EP0360412A1 — System and method for detection and treatment of …

Claim 1

Independent Claim 184 words

In a cardiac stimulator for detecting and treating ventricular tachyrhythmias of a patient's heart, characterized in that the stimulator includes means for selectively dividing the heart rate continuum into regions including at least two classes of tachycardia, contiguous to each other and of progressively higher rate ranges, the lowest and highest of the tachycardia classes being bounded respectively by a sinus rate region and a fibrillation region of the continuum; means for selectively adjusting the boundaries between the tachycardia classes and between the lowest and highest of those classes and the respective sinus rate and fibrillation regions, to correspondingly adjust the rate ranges of the classes in a desired manner; means for selectively detecting cardiac events anywhere within the continuum and for distinguishing between normal and abnormal tachycardias among the detected events; and means for selectively treating a detected abnormal tachycardia with any of a multiplicity of therapy regimens of differing degrees of aggressiveness, towards terminating the detected tachycardia; the improvement comprising means included in said detecting means for preventing the classification of a ventricular response to atrial fibrillation as a reentrant ventricular tachycardia.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 184 words

In a cardiac stimulator for detecting and treating ventricular tachyrhythmias of a patient's heart, characterized in that the stimulator includes means for selectively dividing the heart rate continuum into regions including at least two classes of tachycardia, contiguous to each other and of progressively higher rate ranges, the lowest and highest of the tachycardia classes being bounded respectively by a sinus rate region and a fibrillation region of the continuum; means for selectively adjusting the boundaries between the tachycardia classes and between the lowest and highest of those classes and the respective sinus rate and fibrillation regions, to correspondingly adjust the rate ranges of the classes in a desired manner; means for selectively detecting cardiac events anywhere within the continuum and for distinguishing between normal and abnormal tachycardias among the detected events; and means for selectively treating a detected abnormal tachycardia with any of a multiplicity of therapy regimens of differing degrees of aggressiveness, towards terminating the detected tachycardia; the improvement comprising means included in said detecting means for preventing the classification of a ventricular response to atrial fibrillation as a reentrant ventricular tachycardia.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 34 words

The improvement according to Claim 1, characterized in that the detecting means is programmable to selectively establish criteria to detect each of the cardiac events of bradycardia, tachycardia, fibrillation, and reversion to sinus rate.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 39 words

The improvement according to Claim 2, characterized in that the criteria selectively established by the detecting means to detect tachycardia include high heart rate, sudden onset of the high rate, stability of the high rate, and sustained high rate.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 82 words

The improvement according to Claim 3, characterized in that the detecting means if further programmable to selectively establish algorithms form said criteria, wherein at least one of said algorithms classifies ventricular cardiac events as reentrant tachycardias based on whether the vent satisfies a portion of the said at least one algorithm consisting solely of the sustained high rate criterion or another portion of the said at least one algorithm consisting of one or more of said criteria other than sustained high rate.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 59 words

The improvement according to Claim 4, characterized in that said detecting means comprises means selectively establishing a new algorithm corresponding to said at least one algorithm except that the portion consisting solely of the sustained high rate criteria in the said at least one algorithm consists of the sustained high rate and rate stability criteria in the new algorithm.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 28 words

The improvement according to Claim 5, characterized in that the new algorithm is: high rate and sudden onset and rate stability OR sustained high rate and rate stability.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 179 words

In a method for detecting and treating ventricular tachyhythmias of a patient's heart, characterized in that the method includes the steps of selectively dividing the heart rate continuum into regions including at least two classes of tachycardia, contiguous to each other and of progressively higher heart rate ranges, the lowest and highest of the tachycardia classes being bounded respectively by a sinus rate region and a fibrillation region of the contiuum; selectively adjusting the boundaries between the tachycardia classes and between the lowest and highest of those classes and the respective sinus rate and fibrillation regions, to correspondingly adjust the rate ranges of the classes in a desired manner; selectively detecting cardiac events anywhere within the continuum and distinguishing between normal and abnormal tachycardias among the detected events; and selectively treating a detected abnormal tachycardia with any of a multiplicity of therapy regimens of differing degrees of aggressiveness, toward terminating the detected tachycardia; improvement comprising the further step, during selectively detecting cardiac events, of preventing the classification of a ventricular response to atrila fibrillation as a reentrant ventricular tachycardia.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 179 words

In a method for detecting and treating ventricular tachyhythmias of a patient's heart, characterized in that the method includes the steps of selectively dividing the heart rate continuum into regions including at least two classes of tachycardia, contiguous to each other and of progressively higher heart rate ranges, the lowest and highest of the tachycardia classes being bounded respectively by a sinus rate region and a fibrillation region of the contiuum; selectively adjusting the boundaries between the tachycardia classes and between the lowest and highest of those classes and the respective sinus rate and fibrillation regions, to correspondingly adjust the rate ranges of the classes in a desired manner; selectively detecting cardiac events anywhere within the continuum and distinguishing between normal and abnormal tachycardias among the detected events; and selectively treating a detected abnormal tachycardia with any of a multiplicity of therapy regimens of differing degrees of aggressiveness, toward terminating the detected tachycardia; improvement comprising the further step, during selectively detecting cardiac events, of preventing the classification of a ventricular response to atrila fibrillation as a reentrant ventricular tachycardia.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 38 words

The method of Claim 7, wherein the step of selectively detecting cardiac events includes establishing criteria to detect ventricular tachycardias including high rate, sudden onset of the high rate, stability of the high rate, and sustained high rate.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 80 words

The method of Claim 8, wherein the step of detecting cardiac events further includes selectively establishing algorithms from said criteria, wherein at least one of said algorithms classifies ventricular cardiac events as reentrant tachycardias based on whether the event satisfies a portion of the said at least one algorithm consisting solely of the sustained high rate criterion or another portion of the said at least one algorithm consisting of one or more of said criteria other than sustained high rate.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 57 words

The method of Claim 9, wherein the step of preventing classification comprises selectively establishing a new algorithm corresponding to said at least one algorithm except that the portion consisting solely of the sustained high rate criteria in the said at least one algorithm consists of the sustained high rate and rate stability criteria in the new algorithm.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 25 words

The method of Claim 10, wherein the new algorithm is: high rate and sudden onset and rate stability OR sustained high rate and rate stability.

System and method for detection and treatment of ventricular arrhythmias

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