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EP0748638A2
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EP
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Implantable cardiac stimulating device
Assignee: Pacesetter Inc
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Filing: 1996-06-14
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2016-06-14
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus for applying atrial and ventricular therapies to the heart of a patient using an implanted cardiac stimulating device. Atrial and ventricular heart rates are monitored and analyzed to determine whether the patient is suffering from an atrial or ventricular arrhythmia and to determine what type of therapy is appropriate to apply to the heart. Atrial and ventricular heart rates are compared to determine if the ventricular heart rate exceeds the atrial heart rate and to determine whether the ventricular heart rate is stable. An early atrial stimulation pulse can also be applied to determine whether the ventricular heart rate follows the atrial heart rate. Atrial and ventricular therapies are applied to the heart based on these determinations.
Inventors
- 👤 James L. Duncan
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-10 01:29
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61N; A61N1/00; A61N1/18; A61N1/32; A61N1/36; A61N1/362; A61N1/3621; A61N1/3622
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
82 words
An implantable cardiac stimulating device for monitoring and stimulating the heart of a patient, the device comprising means for measuring intrinsic atrial and ventricular heart rates, characterised in that the device further comprises: rate determining means for determining whether the ventricular heart rate is less than, equal to or exceeds the atrial heart rate; and ventricular stimulation means for applying ventricular stimulation therapy to the heart when the rate determining means determines that the ventricular heart rate exceeds the atrial heart rate.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
59 words
A device as claimed in Claim 1, characterised by stability determining means for determining whether the ventricular heart rate is stable, wherein a stable ventricular heart rate provides an indication that the rhythm is a tachycardia and an unstable ventricular heart rate provides an indication that the rhythm requires further testing to determine if it is of natural origin.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
36 words
A device as claimed in Claim 2, characterised by means for activating the stability determining means in response to the rate determining means determining that the ventricular heart rate does not exceed the atrial heart rate.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
73 words
A device as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3, characterised by: atrial pulse generating means for applying an atrial stimulation pulse to the heart at a rate slightly faster than the measured intrinsic atrial heart rate; and reset determining means for determining whether the ventricular heart rate is reset by the atrial stimulation pulse, whereby the resetting of the ventricular heart rate provides an indication that the ventricle is tracking the atrium.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
82 words
A device as claimed in Claim 4, characterised in that the ventricular stimulation means applies ventricular stimulation therapy when: the stability determining means determines that the ventricular heart rate is stable; the rate determining means determines that the atrial heart rate is equal to the ventricular heart rate; and the reset determining means determines that the ventricular heart rate is not reset by the atrial stimulation pulse, thereby indicating that the ventricle is not tracking the atrium and a ventricular tachycardia exists.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
86 words
A device as claimed in Claim 4 or Claim 5, characterised by atrial stimulation means for applying atrial stimulation therapy to the heart when: the stability determining means determines that the ventricular heart rate is stable; the rate determining means determines that the atrial heart rate is equal to the ventricular heart rate; and the reset determining means determines that the ventricular heart rate is reset by the atrial stimulation pulse, thereby indicating that the ventricle is tracking the atrium and an atrial arrhythmia is present.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
58 words
A device as claimed in any of Claims 2 to 4, characterised in that the ventricular stimulation means applies ventricular stimulation therapy when: the stability determining means determines that the ventricular heart rate is stable; and the rate determining means determines that the atrial heart rate exceeds the ventricular heart rate, thereby indicating a ventricular arrhythmia is present.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
61 words
A device as claimed in any of Claims 2 to 4, characterised by atrial stimulation means for applying atrial stimulation therapy to the heart when: the stability determining means determines that the ventricular heart rate is not stable; and the rate determining means determines that the atrial heart rate exceeds the ventricular heart rate, thereby indicating an atrial arrhythmia is present.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
83 words
A device as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that the rate determining means further comprises means for determining whether the ventricular heart rate exceeds a first predetermined threshold ventricular heart rate and means for determining whether the ventricular heart rate exceeds a second predetermined threshold ventricular heart rate that is greater than the first predetermined threshold ventricular heart rate, and wherein the ventricular stimulation means applies ventricular stimulation therapy when the ventricular heart rate exceeds the second predetermined threshold ventricular heart rate.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
99 words
An implantable cardiac stimulating device for monitoring and stimulating the heart of a patient, the device comprising: means for measuring intrinsic atrial and ventricular heart rate, characterised in that the device further comprises: rate determining means for determining whether the atrial heart rate exceeds the ventricular heart rate, stability determining means for determining whether the ventricular heart rate is stable, and means for applying ventricular stimulation therapy to the heart when: the stability determining means determines that the ventricular heart rate is stable and the rate determining means determines that the atrial heart rate exceeds the ventricular heart rate.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
39 words
A device as claimed in Claim 10, characterised by means for activating the stability determining means in response to the rate determining means determining that the atrial heart rate is greater than or equal to the ventricular heart rate.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
73 words
A device as claimed in Claim 10 or Claim 11, characterised by atrial pulse generating means for applying an atrial stimulation pulse to the heart at a rate slightly faster than the measured intrinsic atrial heart rate, and reset determining means for determining whether the ventricular heart rate is reset by the atrial stimulation pulse, whereby the resetting of the ventricular heart rate provides an indication that the ventricle is tracking the atrium.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
101 words
A device as claimed in Claim 12, characterised in that the ventricular stimulation means applies ventricular stimulation therapy when: the stability determining means determines that the ventricular heart rate is stable; the rate determining means determines that the atrial heart rate does not exceed the ventricular heart rate; and either the reset determining means determines that the ventricular heart rate is not reset by the atrial stimulation pulse, or the reset determining means determines that the ventricular heart rate is reset by the atrial stimulation pulse, thereby indicating that the ventricle is tracking the atrium and an atrial arrhythmia is present.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
63 words
A device as claimed in Claim 10 or Claim 11, characterised by atrial stimulation means for applying atrial stimulation therapy to the heart when: the stability determining means determines that the ventricular heart rate is not stable; and the rate determining means determines that the atrial heart rate exceeds the ventricular heart rate, thereby providing an indication that an atrial arrhythmia is present.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
91 words
A device as claimed in Claim 10 or Claim 11, characterised in that the rate determining means further comprises: means for determining whether the ventricular heart rate exceeds a first predetermined threshold ventricular heart rate; and means for determining whether the ventricular heart rate exceeds a second predetermined threshold ventricular heart rate that is greater than the first predetermined threshold ventricular heart rate; wherein the ventricular stimulation means applies ventricular stimulation therapy whenever the rate determining means determines that the ventricular heart rate exceeds the second predetermined threshold ventricular heart rate.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
54 words
A device as claimed in Claim 10, characterised in that the rate determining means further comprises means for determining whether the ventricular heart rate exceeds the atrial heart rate and the ventricular stimulation means applies ventricular stimulation therapy when the rate determining means determines that the ventricular heart rate exceeds the atrial heart rate.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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