Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
47 words
A rate adaptive pacer having a pulse generator for delivering stimulating pulses to cardiac tissue at the expiration of an escape interval, and including means for altering the escape interval between preset limits in response to the sensed activity of the patient sensed through activity monitoring circuitry.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
47 words
A rate adaptive pacer having a pulse generator for delivering stimulating pulses to cardiac tissue at the expiration of an escape interval, and including means for altering the escape interval between preset limits in response to the sensed activity of the patient sensed through activity monitoring circuitry.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
The pacer of claim 1 wherein said preset limits include upper and lower escape intervals which may be non-invasively altered through telemetry circuitry.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
53 words
The pacer of claim 1 or 2 wherein said activity monitoring circuitry includes: a sensor located within the pacer for detecting force signals applied to the pacer by the interaction of the pacer and the patient's body; and further including signal conditioning circuitry for extracting an activity parameter signal from said force signals.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
28 words
The pacer of claim 3 wherein the signal conditioning circuitry is arranged to produce an activity parameter signal in accordance with the spectral characteristics of the force signals.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
32 words
The pacer of claim 4 wherein the signal conditioning circuitry is arranged to produce an activity parameter signal in accordance with the frequency of the peak spectral energy of the force signals.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
35 words
The pacer of claim 3, 4 or 5 wherein said sensor comprises a piezoelectric transducer bonded to the external enclosure of said pacer for converting vibrational energy at the implant site to an electrical signal.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
96 words
The pacer-of claim 3, 4, 5 or 6 wherein said signal conditioning circuitry includes bandpass amplification means for amplifying the output of said sensor for rejecting sensor frequency components below approximately 1 Hertz and above approximately 20 Hertz; said bandpass amplification means being coupled to level detector means for rejecting low amplitude components within the passband of said bandpass amplification means; and said level detector means being coupled to voltage controlled oscillator means for producing a pulse rate signal corresponding to the frequency of the peak spectral energy within the passband of said bandpass amplifier means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
68 words
A rate adaptive pacer having a pulse generator for the therapeutic stimulation of cardiac tissue at the expiration of an escape interval; including activity monitoring circuitry altering said escape interval in response to the output of said activity monitoring circuitry; and wherein said activity monitoring circuitry output represents a shift in frequency of the peak spectral component within a passband associated with the physical activity of the patient.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
68 words
A rate adaptive pacer having a pulse generator for the therapeutic stimulation of cardiac tissue at the expiration of an escape interval; including activity monitoring circuitry altering said escape interval in response to the output of said activity monitoring circuitry; and wherein said activity monitoring circuitry output represents a shift in frequency of the peak spectral component within a passband associated with the physical activity of the patient.