US3768014A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Cardiac pacemaker rate/interval computer system
Assignee: General Electric Co
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Filing: 1972-01-28
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Granted: 1973-10-23
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Expires: 1992-01-28
Abstract
Abstract Information signals taken directly from an implanted pacemaker or remotely by way of a telephone circuit are furnished to a computer which processes the information and displays it in digital form in terms of the pacemaker''s stimulus pulse rate or, alternatively, in terms of the interval between pulses. The existing rate or interval is compared with prior measurements and is used to determine the pacemaker''s residual battery life.
Inventors
- 👤 J Smith
- 👤 J Conley
- 👤 S Dworak
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 02:06
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01R; G01R23/00; G01R23/02; G01R23/10; A; A61; A61N; A61N1/00; A61N1/18; A61N1/32; A61N1/36; A61N1/362; A61N1/37; A61N1/3702
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
190 words
A system for measuring and displaying the repetition rate and interval of pulses produced by a body-implantable cardiac pacer which radiates electromagnetic signals to outside of the body, comprising: a. electromagnetic signal sensing means for receiving said radiated signals on the outside of the body, b. means controlled by said signal receiving means for producing audible tone signals in correspondence with said radiated signals, said tone signals being of such frequency and of sufficient duration to be readily heard by the human ear, c. sensor means remote from said tone signal producing means and constructed and arranged for being coupled telephonically with said tone signal producing means, said sensor means including means responsive to telephonically received signals by producing interval demarking signals that correspond with pacer pulses, d. means for producing electric signals representative of the time between said interval demarking signals, e. means for converting said time represEntative signals to signals representative of the rate of occurrence of said interval demarking signals and said pacer pulses, and f. means selectively responsive to either of said rate or interval representative signals by displaying numerals corresponding with said last named signals.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
190 words
A system for measuring and displaying the repetition rate and interval of pulses produced by a body-implantable cardiac pacer which radiates electromagnetic signals to outside of the body, comprising: a. electromagnetic signal sensing means for receiving said radiated signals on the outside of the body, b. means controlled by said signal receiving means for producing audible tone signals in correspondence with said radiated signals, said tone signals being of such frequency and of sufficient duration to be readily heard by the human ear, c. sensor means remote from said tone signal producing means and constructed and arranged for being coupled telephonically with said tone signal producing means, said sensor means including means responsive to telephonically received signals by producing interval demarking signals that correspond with pacer pulses, d. means for producing electric signals representative of the time between said interval demarking signals, e. means for converting said time represEntative signals to signals representative of the rate of occurrence of said interval demarking signals and said pacer pulses, and f. means selectively responsive to either of said rate or interval representative signals by displaying numerals corresponding with said last named signals.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
The invention set forth in claim 1 wherein: a. said tone signals have a fundamental frequency of about 2,000 Hz.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
The invention set forth in claim 1 wherein: a. said tone signals have a duration of up to about 50 milliseconds.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
195 words
The invention set forth in claim 1 including: a. clock pulse generator means, b. control means receiving interval demarking signals and clock pulses from said generator means, c. clock pulse counter means receiving and counting clock pulses during intervals that are determined by said control means in correspondence with said time demarking signals, d. arithmetic processor means coupled with said control means and said counter means, said processor being adapted to receive the count of said counter means during a time demarked interval in response to said control means, e. said arithmetic processor performing a computation between a constant representing signal and a signal representing the counts in a time interval repeatedly upon the receipt thereof and eventually producing a result signal smaller in value than the constant representing signal, f. accumulator means receiving and storing a signal from said processor corresponding with each computation, said control means stopping the accumulation of counts in response to said smaller result being attained, g. said control means responding to occurrence of said result by transferring the stored counts from said accumulator to said display means, said stored counts being representative of the rate of said pacer pulses.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
55 words
The system set forth in claim 1 wherein: a. said remote sensor means includes: i. coil means adapted to receive magnetic signals radiated directly from a pacer that is proximate to said coil means, signals induced in said coil means also controlling said sensor means to produce interval demarking signals that correspond with pacer pulses.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
152 words
For use in a system that includes a receiving terminal at which are measured and displayed the pulse rate and interpulse time intervals of cardiac pacer stimulus pulses from a remotely located subject: a. pacer sensor means including means for receiving electromagnetic signals radiated from a cardiac pacer in correspondence with stimulus pulses occuring in said pacer, b. means controlled by said signal receiving means for initiating tone signals in bursts of such duration as to be readily heard by the human ear but of lesser duration than the time between stimulus pulses, said tone signals having a frequency substantially in the range of 300 Hz to 3,000 Hz, and c. speaker means driven by said tone signals to emit audible tone bursts corresponding with each tone signal burst that is initiated by a pacer pulse, d. said tone bursts being receivable by a telephone for being transmitted to said receiving terminal.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
152 words
For use in a system that includes a receiving terminal at which are measured and displayed the pulse rate and interpulse time intervals of cardiac pacer stimulus pulses from a remotely located subject: a. pacer sensor means including means for receiving electromagnetic signals radiated from a cardiac pacer in correspondence with stimulus pulses occuring in said pacer, b. means controlled by said signal receiving means for initiating tone signals in bursts of such duration as to be readily heard by the human ear but of lesser duration than the time between stimulus pulses, said tone signals having a frequency substantially in the range of 300 Hz to 3,000 Hz, and c. speaker means driven by said tone signals to emit audible tone bursts corresponding with each tone signal burst that is initiated by a pacer pulse, d. said tone bursts being receivable by a telephone for being transmitted to said receiving terminal.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3599627A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-10-22 | 1977-04-23 | 1977-10-23 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-10-22 | 1981-04-23 | 1981-10-23 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-10-22 | 1985-04-23 | 1985-10-23 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |