; and
a communication device, communicatively coupled to the memory, to transmit at least a portion of the stored event marker data to a remote device, wherein the at least a portion of the stored event marker data is transmitted immediately to the remote device responsive to an emergency event, and is otherwise transmitted periodically or by request,
wherein a patient condition or a WCD system condition is to be detected based at least in part on analysis of the stored event marker data and/or the transmitted portion of the stored event marker data; and
wherein the stored event marker data transmitted to the remote device includes noise data from an ECG signal, and respiration data to determine whether the patient has a good or poor fit of the support structure.
22 . The WCD system of claim 21 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to store the event marker data continuously.
23 . The WCD system of claim 21 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to apply machine learning and/or artificial intelligence to the portion of the stored event marker data and/or the transmitted portion of the stored event marker data to determine the patient condition or the WCD system condition.
24 . The WCD system of claim 21 , wherein the remote device is configured to be accessible by a service personnel, a design personnel, a rescue personnel, a clinician, or a physician.
25 . The WCD system of claim 21 , wherein the communication device is configured to receive one or more commands from the remote device to cause a change to an operation of the one or more processors.
26 . The WCD system of claim 21 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to analyze the stored event marker data to determine:
whether the patient has a good or poor fit of the support structure based on a combination of two or more of: relative behavior of the electrodes, detection of dry skin of the patient based on detection of a finer level of noise presence and/or detected quality of ECG signals.
27 . The WCD system of claim 21 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise one or more pressure sensors fitted to the support structure to detect fit quality of the support structure with the body of the patient.
28 . The WCD system of claim 21 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise one or more temperature sensors to detect abuse or inappropriate use of the WCD system.
29 . The WCD system of claim 21 , wherein the stored event marker data comprises: a time stamp associated with an occurrence time of each of the one or more event markers, an event identifier, patient heart rhythm, patient activity, patient wear statistics, current running state, current running activity, state changes, alert button activity, or overall device status.
30 . The WCD system of claim 21 , wherein the event marker data comprises event specific information including information relating to one or more of: patient information management, programmable parameter operations , episode operations, arrhythmia detection and normal rhythm detections, defibrillation charging operations, shock delivery operations, system power on, battery information, ECG electrode contact status, defibrillator electrode contact status, self-test/service needed/service required conditions, system connectivity changes, user interface changes/updates/activity including vibration and audio, alarm issuing, alert button activity, software update status, processor speed scaling changes, and operational mode changes.
31 - 34 . (canceled)
35 . The WCD system of claim 21 , wherein a smartphone is configured to communicate with the communication device via a Bluetooth™ connection, a Zigbee™ connection, a cellular connection, and/or a WiFi (Wireless Fidelity) connection.
36 . The WCD system of claim 21 , wherein the communication device is to communicate with the remote device via a smartphone or a different mobile device.
37 . A Wearable Cardioverter Defibrillator (WCD) system for a patient comprising:
electrodes;
a support structure configured to be worn by the patient so as to maintain at least some of the electrodes in proximity with a body of the patient;
one or more processors coupled to the electrodes, the one or more processors to store data corresponding to one or more event markers as stored event marker data in a memory in response to an occurrence of an event, wherein the one or more processors are configured to analyze the stored event marker data to determine a number of alarms that have occurred, wherein an alarm occurs when a rhythm analysis algorithm (RAA) executed by one or more of the processors makes a shock decision based at least in part on an analyzed segment of an electrocardiogram (ECG) signal of the patient;
one or more sensors to detect one or more parameters, wherein the occurrence of the event is to be detected based at least in part on detection of the one or more parameters by the one or more sensors or a signal generated by one or more of the electrodes; and
a communication device, coupled to the memory, to transmit at least a portion of the stored event marker data to a remote device, wherein the at least a portion of the stored event marker data is transmitted immediately to the remote device responsive to an emergency event, and is otherwise transmitted periodically or by request;
wherein a patient condition or a WCD system condition is to be detected based at least in part on analysis of the stored event marker data and/or the transmitted portion of the stored event marker data;
wherein the emergency event comprises detection of arrhythmia in the patient, and the stored event marker data transmitted to the remote device includes information indicating the detection of arrythmia in the patient.
38 . The WCD system of claim 37 , wherein the remote device is configured to be accessible by a service personnel, a design personnel, a rescue personnel, a clinician, or a physician.
39 . The WCD system of claim 37 , wherein the communication device is configured to receive one or more commands from the remote device to cause a change to an operation of the one or more processors.
40 . The WCD system of claim 37 , wherein the stored event marker data comprises event specific information including information relating to one or more of: patient information management, programmable parameter operations, episode operations, arrhythmia detection and normal rhythm detections, defibrillation charging operations, shock delivery operations, system power on, battery information, ECG electrode contact status, defibrillator electrode contact status, self-test/service needed/service required conditions, system connectivity changes, user interface changes/updates/activity including vibration and audio, alarm issuing, alert button activity, software update status, processor speed scaling changes, and operational mode changes.
41 . The WCD system of claim 21 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to analyze the stored event marker data to determine whether the patient has a good or poor fit of the support structure based on consideration of detection of a finer level of noise present in the ECG signal.
42 . The WCD system of claim 21 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to analyze the stored event marker data to determine whether the patient has a good or poor fit of the support structure based on behavior of the electrodes.
43 . The WCD system of claim 21 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to analyze the stored event marker data to determine whether the patient has a good or poor fit with the support structure based on a detected quality of the ECG signals.
44 . The WCD system of claim 26 , wherein the one or more sensors include an accelerometer and/or temperature sensor, and wherein the determination of whether the patient has a good or poor fit further is further based on one or more of data from the accelerometer being indicative of noise being injected into signals, a noise floor determined using data from the accelerometer, system abuse or inappropriate use detected using data from the accelerometer, activity level determined using data from the temperature sensor, trends or changes in events based on gathered statistics, or hardware or system failure based on device diagnostics data.