Semi-automatic atrial and ventricular cardioverter defibrillator

Claim 2

An implantable dual chamber cardioverter defibrillator apparatus for implant within a human patient, for generating and delivering cardioversion defibrillation countershocks of greater than about 0.1 joules to two or more electrodes implanted proximate the heart of the human patient, comprising: an implanted housing of a biocompatible material, the housing containing; a) means for storing an electrical charge; b) means for charging the means for storing to produce the electrical charge; and c) means for selectively controlling a discharge of the electrical charge stored in the means for storing through the two or more implanted electrodes to generate a cardioversion defibrillation countershock waveform, including: c1) means for detecting and automatically treating ventricular dysrhythmias without reference to an external programming stimulus; c2) selective means for treating atrial dysrhythmias further comprising semi-automatic means for selectively determining whether the treating of atrial dysrhythmias will be automatically initiated upon detection of an atrial dysrhythmia or manually initiated upon detection of an external programming stimulus.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 in which the sensing of the cardiac dysrhythmia comprises means for measuring a cardiac electrical signal wherein said measuring means comprises a plurality of sensing electrodes for implant proximate the heart.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 1 in which the selective means comprises: a) means, responsive to an operator for switching the apparatus from manual atrial cardioversion to automatic atrial cardioversion; and b) means, responsive to an operator for triggering atrial cardioversion while the implantable dual chamber system is in the manual setting.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising means for communicating with an operator, the communication means having a communication mode selected from the group of modes consisting of: magnetic, radio frequency, electromagnetic and ultrasonic modes.

Claim 6

A semi-automatic atrial and ventricular cardiac cardioverter defibrillator system for use in a human patient comprising: a) an implantable cardioverter defibrillator subsystem, comprising an implanted housing of a biocompatible material for implant proximate the heart of the human patient, the housing containing; a1) means for storing an electrical charge; a2) means for charging the means for storing; a3) means for selectively controlling the discharge of the electrical charge; a4) internal control means for setting semi-automatic triggering of atrial cardioversion; a5) internal trigger control means for allowing automatic triggering of atrial cardioversion when internal control means is set in automatic mode without reference to an external programming stimulus; a6) means for collection of data and communicating the data to an external receiver; b) an external communications subsystem comprising: b1) external control means for an operator to switch the apparatus back and forth from manual atrial cardioversion to automatic atrial cardioversion; b2) external trigger control means for allowing a system operator to trigger atrial cardioversion when internal control means is set in manual mode; and b3) means for receiving collected data and displaying the data for the operator to evaluate.

Claim 7

A semi-automatic atrial and ventricular cardiac cardioverter defibrillator system for use in a human patient comprising: a) an implantable cardioverter defibrillator subsystem, comprising an implanted housing of a biocompatible material for implant proximate the heart of the human patient, the housing containing; a1) means for storing an electrical charge; a2) means for charging the means for storing; a3) means for selectively controlling the discharge of the electrical charge; a4) internal control means for setting semi-automatic triggering of atrial cardioversion; a5) internal trigger control means for allowing automatic triggering of atrial cardioversion when internal control means is set in automatic mode without reference to an external programming stimulus; a6) means for collection of data and communicating the data to an external receiver; b) an external communications subsystem comprising: b1) external control means for an operator to switch the apparatus back and forth from manual atrial cardioversion to automatic atrial cardioversion; b2) external trigger control means for allowing a system operator to trigger atrial cardioversion when internal control means is set in manual mode; and b3) means for receiving collected data and displaying the data for the operator to evaluate.

Claim 10

The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of providing an external trigger to effect atrial cardioversion therapy.

Claim 11

The method of claim 6 further comprising the steps of capturing information, reporting information to an external source, and allowing a physician to do manual triggering.

Claim 12

An implantable cardioverter defibrillator apparatus for generating and delivering cardioversion defibrillation countershocks of greater than about 0.1 joules to two or more discharge electrodes implanted proximate the heart of a human patient in response to a sensing of a cardiac dysrhythmia in the patient, comprising: an implanted housing of a biocompatible material, the housing containing; a) means for storing an electrical charge; b) means for charging the means for storing to produce the electrical charge; c) means for selectively controlling a time truncated discharge of the electrical charge stored in the means for storing through the two or more implanted electrodes in response to the sensing of the cardiac dysrhythmia to generate a cardioversion defibrillation countershock waveform, including: c1) means for detecting and automatically treating ventricular dysrhythmias without reference to an external programming stimulus: c2) internal control means for receiving communication signals and triggering atrial cardioversion therapy upon receiving an external signal; and c3) external control means for triggering cardioversion countershock therapy for atrial dysrhythmias.

Claim 13

An implantable cardioverter defibrillator apparatus for generating and delivering cardioversion defibrillation countershocks of greater than about 0.1 joules to two or more discharge electrodes implanted proximate the heart of a human patient in response to a sensing of a cardiac dysrhythmia in the patient, comprising: an implanted housing of a biocompatible material, the housing containing; a) means for storing an electrical charge; b) means for charging the means for storing to produce the electrical charge; c) means for selectively controlling a time truncated discharge of the electrical charge stored in the means for storing through the two or more implanted electrodes in response to the sensing of the cardiac dysrhythmia to generate a cardioversion defibrillation countershock waveform, including: c1) means for detecting and automatically treating ventricular dysrhythmias without reference to an external programming stimulus: c2) internal control means for receiving communication signals and triggering atrial cardioversion therapy upon receiving an external signal; and c3) external control means for triggering cardioversion countershock therapy for atrial dysrhythmias.