EP0518546A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Reduced current cardiac pacing apparatus
Assignee: Physio Control Inc
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Filing: 1992-06-03
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2012-06-03
Abstract
Abstract A cardiac pacing apparatus and method. A cardiac pacing apparatus (24) provides a cardiac pacing signal to a plurality of electrode pairs (20, 22), each comprising a positive electrode (20a, 22a) and a negative electrode (20b, 22b). A plurality of isolated current sources (30, 32) supply the electrode pairs with separate electric pacing currents, each small enough in magnitude so as to avoid patient discomfort or burning. The plurality of pacing currents delivered to the electrode pairs add to produce a total cardiac pacing current of sufficient magnitude to cause contraction of a heart muscle through which the pacing currents flow.
Inventors
- 👤 Clifton A. Alferness
- 👤 Raymond E. Ideker
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 11:01
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61N; A61N1/00; A61N1/18; A61N1/32; A61N1/323; A61N1/36; A61N1/362; A61N1/3625
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
86 words
An external cardiac pacing apparatus for delivering a total cardiac pacing current to a patient's heart muscle comprising: a plurality of electrode pairs attachable to the patient's chest; and an isolated current source, which is coupled to the plurality of electrode pairs for providing an individual pacing current to each of the electrode pairs, the individual pacing currents cooperatively forming the total cardiac pacing current, wherein each individual pacing current has a magnitude less than the total cardiac pacing current supplied by the isolated current source.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
76 words
The apparatus as in Claim 1, wherein the isolated current source comprises a plurality of isolated current sources, each of which is coupled to only one pair of each of the plurality of electrode pairs, wherein each of the isolated current sources delivers an individual pacing current to one of each of the electrode pairs such that the individual pacing currents delivered by the plurality of isolated current sources cooperatively produce the total cardiac pacing current.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus as in Claim 1, further comprising: an electrocardiogram monitor for sensing heart signals produced by the patient's heart muscle.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
51 words
The apparatus as in Claim 2, further comprising a demand pacing controller, coupled to the electrocardiogram monitor, for causing the total cardiac pacing current to be delivered to the patient's heart muscle if the electrocardiogram monitor fails to receive a heart signal from the patient's heart muscle within a predefined time.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
44 words
The apparatus as in Claim 1, wherein the cardiac pacing apparatus is capable of producing a series of total cardiac pacing currents at a variable repetition rate and wherein the cardiac pacing apparatus further comprises a pulse rate controller for controlling the repetition rate.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
43 words
The apparatus as in Claim 4, wherein the demand pacing controller is selectively operable in a continuous mode to cause the total cardiac pacing current to be delivered to the patient's heart muscle at a regular repetition rate independent of the heart signals.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
51 words
The apparatus as in Claim 1, further comprising a current level controller that increases the magnitude of the individual pacing currents supplied by the isolated current sources if the magnitude of the total cardiac pacing current delivered to the patient's heart muscle is insufficient to cause contraction of the heart muscle.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
45 words
The apparatus as in Claim 1, further comprising a pacing synchronizing circuit connected to the plurality of isolated current sources, wherein the pacing synchronizing circuit controls the time at which the isolated current sources deliver the individual pacing currents to the plurality of electrode pairs.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
113 words
An apparatus for providing a total cardiac pacing signal to a heart muscle of a patient, wherein the total cardiac pacing signal is applied via a plurality of separate signal paths, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of pairs of electrodes; and a plurality of electrically isolated current sources, each of which is electrically connected to one of the pairs of electrodes, wherein each electrically isolated current source provides the one pair of electrodes with an individual pacing signal that flows between the associated pair of electrodes, the individual pacing signals provided to the plurality of pairs of electrodes additively forming the total cardiac pacing signal to cause contraction of the patient's heart muscle.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
39 words
The apparatus as in Claim 9, further comprising means for synchronizing the plurality of electrically isolated current sources to deliver the individual pacing signals to a heart muscle at the correct time to cause contraction of the heart muscle.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
53 words
The apparatus as in Claim 9, further comprising means for controlling the magnitude of the individual pacing signals delivered to the plurality of electrode pairs by the electrically isolated current sources such that the magnitude of the total cardiac pacing signal delivered to the patient is sufficient to contract the patient's heart muscle.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus as in Claim 9, further comprising: an electrocardiogram monitor for sensing heart signals produced by the patient's heart muscle.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
50 words
The apparatus as in Claim 12, further comprising a demand pacing controller, coupled to the electrocardiogram monitor, for causing the total cardiac pacing signal to be delivered to the patient's heart muscle if the electrocardiogram monitor fails to receive a heart signal from the heart muscle within a predefined time.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
45 words
The apparatus as in Claim 9, wherein the plurality of electrically isolated current sources are capable of producing a series of total cardiac pacing signals at a variable repetition rate and wherein the apparatus further comprises a pulse rate controller for controlling the repetition rate.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
42 words
The apparatus as in Claim 13, wherein the demand pacing controller is selectively operable in a continuous mode to cause the total cardiac pacing signal to be delivered to the heart muscle at a regular repetition rate independent of the heart signals.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
50 words
The apparatus as in Claim 9, further comprising a current level controller that increases the magnitude of the individual pacing signals supplied by the isolated current sources if the magnitude of the total cardiac pacing signal delivered to the heart muscle is insufficient to cause contraction of the heart muscle.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
46 words
The apparatus as in Claim 9, further comprising a pacing synchronizing circuit connected to the plurality of electrically isolated current sources, wherein the pacing synchronizing circuit controls the time at which the isolated current sources deliver the individual pacing signals to the plurality of electrode pairs.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
34 words
The apparatus as in Claim 9, further comprising a pacing synchronizing circuit that alters the individual pacing signals delivered to the plurality of electrode pairs to vary the direction of the cardiac pacing signal.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
66 words
A method of providing an external total cardiac pacing signal to a heart muscle of a patient, comprising: producing a plurality of individual pacing signals to be delivered to a plurality of electrode pairs attachable to the patient; delivering to the plurality of electrode pairs the plurality of individual pacing signals such that the plurality of individual pacing signals cooperatively produce the total cardiac pacing signal.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of Claim 19, further comprising the steps of: monitoring the patient's heart for heart signals; and delivering the plurality of individual pacing signals to the heart muscle in response to the heart signals monitored.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of Claim 19, further comprising the steps of: increasing the amplitude of the plurality of individual pacing signals if the total cardiac pacing signal is insufficient to cause contraction of the heart muscle.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of Claim 19, further comprising the step of: varying the direction of the total cardiac pacing signal by altering the plurality of individual pacing signals delivered to the plurality of electrode pairs.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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