Atrial defibrillator and method for providing pre-cardioversion warning

Claim 2

An implantable cardiac device for providing cardioverting electrical energy to at least one chamber of a patient's heart in need of cardioversion, said device comprising: detecting means for detecting activity of the at least one chamber of the patient's heart; determining means responsive to said detecting means for determining when the at least one chamber of the patient's heart is in need of cardioversion; cardioverting means responsive to said determining means for applying said cardioverting electrical energy to the at least one chamber of the patient's heart when the at least one chamber is in need of cardioversion; and warning means for applying warning electrical energy to the at least one chamber of the patient's heart prior to said cardioverting means applying said cardioverting electrical energy to said at least one chamber, said warning electrical energy being of insufficient quantity to cardiovert the at least one chamber but of sufficient quantity so as to be discernable by the patient.

Claim 3

A cardiac device as defined in claim 1 wherein said warning means is also responsive to said determining means for applying said warning electrical energy when the at least one chamber of the patient's heart is in need of cardioversion.

Claim 4

A device as defined in claim 1 further including delay means for delaying the application of said cardioverting energy by said cardioverting means until after at least a predetermined delay time elapses after the application of said warning electrical energy.

Claim 5

A device as defined in claim 3 wherein said predetermined delay time is between one minute and twenty minutes.

Claim 6

An implantable system for providing cardioverting electrical energy to at least one chamber of a patient's heart in need of cardioversion, said system comprising: a cardiac device, said device including, detecting means for detecting activity of the at least one chamber of the patient's heart; determining means responsive to said detecting means for determining when the at least one chamber of the patient's heart is in need of cardioversion; cardioverting means responsive to said determining means for applying said cardioverting electrical energy to the at least one chamber of the patient's heart when the at least one chamber is in need of cardioversion; and warning means for applying warning electrical energy to internal tissue of the patient prior to said cardioverting means applying said cardioverting electrical energy to said at least one chamber, said warning electrical energy being of insufficient quantity to cardiovert the at least one chamber but of sufficient quantity so as to be discernable by the patient; and lead means for establishing electrical contact with said at least one chamber and wherein said warning electrical energy and said cardioverting electrical energy are both applied to said lead means.

Claim 7

An implantable system for providing cardioverting electrical energy to at least one chamber of a patient's heart in need of cardioversion, said system comprising: a cardiac device, said device including, detecting means for detecting activity of the at least one chamber of the patient's heart; determining means responsive to said detecting means for determining when the at least one chamber of the patient's heart is in need of cardioversion; cardioverting means responsive to said determining means for applying said cardioverting electrical energy to the at least one chamber of the patient's heart when the at least one chamber is in need of cardioversion; and warning means for applying warning electrical energy to internal tissue of the patient prior to said cardioverting means applying said cardioverting electrical energy to said at least one chamber, said warning electrical energy being of insufficient quantity to cardiovert the at least one chamber but of sufficient quantity so as to be discernable by the patient; and lead means for establishing electrical contact with said at least one chamber and wherein said warning electrical energy and said cardioverting electrical energy are both applied to said lead means.

Claim 8

An implantable cardiac device for providing cardioverting electrical energy to at least one chamber of a patient's heart in need of cardioversion, said device comprising: detecting means for detecting activity of the at least one chamber of the patient's heart; determining means responsive to said detecting means for determining when the at least one chamber of the patient's heart is in need of cardioversion; cardioverting means responsive to said determining means for applying said cardioverting electrical energy to the at least one chamber of the patient's heart when the at least one chamber is in need of cardioversion; warning means for applying warning electrical energy to internal tissue of the patient prior to said cardioverting means applying said cardioverting electrical energy to said at least one chamber, said warning electrical energy being of insufficient quantity to cardiovert the at least one chamber but of sufficient quantity so as to be discernable by the patient; and protocol means for determining that the patient's heart is in a nonvulnerable condition and wherein said protocol means is activated prior to the application of each said warning electrical energy and said cardioverting electrical energy.

Claim 9

An implantable cardiac device for providing cardioverting electrical energy to at least one chamber of a patient's heart in need of cardioversion, said device comprising: detecting means for detecting activity of the at least one chamber of the patient's heart; determining means responsive to said detecting means for determining when the at least one chamber of the patient's heart is in need of cardioversion; cardioverting means responsive to said determining means for applying said cardioverting electrical energy to the at least one chamber of the patient's heart when the at least one chamber is in need of cardioversion; warning means for applying warning electrical energy to internal tissue of the patient prior to said cardioverting means applying said cardioverting electrical energy to said at least one chamber, said warning electrical energy being of insufficient quantity to cardiovert the at least one chamber but of sufficient quantity so as to be discernable by the patient; and protocol means for determining that the patient's heart is in a nonvulnerable condition and wherein said protocol means is activated prior to the application of each said warning electrical energy and said cardioverting electrical energy.

Claim 10

An implantable atrial defibrillator for providing cardioverting electrical energy to the atria of a patient's heart in need of cardioversion, said atrial defibrillator comprising: detecting means for detecting atrial activity of the patient's heart; atrial fibrillation detecting means responsive to said detecting means for determining when the atria of the patient's heart are in need of cardioversion; and cardioverting means responsive to said atrial fibrillation detecting means for applying warning electrical energy to the atria of the patient's heart when the atria are in need of cardioversion and for thereafter applying cardioverting electrical energy to the atria, said warning electrical energy being of insufficient quantity to cardiovert the atria but of sufficient quantity so as to be discernable by the patient.

Claim 11

An implantable atrial defibrillator for providing cardioverting electrical energy to the atria of a patient's heart in need of cardioversion, said atrial defibrillator comprising: detecting means for detecting atrial activity of the patient's heart; atrial fibrillation detecting means responsive to said detecting means for determining when the atria of the patient's heart are in need of cardioversion; and cardioverting means responsive to said atrial fibrillation detecting means for applying warning electrical energy to the atria of the patient's heart when the atria are in need of cardioversion and for thereafter applying cardioverting electrical energy to the atria, said warning electrical energy being of insufficient quantity to cardiovert the atria but of sufficient quantity so as to be discernable by the patient.

Claim 12

An atrial defibrillator as defined in claim 7 wherein said cardioverting means is also responsive to said atrial fibrillation detecting means determining that the atria are in need of cardioversion after the application of said warning electrical energy and before applying said cardioverting electrical energy to the atria of the patient's heart.

Claim 13

An atrial defibrillator as defined in claim 7 further including delay means for delaying the application of said cardioverting energy by said cardioverting means until after at least a predetermined delay time elapses after the application of said warning electrical energy.

Claim 14

An atrial defibrillator as defined in claim 9 wherein said predetermined delay time is between one minute and twenty minutes.

Claim 15

An atrial defibrillator as defined in claim 7 further including protocol means for determining that the patient's heart is in a nonvulnerable condition and wherein said protocol means is activated prior to the application of each said warning electrical energy and said cardioverting electrical energy.

Claim 16

An atrial defibrillator as defined in claim 7 wherein said warning electrical energy has a quantity on the order of 0.1 joule and wherein said cardioverting electrical energy has a quantity between 0.5 and one joule.

Claim 17

An implantable system for providing cardioverting electrical energy to the atria of a patient's heart in need of cardioversion, said system comprising: an atrial defibrillator, said defibrillator including, detecting means for detecting atrial activity of the patient's heart, atrial fibrillation detecting means responsive to said detecting means for determining when the atria of the patient's heart are in need of cardioversion, and cardioverting means responsive to said atrial fibrillation detecting means for applying warning electrical energy to the atria of the patient's heart when the atria are in need of cardioversion and for thereafter applying cardioverting electrical energy to the atria, said warning electrical energy being of insufficient quantity to cardiovert the atria but of sufficient quantity so as to be discernable by the patient; and lead means for establishing electrical contact with the atria and wherein said warning electrical energy and said cardioverting electrical energy are both applied to said lead means.

Claim 18

An implantable system for providing cardioverting electrical energy to the atria of a patient's heart in need of cardioversion, said system comprising: an atrial defibrillator, said defibrillator including, detecting means for detecting atrial activity of the patient's heart, atrial fibrillation detecting means responsive to said detecting means for determining when the atria of the patient's heart are in need of cardioversion, and cardioverting means responsive to said atrial fibrillation detecting means for applying warning electrical energy to the atria of the patient's heart when the atria are in need of cardioversion and for thereafter applying cardioverting electrical energy to the atria, said warning electrical energy being of insufficient quantity to cardiovert the atria but of sufficient quantity so as to be discernable by the patient; and lead means for establishing electrical contact with the atria and wherein said warning electrical energy and said cardioverting electrical energy are both applied to said lead means.

Claim 21

A method as defined in claim 14 further including the step of delaying the application of said cardioverting energy until after at least a predetermined delay time elapses after applying the warning electrical energy.

Claim 34

A method as defined in claim 21 further including repeating said determining step after applying said warning electrical energy and applying said cardioverting electrical energy to the atria of the patient's heart if said repeated determining step determines that the atria are in need of cardioversion.

Claim 35

A method as defined in claim 22 further including the step of delaying the application of said cardioverting energy until after at least a predetermined delay time elapses after applying the warning electrical energy.

Claim 36

A method as defined in claim 23 wherein said predetermined delay time is between one minute and twenty minutes.

Claim 37

A method as defined in claim 23 further including repeating said determining step after said predetermined delay time elapses and applying said cardioverting electrical energy to the atria of the patient's heart if said repeated determining step determines that the atria in need of cardioversion.

Claim 38

A method as defined in claim 21 including the further step of providing lead means, establishing electrical contact between said lead means and the atria of the patient's heart, and applying said warning electrical energy and said cardioverting electrical energy to said lead means.

Claim 39

A method as defined in claim 21 including the further step of performing a protocol to establish that the patient's heart is in a nonvulnerable condition and wherein said protocol is performed prior to applying said warning electrical energy and is repeated prior to applying said cardioverting electrical energy.

Claim 40

A method as defined in claim 21 wherein said warning electrical energy has a quantity on the order of 0.1 joule and said cardioverting electrical energy has a quantity between 0.5 and one joule.