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Patent US5632267A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5632267A
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Heart defibrillator and defibrillation method wherein defibrillation is achieved by high-frequency, low-energy pulses
Assignee: Pacesetter AB
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Filing: 1995-08-29
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Granted: 1997-05-27
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Expires: 2015-08-29
Abstract
Abstract An implantable heart defibrillator contains a pulse generator controlled by a control unit for emitting a number of heart stimulation pulses at a rate of several Hertz or more. The control unit causes the pulse generator to emit heart stimulation pulses with an energy content of the same, or somewhat greater, magnitude than conventional pacemaker pulses for a period of time long enough for the entire heart to become refractory.
Inventors
- 👤 Kurt Hognelid
- 👤 Kjell Noren
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 23:04
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61N; A61N1/00; A61N1/18; A61N1/32; A61N1/38; A61N1/39; A61N1/3956; A61N1/36; A61N1/362; A61N1/3621; A61N1/385
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 47
Claim 1
Independent Claim
91 words
A heart defibrillator comprising: a pulse generator which emits electrical pulses each having an amplitude less than or equal to about 5 V; electrode means adapted for delivering said electrical pulses in vivo to a defibrillating heart; means for identifying a period of time for making said heart entirely refractory by delivery of said electrical pulses thereto; and control means for controlling said pulse generator for causing said pulse generator to emit said electrical pulses at a rate faster than or equal to about 5 Hertz for said period of time.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
91 words
A heart defibrillator comprising: a pulse generator which emits electrical pulses each having an amplitude less than or equal to about 5 V; electrode means adapted for delivering said electrical pulses in vivo to a defibrillating heart; means for identifying a period of time for making said heart entirely refractory by delivery of said electrical pulses thereto; and control means for controlling said pulse generator for causing said pulse generator to emit said electrical pulses at a rate faster than or equal to about 5 Hertz for said period of time.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
A defibrillator as claimed in claim 1 wherein said control means comprises means for causing said pulse generator to emit said pulses at a rate of approximately 10 Hertz.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
60 words
A defibrillator as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for identifying a period of time for making said heart entirely refractory comprises means for setting said period equal to at least one second and wherein said control means comprises means for causing said pulse generator to emit said pulses for said period of time of at least one second.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
A defibrillator as claimed in claim 1 wherein said control means comprises means for causing said pulse generator to emit monophasic pulses as said electrical pulses.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
A defibrillator as claimed in claim 4 wherein said control means comprises means for causing said pulse generator to emit monophasic pulses each comprising a half-period of a high-frequency sinusoidal voltage.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
A defibrillator as claimed in claim 1 wherein said control means comprises means for causing said pulse generator to emit biphasic pulses as said electrical pulses.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
33 words
A defibrillator as claimed in claim 6 wherein said control means comprises means for causing said pulse generator to emit a biphasic pulse complex consisting of one period of a high-frequency sinusoidal voltage.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
75 words
A defibrillator as claimed in claim 1 wherein said heart, when entirely refractory, consists of cells in a refractory state, and wherein said means for identifying a period of time for making said heart entirely refractory comprising detector means for locally detecting when cells of said heart exit said refractory state, and said control means comprises means for causing said pulse generator to emit a stimulation pulse immediately after said cells exit said refractory state.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
24 words
A defibrillator as claimed in claim 8 wherein said detector means comprises means for locally detecting an end of a T-wave from said heart.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
33 words
A defibrillator as claimed in claim 8 wherein said detector means includes a bipolar electrode having a distal end and two poles at said distal end with a small distance between said poles.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
28 words
A defibrillator as claimed in claim 1 wherein said electrode means comprises a pacemaker lead having a distal end with a tip electrode disposed at said distal end.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
53 words
A defibrillator as claimed in claim 1 wherein said electrode means comprises a plurality of electrodes adapted to be differently cited with respect to said heart, and wherein said defibrillator further comprises electrode switching means for electrically connecting different electrodes to said pulse generator for delivering said electrical pulses in a defined pattern.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
45 words
A defibrillator as claimed in claim 1 wherein said control means comprises means for controlling said pulse generator to initially emit a low-energy defibrillation/cardioversion pulse having an energy content of several joules before emission of said electrical pulses at the rate of approximately one Hertz.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
99 words
A defibrillator comprising: a pulse generator which emits electrical pulses each having an amplitude in a range from about 5 V to about 20 V; electrode means adapted for delivering said electrical pulses in vivo to a fibrillating heart; means for identifying a period of time for making said heart entirely refractory by delivery of said electrical pulses thereto; and control means for continuously reducing the rate of emission of said pulses from said pulse generator from a starting rate which is faster than 300 pulses per minute during said period of time for making said heart entirely refractory.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
99 words
A defibrillator comprising: a pulse generator which emits electrical pulses each having an amplitude in a range from about 5 V to about 20 V; electrode means adapted for delivering said electrical pulses in vivo to a fibrillating heart; means for identifying a period of time for making said heart entirely refractory by delivery of said electrical pulses thereto; and control means for continuously reducing the rate of emission of said pulses from said pulse generator from a starting rate which is faster than 300 pulses per minute during said period of time for making said heart entirely refractory.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
32 words
A defibrillator as claimed in claim 14 wherein said control means comprises means for continuously reducing the rate of emission of said pulses from said pulse generator according to a predetermined function.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
46 words
A defibrillator as claimed in claim 15 wherein said control means comprises means for reducing said emission rate of said pulse generator according to a predetermined function selected from the group consisting of Gaussian functions and exponential curve functions having an order of two or higher.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
68 words
A defibrillator as claimed in claim 14 wherein said means for identifying a period of time for making said heart entirely refractory comprises means for setting said period equal to at least one second and wherein said control means comprises means for causing said pulse generator to emit said electrical pulses at a rate of approximately 10 Hertz for said period of time of at least one second.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
26 words
A defibrillator as claimed in claim 14 wherein said control means comprises means for causing said pulse generator to emit monophasic pulses as said electrical pulses.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
31 words
A defibrillator as claimed in claim 18 wherein said control means comprises means for causing said pulse generator to emit monophasic pulses each comprising a half-period of a high-frequency sinusoidal voltage.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
26 words
A defibrillator as claimed in claim 14 wherein said control means comprises means for causing said pulse generator to emit biphasic pulses as said electrical pulses.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
33 words
A defibrillator as claimed in claim 20 wherein said control means comprises means for causing said pulse generator to emit a biphasic pulse complex consisting of one period of a high-frequency sinusoidal voltage.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
28 words
A defibrillator as claimed in claim 14 wherein said electrode means comprises a pacemaker lead having a distal end with a tip electrode disposed at said distal end.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
53 words
A defibrillator as claimed in claim 14 wherein said electrode means comprises a plurality of electrodes adapted to be differently cited with respect to said heart, and wherein said defibrillator further comprises electrode switching means for electrically connecting different electrodes to said pulse generator for delivering said electrical pulses in a defined pattern.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
83 words
A method for defibrillating a heart comprising the steps of: emitting electrical pulses each having an amplitude less than or equal to about 5 V from a pulse generator; delivering said electrical pulses in vivo to a fibrillating heart; identifying a period of time for making said heart entirely refractory by delivery of said electrical pulses thereto; and controlling said pulse generator for causing said pulse generator to emit said electrical pulses at a rate of several Hertz for said period of time.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
83 words
A method for defibrillating a heart comprising the steps of: emitting electrical pulses each having an amplitude less than or equal to about 5 V from a pulse generator; delivering said electrical pulses in vivo to a fibrillating heart; identifying a period of time for making said heart entirely refractory by delivery of said electrical pulses thereto; and controlling said pulse generator for causing said pulse generator to emit said electrical pulses at a rate of several Hertz for said period of time.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method as claimed in claim 24 wherein the step of controlling said pulse generator comprises causing said pulse generator to emit said pulses at a rate of approximately 10 Hertz.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
62 words
A method as claimed in claim 24 wherein the step of identifying a period of time for making said heart entirely refractory comprises setting said period of time equal to at least one second, and wherein the step of controlling said pulse generator comprises causing said pulse generator to emit said pulses for said period of time of at least one second.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method as claimed in claim 24 wherein the step of controlling said pulse generator comprises causing said pulse generator to emit monophasic pulses as said electrical pulses.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method as claimed in claim 27 wherein the step of controlling said pulse generator comprises causing said pulse generator to emit monophasic pulses each comprising a half-period of a high-frequency sinusoidal voltage.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method as claimed in claim 24 wherein the step of controlling said pulse generator comprises causing said pulse generator to emit biphasic pulses as said electrical pulses.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method as claimed in claim 29 wherein the step of controlling said pulse generator comprises causing said pulse generator to emit a biphasic pulse complex consisting of one period of a high-frequency sinusoidal voltage.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
74 words
A method as claimed in claim 24 wherein said heart, when entirely refractory, consists of cells in a refractory state, and the step of identifying a period of time for making said heart entirely refractory comprises locally detecting when cells of said heart exit said refractory state, and wherein the step of controlling said pulse generator comprises causing said pulse generator to emit a stimulation pulse immediately after said cells exit said refractory state.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method as claimed in claim 31 wherein the step of detecting when said cells of said heart exit said refractory state comprises locally detecting an end of a T-wave from said heart.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method as claimed in claim 24 further comprising differently siting a plurality of electrodes with respect to said heart, and electrically connecting different electrodes to said pulse generator by switching for delivering said electrical pulses in a defined pattern.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method as claimed in claim 24 wherein the step of controlling said pulse generator comprises controlling said pulse generator to initially emit a low-energy defibrillation/cardioversion pulse having an energy content of several joules before emission of said electrical pulses.
Claim 38
Independent Claim
102 words
A method for fibrillating a head comprising the steps of: emitting electrical pulses each having an amplitude in a range from about 5 V to about 20 V from a pulse generator; delivering said electrical pulses in vivo to a fibrillating heart; identifying a period of time for making said head entirely refractory by delivery of said electrical pulses thereto; and controlling said pulse generator by continuously reducing a rate of emission of said pulses from said pulse generator from a starting rate which is faster than 300 pulses per minute during said period of time for making said heart entirely refractory.
Claim 39
Independent Claim
102 words
A method for fibrillating a head comprising the steps of: emitting electrical pulses each having an amplitude in a range from about 5 V to about 20 V from a pulse generator; delivering said electrical pulses in vivo to a fibrillating heart; identifying a period of time for making said head entirely refractory by delivery of said electrical pulses thereto; and controlling said pulse generator by continuously reducing a rate of emission of said pulses from said pulse generator from a starting rate which is faster than 300 pulses per minute during said period of time for making said heart entirely refractory.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method as claimed in claim 35 wherein the step of controlling said pulse generator comprises continuously reducing the rate of emission of said pulses from said pulse generator according to a predetermined function.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
52 words
A method as claimed in claim 36 wherein the step of controlling said pulse generator comprises reducing the rate of emission of said pulses from said pulse generator according to a predetermined function selected from the group consisting of Gaussian functions and exponential curve functions having an order of two or higher.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
68 words
A method as claimed in claim 35 wherein the step of identifying a period of time for making said heart entirely refractory comprises setting said period equal to at least one second and wherein the step of controlling said pulse generator comprises causing said pulse generator to emit said electrical pulses at a rate of approximately 10 Hertz for said period of time of at least one second.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method as claimed in claim 35 wherein the step of controlling said pulse generator comprises causing said pulse generator to emit monophasic pulses as said electrical pulses.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method as claimed in claim 39 wherein the step of controlling said pulse generator comprises causing said pulse generator to emit monophasic pulses each comprising a half-period of a high-frequency sinusoidal voltage.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method as claimed in claim 35 wherein the step of controlling said pulse generator comprises causing said pulse generator to emit biphasic pulses as said electrical pulses.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method as claimed in claim 41 wherein the step of controlling said pulse generator comprises causing said pulse generator to emit a biphasic pulse complex consisting of one period of a high-frequency sinusoidal voltage.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method as claimed in claim 35 further comprising differently siting a plurality of electrodes with respect to said heart, and electrically connecting different electrodes to said pulse generator by switching for delivering said electrical pulses in a defined pattern.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
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| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2000-05-26 | 2000-11-25 | 2001-05-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2004-05-26 | 2004-11-25 | 2005-05-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2008-05-26 | 2008-11-25 | 2009-05-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |