US 12,357,838 B2
Wearable cardioverter defibrillator (WCD) system selecting previously identified preferred channel for attempting to detect pacing artifacts
Jaeho Kim, Redmond, WA (US); and Gregory T. Kavounas, Bellevue, WA (US)
Assigned to WEST AFFUM HOLDINGS DAC, Dublin (IE)
Filed by WEST AFFUM HOLDINGS DAC, Dublin (IE)
Filed on Sep. 30, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/490,296.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/085,924, filed on Sep. 30, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0105351 A1, Apr. 7, 2022
Int. Cl. A61N 1/04 (2006.01); A61N 1/365 (2006.01); A61N 1/39 (2006.01)
CPC A61N 1/3904 (2017.08) [A61N 1/046 (2013.01); A61N 1/365 (2013.01)] 23 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A wearable cardioverter defibrillator (WCD) system configured for use by a patient with an implanted heart pacing device that is configured to occasionally emit pacing signals, the WCD system comprising:
an energy storage module configured to store an electrical charge;
an electrode;
a support structure configured to be worn by the patient to maintain the electrode on a body of the patient;
a plurality of sensors that pairwise define a plurality of distinct vectors, each vector of the plurality of distinct vectors having a respective channel, wherein each pair of the plurality of sensors is configured to sense a respective electrocardiogram (ECG) signal portion of the patient along the respective channel;
a measurement circuit configured to render sets of ECG values, wherein the sets of ECG values include one set corresponding to each of the respective ECG signal portions;
a pacing signal detection functionality configured to:
detect sets of pacing artifacts comprising one set of pacing artifacts corresponding to each of the respective ECG signal portions, arising from the occasionally emitted pacing signals that are present in each of the respective ECG signal portions; and
render sets of pacing values comprising one set of pacing values corresponding to each of the sets of the pacing artifacts; and
a processor configured to:
compute a heart rate (HR) value from at least one of the sets of the ECG values;
determine, from the HR value, whether an alert criterion is met;
responsive to the alert criterion being met, determine if a preferential channel of the channels has been identified previously;
attempt inputting at least one of:
preferential pacing values from the pacing signal detection functionality corresponding to the preferential channel, in response to a successful identification of the preferential channel; and
generic pacing values from the pacing signal detection functionality corresponding to at least one of the channels, in response to an unsuccessful identification of the preferential channel;
determine, in view of the attempt to input the preferential pacing values or the generic pacing values, whether a shock criterion is met; and
responsive to the shock criterion being met, cause at least some of the stored electrical charge to be discharged via the electrode through the patient to deliver a shock to the patient.