Patent EP0451498A1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0451498A1
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EP
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Pacemaker with means for preventing false pacemaker PVC response
Assignee: Pacesetter AB
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Filing: 1991-03-04
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-03-04
Abstract
Abstract An implantable pacemaker having means for detecting and responding to a premature ventricular contraction (PVC), also includes circuit means for minimizing the likelihood of sensing a PVC when in fact a PVC has not occurred. The circuit means latches the occurrence of any atrial events (86) sensed during the relative atrial refractory period (ARP) of the pacemaker, whether such atrial events are noise or an early P-wave (86) and, in response to such latching (88) disables the PVC detection circuit until certain prescribed events occur, whereupon the PVC detection circuit is re-enabled. The prescribed events that re-enable the PVC detection circuit after it has been disabled include, e.g., the occurrence of a ventricular pulse or sensed R-wave. Further, in the event a PVC is detected and a desired PVC response is invoked, an additional circuit means automatically terminates the PVC response in the event the PVC response becomes stuck.
Inventors
- 👤 Stuart W. Buchanan
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 18:27
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61N; A61N1/00; A61N1/18; A61N1/32; A61N1/36; A61N1/362; A61N1/3621; A61N1/3622
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
151 words
An implantable pacemaker having means for sensing atrial and ventricular events, means for generating an atrial stimulation pulse, means for generating an atrial refractory time interval having a relative refractory portion, means for detecting a premature ventricular contraction (PVC), means for enabling a PVC response mode of said pacemaker in response to the sensing of a PVC, and electronic circuit means for preventing said PVC detecting means from responding to a false PVC comprising: means for generating a signal upon the sensing of an atrial event during said relative refractory portion of said atrial refractory time interval; means responsive to said signal for causing said PVC detecting means to assume a disabled state, said disabled state continuing until the first occurrence thereafter of a prescribed re-enabling event; and a PVC thereby not being detectable by said PVC detecting means subsequent to the occurrence of atrial noise until said re-enabling event occurs.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
56 words
The pacemaker as defined in Claim 1 wherein said re-enabling event comprises a ventricular event, said ventricular event including an R-wave sensed by said pacemaker or the generation of a ventricular stimulation pulse by said pacemaker, whichever event occurs first after the generation of the signal, which is generated upon the sensing of an atrial event.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
31 words
The pacemaker as defined in Claim 1 or 2, wherein said means for enabling a PVC response mode includes means for generating a pulsed signal upon the sensing of each PVC.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
59 words
The pacemaker as defined in one of the preceding claims further comprising: means for monitoring the number of cardiac cycles that occur while said PVC response mode is enabled; and means for disabling said PVC response mode if the number of cardiac cycles occurring during said PVC response mode reaches n, where n is an integer greater than two.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
24 words
The pacemaker as defined in Claim 4, wherein the integer n is programmably selectable from a range of integer values comprising three to ten.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
56 words
The pacemaker as defined in Claim 4 or 5, wherein said means for monitoring the number of cardiac cycles that occur while said PVC response mode is enabled comprises a counter circuit adapted to count the number of consecutive cardiac cycles during which a PVC occurs while said pacemaker is operating in said PVC response mode.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
48 words
The pacemaker as defined in one of the Claims 4 to 6 further comprising means for disabling said PVC detecting means in the event an atrial event occurs early in the cardiac cycle at a time that only invalid atrial events, such as noise, are expected to occur.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
134 words
The pacemaker according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the means for detecting premature ventricular contraction comprises: means for detecting first an second ventricular events without an intervening atrial event; first means for testing the second detected ventricular event to determine if said second detected ventricular event exhibits a first specified criterion of a premature ventricular contraction (PVC); second means for testing the second detected ventricular event to determine if said second detected ventricular event exhibits a second specified criterion of a PVC; and decision means coupled to said first and second test means for determining whether a selected one of said first or second sepcified criterion is exhibited in said second detected ventricular event, and if so, for generating a PVC detection signal triggering the means for enabling a PVC response mode.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
92 words
The pacemaker of Claim 8 further including third means for testing a selected one of said second detected ventricular event or detected ventricular events subsequent to said second detected ventricular event to determine if said said selected one of said second or subsequent ventricular events exhibit third specified criterion; and further wherein said decision means is for determining whether a selected combination of said first, second, or third cirteria are exhibited in said selected one of said second or subsequent sensed ventricular events, and if so, for generating said PVC detection signal.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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