Patent ID: 8718759

Claim:
An electrotherapy apparatus for treating a patient experiencing an arrhythmia, the apparatus comprising: a low-voltage power source adapted to supply energy for operation of the apparatus; a high-voltage energy storage circuit adapted to store energy at a high voltage level sufficient for administering defibrillation therapy to the patient; a charging circuit having an input electrically coupled to the low-voltage power source and an output electrically coupled to the high-voltage energy storage circuit, the charging circuit configured to transfer energy from the low-voltage power source to the high-voltage energy storage circuit while increasing the voltage at the input to the high voltage level at the output according to charging control signaling; a discharge circuit electrically coupled to the high-voltage energy storage circuit and to patient terminals, the discharge circuit adapted to switchably connect and disconnect the high-voltage energy source with the patient terminals according to discharge control signaling; and control circuitry electrically coupled to the discharge circuit and configured to provide the charging control signaling and discharge control signaling, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to: initiate charging of the high-voltage energy storage circuit; prior to completing charging of the high-voltage energy storage circuit to the high voltage level, provide discharge control signaling to cause the discharge circuit to apply medium voltage therapy (MVT) from the high-voltage energy source to the patient via the patient terminals, the MVT having energy and waveform characteristics to force repeated mechanical compression of the patient's heart that causes hemodynamic perfusion in the patient; and in response to charging of the high-voltage energy storage circuit to the high voltage level, provide discharge control signaling to cause the discharge circuit to administer defibrillation therapy from the high-voltage energy source to the patient via the patient terminals, the defibrillation therapy having energy and waveform characteristics to defibrillate the heart.