Entries |
Document | Title | Date |
20080228234 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR IMPROVED IPG RATE RESPONSE USING SUBCUTANEOUS ELECTRODES DIRECTLY COUPLED TO AN IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE (IMD) - Per the disclosure subcutaneously implantable medical devices (IMDs) with rate responsive implantable pulse generator (IPG) capability that also include dual patient activity sensors are adaptively controlled. One of the activity sensors uses multiple electrodes adapted to acquire electrocardiographic signals and signals from non-cardiac muscle tissue (myopotentially-based signals). The signals from the electrode-based activity sensor are used to confirm and/or override the patient-activity sensor signals from the other non-myopotentially-based patient activity sensor. The electrodes are directly mechanically coupled to the housing of the IMD and electrically coupled to circuitry that filters, processes, and interprets both the patient activity sensor signals. | 09-18-2008 |
20080234768 | Systems for monitoring and applying electrical currents in an organ perfusion system - Electrode systems have been developed for use in perfusion systems to measure the electrical activity of an explanted heart and to provide defibrillation energy as necessary. The perfusion systems maintain the heart in a beating state at, or near, normal physiological conditions; circulating oxygenated, nutrient enriched perfusion fluid to the heart at or near physiological temperature, pressure and flow rate. These systems include a pair of electrodes that are placed epicardially on the right atrium and left ventricle of the explanted heart, as well as an electrode placed in the aortic blood path. | 09-25-2008 |
20080234769 | SUBCUTANEOUS CARDIAC STIMULATION DEVICE PROVIDING ANTI-TACHYCARDIA PACING THERAPY AND METHOD - An implantable subcutaneous cardiac device includes at least two subcutaneous electrodes adapted for placement external to a heart beneath the skin of a patient. The device further includes an arrhythmia detector that detects a sustained tachyarrhythmia of the heart and a pulse generator that delivers anti-tachycardia pacing pulses to the subcutaneous electrodes in response to detection of a sustained tachyarrhythmia. The pacing pulses preferably have waveforms devoid of any exponential voltage decay and include rounded or substantially constant portions to minimize pain. | 09-25-2008 |
20080243200 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR ENHANCING SPECIFICITY OF ARRHYTHMIA DETECTION USING FAR-FIELD SENSING AND INTRACARDIAC SENSING OF CARDIAC ACTIVITY - Improved implantable medical devices (IMDS) and more particularly, a subcutaneous multiple electrode sensing and recording system for acquiring far- and near-field electrocardiographic (ECG) data and waveform tracings. The far-field ECG data and/or waveform tracings is used to confirm or refute sensing and detection performed by the near-field (e.g., epicardial and/or intracardiac) electrodes which collect electrograms (or EGMs). Thus, subcutaneously implanted devices adapted to sense near- and far-field cardiac activity offer improved specificity and sensitivity in arrhythmia sensing and detection. The far-field ECG signals are collected via at least a pair of electrodes that are directly mechanically coupled to the housing for the IMD (and thus spaced from the myocardium) which are filtered and processed and used in addition to the near-field EGM signals collected by lead-based electrodes. | 10-02-2008 |
20080243201 | PACER WITH COMBINED DEFIBRILLATOR TAILORED FOR BRADYCARDIA PATIENTS - A combination pacer/defibrillator is tailored for bradycardia patients. In one example, its shock-delivery specificity exceeds its sensitivity to shockable ventricular tachyarrhythmias. In another example, its specificity exceeds 95%, or 99%, or even 99.5%. Sensitivity is programmed to a high desired sensitivity value, but only if it can be done without decreasing the specificity below the desired specificity threshold value. This can be conceptualized as “avoiding at all costs” delivering false shocks, even at the expense of failing to deliver a shock to a treatable ventricular tachyarrhythmia. Specificity enhancements include, among other things, inhibiting shock delivery when the patient is breathing or not supine, using multiple channels or a high rate VT/VF detection threshold. The present pacer/defibrillator device could potentially save the lives of bradyarrhythmia patients who are not presently clinically indicated for a defibrillator/pacer, but who have an increased risk of sudden cardiac death due to one or more risk factors. | 10-02-2008 |
20080281367 | SYSTEM AND METHOD TO DETERMINE HEMODYNAMIC TOLERABILITY - An implantable medical device detects a tachyarrhythmia of a heart. During the detected tachyarrhythmia, the device determines a local myocardial impedance. Using the local myocardial impedance, the device determines whether there is sufficient perfusion to the heart. The device can then either deliver a less aggressive device therapy in response to the detected tachyarrhythmia when there is sufficient perfusion to the heart, or deliver a more aggressive device therapy in response to the detected tachyarrhythmia when there is insufficient perfusion to the heart. The perfusion information can also be used to alter tachyarrhythmia detection or classification. | 11-13-2008 |
20080281368 | IMPLANTABLE DIGITAL DEVICE FOR TISSUE STIMULATION - An implantable vagal stimulation device with high-energy efficiency and novel data sensing is provided for use in a wide variety of applications where neural stimulation is required, including human heart rate control. The stimulation device uses low-impedance circuitry and digital waveforms to minimize energy losses, thereby requiring a relatively small battery. Front-loaded, passive filtering is employed to reduce electromagnetic noise sensitivity, leaving a clear physiological signal without degradations. This physiological signal is processed by a derivative zero transition detector (DZD), which is immune to variations in input signal dynamic range unlike traditional methods. Information that the DZD receives can be then interpreted and used along with an algorithm to execute appropriate vagal nerve stimulation. | 11-13-2008 |
20080288009 | SELF-ADJUSTING ECG MORPHOLOGICAL FEATURE CORRELATION THRESHOLD - An apparatus comprising an implantable cardiac signal sensing circuit configured for sensing an intrinsic cardiac signal, a memory to store a template of a morphology of normal atrial-ventricular conduction, and a controller that includes a tachyarrhythmia detection circuit and a correlation circuit. The tachyarrhythmia detection circuit is configured for detecting a rhythm with elevated ventricular rate using the sensed intrinsic cardiac signal. The correlation circuit is configured for iteratively calculating a correlation between the sensed intrinsic cardiac signal and the template, and comparing the calculated correlation to a variable correlation threshold to determine whether the detected rhythm correlates to the template. The apparatus also includes a therapy circuit configured for inhibiting a ventricular tachycardia therapy when the detected rhythm correlates to the template. Other apparatuses and methods are described. | 11-20-2008 |
20080319494 | System and method for preventing recurrence of atrial tachyarrhythmia - A system and method for providing pacing pulses after a cardioversion/defibrillation shock, where the pacing pulses have a pacing rate at an initial value. The pacing rate is decreased from the initial value until at least one intrinsic cardiac contraction is detected. In one embodiment, the pacing rate is decreased by a set amount after pacing a set number of cardiac cycles. Providing the set number of pacing pulses and decreasing the pacing rate by the set amount is then repeated until at least one intrinsic cardiac contraction is detected. An intrinsic cardiac rate is then determined from the at least one intrinsic cardiac contraction. The pacing rate is then increased and maintained to be above (i.e., greater than) the intrinsic cardiac rate. | 12-25-2008 |
20090030469 | Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Systems and Methods - Systems and methods for cardiac resynchronization therapy include a right side component and a left side component, wherein the right side component includes at least one ventricular lead and the left side component includes at least one epicardial electrode. Epicardial electrodes are insertable via a minimally invasive procedure, and are positionable via imaging techniques. | 01-29-2009 |
20090076557 | Closed Loop Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Using Cardiac Activation Sequence Information - Cardiac monitoring and/or stimulation methods and systems that provide one or more of monitoring, diagnosing, defibrillation, and pacing. Cardiac signal separation is employed to detect, monitor, track and/or trend closed-loop cardiac resynchronization therapy using cardiac activation sequence information. Devices and methods involve sensing a plurality of composite cardiac signals using a plurality of electrodes, the electrodes configured for implantation in a patient. A source separation is performed using the sensed plurality of composite cardiac signals, producing one or more cardiac signal vectors associated with all or a portion of one or more cardiac activation sequences. A cardiac resynchronization therapy is adjusted using one or both of the one or more cardiac signal vectors and the signals associated with the one or more cardiac signal vectors. In further embodiments, the cardiac resynchronization therapy may be initiated, terminated, or one or more parameters of the resynchronization therapy may be altered. | 03-19-2009 |
20090105777 | METHOD AND APPARATUS TO TREND AND OPTIMIZE AN IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE USING A PATIENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - A remote external interface for an implantable cardiac function management device is configured to be communicatively coupled to the implantable cardiac function management device via a network to a local external interface and via telemetry between the local external interface and the implantable cardiac function management device. The remote external interface includes a communication circuit and a processor circuit. The communication circuit is configured to communicate with the implantable cardiac function management device. The processor circuit is configured to perform an analysis of physiologic data received from the implantable cardiac function management device in response to operation of the implantable cardiac function management device using a plurality of therapy control parameter sets. The processor circuit can be further configured to select a particular therapy control parameter set using the analysis. | 04-23-2009 |
20090131996 | Tachycardia hemodynamics detection based on cardiac mechanical sensor signal regularity - Systems and methods provide for sensing, within a patient and during an event of tachycardia, a signal indicative of a mechanical response of the patient's heart to the tachycardia. Regularity of the signal relative to a threshold established for the patient is determined. A state of patient hemodynamics during the tachycardia event is determined based at least in part on the regularity of the signal. One or more anti-tachycardia therapies to treat the tachycardia may be selected based at least in part on the determined state of patient hemodynamics. The selected one or more anti-tachycardia therapies may be delivered to treat the tachycardia. | 05-21-2009 |
20090131997 | AUTOMATIC DEFIBRILLATOR MODULE FOR INTEGRATION WITH STANDARD PATIENT MONITORING EQUIPMENT - A defibrillator module is described which includes a cardiac sensor, a pulse generator and a controller that generates commands responsive to intrinsic cardiac signals for the operation of said pulse generator. The defibrillator module synergistic and arranged so that it can be coupled to a generic patient monitor so that the two can share certain functions. For example, operational parameters and other signals indicative of the operation of the defibrillator module can be shown to the clinician by the patient monitor. Data between the defibrillator module and the patient monitor is exchanged using either a standard or a customized protocol. | 05-21-2009 |
20090138057 | ELECTROCARDIOGRAM MONITORING AND CARDIAC THERAPY PULSE DELIVERY SYSTEM AND METHOD - A cardiac therapy pulse delivery system includes a plurality of electrodes, an ECG signal processor circuit, and a pulse generator circuit. Each of the electrodes has at least one therapy element and at least one monitor element that are electrically insulated from one another. The ECG signal processor circuit is electrically coupled to each monitor element on each electrode and is operable to convert ECG signals detected by the monitor elements into ECG data. The cardiac pulse generator circuit is electrically coupled to each therapy element on each electrode and is operable to supply one or more cardiac therapy pulses thereto. | 05-28-2009 |
20090143832 | Automated Assessment Of Atrioventricular And Ventriculoatrial Conduction - A method discriminates between ventricular arrhythmia and supraventricular arrhythmia by determining the direction of an electrical signal conducted through the atrioventricular node. An implantable cardiac defibrillator provides atrioventricular and ventriculoatrial pacing bursts to determine if an arrhythmia with a 1:1 atrial to ventricular relationship is due to ventricular tachycardia or supraventricular tachycardia. This discrimination capability reduces the incidence of inappropriate shocks from dual-chamber implantable cardiac defibrillators to near zero and provides a method to differentially diagnose supraventricular tachycardia from ventricular tachycardia. | 06-04-2009 |
20090143833 | DISABLE FOR ATRIOVENTRICULAR DELAY ADJUSTMENT - An apparatus comprises an electrical stimulation circuit, a ventricular sensing circuit, a ventricular sensing timer, and an atrial pacing timer. The ventricular sensing circuit detects an intrinsic ventricular tachyarrhythmia depolarization. The ventricular sensing timer initiates timing of a lowest tachy rate (LTR) zone interval and also a ventricular pace interval that is calculated using a lower rate limit (LRL). The atrial pacing timer calculates an atrial pace interval to follow the intrinsic ventricular depolarization using the ventricular pace interval less a paced atrioventricular (AV) delay interval, delays generation of the atrial pace until after expiration of the LTR zone interval by decreasing the paced AV delay interval when the calculated atrial pace interval is within the LTR zone interval, and disables decreasing of the paced AV delay interval when the LRL interval less the paced AV delay interval at the LRL is less than the LTR zone interval. | 06-04-2009 |
20090149902 | IMPLANTED CARDIAC DEVICE FOR DEFIBRILLATION - An implantable medical device for delivering electrical cardiac therapy includes a first implantable housing containing a battery. There is also a second implantable housing separate from the first implantable housing and containing at least one of: electronic circuitry adapted to evaluate and initiate electrical cardiac therapy, a storage capacitor and an electrode structure comprising a sensing electrode, a pacing electrode and a therapy electrode. The electronic circuit, the storage capacitor or the electrode structure are electrically connected to the battery. Alternatively, there is an implantable medical device for delivering electrical cardiac therapy having an implantable structure containing the following electrically connected components: a battery, electronic circuitry adapted to evaluate and initiate electrical cardiac therapy, a storage capacitor and an electrode structure comprising a sensing electrode, a pacing electrode and a therapy electrode. A method of providing electrical cardiac therapy is also provided. | 06-11-2009 |
20090157126 | ANTI-TACHYARRHYTHMIA SYSTEM WITH SELECTIVELY ACTIVATED DETECTION ENHANCEMENTS - A cardiac rhythm management (CRM) system includes an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) and an external system. The ICD detects a tachyarrhythmia episode and classifies the detected tachyarrhythmia episode using none, one, or more of detection enhancements selected according to a selection command including a classification mode. The detection enhancements are each an algorithm for detecting and analyzing one or more indications of a type of the detected tachyarrhythmia episode. The external system allows a user to select the classification mode from a plurality of available classification modes each using none, one, or more of the detection enhancements. | 06-18-2009 |
20090157127 | TELEMETRY DURING SAFETY MODE OPERATION - This document discusses, among other things, n implantable device comprising a communication circuit configured to communicate with an external device, a logic circuit communicatively coupled to the communication circuit, and a processor, communicatively coupled to the logic circuit and the communication circuit. The processor is configured to communicate information with the external device, via the communication circuit and the logic circuit, using a set of communication messages. While in a device safety mode, the processor is held in an inactive state and the logic circuit is configured to communicate with the external device using a subset of the set of communication messages. | 06-18-2009 |
20090157128 | SENSING THRESHOLD CONTROL TO LIMIT AMPLITUDE TRACKING - A depolarization sensing threshold can be determined using an amplitude-limited portion of a cardiac signal received using an implantable medical device. One or more cardiac depolarizations can be detected using the cardiac signal and the depolarization sensing threshold. | 06-18-2009 |
20090157129 | METHOD AND APPARATUS TO TERMINATE VENTRICULAR TACHYCARDIA VIA PACING - An implantable device for terminating ventricular tachycardia is disclosed. The device includes a processor configured to determine a first antitachycardia pulse routine of N pulses. In the routine the first N−1 pulses are separated by a first cycle length and the Nth pulse is separated by a second cycle length that is shorter than the first cycle length. The device also comprises a lead coupled to the processor. The lead comprises an electrode configured to sense a tachycardia and further configured, under control of the processor, to administer the antitachycardia pulse routine. | 06-18-2009 |
20090171408 | Intra Cardiac Device, System And Methods - An intra cardiac device is disclosed. The device comprises means for transforming kinetic energy from heart tissue movement into electrical energy in use, from which electrical energy information in respect of heart function is obtainable. Furthermore, a system is disclosed, comprising one such intra cardiac device and at least one receiver, wherein the intra cardiac device comprises means of communication, through which said at least one device communicates with the receiver(s) wirelessly. In this way energy from heart movement provides self contained intra cardiac devices for conveniently monitoring or stimulating a patient's heart. | 07-02-2009 |
20090198294 | BAROREFLEX ACTIVATION FOR ARRHYTHMIA TREATMENT - Devices, systems and methods provide baroreflex activation to prevent, or at least reduce the likelihood of occurrence of, cardiac arrhythmias. Various embodiments may additionally or alternatively promote recovery from arrhythmias. In one embodiment, a device for preventing or reducing the likelihood of occurrence of arrhythmias includes one or more baroreflex activation devices, one or more sensors coupled to the baroreflex activation device(s), and a processor for processing information from the sensor and activating and/or modulation the baroreflex activation device. Sensors, such as electrocardiogram devices, generally sense factors indicative of a potential, ensuing arrhythmia. | 08-06-2009 |
20090198295 | Intravascular Medical Device - An implantable medical device is configured so that all of the major components including a housing and attached leads are disposed within the vasculature of a patient. A tether extends from the housing of the device to an implant location where the tether is secured to tissue outside of the vasculature. In this manner, an intravascular medical device may be implanted at a location remote from final placement, delivered via the vasculature and anchored at the initial entry point. | 08-06-2009 |
20090210020 | Method and Apparatus for Determining Cardiac Performance in a Patient - An apparatus for determining heart transplant rejection of a heart in a patient includes at least two electrodes adapted to be sewn into the heart that span the left ventricle. The apparatus includes a voltage generator adapted to be inserted in the patient which generates a voltage to the two electrodes and senses the resulting voltage from the two electrodes. A method for determining heart transplant rejection of a heart in a patient. A pacemaker for a patient (including bi-ventricular pacing and AICDs). The pacemaker includes an RV lead having four electrodes adapted to be inserted into the RV apex. The pacemaker includes a voltage generator which generates a voltage signal to the electrodes and senses the instantaneous voltage along the length of the RV and determines the real and imaginary components to remove the myocardial components of the septum and RV free wall to determine absolute RV blood volume. The pacemaker includes a battery connected to the voltage generator. The pacemaker includes a defibrillator connected to the battery. The pacemaker can also be a bi-ventricular pacemaker to restore RV and LV synchrony during contraction. A method for assisting a heart of a patient. | 08-20-2009 |
20090210021 | Defibrillation Pacing Circuitry - Electrical circuit componentry is switchable into a defibrillator circuit to deliver a constant pacing current to a patient. The circuitry may include a constant current source inserted in a leg of the defibrillator circuit or a resistor of selected value inserted between a high voltage source and the high side of a defibrillator circuit. | 08-20-2009 |
20090234400 | Apparatus and method for treating ventricular tachyarrhythmias - A system and method for selectively treating a ventricular tachycardia based on sensed atrial and ventricular intervals from the patient's heart. A detection window of the ten most recent atrial and ventricular intervals are analyzed for the occurrence of either tachycardia or fibrillation. When a majority of the sensed intervals are satisfied, the apparatus starts a duration time interval. Ventricular intervals and atrial intervals are compare, ventricular interval greater than the atrial interval by a bias factor the system delivers tachycardia therapy to the heart. Alternatively, the method withholds tachycardia therapy to the heart when the atrial rate is classified as atrial fibrillation and the ventricular response is unstable. | 09-17-2009 |
20090254135 | HIGH-ENERGY ANTI-TACHYCARDIA THERAPY - Embodiments of the invention are related to medical devices and methods for delivery high-energy anti-tachycardia therapy to a subject, amongst other things. In an embodiment, the invention includes a medical device including a controller module configured to administer a plurality of electrical pulses to a patient in response to a detected tachycardia, the electrical pulses comprising an amplitude of greater than 3 Volts and less than 40 Volts, the controller configured to modulate the amplitude of the electrical pulses. In an embodiment, the invention includes a method of treating a tachyarrhythmia including administering a first series of electrical pulses to a patient with an implantable medical device, the electrical pulses including an amplitude of greater than 8 Volts and less than 40 Volts, the first series of electrical pulses having an interval of less than about 600 ms in between individual pulses. Other embodiments are also included herein. | 10-08-2009 |
20090264945 | CARDIAC STIMULATOR WITH STIMULATION SUCCESS MONITORING - An implantable cardiac stimulator having an at least partially electrically conductive housing, a ventricular stimulation unit connectable to left ventricular or right ventricular stimulation electrode and designed to generate ventricular stimulation pulses for stimulation of heart ventricle, having terminal for right ventricular defibrillation electrode. Has far-field electrogram detection unit (FFEDU) and stimulation success detecting unit (SSDU), of which FFEDU has first input connected to the terminal for right ventricular defibrillation electrode and second input connected to housing. FFEDU detects far-field electrocardiogram based on electric potentials applied to inputs and deliver these potentials to SSDU. SSDU has electrogram input and signal input receives a far-field electrogram generated by FFEDU and receives stimulation signal that represents a ventricular stimulation pulse generated and delivered by ventricular stimulation unit and analyzes section of received far-field electrogram immediately following delivery of ventricular stimulation impulse to determine whether it represents an effective or ineffective ventricular stimulation. | 10-22-2009 |
20090264946 | VENTRICULAR HEART STIMULATOR - The invention relates to an implantable ventricular heart stimulator ( | 10-22-2009 |
20090264947 | ANTITACHYCARDIAC STIMULATOR - Implantable cardiac stimulator, with chamber stimulation unit connectable to left/right ventricular stimulation electrode to generate/deliver chamber stimulation pulses for stimulation of ventricle; ventricular sensing unit (VSU) to detect respective chamber contraction and deliver ventricular sensing signal when chamber contraction detected; optional atrial stimulation unit, connectable to atrial stimulation electrode to generate atrial stimulation pulses to stimulate atrium; atrial sensing unit, to detect atrial contraction, deliver atrial sensing signal indicating respective atrial event; tachycardia detection unit, connected to VSU to detect and categorize ventricular/supraventricular tachycardia; treatment control unit (TCU), triggers chamber stimulation unit to deliver antitachycardiac stimulation (ATP); analyzer unit, connected to atrial sensing unit and TCU. Analyzes atrial events from sensing unit before/during/after delivering antitachycardiac stimulation for atrial rhythm pattern during ventricular ATP by comparison atrial rhythm pattern immediately before ATP and to trigger TCU as function of ATP response signal representing comparison result for selection of the following antitachycardiac treatment. | 10-22-2009 |
20090275998 | EXTRA-CARDIAC IMPLANTABLE DEVICE WITH FUSION PACING CAPABILITY - According to this disclosure, a non-transvenous pacing and, optionally defibrillation, therapy device is implanted subcutaneously and oriented to provide cardiac sensing from electrodes spaced from a heart and deliver pacing and/or defibrillation from one or more non-transvenous electrodes (e.g., an epicardial or pericardial electrode or electrode patch). A subject receiving a device according to this disclosure is monitored to confirm a relatively stable bundle branch block (i.e., delayed activation) of one ventricle. The subcutaneous device has electrodes disposed on the housing and/or having an electrode on a subcutaneous medical lead is oriented so that the pacing (and sensing) vector impinges mainly upon the one ventricle, and/or optionally an epicardial or pericardial lead is deployed to a last-to-depolarize ventricle (e.g., a left ventricle) so that single-ventricular pacing is delivered to achieve fusion depolarization of both ventricles. | 11-05-2009 |
20090281584 | IMPLANTABLE SENSOR ARRANGEMENT - An implantable medical sensor arrangement has a sensor body configured for implantation in a subject, to which at least one sensor head is connected through at least one connective wire. The sensor head(s) and at least a portion of the connective wire(s) are tightly packed and enclosed by a protective sensor shell. This sensor shell is composed of a dissolvable material that will dissolve or can be triggered to dissolve following introduction of the sensor arrangement into a subject. | 11-12-2009 |
20090299421 | EVALUATION OF IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE SENSING INTEGRITY BASED ON EVOKED SIGNALS - The disclosure describes techniques for evaluating sensing integrity of an implantable medical device (IMD) based on sensing of evoked signals. Sensing integrity may provide an indication of reliability of implantable leads associated with an IMD. The sensed signals may be signals that are evoked by tissue in response to delivery of electrical stimulation. The techniques may involve evaluation of sensing integrity based on sensing of evoked cardiac potentials generated in response to cardiac stimulation, such as pacing pulses. Signals evoked in response to electrical stimulation may be measured and trended to permit analysis of evoked signals over time. Lead integrity may be inferred from sensing integrity. By analyzing evoked signals, sensing integrity may be evaluated without sensing intrinsic events. Evaluation of sensing integrity can facilitate analysis in the presence of pacing, including pacing delivered by IMDs that pace substantially continuously, such as IMDs configured to support cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). | 12-03-2009 |
20090306729 | ELECTROTHERAPY DEVICE FOR TREATING TACHYCARDIAC ARRHYTHMIAS OF A HEART - An electrotherapy system, particularly an implantable heart stimulator, is configured as an electronic implant for electrical anti-tachycardia therapy of the heart, and includes at least one programmable therapy sequence (i.e. a sequence of several therapies that are delivered, one after the other, to treat a VT/VF episode). The implant has a therapy success memory for storing therapy success statistics for each therapy, as well as a therapy control unit that is configured to automatically undertake adaptation of the order of the therapies within a therapy sequence as a function of currently stored therapy success statistics. | 12-10-2009 |
20090312810 | Post-Shock Management of Implantable Cardiac Device Features - Systems and methods of managing features or functions of an implantable cardiac device involve forming a baseline evoked response template prior to delivery of defibrillation therapy to a patient's heart, and acquiring a post-shock evoked response signal subsequent to defibrillation therapy delivery. The baseline evoked response template is compared to the post-shock evoked response signal. A determination is made whether to enable, disable or adjust a cardiac device feature based on the comparison. The cardiac device feature may be a therapy feature, a monitoring feature, or a diagnostic feature. | 12-17-2009 |
20090312811 | CLASSIFICATION OF SUPRAVENTRICULAR AND VENTRICULAR CARDIAC RHYTHMS USING CROSS CHANNEL TIMING ALGORITHM - A system and method for classifying cardiac complexes sensed during a tachycardia episode. A first cardiac signal and a second cardiac signal are sensed, where the first cardiac signal has a voltage. A first cardiac complex and a second cardiac complex of a cardiac cycle are detected in the first and second cardiac signal, respectively. A predetermined alignment feature is identified in the second cardiac complex. A datum is defined, or positioned, at a specified interval from the predetermined alignment feature of the second cardiac complex. Voltage values are then measured from the first cardiac complex at each of two or more measurement intervals from the datum. The voltage values are then compared voltage values measured from NSR cardiac complexes to classify the first cardiac complex is either a ventricular tachycardia complex or a supraventricular tachycardiac complex. | 12-17-2009 |
20090318984 | EXTERNAL PACEMAKER WITH AUTOMATIC CARDIOPROTECTIVE PACING PROTOCOL - A pacing system includes a pacemaker and a pacing protocol module externally attached to the pacemaker. The pacing protocol module stores the pacing protocol. The pacemaker controls delivery of pacing pulses by automatically executing the pacing protocol. In one embodiment, the pacing protocol is a cardioprotective pacing protocol for preventing and/or reducing cardiac injury associated with myocardial infarction (MI) and revascularization procedure. The pacing pulses are generated from the pacemaker and delivered through one or more pacing electrodes incorporated onto one or more percutaneous transluminal vascular intervention (PTVI) devices during the revascularization procedure. | 12-24-2009 |
20090318985 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING ANTI-TACHYARRHYTHMIA THERAPY USING HEMODYNAMIC TOLERABILITY - A cardiac rhythm management system identifies a relationship between one or more hemodynamic parameters sensed from a patient and levels of hemodynamic tolerability of the patient. The identified relationship allows an implantable medical device to control delivery of anti-tachyarrhythmia therapy using the patient's hemodynamic tolerability during a detected tachyarrhythmia episode, in addition to classifying the detected tachyarrhythmia episode by its type and origin. | 12-24-2009 |
20090318986 | Systems, Methods and Apparatus for Treating Cardiac Dysfunction with Neurostimulation - Methods, systems, and apparatus for the treatment of heart failure (both systolic and diastolic), hypertension, and arrhythmia in patients by stimulating one or more nerves, particularly peripheral nerves, using neurostimulation are described. The therapeutic treatment is accomplished by applying electrical signals to at least one or more nerves using cutaneous, subcutaneous, implantable, or catheter-based neurostimulation assemblies, alone or in combination with one or more additional therapy or stimulation devices associated with the patient's heart, and/or with one or more therapeutic drug infusions or therapies, such as immune modulation therapy (IMT). | 12-24-2009 |
20090318987 | ISCHEMIA DETECTION FOR ANTI-ARRHYTHMIA THERAPY - An exemplary method includes detecting arrhythmia, detecting myocardial ischemia, determining whether the myocardial ischemia comprises local ischemia or global ischemia and, in response to the determining, calling for delivery of either a local ischemic anti-arrhythmia therapy or a global ischemic anti-arrhythmia therapy. Various other exemplary methods, devices, systems, etc., are also disclosed. | 12-24-2009 |
20090326596 | TEMPORARY DISABLEMENT FEATURE FOR IMPLANTABLE DEVICE WITH ANTI-TACHYARRHYTHMIA FUNCTIONS - An implantable cardiac rhythm management device for delivering anti-tachyarrhythmia therapy is provided with a temporary disablement feature so that the delivery of anti-tachyarrhythmia therapy may be conveniently disabled and re-enabled. The feature is particularly useful to patients who are undergoing imaging procedures or surgical procedures where electro-cauterizing instruments may cause inadvertent triggering of cardioversion/defibrillation shocks and/or anti-tachycardia pacing. | 12-31-2009 |
20100010551 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TRANSCUTANEOUS CARDIOPROTECTIVE PACING - A transcutaneous cardiac stimulation system delivers pacing pulses according to a cardioprotective pacing protocol. The pacing pulses are delivered through body-surface electrodes attached onto a patient. The cardioprotective pacing protocol specifies pacing parameters selected to augment cardiac stress on the patient's myocardium to a level effecting cardioprotection against ischemic and reperfusion injuries. | 01-14-2010 |
20100016909 | IMPLANTABLE CARDIAC DEVICE FEEDTHRU/HEADER ASSEMBLY - In one embodiment, an ICD is provided which includes a case having a connector block and a conductor post integrally formed with the connector block and extending through a dielectric feedthrough extending through the case. A capacitor is located within the dielectric. In some embodiments, the conductor post is a straight conductor post extending from a side of the connector block facing the feedthrough directly toward the feedthrough. The conductor post and the connector block may be formed of the same material, such as titanium. In some embodiments, a plurality of straight conductor posts and connector blocks are integrally formed. In some embodiments, the dielectric may be a single matrix dielectric, such that each of the straight conductor posts extends through the single matrix dielectric. In other embodiments, each of the straight conductor posts extends through a separate dielectric portion. | 01-21-2010 |
20100023072 | Methods for the Determination of T-Shock Vulnerable Window from Far-Field Electrograms in Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators - Methods for determination of timing for electrical shocks to the heart to determine shock strength necessary to defibrillate a fibrillating heart. The timing corresponds the window of most vulnerability in the heart, which occurs during the T-wave of a heartbeat. Using a derivatized T-wave representation, the timing of most vulnerability is determined by a center of the area method, peak amplitude method, width method, or other similar methods. Devices are similarly disclosed embodying the methods of the present disclosure. | 01-28-2010 |
20100023073 | DETERMINATION OF UPPER LIMIT OF VULNERABILITY USING A VARIABLE NUMBER OF SHOCKS - A method and apparatus sense a cardiac electrical signal and determine a signal quality parameter of the cardiac electrical signal. A number of shock pulses to be delivered to a patient's heart is determined in response to the signal quality parameter. Each of the shock pulses are scheduled to be delivered at a unique offset from a T-wave shock interval in one embodiment of the invention. | 01-28-2010 |
20100030288 | EXTRAVASCULAR ARRHYTHMIA INDUCTION - A cardiac arrhythmia may be induced by delivering a sequence of pulses to a patient via one or more extravascular electrodes. In one example, one or more pacing pulses may be delivered to a patient via an extravascular electrode and a shock pulse may be delivered to the patient the extravascular electrode. In some examples, the pacing pulses and the shock pulse may be generated with energy from a common energy storage module and without interim charging of the module. For example, the pacing and shock pulses may be generated as the energy storage module dissipates. In another example, a cardiac arrhythmia may be induced in a patient by delivering a burst of pulses to a patient via an extravascular electrode. In some cases, the burst of pulses may be generated with energy from a common energy storage module and without interim charging of the energy storage module. | 02-04-2010 |
20100030289 | PRE-QUALIFICATION OF AN ALTERNATE SENSING CONFIGURATION - Multiple sensing configurations may be qualified based on one induced tachyarrhythmia, e.g., ventricular fibrillation, or other qualification event during an implantation procedure. Each sensing configuration comprises a different combination of two or more electrodes used for sensing electrical signals of the heart of the patient. In some examples, an implantable medical device or other device generates qualification information for each sensing configuration, which may indicate whether the sensing configuration is qualified for subsequent cardiac event detection based on an accuracy of the cardiac event detection for the sensing configuration during the qualification event. One of the qualified configurations may initially be selected as a primary sensing configuration for subsequent cardiac event detection. Switching to an alternate sensing configuration, e.g., upon identification of any sensing integrity condition of the primary sensing configuration, may be expedited by the previous collection of qualification data for at least one other sensing configuration. | 02-04-2010 |
20100036447 | NEURAL STIMULATION FOR ARRHYTHMIA RECOGNITION AND THERAPY - A system and method can sense a tachyarrhythmia, compare the sensed tachyarrhythmia with a ventricular tachyarrhythmia criterion, provide a ventricular tachyarrhythmia therapy when the sensed tachyarrhythmia satisfies the ventricular tachyarrhythmia criterion, provide a neural stimulation when the sensed tachyarrhythmia does not satisfy the ventricular tachyarrhythmia criterion, determine whether the tachyarrhythmia continues during or after the neural stimulation when the tachyarrhythmia is sustained, compare the tachyarrhythmia sensed during or after the neural stimulation with a supraventricular tachyarrhythmia (SVT) criterion, and provide a ventricular tachyarrhythmia therapy when the sensed tachyarrhythmia does not satisfy the SVT criterion. | 02-11-2010 |
20100057151 | DEVICE FOR THE DEFIBRILLATION OF THE HEART | 03-04-2010 |
20100057152 | SUSTAINING VENTRICULAR TACHYCARDIA DETECTION - An apparatus comprises an implantable ventricular depolarization sensing circuit configured to provide a sensed ventricular depolarization signal, a timer circuit configured to provide a ventricular time interval between ventricular depolarizations, and a controller circuit communicatively coupled to the ventricular depolarization sensing circuit and the timer circuit. The controller circuit includes a ventricular tachycardia (VT) detection circuit configured to declare an episode of VT when a number of accelerated beats are detected, calculate a hysteresis VT detection threshold interval, and deem whether the episode of VT persists using the hysteresis VT detection threshold interval. | 03-04-2010 |
20100063557 | ENERGY HARVESTING MECHANISM - Embodiments of the invention provide an energy harvesting mechanism comprising a central conductive element and a plurality of transductive elements. Each transductive element is positioned to be in contact with a corresponding peripheral length segment of the central conductive element. Also each transductive element is deformable in a characteristic radial direction to convert its deformation into a corresponding electrical signal. The plurality of transductive elements are arranged so that any one of the plurality of transductive elements is capable of being deformed in the characteristic radial direction to trigger the corresponding electrical signal. Embodiments of the mechanism can be used for harvesting energy from a variety of bio-kinetic events such as a heartbeat, respiration, muscle contraction or other movement. Such embodiments can be used for powering a variety of implanted medical devices such as pacemakers, defibrillators and various monitoring devices. | 03-11-2010 |
20100069977 | CARDIAC FUNCTION MANAGEMENT INTEGRATING CARDIAC CONTRACTILITY MODULATION - An implantable cardiac rhythm/function management system integrates cardiac contractility modulation (CCM) and one or more other therapies, such as to preserve device safety, improve efficacy, enhance sensing and detection, or enhance therapy effectiveness and delivery. Examples of the one or more other therapies can include pacing, defibrillation/cardioversion, cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), or neurostimulation. | 03-18-2010 |
20100069978 | DUAL SENSING FOR BRADY-TACHY PACEMAKER/ICD - A system detects events related to cardiac activity. The system comprises a primary cardiac signal sensing circuit, at least one secondary cardiac signal sensing circuit having a higher sensitivity than the primary sensing circuit, and a controller circuit coupled to the primary and secondary cardiac signal sensing circuits. The controller circuit determines a rate of depolarization using the primary sensing circuit and detects tachyarrhythmia using the rate. The controller circuit also detects tachyarrhythmia using the secondary sensing circuit and also deems the tachyarrhythmia valid if the controller circuit detects the tachyarrhythmia using both the primary and secondary sensing circuit. | 03-18-2010 |
20100076509 | Means for Augmenting Medical Electrical Systems - A medical electrical system includes a device including a connector port and an external electrically active surface and an auxiliary lead including a supplemental electrode and a connector end. The external electrically active surface of the device is adapted to receive the auxiliary lead connector end, thereby electrically coupling the supplemental electrode to the device via contact between the connector end and the external surface. | 03-25-2010 |
20100087881 | PREFERENTIAL MECHANICAL UNLOADING DURING ANTI-TACHYCARDIA PACING - A pacing device and method for operating same is disclosed in which the point of origin of an arrhythmia is estimated in order to more provide more effective treatment. The origin of an arrhythmia may be estimated by analyzing the timing of electrical events as detected at different electrode sites and/or using different sensing vectors. Anti-tachycardia pacing (ATP) may then be delivered to the most appropriate location. | 04-08-2010 |
20100087882 | VENTRICULAR EVENT FILTERING FOR AN IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE - Pacing parameters are provided to address cross talk and intrinsic ventricular events occurring within a predefined blanking period following an atrial event. The parameters are used in conjunction with protocol for minimizing or reducing ventricular pacing, wherein ignoring intrinsic ventricular events during the blanking period might otherwise affect the performance of the protocol. | 04-08-2010 |
20100094367 | Non-electrode-lead ultra-thin flexible micro multifunctional heart rate adjusting device - A non-electrode-lead ultra-thin flexible micro multifunctional heart rate adjusting device comprises an integrative ultra-thin flexible micro non-electrode-lead pacemaker formed by assembling a micro battery, an ultra-low-power source circuit, a wireless receiving/transmitting circuit and an application circuit unit together, the needle electrodes are positioned on one side of the pacemaker and all of them form a small electrode body which can directly implanted into heart or external surface of heart; a multifunctional microcomputer heart rate adjusting remote controller connects with various non-electrode-lead pacemakers via wireless communication; the non-electrode-lead pacemakers and/or the heart rate adjusting remote controller connect with a control base station via wireless network, and the control base station connects with a computer. | 04-15-2010 |
20100114194 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ACCURATELY DETECTING CARDIAC EVENTS USING MULTI-THRESHOLD PROCESSING - A system and method provide precise detection of the time of occurrence of a cardiac event of a heart. The method comprises the steps of sensing electrical activity of the heart to generate an electrogram of the heart and applying the electrogram to an event detector having a plurality of spaced apart thresholds. The thresholds are selected such that the electrogram has an amplitude for crossing at least one of the thresholds. The method further comprises determining a characteristic identifying feature of the electrogram at each threshold crossing of the electrogram, comparing the determined characteristic identifying features to an electrogram template, and identifying the time of occurrence of the cardiac event based upon the comparison. | 05-06-2010 |
20100114195 | IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE INCLUDING EXTRAVASCULAR CARDIAC STIMULATION AND NEUROSTIMULATION CAPABILITIES - An implantable medical device may deliver pacing, cardioversion, and/or defibrillation stimulation to a heart of a patient via extravascular electrodes and delivers electrical stimulation to a nonmyocardial tissue site to modulate the autonomic nervous system of the patient. The implantable medical device may include a cardiac therapy module that generates and delivers at least one of pacing, cardioversion, or defibrillation therapy to a patient via an extravascular electrode, and a neurostimulation therapy module that generates and delivers a neurostimulation signal to the patient via a neurostimulation electrode. The cardiac therapy module and neurostimulation therapy module may be disposed in a common housing of the medical device. In some examples, at least one common lead may electrically couple the neurostimulation electrode and the extravascular electrode to the neurostimulation and cardiac therapy modules, respectively. | 05-06-2010 |
20100114196 | IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE CROSSTALK EVALUATION AND MITIGATION - Electrical crosstalk between two implantable medical devices or two different therapy modules of a common implantable medical device may be evaluated, and, in some examples, mitigated. In some examples, one of the implantable medical devices or therapy modules delivers electrical stimulation to a nonmyocardial tissue site or a nonvascular cardiac tissue site, and the other implantable medical device or therapy module delivers cardiac rhythm management therapy to a heart of the patient. | 05-06-2010 |
20100114197 | IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE CROSSTALK EVALUATION AND MITIGATION - Electrical crosstalk between two implantable medical devices or two different therapy modules of a common implantable medical device may be evaluated, and, in some examples, mitigated. In some examples, one of the implantable medical devices or therapy modules delivers electrical stimulation to a nonmyocardial tissue site or a nonvascular cardiac tissue site, and the other implantable medical device or therapy module delivers cardiac rhythm management therapy to a heart of the patient. | 05-06-2010 |
20100114198 | IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE CROSSTALK EVALUATION AND MITIGATION - Electrical crosstalk between two implantable medical devices or two different therapy modules of a common implantable medical device may be evaluated, and, in some examples, mitigated. In some examples, one of the implantable medical devices or therapy modules delivers electrical stimulation to a nonmyocardial tissue site or a nonvascular cardiac tissue site, and the other implantable medical device or therapy module delivers cardiac rhythm management therapy to a heart of the patient. | 05-06-2010 |
20100114199 | IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE CROSSTALK EVALUATION AND MITIGATION - Electrical crosstalk between two implantable medical devices or two different therapy modules of a common implantable medical device may be evaluated, and, in some examples, mitigated. In some examples, one of the implantable medical devices or therapy modules delivers electrical stimulation to a nonmyocardial tissue site or a nonvascular cardiac tissue site, and the other implantable medical device or therapy module delivers cardiac rhythm management therapy to a heart of the patient. | 05-06-2010 |
20100114200 | IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE CROSSTALK EVALUATION AND MITIGATION - Electrical crosstalk between two implantable medical devices or two different therapy modules of a common implantable medical device may be evaluated, and, in some examples, mitigated. In some examples, one of the implantable medical devices or therapy modules delivers electrical stimulation to a nonmyocardial tissue site or a nonvascular cardiac tissue site, and the other implantable medical device or therapy module delivers cardiac rhythm management therapy to a heart of the patient. | 05-06-2010 |
20100114201 | IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE CROSSTALK EVALUATION AND MITIGATION - Electrical crosstalk between two implantable medical devices or two different therapy modules of a common implantable medical device may be evaluated, and, in some examples, mitigated. In some examples, one of the implantable medical devices or therapy modules delivers electrical stimulation to a nonmyocardial tissue site or a nonvascular cardiac tissue site, and the other implantable medical device or therapy module delivers cardiac rhythm management therapy to a heart of the patient. | 05-06-2010 |
20100114202 | IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE CROSSTALK EVALUATION AND MITIGATION - Electrical crosstalk between two implantable medical devices or two different therapy modules of a common implantable medical device may be evaluated, and, in some examples, mitigated. In some examples, one of the implantable medical devices or therapy modules delivers electrical stimulation to a nonmyocardial tissue site or a nonvascular cardiac tissue site, and the other implantable medical device or therapy module delivers cardiac rhythm management therapy to a heart of the patient. | 05-06-2010 |
20100114203 | IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE CROSSTALK EVALUATION AND MITIGATION - Electrical crosstalk between two implantable medical devices or two different therapy modules of a common implantable medical device may be evaluated, and, in some examples, mitigated. In some examples, one of the implantable medical devices or therapy modules delivers electrical stimulation to a nonmyocardial tissue site or a nonvascular cardiac tissue site, and the other implantable medical device or therapy module delivers cardiac rhythm management therapy to a heart of the patient. | 05-06-2010 |
20100114204 | INTERDEVICE IMPEDANCE - An electrical parameter value indicative of an impedance of an electrical path between a first medical device implanted within a patient and a second medical device implanted within the patient may be determined by generating and delivering an electrical signal between electrodes connected to the first medical device and sensing the electrical signal with two or more sense electrodes connected to the second medical device. In some examples, the electrical parameter value indicative of the impedance may be used to detect a system integrity issue, such as relative movement between the first and second medical devices, such as between leads connected to the medical devices, or a lead-related condition. In other examples, the determined impedance may indicate a transthoracic impedance of the patient. | 05-06-2010 |
20100114205 | SHUNT-CURRENT REDUCTION HOUSING FOR AN IMPLANTABLE THERAPY SYSTEM - Techniques for minimizing interference between first and second medical devices of a therapy system may include providing an outer housing for at least one of the medical devices that comprises an electrically insulative layer formed over at least the electrically conductive portions (e.g., an electrically conductive layer) of the housing, or providing an electrically insulative pouch around an electrically conductive housing of at least the first medical device. The electrically insulative layer or electrically insulative pouch may reduce or even eliminate shunt-current that flows into the medical device via the housing. The shunt-current may be generated by the delivery of electrical stimulation by the second medical device. In some examples, the techniques may also include shunt-current mitigation circuitry that helps minimize or even eliminate shunt-current that feeds into the first medical device via one or more electrodes electrically connected to the first medical device. | 05-06-2010 |
20100145400 | Arrhythmia Classification and Therapy Selection - Different types of cardiac arrhythmia are classified based on the morphology of the arrhythmic beats. Cardiac beats associated with an arrhythmic episode are compared to a plurality of representative beat morphologies, each representative beat morphology characterizing a type of arrhythmia of the heart. An arrhythmic episode may be classified as a particular type of arrhythmia if the morphology of the arrhythmic cardiac beats matches a representative beat morphology characterizing the particular type of arrhythmia. An appropriate therapy for the particular type of arrhythmia may be selected based on the arrhythmia classification. A particular type of arrhythmia may be associated with one or more therapies used to treat the arrhythmia. The therapy used to treat the arrhythmia may comprise a therapy identified as a previously successful therapy. | 06-10-2010 |
20100152795 | IDENTIFICATION OF DYSYNCHRONY USING INTRACARDIAC ELECTROGRAM DATA - Implantable stimulation devices can provide intracardiac electrograms (EGMs) and impedance measurements to detect changes in electrical, mechanical, and electromechanical activation of the heart. Many patients with congestive heart failure have conventional intracardiac devices implanted that are not capable of resynchronization therapy and these patients could benefit from resynchronization, but are not candidates based on current criteria. These patient populations can be identified through analyses of intracardiac electrogram data that is available through implantable stimulation devices comprising at least one lead for providing electrical stimulation to the heart of a patient, at least one sensor that detects electrical signals indicative of the depolarization of the heart of the patient, and a controller that is adapted to be implanted within the patient. The controller receives signals from the at least one sensor and further induces the lead to provide therapeutic electrical stimulation to the heart of the patient. The controller periodically evaluates the signals from the sensor and determines if at least one parameter of the signal is indicative of the patient being potentially subject to heart dysynchrony. The controller, upon determining that the parameter of the signal indicates that the patient is potentially subject to heart dysynchrony, records an indication thereof for subsequent communication to treating medical personnel. | 06-17-2010 |
20100152796 | MECHANICAL INDICATORS FOR INDIVIDUALLY ADAPTING THERAPY IN AN IMPLANTABLE CARDIAC THERAPY DEVICE - A system with an implantable cardiac stimulation device having an implantable stimulation generator, at least one implantable lead adapted for connection to the implantable stimulation generator and further adapted for at least one of sensing physiologic activity and delivery of therapy, memory, and a controller in communication with the memory and with the at least one implantable lead and stimulation generator. The controller is configured to automatically evaluate a patient's physiologic status and selectively induce delivery of therapeutic stimulation under variable timing parameters. The system also has a measurement system adapted to measure at least one of strain and velocity of myocardial tissue and is adapted to evaluate strain and/or velocity measures and adjust the variable timing parameters of the implantable stimulation device to increase mechanical synchrony of the myocardial tissue. | 06-17-2010 |
20100152797 | ACTIVE IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE HAVING ANTITACHYCARDIA ATRIAL AND ANTIBRADYCARDIA VENTRICULAR PACING - An active implantable medical device of the cardiac prosthesis type, including antitachycardia atrial pacing and antibradycardia ventricular pacing therapies. The device includes circuits and control logic for detecting electrical atrial and ventricular spontaneous events (R), delivering low energy antitachycardia atrial pacing, and antibradycardia ventricular pacing, and able to deliver a ventricular pacing (V) in the absence of a detected spontaneous ventricular event (R) after a calculated ventricular escape interval (IE). The device includes a sensor delivering an endocardiac acceleration signal (EA) representative of the movements produced by the contractions of the ventricle. The ventricular sensing switches from detection of an electric potential of spontaneous ventricular depolarization (R), to detection of an endocardiac acceleration peak (PEA | 06-17-2010 |
20100160988 | DEVICES, SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PACING, RESYNCHRONIZATION AND DEFIBRILLATION THERAPY - Devices, systems, and methods for leadlessly stimulating the heart. Through a magnetic signal generator positioned outside or inside the thoracic cavity, a magnetic signal is transmitted through the chest to stimulate electrical activity within the myocardial muscles. The magnetic signal may function as a pacemaker, cardioverter or defibrillator. Advantages of magnetic stimulation include, without limitation, non invasiveness, a reduction or even elimination in pain, and access to tissues covered by poorly conductive structures. | 06-24-2010 |
20100160989 | Implantable Cardiac Prosthesis Generator Having Protection From an MRI Examination - A generator for an implantable cardiac prosthesis, having a safekeeping mode of operation during an exposure to a magnetic field. The generator is connected to a lead including a first conductor ( | 06-24-2010 |
20100168807 | BIOACTIVE TERPOLYMER COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS OF MAKING AND USING SAME - Described herein are terpolymer compositions, kits comprising the compositions, implant devices comprising the compositions, and methods of making and using same, including point of use methods. | 07-01-2010 |
20100179607 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DETECTING AND TREATING JUNCTIONAL RHYTHMS - A method and an apparatus for treating cardiac arrhythmias are provided. An interval between first and second consecutive beats of a heart, having first and second chamber types, is determined. The heart is paced at a first rate if the first beat is from the first chamber type and the second beat is from the second chamber type and the interval is less than a predetermined amount of time or if the first and second beats are both from the second chamber type. The heart is paced at a second rate if the first beat is from the first chamber type and the second beat is from the second chamber type and the interval is more than the predetermined amount of time. | 07-15-2010 |
20100198283 | Automatic Orientation Determination for ECG Measurements Using Multiple Electrodes - Cardiac monitoring and/or stimulation methods and systems provide monitoring, defibrillation and/or pacing therapies. A signal processor receives a plurality of composite signals associated with a plurality of sources, separates a signal using a source separation algorithm, and identifies a cardiac signal using a selected vector. The signal processor may iteratively separate signals from the plurality of composite signals until the cardiac signal is identified. The selected vector may be updated if desired or necessary. A method of signal separation involves detecting a plurality of composite signals at a plurality of locations, separating a signal using source separation, and selecting a vector that provides a cardiac signal. The separation may include a principal component analysis and/or an independent component analysis. Vectors may be selected and updated based on changes of position and/or orientation of implanted components and changes in patient parameters such as patient condition, cardiac signal-to-noise ratio, and disease progression. | 08-05-2010 |
20100198284 | DETECTING AND TREATING ELECTROMECHANICAL DISSOCIATION OF THE HEART - In some examples, an electromechanical disassociation state (EMD) of a heart of a patient can be treated by delivering electrical stimulation to a tissue site to at least one of modulate afferent nerve activity or inhibit efferent nerve activity upon determining that the heart is in an electromechanical dissociation state, where the tissue site comprises at least one of a nonmyocardial tissue site or a nonvascular cardiac tissue site. The delivery of electrical stimulation may effectively treat the EMD state of the heart, e.g., by enabling effective mechanical contraction of the heart. In another example, an electromechanical disassociation state of a heart of a patient can be treated by determining autonomic nervous system activity associated with a detected EMD state of the heart of a patient, and delivering electrical stimulation therapy to the patient based on the determined autonomic nervous system activity of the patient associated with the EMD state. | 08-05-2010 |
20100211123 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING ARRHYTHMIA THERAPY IN MRI ENVIRONMENTS - Systems and methods for arrhythmia therapy in MRI environments are disclosed. Various systems disclosed utilize ATP therapy rather than ventricular shocks when patients are subjected to electromagnetic fields in an MRI scanner bore and shock therapy is not available. As the patient is moved out from within the scanner bore and away from the MRI scanner, the magnetic fields diminish in strength eventually allowing a high voltage capacitor within the IMD to charge if necessary. The system may detect when the electromagnetic fields no longer interfere with the shock therapy and will transition the IMD back to a normal operational mode where shock therapy can be delivered. Then, if the arrhythmia still exists, the system will carry out all of the system's prescribed operations, including the delivery of electric shocks to treat the arrhythmia. | 08-19-2010 |
20100211124 | Pacing Management During Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation - Systems and methods provide for coordinated cardiac pacing with delivery of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to a patient. Managing cardiac pacing in a patient during a cardiac arrhythmia involves detecting a cardiac arrhythmia using a patient implantable medical device, prompting a cardiopulmonary resuscitation compression, and delivering, using the patient implantable medical device, a pacing pulse to a heart chamber in coordination with the compression prompt. | 08-19-2010 |
20100211125 | Method and Apparatus for Identifying Potentially Misclassified Arrhythmic Episodes - An implantable cardiac device is configured to classify cardiac arrhythmias using a plurality of arrhythmia discrimination algorithms. Data is provided that is associated with a plurality of cardiac arrhythmic episodes for which a cardiac electrical therapy was delivered or withheld by the implantable medical device based on the plurality of arrhythmia discrimination algorithms. A metric for each of the arrhythmic episodes is computed. The metric defines a measure by which the implantable cardiac device properly classified the arrhythmia. Potentially misclassified arrhythmic episodes of the plurality of cardiac arrhythmic episodes for which cardiac electrical therapy was inappropriately delivered or withheld are algorithmically identified using the metric. | 08-19-2010 |
20100217342 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR TREATING CARDIAC ARRHYTHMIAS - The disclosure includes methods and systems for treating cardiac arrhythmias. Some methods for treating an abnormal heart rhythm include determining a change in a sinus node cycle length of a heart of a patient between a time prior to the abnormal heart rhythm and a time during the abnormal heart rhythm; when the change is within a first range, delivering a first therapy to the patient for treating the abnormal heart rhythm; and when the change is within a second range, delivering a second therapy to the patient for treating the abnormal heart rhythm, wherein the first therapy is different from the second therapy. In some embodiments, the first therapy may include shock therapy and the second therapy may include anti-tachycardia pacing. | 08-26-2010 |
20100222832 | METHODS FOR USING A PULMONARY ARTERY ELECTRODE - According to some method embodiments, a left pulmonary artery electrode is positioned in a left pulmonary artery, and the left pulmonary artery electrode is used to sense atrial activity, or capture cardiac tissue, or deliver neural stimulation. According to some method embodiments, a right pulmonary artery electrode is positioned in a right pulmonary artery and a left pulmonary artery electrode is positioned in a left pulmonary artery, the right pulmonary artery electrode is used to sense atrial activity, or capture cardiac tissue, or deliver neural stimulation, and the left pulmonary artery electrode is used to sense atrial activity, or capture cardiac tissue, or deliver neural stimulation. | 09-02-2010 |
20100241180 | COMBINED HEMODYNAMIC AND EGM-BASED ARRHYTHMIA DETECTION - A medical device and associated method for detecting arrhythmias that includes electrodes for sensing cardiac electrical signals and a hemodynamic sensor for sensing a hemodynamic signal. An episode of cardiac electrical event intervals meeting cardiac arrhythmia detection criteria is detected from the sensed electrical signals. Cardiac mechanical events and/or cardiac mechanical event intervals are measured from the hemodynamic signal and used to withhold or confirm a cardiac arrhythmia detection of the episode. | 09-23-2010 |
20100249860 | EXTERNAL CARDIAC STIMULATION PATCH - An external cardiac stimulation patch integrates a transcutaneous cardiac stimulation device and body-surface electrodes with a skin patch. The skin patch is to be attached onto a patient to provide for electrical contacts between the body-surface electrodes and a patient. The transcutaneous cardiac stimulation device delivers pacing pulses to the heart of the patient through pacing electrodes selected from the body-surface electrodes. | 09-30-2010 |
20100268290 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SELECTING AND TIMING ANTI-TACHYARRHYTHMIA PACING USING CARDIAC CYCLE LENGTH STABILITY - An implantable medical device delivers anti-tachyarrhythmia therapies including anti-tachyarrhythmia pacing (ATP). When a tachyarrhythmia episode is detected, the implantable medical device analyzes cardiac cycle length stability to determine whether and/or when to deliver an ATP. In one embodiment, the cardiac cycle length stability is measured by existence of stable ventricular tachyarrhythmia clusters (SVTCs) during the tachyarrhythmia episode. Each SVTC includes at least a specified minimum number of heart beats over which the cardiac cycle lengths meet a stability criterion. | 10-21-2010 |
20100298896 | Selection of Cardiac Capture Verification Modes - Systems and methods provide for selection of automatic capture verification modes. A number of capture verification modes are evaluated, wherein at least one of the capture verification modes has a distinct temporal relationship between delivery of a pacing pulse and detection of capture of heart tissue by the pacing pulse than the other capture verification modes. One or more capture verification modes are selected based on the evaluation. Capture verification is implemented using the selected one or more capture verification modes. | 11-25-2010 |
20100324612 | SYSTEM FOR CARDIAC RESUSCITATION - System and method for monitoring and controlling, defibrillation and pacing which allows a victim of a cardiac rhythm abnormality immediate access to a medical professional at a central station, who will remotely monitor, diagnose and treat the victim at one of a plurality of remote sites in accordance with the following steps:
| 12-23-2010 |
20110004262 | VAGAL STIMULATION DURING ATRIAL TACHYARRHYTHMIA TO FACILITATE CARDIAC RESYNCHRONIZATION THERAPY - The disclosure describes techniques for delivering vagal stimulation to decrease the ventricular rate response during an atrial tachyarrhythmia, such as atrial fibrillation. Decreasing the ventricular rate response during an atrial tachyarrhythmia may facilitate increased ventricular pacing for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), and may also reduce the likelihood of inappropriately detecting a ventricular tachyarrhythmia during the atrial tachyarrhythmia. Furthermore, the vagal stimulation may augment vagal tone, which may facilitate long term left ventricular reverse remodeling and decrease atrial and ventricular arrhythmic burden in heart failure patients. An example system that delivers CRT comprises a processor that detects an atrial tachyarrhythmia in one or more atria of the heart, and monitors at least one of a ventricular rate or degree of ventricular pacing subsequent to the detected atrial arrhythmia. The processor controls a stimulation generator to deliver vagal stimulation based on the least one of a ventricular rate or degree of ventricular pacing. | 01-06-2011 |
20110022104 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR DETECTING VENTRICULAR DEPOLARIZATIONS DURING ATRIAL PACING - AV synchronous, dual chamber pacing systems are disclosed having improved sensing of ectopic ventricular depolarizations or PVCs coincidentally occurring at or shortly following delivery of an A-PACE pulse. A first ventricular sense amplifier that is blanked during and following delivery of an A-PACE pulse is coupled to active and indifferent ventricular pace/sense electrodes defining a ventricular sense vector for sensing natural ventricular depolarizations and declaring a V-EVENT. A far field PVC sense amplifier coupled to a far field PVC sense electrode pair defining a PVC sense vector detects such PVCs while the ventricular sense amplifier is blanked. A PVC declared during the ventricular blanking period by the far field PVC sense amplifier is employed to deliver a VSP pulse upon time-out of a VSP delay, if the VSP function is provided and programmed ON, and/or to halt time-out of an AV delay. | 01-27-2011 |
20110054552 | ELECTRODE LAYOUT METHOD OF HEART TREATMENT APPARATUS - The purpose is to provide an electrode layout method of a heart treatment apparatus, which is capable of improving the heart treatment efficiency by setting electrodes in the heart as well as reducing the invasion into the patient so as to effectively stimulate a site which needs to be stimulated. There is provided an electrode layout method of a heart treatment apparatus comprising: inserting at least two lines of leads which are provided to the heart treatment apparatus and which have electrodes on their distal ends, into a vein communicated to the interior of a right atrium and extending along a cardiac wall; and placing the electrodes provided on the respective leads in the vein located at approximately opposite positions across a heart. | 03-03-2011 |
20110066198 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR POST-SHOCK EVALUATION USING TISSUE OXYGENATION MEASUREMENTS - A method and device for delivering therapy that includes an electrode to sense cardiac signals and to deliver a therapy, a therapy delivery module coupled to the electrode to deliver a therapy via the electrode in response to the sensed cardiac signals, a sensor emitting light and detecting emitted light scattered by a tissue volume adjacent the optical sensor to generate a corresponding detected light intensity output signal, a control module coupled to the sensor to control light emission of the sensor in response to delivering the therapy, and a controller coupled to the therapy delivery module and the sensor, the controller configured to determine tissue oxygenation measurements in response to the output signal, determine a tissue oxygenation trend in response to the tissue oxygenation measurements, and determine whether the delivered therapy restored cardiac hemodynamic function in response to the determined tissue oxygenation trend. | 03-17-2011 |
20110071583 | Galectin-3 and Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy - The present invention relates to materials and methods for monitoring and predicting a heart failure patient's physiological response to cardiac resynchronization therapy. More specifically, the present invention relates to the endogenous protein galectin-3 and its use in monitoring progression of disease in a patient undergoing cardiac resynchronization therapy, and as a predictor of response to cardiac resynchronization therapy. | 03-24-2011 |
20110071584 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATED CONTROL OF PACING POST-CONDITIONING - Pacing post-conditioning (PPC) therapy is applied to a patient to minimize ischemic injury associated with MI and/or reperfusion injury associated with a post-MI revascularization procedure. In various embodiments, a PPC therapy is delivered by executing a pacing protocol with pacing parameters determined and dynamically adjusted based on patient-specific factors to ensure efficacy and safety of the patient. | 03-24-2011 |
20110071585 | INTRAVASCULAR IMPLANTABLE DEVICE HAVING SUPERIOR ANCHORING ARRANGEMENT - Methods, systems and devices are provided for anchoring an intravascular implantable device within a vessel that is located superior to the heart, i.e. above the heart in a direction toward the head of a patient. Also provided is a method of providing an intravascular device and instructions for implanting the intravascular device, comprising providing an intravascular device having an elongate device body with a proximal end and a distal end that is adapted for chronic implantation within the vasculature of a patient and that includes a distal portion of the intravascular device proximate the distal end of the elongate device body, and providing instructions for chronically implanting the intravascular device substantially wholly within the vasculature of a patient in a target vessel superior to the heart of the patient. | 03-24-2011 |
20110098763 | VENTED SET SCREW FOR IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE - A vented set screw is used to secure a connection between an implantable medical device and an implantable lead. The vented set screw includes one or more venting channels that allow liquid and/or gas to flow out of the implantable medical device when the implantable lead is being inserted into the implantable medical device and secured during an implantation procedure. This prevents pressure from building up at the connection, thereby ensuring proper performance of sensing and/or therapy delivery functions of the implantable medical device. | 04-28-2011 |
20110118798 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ANTI-TACHYCARDIA PACING AND DEFIBRILLATION - An implantable cardioverter/defibrillator (ICD) includes an Anti-Tachycardia Pacing Before Charge (ATP-BC) mode according to which one or more high-voltage capacitors for storing defibrillation energy are charged in preparation of delivering a defibrillation shock only if a ventricular tachycardia (VT) sustains after an ATP delivery. Fast ATP delivery and effect verification methods are applied to avoid significant delay in delivering the defibrillation shock when found necessary to terminate the VT. A switch is provided such that a user decides whether to activate the ATP-BC mode or to deliver the defibrillation shock without delivering the ATP. | 05-19-2011 |
20110137359 | IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE WITH AUTOMATIC TACHYCARDIA DETECTION AND CONTROL IN MRI ENVIRONMENTS - An implantable medical device (IMD) includes a lead having one or more sensing electrodes and one or more therapy delivery electrodes, and a sensor configured to detect the presence of static and time-varying scan fields in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) environment. A controller, in electrical communication with the lead and the sensor, is configured to process signals related to tachycardia events sensed via the one or more sensing electrodes and to deliver pacing and shock therapy signals via the one or more therapy delivery electrodes. The controller compares the sensed static and time-varying scan fields to static and time-varying scan field thresholds. The controller controls delivery of anti-tachycardia pacing and shock therapy signals as a function of the detected tachycardia events, the comparison of the sensed static scan field to the static scan field threshold, and the comparison of the time-varying scan fields to the time-varying scan field thresholds. | 06-09-2011 |
20110137360 | CONCURRENT THERAPY DETECTION IN IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICES - Various method embodiments detect a concurrent therapy, where the concurrent therapy includes a plurality of therapy pulses. Detecting the concurrent therapy includes detecting at least one electrical pulse, extracting at least one characteristic from the at least one electrical pulse, comparing the at least one characteristic of the detected pulse to at least one characteristic of therapy pulses, and detecting that the concurrent therapy is being applied if the at least one characteristic of the detected pulse favorably compares to the at least one characteristic of the therapy pulses. | 06-09-2011 |
20110152956 | ELECTRICAL INIBITION OF THE PHRENIC NERVE DURING CARDIAC PACING - According to various method embodiments for pacing a heart and avoiding unwanted stimulation of a phrenic nerve during cardiac pacing, a desired pacing time for delivering a cardiac pace is determined, and a desired nerve traffic inhibition time to inhibit nerve traffic in the phrenic nerve is determined using the desired pace time. The cardiac pace is delivered at the desired pacing time and nerve traffic in the phrenic nerve is inhibited at the desired nerve traffic inhibition time. | 06-23-2011 |
20110160782 | Systems and Methods for Placing Electronic Devices into "Cautery-Safe" Mode - A method and device to enable a medical or surgical procedure using electro-cautery on a patient with an implantable device in a cautery-safe mode of operation. In one embodiment, the invention provides an electronic implantable device programmer having a computer processor, and a display screen configured to display information based on signals from the computer processor. The programmer also includes an input device, and a wireless transmitter controlled by the computer processor. The programmer display and input give the operator the option of programming an implanted electronic device in a cautery-safe mode. With this input, from the operator, instructions are provided in the programmer to transmit a signal from the wireless transmission device to the implanted electronic device to program the electronic device to be in a dedicated bipolar mode where electrical noise produced when operating an electro-cautery device during and medical/surgical procedure does not interfere with operation of the electronic device. | 06-30-2011 |
20110166613 | Automatic Multi-Level Therapy Based on Morphologic Organization of an Arrhythmia - Methods and systems for selecting tachyarrhythmia therapy based on the morphological organization level of the arrhythmia are described. Morphological organization levels of arrhythmias are associated with cardiac therapies. The morphological organization levels are related to cardiac signal morphologies of the arrhythmias. An arrhythmia episode is detected and the morphological organization level of the arrhythmia episode is determined. A cardiac therapy associated with the morphological organization level of the arrhythmia episode is delivered to treat the arrhythmia. For example, the morphological organization levels may be associated with the cardiac therapies based on one or more of retrospective database analysis, patient therapy tolerance, and physician input. The associations may be static or may be dynamically adjusted based on therapy efficacy. | 07-07-2011 |
20110172727 | REDUCING INAPPROPRIATE DELIVERY OF THERAPY FOR SUSPECTED NON-LETHAL ARRHYTHMIAS - An implantable medical device (IMD) identifies suspected non-lethal ventricular arrhythmia, and takes one or more actions in response to the identification to avoid or delay delivery of a defibrillation or cardioversion shock. The IMD employs number of intervals to detect (NID) thresholds for detection of ventricular arrhythmias. When a NID threshold is met, the IMD determines whether the ventricular rhythm is a suspected non-lethal rhythm despite satisfying a NID threshold. In some embodiments, the IMD increases the NID threshold, i.e., extends the time for detection, in response to identifying a rhythm as a suspected non-lethal rhythm, and monitors subsequent ventricular beats to determine if the increased NID threshold is met before detecting a ventricular arrhythmia and delivering therapy. The IMD can determine whether a rhythm is a suspected non-lethal arrhythmia by, for example, comparing the median ventricular cycle length (VCL) to the median atrial cycle length (ACL). | 07-14-2011 |
20110196439 | DETECTING HEMODYNAMIC STABILITY DURING ARRHYTHMIA USING THE CHANGES IN ATRIAL ACTIVATION - Detected changes in atrial activation can be used to discriminate between hemodynamically stable and hemodynamically unstable tachyarrhythmias. | 08-11-2011 |
20110202099 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATIC OPTIMIZATION OF ATRIOVENTRICULAR DELAY FOR AN ACTIVE MEDICAL DEVICE - An active medical device such as pacemaker, defibrillator and/or resynchronizer with automatic optimization of atrioventricular delay is disclosed. The active medical device is adapted for analyzing a signal delivered by a hemodynamic sensor such as an endocardial acceleration sensor, whose variation according to the AVD is represented by a sigmoid function. An optimal AVD is searched by: applying a reference AVD (XC), at least one left AVD (XL, XLL) and at least one right AVD (XR, XRR); measuring the corresponding hemodynamic parameters (Y | 08-18-2011 |
20110230922 | Device And Method For Peri-Hisian Pacing And/Or Simultaneous Bi-Ventricular or Tri-Ventricular Pacing For Cardiac Resynchronization - The present invention provides a pacing device and method that allows for preferential right atrial, at or near the His bundle, and ventricular pacing, either individually or in combination, including tri-ventricular pacing. The pacing device includes a power source and one or more logic circuits allowing for programmable delivery of pacing to any combination of the right atria, the para-Hisian region, and the right and/or the left ventricles. The pacing device allows the user to select which site(s) to pace as well at the appropriate relative timing of pacing impulse delivery to any of these three previously mentioned sites. The device is constructed and arranged to be combined with an atrial sensing/pacing electrode to allow for atrio-ventricular sequential tri-ventricular pacing or variants of such. Also, a defibrillator lead can be incorporated into the device to allow for protection from ventricular arrhythmias and sudden death. | 09-22-2011 |
20110270333 | METHOD OF DUAL EGM SENSING AND HEART RATE ESTIMATION IN IMPLANTED CARDIAC DEVICES - A method and apparatus for monitoring a patient's heart rate sense first cardiac events in a heart chamber using a first cardiac electrode pair and sense second cardiac events in the heart chamber using a second cardiac electrode pair. The method includes estimating a first heart rate using the first cardiac events, comparing the first heart rate to a heart rate threshold and estimating a second heart rate using the second cardiac events in response to the first heart rate exceeding the heart rate threshold. | 11-03-2011 |
20110270334 | METHOD OF DUAL EGM SENSING AND HEART RATE ESTIMATION IN IMPLANTED CARDIAC DEVICES - A method and apparatus for monitoring a patient's heart rate sense first cardiac events in a heart chamber using a first cardiac electrode pair and sense second cardiac events in the heart chamber using a second cardiac electrode pair. The method includes estimating a first heart rate using the first cardiac events, comparing the first heart rate to a heart rate threshold and estimating a second heart rate using the second cardiac events in response to the first heart rate exceeding the heart rate threshold, determining whether the second cardiac events are unreliable, and setting the second heart rate equal to the first heart rate in response to the second cardiac events being unreliable. | 11-03-2011 |
20110276102 | REDUNDANT PACING SYSTEM WITH LEADED AND LEADLESS PACING - A pacing system includes a controller operable to provide control signals indicating desired pacing signals, a pulse generator connected to the controller and operable to receive the control signals and to generate the desired pacing signals based on the control signals, at least one lead electrically connected to the pulse generator and extending into a user's heart and operable to provide the pacing signals to the heart, at least one electrode positioned in the user's heart and electrically connected to the at least one lead, the at least one electrode in contact with the user's heart and operable to stimulate the heart based on the pacing signals; and a transceiver, in communication with the pulse generator and operable to selectively transmit the pacing signals to the electrode wirelessly. The transceiver is controlled by the controller to transmit the pacing signals when pacing signals are not received by the electrode from the at least one lead. The lead may include multiple leads held together in a sugar moiety as a unitary body for insertion into the heart. Once in the heart, the sugar moiety dissolves to allow the leads to separate for implantation at different points in the heart. | 11-10-2011 |
20110288603 | POST-SHOCK RECOVERY MONITORING FOR TACHYARRHYTHMIA DISCRIMINATION - A cardiac rhythm management device is configured to discriminate between ventricular and supraventricular tachycardias (referred to as SVT/VT discrimination) by utilizing a morphology criterion in which the morphology of electrogram waveforms during ventricular beats are analyzed to determine if the beats are normally conducted. After the delivery of a cardioversion/defibrillation shock, however, the intraventricular conduction system is left in a modified state which alters the subsequently generated electrogram signal. Use of the morphology criterion for to SVT/VT discrimination is discontinued after delivery of such a shock and resumed after a predetermined minimum number of normally conducted ventricular beats has been detected. | 11-24-2011 |
20110301656 | PREFERRED ADI/R: A PERMANENT PACING MODE TO ELIMINATE VENTRICULAR PACING WHILE MAINTAINING BACKUP SUPPORT - A preferred atrial-based pacing method and apparatus is provided using an intelligent cardiac pacing system to having the ability to continue atrial-based pacing as long as relatively reliable AV conduction is present. In the event that such relatively reliable AV conduction is not present, mode switching to a DDD/R or a DDI/R pacing mode while continually biased to mode switch back to atrial-based pacing. The standard or relatively reliable AV conduction may be changed either automatically or manually. This increases pacing that utilizes natural AV conduction however possible so as to gain all the benefits of cardiac contractile properties resulting therefrom, while tolerating the occasional missed ventricular depolarization (i.e., non-conducted P-wave). In the event where relatively reliable AV conduction is not present, the pacing mode is switched to a DDD/R mode while detecting a return of the relatively reliable AV conduction (and resulting mode switch to preferred atrial based pacing). | 12-08-2011 |
20120016432 | EVALUATION OF IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE DATA - A system includes an episode classification module and a data retrieval module. The episode classification module receives electrograms (EGMs) from N implantable medical devices (IMDs) and determines whether the EGMs are associated with deliveries of therapy by the N IMDs. The episode classification module analyzes at least some of the EGMs and determines whether the deliveries or non-deliveries of therapy by the IMDs were appropriate. The data retrieval module receives a request from a computing device, via a network, that indicates at least two groups of the N IMDs. The data retrieval module provides to the computing device via the network, in response to the request, data for presentation to a user that indicates for each of the groups, at least one of how many of the one or more deliveries or non-deliveries were appropriate, or how many of the one or more deliveries or non-deliveries were inappropriate. | 01-19-2012 |
20120022607 | VENTRICULAR CAPTURE TESTING BY ANALYSIS OF AN ENDOCARDIAL ACCELERATION SIGNAL IN AN ACTIVE IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE - An active implantable medical device such as a cardiac prosthesis, including ventricular capture testing by analysis of an endocardial acceleration signal. The device isolates in an endocardial acceleration (“EA”) signal an EA component, extracts from it, n representative indicators (PEA_i, LEA_i), and forms a vector EA (X_i) from these indicators. A classifier allows acquiring reference EA signals at a stimulation energy level sufficient to cause a capture, and in spontaneous rhythm in the absence of ventricular pacing and forms a corresponding plurality of first reference EA vectors. The n-dimensional space of the EA vectors is partitioned into two corresponding subspaces. The presence or absence of a capture is discriminated based on the position of the current EA vector (X_i) in one or other of these two sub-spaces. The representative indicators may be: the value of peak to peak amplitude, the width, the moment of occurrence of the peak, the starting time and the ending time of the EA | 01-26-2012 |
20120041500 | ENDOCARDIAL PACING DEVICES AND METHODS USEFUL FOR RESYNCHRONIZATION AND DEFIBRILLATION - According to one aspect, various methods and apparatus are used for treating a condition of a patient's heart, and for monitoring cardiac operation. In one approach consistent therewith, an electrode arrangement is placed in a right ventricle of the heart. The electrode arrangement is used to capture the myocardium for re-synchronization of the left and right ventricles by providing first and second signal components having opposite polarity on respective electrodes. The electrode arrangement is connected to an implantable CRM device that has the capability of pacing/sensing atrium, pacing/sensing ventricles, and deliver defibrillation therapy from the right side of the heart. The CRM device captures ventricular contractions to treat conduction abnormalities in one or more of the ventricles. | 02-16-2012 |
20120046703 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR COMPREHENSIVE ANTI-TACHYARRHYTHMIA THERAPY - A method and apparatus for delivering therapy to treat ventricular tachyarrhythmias is described. In one embodiment, neural stimulation, anti-tachycardia pacing, and shock therapy are employed in a progressive sequence upon detection of a ventricular tachycardia. | 02-23-2012 |
20120101539 | DEVICES, METHODS, AND SYSTEMS INCLUDING CARDIAC PACING - A pacing output circuit can be configured to generate a ventricular pacing signal configured to be delivered to an electrode near the His bundle in a right ventricle of a heart to pace the right and left ventricles and improve synchronization of at least one of the ventricles relative to intrinsic activity. In an example, the ventricular pacing signal can include first and second signal components in opposite polarity from each other with respect to a reference component, the first and second signal components having substantially identical duration and magnitude. | 04-26-2012 |
20120109235 | CAPTURE DETECTION IN RESPONSE TO LEAD RELATED CONDITIONS - Various techniques for detecting cardiac capture in response to a detected lead related condition are described. One example method described includes delivering a pacing therapy to a heart of a patient, periodically determining whether the pacing therapy captures the heart of the patient, detecting a lead related condition, and, in response to the detected lead related condition, increasing a frequency of determining whether the pacing therapy captures the heart. | 05-03-2012 |
20120109236 | LEADLESS CARDIAC PACEMAKER WITH CONDUCTED COMMUNICATION - A leadless pacemaker for pacing a heart of a human includes a hermetic housing and at least two electrodes on or near the hermetic housing. The at least two electrodes are configured to deliver energy to stimulate the heart and to transfer information to or from at least one external device. | 05-03-2012 |
20120116471 | DYNAMIC BATTERY MANAGEMENT IN AN IMPLANTABLE DEVICE - One aspect of this disclosure relates to a system for dynamic battery management in implantable medical devices. An embodiment of the system includes two or more devices for measuring battery capacity for an implantable medical device battery. The embodiment also includes a controller connected to the measuring devices. The controller is adapted to combine the measurements from the measuring devices using a weighted average to determine battery capacity consumed. According to various embodiments, at least one of the measuring devices includes a coulometer. At least one of the measuring devices includes a capacity-by-voltage device, according to an embodiment. The system further includes a display in communication with the controller in various embodiments. The display is adapted to provide a depiction of battery longevity in units of time remaining in the life of the implantable medical device battery, according to various embodiments. Other aspects and embodiments are provided herein. | 05-10-2012 |
20120123488 | Devices For Tachyarrhythmia Sensing And High-Pass Filter Bypass - The present invention, in illustrative embodiments, includes devices for analyzing cardiac signals in an implantable cardiac stimulus system. Within the analysis, a threshold may be defined related to a cardiac event rate. If the cardiac event rate does not exceed the threshold, filtering of captured cardiac signals occurs, including attenuating T-waves. If the cardiac event rate does exceed the threshold, circuitry for analog filtering or programming for digital filtering is bypassed to avoid attenuating low frequency components of the captured cardiac signals. | 05-17-2012 |
20120165884 | FLUID ACCUMULATION MONITORING DEVICES, SYSTEMS AND METHODS - Provided herein are implantable systems, and methods for use therewith, for monitoring a patient's fluid accumulation level. A thoracic impedance signal for the patient is obtained. Based on the thoracic impedance signal, a duration metric indicative of a duration of drop of the thoracic impedance signal, a magnitude metric indicative of a magnitude of drop of the thoracic impedance signal, and a rate metric indicative of a rate of drop of the thoracic impedance signal is determined. The patient's fluid accumulation level is monitored based on the duration metric, the magnitude metric and the rate metric. | 06-28-2012 |
20120179216 | NEURAL STIMULATION SYSTEM FOR CARDIAC FAT PADS - Various aspects relate to a device which, in various embodiments, comprises a header, a neural stimulator, a detector and a controller. The header includes at least one port to connect to at least one lead, and includes first and second channels for use to provide neural stimulation to first and second neural stimulation sites for a heart. The controller is connected to the detector and the neural stimulator to selectively deliver a therapy based on the feedback signal. A first therapy signal is delivered to the first neural stimulation site to selectively control contractility and a second therapy signal is delivered to the second neural stimulation site to selectively control one of a sinus rate and an AV conduction. Other aspects and embodiments are provided herein. | 07-12-2012 |
20120191150 | IMPLANTABLE CARDIAC DEVICES AND METHODS - Embodiments relate to an implantable cardiac system, including a housing, electronic circuitry for controlling one or more of power management, processing unit, information memory and management circuit, sensing and simulation output. The system also includes diagnosis and treatment software for diagnosing health issues, diagnosing mechanical issues, determining therapy output and manage patient health indicators over time, a power supply system including at least one rechargeable battery, a recharging system, an alarm (or alert) system to inform patient of energy level and integrity of system, communication circuitry, one or more electrodes for delivering therapeutic signal to a heart and one or more electrodes for from delivering electrocardiogram signal from the heart to the electronic circuitry. The power supplies can include rechargeable batteries. The housing can include a plurality of physically distinct structures that can be implanted in different locations in patient's body. | 07-26-2012 |
20120197323 | RESPIRATORY PARAMETERS FOR ARRHYTHMIA DETECTION AND THERAPY - An implantable or ambulatory medical device can include a cardiac signal sensing circuit configured to provide a sensed cardiac depolarization signal of a heart of a subject, a respiration sensing circuit configured to provide a signal representative of respiration of the subject, and a control circuit communicatively coupled to the cardiac signal sensing circuit and the respiration circuit. The control circuit includes a tachyarrhythmia detection circuit configured to determine heart rate using the depolarization signal, determine a respiration parameter of the subject using the respiration signal, calculate a ratio using the determined heart rate and the determined respiration parameter, generate an indication of tachyarrhythmia when the calculated ratio satisfies a specified detection ratio threshold value, and provide the indication of tachyarrhythmia to a user or process. | 08-02-2012 |
20120197324 | MEDICAL DEVICE ADJUSTING OPERATION WHEN USED WITH NON-AUTHENTICATED PATIENT PARAMETER COLLECTING ACCESSORY - Embodiments are directed to a medical device, such as a defibrillator, for use with an accessory capable of collecting a parameter of a patient. The medical device is capable of at least performing a basic functionality, an advanced functionality, and of defibrillating the patient. The medical device includes an energy storage module within a housing for storing an electrical charge that is to be delivered to the patient for the defibrillating. The medical device includes a processor structured to determine whether a data set received from the accessory confirms or not a preset authentication criterion about the accessory. Although when the accessory is coupled to the housing the medical device is capable of the defibrillating and the basic functionality, the medical device is capable of the advanced functionality only when the accessory is coupled to the housing and it is determined that the preset authentication criterion is confirmed. Embodiments also include methods of operation and a programmed solution. | 08-02-2012 |
20120209342 | METHOD AND APPARATUS OF ACOUSTIC COMMUNICATION FOR IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE - An implantable medical device includes an acoustic transducer for intra-body communication with another medical device via an acoustic couple. The acoustic transducer includes one or more piezoelectric transducers. In one embodiment, an implantable medical device housing contains a cardiac rhythm management (CRM) device and an acoustic communication circuit. The acoustic transducer is electrically connected to the acoustic communication circuit to function as an acoustic coupler and physically fastened to a wall of the implantable housing, directly or via a supporting structure. | 08-16-2012 |
20120215269 | Method and Device for Treating Cardiac Arrhythmias - The present invention provides both methods and devices for termination of arrhythmias, such as ventricular or atrial tachyarrhythmias. The device and method involves application of alternating current (AC) for clinically significant durations at selected therapeutic frequencies through the cardiac tissue to a subject experiencing arrhythmia. Methods are also provided to minimize or eliminate pain during defibrillation. | 08-23-2012 |
20120221066 | Systems and Methods for Activating and Controlling Impedance-Based Detection Systems of Implantable Medical Devices - Techniques are provided for use with implantable medical devices for addressing encapsulation effects, particularly in the detection of cardiac decompensation events such as heart failure (HF) or cardiogenic pulmonary edema (PE.) In one example, during an acute interval following device implant, cardiac decompensation is detected using heart rate variability (HRV), ventricular evoked response (ER) or various other non-impedance-based parameters that are insensitive to component encapsulation effects. During the subsequent chronic interval, decompensation is detected using intracardiac or transthoracic impedance signals. In another example, the degree of maturation of encapsulation of implanted components is assessed using impedance frequency-response measurements or based on the frequency bandwidth of heart sounds or other physiological signals. In this manner, impedance-based HF/PE detection systems can be activated as soon as component encapsulation has matured, without necessarily waiting until completion of a preset post-implant maturation interval, often set to forty-five days or more. | 08-30-2012 |
20120232604 | SYSTEM TO TREAT AV-CONDUCTED VENTRICULAR TACHYARRHYTHMIA - Various aspects of the present subject matter provide devices and methods to treat AV-conducted ventricular tachyarrhythmia (AVCVT). According to various embodiments of the method, an AVCVT is sensed, an IVC-LA fat pad is stimulated when the AVCVT is sensed to block AV conduction, and bradycardia support pacing is provided while the IVC-LA fat pad is stimulated. Other aspects and embodiments are provided herein. | 09-13-2012 |
20120265263 | Medical Device Sensing and Detection During MRI - A medical device includes a sensor for sensing for an MRI gradient magnetic field and a microprocessor configured to operate in a signal processing mode in which electrical signals induced by the gradient magnetic field are not counted as cardiac events. | 10-18-2012 |
20120271367 | DEVICES, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS FOR CHARACTERIZING A TACHYCARDIA AND/OR SELECTING TREATMENT FOR A TACHYCARDIA USING RESULTS OF A DOMINANT FREQUENCY ANALYSIS - Provided herein are implantable systems, and methods for use therewith, for characterizing a tachycardia and/or selecting treatment for a tachycardia using results of a dominant frequency analysis. One or more electrogram (EGM) signal(s) indicative of cardiac electrical activity are obtained. For at least one of the EGM signal(s) a dominant frequency (DF) analysis is performed, and the results of the DF analysis are used to characterize a tachycardia and/or to select treatment for a tachycardia. | 10-25-2012 |
20120271368 | DEVICES, SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CHARACTERIZING A TACHYCARDIA AND/OR SELECTING TREATMENT FOR A TACHYCARDIA USING RESULTS OF A FRACTIONATION ANALYSIS - Provided herein are implantable systems, and methods for use therewith, for characterizing a tachycardia and/or selecting treatment for a tachycardia using results of a fractionation analysis. One or more electrogram (EGM) signal(s) indicative of cardiac electrical activity are obtained. At least one of the EGM signal(s) is analyzed to determine whether the EGM signal is fractionated, and the results of the analyzing are used to characterize a tachycardia and/or to select treatment for a tachycardia. | 10-25-2012 |
20120271369 | ENDOCARDIAL STIMULATION/DEFIBRILLATION SYSTEM OF THE LEFT VENTRICLE - A system for the endocardial stimulation/defibrillation of the left ventricle. This system includes a generator ( | 10-25-2012 |
20120296381 | CONTROL OF A DEFIBRILLATOR AND/OR PACEMAKER - An electronic medical monitoring and treatment apparatus allows a person access to a medical professional (MP) who can monitor, diagnose and treat the person from a remote site. The apparatus includes a medical monitoring and treatment device (MMTD) coupled to an electronic adapter designed to communicate with a local, first transmitting/receiving (T/R) device which, in turn, is adapted to electronically communicate with a remote, second transmitting/receiving (T/R) device used by the MP. The MMTD may comprise a cardiac treatment circuit for effecting cardiac pacing and/or defibrillation and a cardiac signal circuit for receiving cardiac signals. The cardiac signals are (1) transmitted from the signal circuit to the second T/R device for evaluation by the MP, (2) the MP may transmit a control signal to the treatment circuit, and (3), in response thereto, the treatment circuit may generate one or more electrical pulses for treatment of the person. | 11-22-2012 |
20120296382 | INTEGRATED CARDIAC RHYTHM MANAGEMENT SYSTEM WITH HEART VALVE - Systems and methods using a heart valve and an implantable medical device, such as for event detection and optimization of cardiac output. The cardiac management system includes a heart valve, having a physiological sensor. The physiological sensor is adapted to measure at least one of an intrinsic electrical cardiac parameter, a hemodynamic parameter or the like. The system further includes an implantable electronics unit, such as a cardiac rhythm management unit, coupled to the physiological sensor of the heart valve to receive physiological information. The electronics unit is adapted to use the received physiological information to control delivery of an electrical output to the subject. | 11-22-2012 |
20120296383 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR PROVIDING ANTI-TACHYARRHYTHMIA THERAPY - Various system embodiments comprise at least one sensor input adapted to receive at least one sensed signal associated with a tachyarrhythmia, a feature set extractor adapted to extract at least two features from the at least one sensed signal associated with the tachyarrhythmia, a feature set generator adapted to form a feature set using the at least two features extracted by the feature set extractor, at least one generator adapted for use to selectively apply an anti-tachycardia pacing (ATP) therapy and a neural stimulation (NS) therapy, and a controller adapted to respond to the feature set. The controller is adapted to initiate the NS therapy when the feature set corresponds to criteria for applying the NS therapy to modify the tachyarrhythmia, and initiate the ATP therapy to terminate the modified tachyarrhythmia. Other aspects and embodiments are provided herein. | 11-22-2012 |
20120303078 | SENSOR RESPONSE DELAY FOR HEMODYNAMIC STABILITY DETECTION DURING ARRHYTHMIA - An apparatus comprises a cardiac signal sensing circuit, a physiologic sensor circuit configured to provide a physiologic sensor signal representative of mechanical cardiac activity, a therapy circuit, and a control circuit. The control circuit includes a cardiac depolarization detection circuit, a tachyarrhythmia detection circuit, and a timer circuit. A time interval between a mechanical cardiac event and a detected fiducial electrical cardiac event is monitored. The control circuit is configured to correct the monitored time interval for variation with heart rate to form a corrected electromechanical time interval, initiate anti-tachyarrhythmia therapy when the corrected electromechanical time interval satisfies a specified time interval threshold value during a detected episode of tachyarrhythmia, and withhold anti-tachyarrhythmia therapy otherwise. | 11-29-2012 |
20120323289 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ESTABLISHING CONTEXT AMONG EVENTS AND OPTIMIZING IMPLANTED MEDICAL DEVICE PERFORMANCE - An apparatus and method for adjusting the performance of an implanted device based on data including contextual information. Contextual information, including operational and performance data concerning the implanted device as well as the patient with the implanted device, is stored by a portable electronic device. In one embodiment, the portable electronic device is adapted for battery operation and includes a personal digital assistant (PDA). The portable electronic device is adapted for use as an interface to conduct wireless communications with the implanted device. In one embodiment, the portable electronic device interfaces with a clinical programmer for use by a physician. | 12-20-2012 |
20130006317 | DEVICES, SYSTEMS AND METHODS TO ANALYZE EVOKED RESPONSES TO PRE-PACING PULSES TO PREDICT IMMINENT VT/VF, ESTIMATE ISCHEMIC BURDEN AND/OR CHARACTERIZE ELECTRICAL SUBSTRATES - Described herein are implantable systems, and methods for use therewith, to predict whether ventricular tachycardia (VT) or ventricular fibrillation (VF) is imminent, estimate ischemic burden and/or characterize an electrical substrate of the LV chamber. For each of a plurality of cardiac cycles, a pacing vector comprising a first set of electrodes is used to deliver a pre-pacing pulse at a site within the LV chamber (wherein the pre-pacing pulse is delivered prior to an intrinsic activation of the LV chamber), and a sensing vector comprising a second set of electrodes is used to detect an evoked response to the pre-pacing pulse. The detected evoked responses to the pre-pacing pulses are analyzed, and results of the analysis are used predict whether VT or VF is imminent, estimate ischemic burden and/or characterize an electrical substrate of the LV chamber. | 01-03-2013 |
20130006318 | CARDIAC STIMULATOR FOR DELIVERY OF CARDIAC CONTRACTILITY MODULATION THERAPY - A cardiac stimulator having at least one stimulation unit which is connected or connectable to one or more stimulation electrodes, and is configured to deliver at least sub-threshold stimulation pulses for cardiac contraction modulation therapy, an impedance detection unit which is connectable to one or more electrodes, and is configured to detect a voltage or current intensity that occurs as the result of a particular sub-threshold stimulation pulse, and to determine a particular impedance value, an impedance evaluation unit, configured to determine at least one value based on ventricular volume, and/or a value based on minute ventilation, and a control unit connected to the stimulation unit and the cardiac rhythm detection unit, and is configured to control a delivery of a stimulation pulse via the stimulation unit such that the cardiac stimulator can deliver sub-threshold stimulation pulses for cardiac contraction modulation therapy. | 01-03-2013 |
20130006319 | CARDIAC STIMULATOR FOR DELIVERY OF CARDIAC CONTRACTILITY MODULATION THERAPY - A combination cardiac stimulator for CRT stimulation and CCM stimulation, which is connected to a rhythm evaluation unit which can either detect a sinus rhythm that is present, or classify an atrial arrhythmia, and which comprises an additional therapy selection unit, wherein the therapy selection unit selects the delivery of either CRT therapy or CCM therapy on the basis of the classification of the atrial rhythm such that CRT therapy is preferred in the case of sinus rhythm, and CCM therapy is delivered in the case of atrial arrhythmia. | 01-03-2013 |
20130023944 | UNIPOLAR MULTIPURPOSE ELECTRODE LINE AND STIMULATION AND DEFIBRILLATION ASSEMBLY - A unipolar multipurpose electrode line, comprising a line body, a unipolar plug, a defibrillation electrode attached to the line body, and a stimulation and sensing electrode, which are connected by way of a common feed line to the unipolar plug, wherein the defibrillation electrode is connected by means of at least one voltage-dependent component to the electrode feed line so that the connection has low impedance only in response to the application of a defibrillation voltage at the plug. | 01-24-2013 |
20130035735 | MULTI-MODAL ELECTROTHERAPY METHOD AND APARATUS - A multi-modal electrotherapy apparatus including circuitry for administering defibrillation therapy and for administering medium voltage therapy (MVT). A combined-use capacitor bank of at least one capacitor stores energy to be administered as defibrillation therapy and MVT. Combined-use discharge circuitry electrically is coupled between the combined-use capacitor bank and patient terminals for selectively administering energy from the capacitor bank according to a plurality of controllable waveforms as either defibrillation therapy or MVT. A controller is configured to cause the discharge circuitry to apply the MVT from the capacitor bank while the capacitor bank undergoes charging in preparation for administration of the defibrillation therapy. | 02-07-2013 |
20130053906 | MORPHOLOGY-BASED PRECURSOR TO TEMPLATE MATCHING COMPARISION - One or more embodiments of the present disclosure relates to a method and/or system for classifying and/or treating heart rhythms. The present disclosure involves sensing electrical signals associated with depolarizations of a patient's heart. The sensed electrical signals are converted to digital values and storing the digital values. Normalizing solely a maximum and a minimum value of the stored digital values associated with a depolarization of the patient's heart without normalizing other stored digital values of the depolarization is another aspect of the present disclosure. The maximum and minimum values associated with the depolarization are compared to maximum and minimum values associated with a template derived from signals indicative of a heart depolarization of known type. A determination is made as to whether a match exists between the maximum and minimum values associated with the depolarization to the maximum and minimum values associated with a template. | 02-28-2013 |
20130053907 | COMPARISON OF RIGHT-VENTRICULAR AND LEFT-VENTRICULAR CONTRACTION USING AN ACCELEROMETER IN AN ARTERY CLOSE TO THE HEART - An implantable medical device includes a multi-axial acceleration sensor and an evaluation unit connected thereto. The evaluation unit is configured to (1) split the accelerometer output signal into at least two signal components, one of which is associated with a right-ventricular contraction and another of which is associated with a left-ventricular contraction; (2) detect events in the signal components, and/or determine signal features therein; and (3) determine at least one characteristic value K by evaluating the signal components, and/or the events and/or signal features therein. | 02-28-2013 |
20130053908 | MODULAR ANTITACHYARRHYTHMIA THERAPY SYSTEM - This document discusses, among other things, a modular antitachyarrhythmia therapy system. In an example, a modular antitachyarrhythmia system includes at least two separate modules that coordinate delivery an antitachyarrhythmia therapy, such as a defibrillation therapy. In another example, a modular antitachyarrhythmia therapy system includes a sensing module, an analysis module, and a therapy module. | 02-28-2013 |
20130079836 | RF TRANSCEIVER HOPPING FOR COMMUNICATION WITH IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE - Dynamically switching between different external RF transceivers for communication with an implantable medical device maintains high communication quality in the face of interference, fading, detuning, or other adverse wireless communication conditions. Quality information associated with communications between an implantable medical device and different external devices is monitored to select one,of these external devices to conduct subsequent communication with the implantable medical device. This monitoring is conducted on a repeated basis such that communication is switched to a different RF transceiver whenever such an RF transceiver is able to achieve a higher quality communication than the currently selected RF transceiver. In some embodiments, RF transceivers are deployed in different devices. For example, one or more RF transceivers may be deployed at a portable programmer (e.g., in the form of a computer tablet) and one or more other RF transceivers may be deployed at an associated base station. | 03-28-2013 |
20130096638 | VENTRICULAR PACING - A method and apparatus are disclosed for treating a condition of a patient's heart includes placing a first electrode and/or a second electrode in a right ventricle of the heart. In one example, a reference electrode is placed within the patient and internal or external to the heart. A pacing signal is generated including a first signal component, a second signal component and a reference component with the first and second signal components having opposite polarity and with both of the first and second components having a potential relative to the reference component. The pacing signal and the placement of the electrodes are selected to alter a contraction of a left ventricle of the heart. | 04-18-2013 |
20130123869 | VENTRICLE PACING DURING ATRIAL FIBRILLATION EPISODES - An adaptive dual chamber pacemaker and/or cardioverter defibrillator for delivering ventricular stimulation to the heart correlated with hemodynamic performance of the heart, including a hemodynamic sensor for monitoring the hemodynamic performance of the heart, an atrial electrode and a ventricular electrode for sensing ventricular and atrial signals, and a learning module having a spiking neural network processor for learning to associate the ventricular-atrial intervals sensed by the electrodes with the hemodynamic performance sensed by the hemodynamic sensor, calculating ventricular-atrial intervals, replacing the ventricular-atrial intervals calculated from the sensed ventricular and atrial signals with the learned associated ventricular-atrial intervals, and causing delivery according to the learned associated ventricular-atrial intervals of a ventricular stimulation to the heart during atrial fibrillation episodes. | 05-16-2013 |
20130165983 | MONITORING ACTIVATION TIMES FOR USE IN DETERMINING PACING EFFECTIVNESS - Methods and/or devices may be configured to track effectiveness of pacing therapy by monitoring activation times over time, e.g., between pacing stimulus and electrical activity resulting from the pacing stimulus. Generally, the methods and/or devices may determine whether the delivered pacing therapy was effective based on the measured activation times. | 06-27-2013 |
20130184772 | CENTRAL CONTROL UNIT OF IMPLANTS - The entire electronics of a control system and of implantable passive and active medical implants connected to or cooperating with the control system are integrated in a central control unit (ZSE) which, by way of detachable cables or by telemetry or radio contact, controls and monitors all of the implants that are present and, if appropriate, implants that are fitted subsequently in the patient ( | 07-18-2013 |
20130231710 | Leadless Cardiac Pacemaker System for Usage in Combination with an Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator - A cardiac pacing system comprising one or more leadless cardiac pacemakers configured for implantation in electrical contact with a cardiac chamber and configured to perform cardiac pacing functions in combination with a co-implanted implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). The leadless cardiac pacemaker comprises at least two leadless electrodes configured for delivering cardiac pacing pulses, sensing evoked and/or natural cardiac electrical signals, and bidirectionally communicating with the co-implanted ICD. | 09-05-2013 |
20130261685 | COORDINATED HIS-BUNDLE PACING AND HIGH ENERGY THERAPY - A cardiac arrhythmia can be identified, such as a tachycardia or fibrillation episode (atrial or ventricular). In responses to the detected arrhythmia, a coordinated electrostimulation therapy can be provided using at least one of a defibrillation shock therapy, a pre-shock conditioning therapy, or a post-shock conditioning therapy. The pre-shock or post-shock conditioning therapies can include electrostimulation therapies provided to the natural electrical conduction system of the heart between the atrioventricular node and the Purkinje fibers, inclusive, such as at or near a His bundle of a heart. In an example, a defibrillation threshold can be reduced by providing a pre-shock conditioning electrostimulation therapy to the natural electrical conduction system of the heart between the atrioventricular node and the Purkinje fibers, inclusive, such as at or near a His bundle. | 10-03-2013 |
20130268012 | IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICES, AND METHODS OF USE THEREWITH, THAT DETECT EXPOSURE TO MAGNETIC FIELDS FROM MRI SYSTEMS - Embodiments of the present invention generally pertain to implantable medical devices, and methods for use therewith, that detect exposure to magnetic fields produced by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems. In accordance with specific embodiments, a sensor output is produced using an implantable sensor that is configured to detect acceleration, sound and/or vibration, but is not configured to detect a magnetic field. Such a sensor can be an accelerometer sensor, a strain gauge sensor or a microphone sensor, but is not limited thereto. In dependence on the produced sensor output, there is a determination whether of whether the IMD is being exposed to a time-varying gradient magnetic field from an MRI system. In accordance with certain embodiments, when there is a determination that the IMD is being exposed to a time-varying gradient magnetic field from an MRI system, then a mode switch to an MRI safe mode is performed. | 10-10-2013 |
20130282071 | CONTROL OF A DEFIBRILLATOR AND/OR PACEMAKER - An electronic medical person access to a medical professional (MP) who can monitor, diagnose and treat the person from a remote site. The apparatus includes a plurality of medical treatment devices coupled to an electronic adapter designed to communicate with (A) each treatment device and (B) a local, first transmitting/receiving device which, in turn, is adapted to electronically communicate with a remote, second transmitting/receiving device used by the MP. Signals representing physiologic information of the person via the adapter to the MP and, in response, the MP may transmit a control signal to one or more treatment devices. The treatment devices may communicate via the adapter. | 10-24-2013 |
20130289635 | HANDLING RACE CONDITIONS DURING DATA TRANSFER BETWEEN MULTIPLE MODULES OF AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE - The accuracy of data processing operations in an electronic device is improved through reductions in errors associated with data acquisition, reading, and transmission. In one embodiment, two or more modules of an integrated circuit are operated at different clock speeds and a voting scheme is utilized to obtain a valid data value from one of the modules. The disclosure describes methods, devices and systems that utilize the voting schemes to eliminate errors induced by race conditions in obtaining valid data values during data transfer by obtaining a plurality of data samples while the communicating modules are operating at the different clock speeds and selecting from among the data samples the valid data value. | 10-31-2013 |
20130289636 | TIMED IMPLANTABLE THERAPY DELIVERY DEVICE - Pulseless electrical activity (PEA) is reduced or eliminated. A medical electrical lead is implanted to deliver high voltage therapy to a fibrillating heart. Another medical electrical lead delivers electrical stimulation through an electrode proximate phrenic nerve tissue in response to the delivery of high voltage therapy to the fibrillating heart. | 10-31-2013 |
20130325078 | MEDICAL MONITORING AND TREATMENT DEVICE WITH EXTERNAL PACING - A non-invasive bodily-attached ambulatory medical monitoring and treatment device with pacing is provided. The noninvasive ambulatory pacing device includes a battery, at least one therapy electrode coupled to the battery, a memory storing information indicative of a patient's cardiac activity, and at least one processor coupled to the memory and the at least one therapy electrode. The at least one processor is configured to identify a cardiac arrhythmia within the information and execute at least one pacing routine to treat the identified cardiac arrhythmia. | 12-05-2013 |
20140012341 | METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE TELEMETRY POWER MANAGEMENT - A method comprises connecting at least one portion of a far-field radio-frequency (RF) first telemetry circuit in an implantable medical device to an energy source through a power connection module, detecting information included in a first predetermined wireless signal, changing a conductivity state of the power connection module when the information in the first predetermined wireless signal is detected to couple power to the at least one portion of the first telemetry circuit, detecting a second predetermined wireless signal, and changing a conductivity state of the power connection module to decouple power to the at least one portion of the first telemetry circuit when the second predetermined wireless signal is detected and the first telemetry circuit enters an idle state. | 01-09-2014 |
20140018870 | MRI OPERATION MODES FOR IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICES - One embodiment of the present invention relates to an implantable medical device (“IMD”) that can be programmed from one operational mode to another operational mode when in the presence of electro-magnetic interference (“EMI”). In accordance with this particular embodiment, the IMD includes a communication interface for receiving communication signals from an external device, such as a command to switch the IMD from a first operation mode to a second operation mode. The IMD further includes a processor in electrical communication with the communication interface, which is operable to switch or reprogram the IMD from the first operation mode to the second operation mode upon receiving a command to do so. In addition, the IMD includes a timer operable to measure a time period from when the processor switches the IMD to the second operation mode. In accordance with this aspect of the invention, the processor is in electrical communication with the timer, and is further operable to switch the IMD from the second operation mode back to the first operation mode when the measured time period reaches a predetermined time period. | 01-16-2014 |
20140018871 | ENDOCARDIAL PACING DEVICES AND METHODS USEFUL FOR RESYNCHRONIZATION AND DEFIBRILLATION - According to one aspect, various methods and apparatus are used for treating a condition of a patient's heart, and for monitoring cardiac operation. In one approach consistent therewith, an electrode arrangement is placed in a right ventricle of the heart. The electrode arrangement is used to capture the myocardium for re-synchronization of the left and right ventricles by providing first and second signal components having opposite polarity on respective electrodes. The electrode arrangement is connected to an implantable CRM device that has the capability of pacing/sensing atrium, pacing/sensing ventricles, and deliver defibrillation therapy from the right side of the heart. The CRM device captures ventricular contractions to treat conduction abnormalities in one or more of the ventricles. | 01-16-2014 |
20140046389 | SINGLE-PASS LEFT-SIDED DDD PACING LEAD - A single-pass pacing lead capable of sensing and pacing both the atria and the ventricles is described. In some examples, the single-pass pacing lead is connected to a DDD pacemaker. In some examples, the single-pass pacing lead comprises four electrodes. In some examples, the lead includes three electrodes configured to be positioned in or near an atrium, e.g., the right atrium, and one electrode configured to be positioned in or near a ventricle, e.g., the left ventricle, when the lead is implanted. In other examples, the lead includes two electrodes configured to be positioned in each of the atrium and ventricle when the lead is implanted. In some examples, one of the electrodes, which is configured to be positioned proximate the coronary sinus ostium when the lead is implanted, comprises a helical element for fixation of the lead to tissue. | 02-13-2014 |
20140046390 | IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE WITH AUTOMATIC TACHYCARDIA DETECTION AND CONTROL IN MRI ENVIRONMENTS - An implantable medical device (IMD) includes a lead having one or more sensing electrodes and one or more therapy delivery electrodes, and a sensor configured to detect the presence of static and time-varying scan fields in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) environment. A controller, in electrical communication with the lead and the sensor, is configured to process signals related to tachycardia events sensed via the one or more sensing electrodes and to deliver pacing and shock therapy signals via the one or more therapy delivery electrodes. The controller compares the sensed static and time-varying scan fields to static and time-varying scan field thresholds. The controller controls delivery of anti-tachycardia pacing and shock therapy signals as a function of the detected tachycardia events, the comparison of the sensed static scan field to the static scan field threshold, and the comparison of the time-varying scan fields to the time-varying scan field thresholds. | 02-13-2014 |
20140052200 | IMPLANTABLE CARDIAC PROSTHESIS GENERATOR HAVING PROTECTION FROM AN MRI EXAMINATION - Systems, methods, and devices for protecting against effects of magnetic fields are provided. One implantable medical device includes a lead including a first conductor and a second conductor. The device further includes a generator including an electronic circuit, a metal housing that has a ground potential, and one or more switching devices. The switching devices, in a safekeeping configuration, are configured to disconnect the second conductor from the electronic circuit and to connect the second conductor to the ground potential of the metal housing. The first conductor is connected to the electronic circuit in the safekeeping configuration. The switching devices, in the safekeeping configuration, are configured to cause the second conductor to shield the first conductor from at least a portion of the effects of the magnetic field while the first conductor remains connected to the electronic circuit for use in performing a sensing operation and/or a stimulation operation. | 02-20-2014 |
20140058467 | IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE WITH CONTROL OF NEURAL STIMULATION BASED ON BATTERY STATUS - An implantable medical device is powered by a battery to deliver one or more therapies including at least one non-life-sustaining therapy such as neural stimulation for enhancing quality of life of a patient. When the battery approaches its end of life, the implantable medical device reduces power consumption of the neural stimulation (e.g., intensity of the neural stimulation) for extending the remaining battery life while maintaining a certain amount of therapeutic benefits for the patient. In one embodiment, the intensity of the neural stimulation is reduced in a tiered manner. In one embodiment in which the implantable medical device also delivers at least one life-sustaining cardiac stimulation therapy, the neural stimulation is disabled or adjusted to reduce its power consumption (e.g., intensity) while the intensity of the cardiac stimulation therapy is maintained when the battery is near its end of life. | 02-27-2014 |
20140100621 | Method and Apparatus for Treating a Patient's Heart Using Hemodynamics - An apparatus for treating a patient's heart includes a sensor for measuring hemodynamics of the heart. The apparatus includes a processing unit which receives the hemodynamics from the sensor and uses the hemodynamics to determine whether to shock the heart. A method for treating a patient's heart. The method includes the steps of measuring hemodynamics of the heart with a sensor. There is the step of receiving the hemodynamics from the sensor at a processing unit which uses the hemodynamics to determine whether to shock the heart. | 04-10-2014 |
20140100622 | EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATION WITH AUTOMATIC POST-SHOCK ANTI-TACHYCARDIA (APSAT) PACING - A medical device such as an external defibrillator delivers electrical therapy using a special pulse sequence. The special pulse sequence includes a defibrillation shock that is automatically followed by a quick succession of automatic post-shock anti-tachycardia (APSAT) pacing pulses. Because of the pacing pulses, the defibrillation shock can be of lesser energy than an equivalent defibrillation shock of a larger energy. Accordingly, the external defibrillator can be made physically smaller and weigh less, without sacrificing the therapeutic effect of a larger external defibrillator that would deliver a defibrillation shock of higher energy. As such, the defibrillator is easier to configure for transporting, handling, and even wearing. | 04-10-2014 |
20140121716 | HIGH VOLTAGE THERAPY DIVERSION ALGORITHMS - An implantable medical device capable of delivering high voltage therapy includes a therapy delivery module comprising a high voltage therapy delivery circuit, a high voltage short circuit protection circuit configured to terminate delivery of a high voltage pulse by the therapy delivery module in response to a short circuit condition, and a sensing module for detecting a need for a high voltage therapy. The device further includes a therapy control unit configured to control the therapy delivery module to deliver a shock pulse in response to detecting the need for the high voltage therapy. The control unit detects a termination of the high voltage pulse by the protection circuit; a truncated shock charge remaining on the high voltage therapy delivery circuit upon terminating the high voltage pulse. The control unit controls the therapy delivery module to deliver a next shock pulse at the remaining truncated shock charge. | 05-01-2014 |
20140121717 | PROVIDING LIFE SUPPORT - Systems and methods of providing life support are provided. A life support system includes a first life support device that has a control unit and is configured to apply a life support protocol to a subject. The first life support device also includes a memory unit that can store life support protocol information, and the control unit can provide the life support protocol information to a second life support device. The control unit can also receive operating instructions from the second life support device based on the life support protocol information, and can implement the operating instructions. | 05-01-2014 |
20140135860 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR EARLY DETECTION OF LEAD BREACHES USING CROSS-LEAD IMPEDANCES DETECTED BY AN IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE - Techniques are provided for use with an implantable medical device for detecting breaches in lead insulation or other lead failures. In one example, bipolar impedance is measured along single-lead vectors (i.e. intra-lead vectors) of a right atrial (RA) lead and a right ventricular (RV) leads. Impedance is also measured along various cross-lead vectors (i.e. inter-lead vectors) between electrodes of the two leads. A derived impedance value is then determined from a combination of the measured impedance values, wherein the derived impedance is sensitive to a shunt impedance arising from a breach within the RV lead. A lead breach is then detected relatively early based on the derived impedance by detecting a significant deviation in derived impedance over time. Unipolar impedance measurements are used to confirm the breach. | 05-15-2014 |
20140148868 | Automated Assessment of Atrioventricular and Ventriculoatrial Conduction - A method discriminates between ventricular arrhythmia and supraventricular arrhythmia by determining the direction of an electrical signal conducted through the atrioventricular node. An implantable cardiac defibrillator provides atrioventricular and ventriculoatrial pacing bursts to determine if an arrhythmia with a 1:1 atrial to ventricular relationship is due to ventricular tachycardia or supraventricular tachycardia. This discrimination capability reduces the incidence of inappropriate shocks from dual-chamber implantable cardiac defibrillators to near zero and provides a method to differentially diagnose supraventricular tachycardia from ventricular tachycardia. | 05-29-2014 |
20140155947 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR IMPLANTABLE CARDIAC LEAD INTEGRITY ANALYSIS - The present invention relates, generally, to scientific and medical system methods for diagnosis of implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) lead conductor anomalies, in particular conductor migration and externalization within an ICD implantable cardiac lead. The method uses an “imaginary” component of the high frequency transmission line impedance having certain spectral changes that correspond to movements of the conductor or an “imaginary impedance”. This allows the detection of conductor migration and small insulation failures. | 06-05-2014 |
20140163629 | IMPLANTED LEAD ANALYSIS SYSTEM AND METHOD - The technology disclosed herein relates to a method for lead analysis for an implanted medical device. A summary data record is retrieved associated with one or more episodes from an implanted medical device through a communication module. Episode selection criteria are applied to the summary data record by a processing module. One or more episode data records are retrieved from the implanted medical device for one or more episodes for which the episode selection criteria was satisfied. Noise detection criteria are applied to the episode data record. A notification module is configured to generate an alert if the noise detection criteria are satisfied | 06-12-2014 |
20140180351 | ARRHYTHMIA ELECTROTHERAPY DEVICE AND METHOD WITH PROVISIONS FOR MITIGATING PATIENT DISCOMFORT - Apparatus and method for treating an arrhythmia in a patient using an electrotherapy device such as a subcutaneous pacing device. The device applies a series of electrotherapy pulses in response to the presence of the arrhythmia. Various provisions are disclosed for mitigating pain or discomfort as a result of the electrotherapy pulses. | 06-26-2014 |
20140207201 | WEARABLE CARDIAC DEFIBRILLATOR SYSTEM CONTROLLING CONDUCTIVE FLUID DEPLOYMENT - In embodiments, a wearable cardiac defibrillator system includes an energy storage module configured to store a charge. Two electrodes can be configured to be applied to respective locations of a patient. One or more reservoirs can store one or more conductive fluids. Respective fluid deploying mechanisms can be configured to cause the fluids to be released from one or more of the reservoirs, which decreases the impedance at the patient location, and decreases discomfort for the patient. In some embodiments an impedance is sensed between the two electrodes, and the stored charge is delivered when the sensed impedance meets a discharge condition. In some embodiments, different fluids are released for different patient treatments. In some embodiments, fluid release is controlled to be in at least two doses, with an intervening pause. | 07-24-2014 |
20140214104 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR LEADLESS PACING AND SHOCK THERAPY - Techniques and systems for monitoring cardiac arrhythmias and delivering electrical stimulation therapy using a subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator (SICD) and a leadless pacing device (LPD) are described. For example, the SICD may detect a tachyarrhythmia within a first electrical signal from a heart and determine, based on the tachyarrhythmia, to deliver anti-tachyarrhythmia shock therapy to the patient to treat the detected arrhythmia. The LPD may receive communication from the SICD requesting the LPD deliver anti-tachycardia pacing to the heart and determine, based on a second electrical signal from the heart sensed by the LPD, whether to deliver anti-tachycardia pacing (ATP) to the heart. In this manner, the SICD and LPD may communicate to coordinate ATP and/or cardioversion/defibrillation therapy. In another example, the LPD may be configured to deliver post-shock pacing after detecting delivery of anti-tachyarrhythmia shock therapy. | 07-31-2014 |
20140243917 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR IMPROVING IMPEDANCE DATA QUALITY IN THE PRESENCE OF PACING PULSES - An implantable medical device, comprised of at least one lead configured to be located proximate to a heart, the at least one lead including electrodes, at least a portion of the electrodes configured to sense cardiac activity. A therapy module configured to control delivery of pacing pulses in accordance with a therapy timing and based on the cardiac sensed activity sensed. Cardiac impedance (CI) sensor circuitry configured to be coupled to at least a first combination of the electrodes to sense cardiac impedance (CI), the CI sensor circuitry generating an impedance data stream associated with a corresponding CI sensing vector. | 08-28-2014 |
20140277221 | UTILIZATION OF MORPHOLOGY DISCRIMINATION AFTER T-WAVE OVERSENSING DETERMINATION FOR UNDERLYING RHYTHMS IN THE THERAPY ZONE - A medical device and method for detecting and classifying cardiac rhythm episodes that includes a sensing module to sense cardiac events; a therapy delivery module, and a detection module configured to determine intervals between the sensed cardiac events, determine a predetermined cardiac episode is occurring in response to the determined intervals, determine whether a ventricular rate is greater than an atrial rate in response to the determined intervals, determine whether oversensing is occurring in response to the ventricular rate being greater than the atrial rate, adjust the determined intervals in response to oversensing occurring to generate an adjusted ventricular rate, determine whether the cardiac episode is occurring in response to the adjusted ventricular rate, perform a supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) discrimination analysis in response to the cardiac episode occurring in response to the adjusted ventricular rate, and control the therapy delivery module to deliver therapy in response to the SVT discrimination analysis. | 09-18-2014 |
20140277222 | UTILIZATION OF MORPHOLOGY DISCRIMINATION AFTER UNDERSENSING DETERMINATION FOR UNDERLYING RHYTHMS IN THE THERAPY ZONE - A medical device and method for detecting and classifying cardiac rhythm episodes that includes a sensing module to sense cardiac events, a therapy delivery module, and a detection module configured to determine intervals between the sensed cardiac events, determine a predetermined cardiac episode is occurring in response to the determined intervals, determine whether a ventricular rate is greater than an atrial rate in response to the determined intervals, determine whether undersensing is occurring in response to the ventricular rate being greater than the atrial rate, perform a supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) discrimination analysis in response to undersensing occurring, and control the therapy delivery module to deliver therapy in response to the SVT discrimination analysis. | 09-18-2014 |
20140296930 | Cardiac-Safe Electrotherapy Method and Apparatus - A multi-modal electrotherapy apparatus including circuitry for administering defibrillation therapy and for administering medium voltage therapy (MVT) adapted to reduce the side effects of MVT. The electrotherapy apparatus is configured to selectively deliver MVT to vectors not involving the ventricles and defibrillation therapy to vectors involving the ventricles. The apparatus can use biphasic waveforms configured to avoid capture of cardiac cells during MVT. The electrotherapy apparatus can minimize the risk of applying MVT at inappropriate times, such as during atrial fibrillation or where conventional ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation therapy is more appropriate. | 10-02-2014 |
20140309706 | LEADLESS CARDIAC PACEMAKER SYSTEM FOR USAGE IN COMBINATION WITH AN IMPLANTABLE CARDIOVERTER-DEFIBRILLATOR - A cardiac pacing system comprising one or more leadless cardiac pacemakers configured for implantation in electrical contact with a cardiac chamber and configured to perform cardiac pacing functions in combination with a co-implanted implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). The leadless cardiac pacemaker comprises at least two leadless electrodes configured for delivering cardiac pacing pulses, sensing evoked and/or natural cardiac electrical signals, and bidirectionally communicating with the co-implanted ICD. | 10-16-2014 |
20140330325 | IMPLANTABLE CARDIOVERTER-DEFIBRILLATOR (ICD) SYSTEM INCLUDING SUBSTERNAL PACING LEAD - An implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD) system includes an ICD implanted subcutaneously in a patient, a defibrillation lead having a proximal portion coupled to the ICD and a distal portion having a defibrillation electrode configured to deliver a defibrillation or cardioversion shock to a heart of the patient, and a pacing lead that includes a distal portion having one or more electrodes and a proximal portion coupled to the ICD. The distal portion of the pacing lead is implanted at least partially along a posterior side of a sternum of the patient within the anterior mediastinum. The ICD is configured to provide pacing pulses to the heart of the patient via the pacing lead and provide defibrillation shocks to the patient via the defibrillation lead. As such, the implantable cardiac system provides pacing from the substernal space for an extravascular ICD system. | 11-06-2014 |
20140330326 | IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE SYSTEM HAVING IMPLANTABLE CARDIOVERTER-DEFIBRILLATOR (ICD) SYSTEM AND SUBSTERNAL LEADLESS PACING DEVICE - Implantable cardiac systems and methods for providing substernal pacing in an ICD system are described. In one example, an implantable cardiac system comprises an ICD system and an implantable leadless pacing device (LPD) communicatively coupled to the ICD system. The ICD system includes an ICD and an implantable defibrillation lead having a proximal portion coupled to the ICD and a distal portion having a defibrillation electrode configured to deliver a defibrillation shock to a heart of the patient. The LPD includes a housing, a first electrode on the housing, a second electrode on the housing, and a pulse generator within the housing and electrically coupled to the first electrode and the second electrode. The housing of the LPD is implanted substantially within an anterior mediastinum of the patient and the pulse generator is configured to deliver pacing pulses to a heart via the first and second electrodes. | 11-06-2014 |
20140330327 | IMPLANTABLE CARDIOVERTER-DEFIBRILLATOR (ICD) SYSTEM INCLUDING SUBSTERNAL LEAD - Substernal implantable cardioveter-defibrillator (ICD) systems and methods for providing substernal electrical stimulation therapy to treat malignant tachyarrhythmia, e.g., ventricular tachycardia (VT) and ventricular fibrillation (VF) are described. In one example, an implantable cardioveter-defibrillator (ICD) system includes an ICD implanted in a patient and an implantable medical electrical lead. The lead includes an elongated lead body having a proximal end and a distal portion, a connector at the proximal end of the lead body configured to couple to the ICD, and one or more electrodes along the distal portion of the elongated lead body. The distal portion of the elongated lead body of the lead is implanted substantially within an anterior mediastinum of the patient and the ICD is configured to deliver electrical stimulation to a heart of the patient using the one or more electrodes. | 11-06-2014 |
20140330328 | MULTI-MODE IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE - Techniques and methods for determining the number and type of leads that are connected to an implantable medical device (IMD) system are disclosed. The IMD system is configured having at least two modes of operation, the modes of operation corresponding to the number and type of leads that are coupled to the IMD system. In accordance with aspects of the disclosure, one of the at least two modes may be selected based on the determination of the number and type of leads that are connected to the IMD system. | 11-06-2014 |
20140350616 | Microperfusive Electrical Stimulation - A method of treating a patient in cardiac arrest (e.g., in fibrillation, electrochemical dissociation, or asystole), the method comprising delivering an agent for enhancement of cardiac function to the coronary arteries of the patient; and microperfusing the patient's cardiac tissue by electromagnetically stimulating the cardiac issue at an energy level below a threshold sufficient to defibrillate the heart. | 11-27-2014 |
20140371804 | METHOD FOR LOW-VOLTAGE TERMINATION OF CARDIAC ARRHYTHMIAS BY EFFECTIVELY UNPINNING ANATOMICAL REENTRIES - A method for extinguishing a cardiac arrhythmia utilizes destructive interference of the passing of the reentry wave tip of an anatomical reentry through a depolarized region created by a relatively low voltage electric field in such a way as to effectively unpin the anatomical reentry. Preferably, the relatively low voltage electric field is defined by at least one unpinning shock(s) that are lower than an expected lower limit of vulnerability as established, for example, by a defibrillation threshold test. By understanding the physics of the electric field distribution between cardiac cells, the method permits the delivery of an electric field sufficient to unpin the core of the anatomical reentry, whether the precise or estimated location of the reentry is known or unknown and without the risk of inducting ventricular fibrillation. A number of embodiments for performing the method are disclosed. | 12-18-2014 |
20140379040 | STIMULATION MODE DETERMINATION - Devices and methods for providing pacing in multiple modes are provided. One device operates in a dual chamber (DDD or biventricular) mode and in a pacing mode favoring the spontaneous atrioventricular conduction such as an AAI mode ( | 12-25-2014 |
20150025592 | IMPLANTABLE HEART THERAPY DEVICE - An implantable heart therapy device connected to at least one right-ventricular electrode and one left-ventricular electrode that sense and stimulate the heart. The at least one right-ventricular and left-ventricular electrodes are each connected to a tachycardia identification unit, wherein the identification unit identifies ventricular tachycardias, and simultaneously evaluates the heart rate at the right-ventricular and at the left-ventricular electrodes. The implantable heart therapy device includes a right-ventricular stimulation unit that delivers antitachycardia stimulation to the right-ventricular electrode, a left-ventricular stimulation unit that delivers antitachycardia stimulation to the left-ventricular electrode, and a therapy control unit that assigns the stimulation location for the antitachycardia stimulation to the slower ventricle side if a dissimilar tachycardia is present. | 01-22-2015 |
20150045845 | PEELABLE LID FOR CONTAINER WITH MULTI-POINT PEEL SYSTEM - A peelable lid system includes a peelable lid, a seal configured to seal the peelable lid to a container, a handle coupled to the peelable lid, and a lifting mechanism coupled to handle. The lifting mechanism can be coupled to the peelable lid at a plurality of attachment points, including at least one attachment point coupled to the peelable lid away from the handle. The lifting mechanism can be configured to lift at least one portion of the peelable lid near each of the plurality of attachment points. | 02-12-2015 |
20150045846 | Apparatus for Terminating a High Frequency Arrhythmic Electric State of a Heart - For terminating a high frequency arrhythmic electric state of a heart an electric signal representative of the present electric state of the heart is obtained. From the electric signal a dominant frequency of the present electric state is determined, and from the dominant frequency it is determined whether the present electric state of the heart is a high frequency arrhythmic electric state displaying at least one rotating wave. Further, a dominance level indicative of how dominant the dominant frequency is in the high frequency arrhythmic electric state is determined from the electric signal. Depending on the at least one dominant frequency, at least one series of electric pulses at intervals is generated. The electric pulses are applied to the heart starting at a point in time at which the dominance level exceeds a predefined threshold value for the heart being in a determined high frequency arrhythmic electric state. | 02-12-2015 |
20150057716 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR ANALYZING VALVE RELATED TIMING AND MONITORING HEART FAILURE - A method and system are provided to analyze valve related timing and monitor heart failure. The method and system comprise collecting cardiac signals associated with an atrial chamber of interest; collecting dynamic impedance (DI) data along an atria-function focused (AFF) vector to form a DI data set, the DI data set including information corresponding to a mechanical function (MF) of a valve associated with the atrial chamber of interest; identifying, from the cardiac signals, an intra-atrial conduction timing (IACT) associated with the atrial chamber of interest; estimating an MF landmark at which the mechanical function of the valve occurs based on the DI data set; analyzing a timing delay between the MF landmark and the IACT; and adjusting a therapy, based on the timing delay, to encourage atrial contribution to ventricular filling. | 02-26-2015 |
20150080977 | IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE TELEMETRY IN DISRUPTIVE ENERGY FIELD - An implantable medical device may include a telemetry module, a sensing module, a therapy delivery module, and a processor. The processor may be configured to detect a patient event based on data generated by the sensing module, operate the IMD in a first mode in which the telemetry module is disabled and the therapy delivery module is at least partially disabled when the patient event is not detected, and operate the IMD in a second mode in which the telemetry module is enabled and the therapy delivery module is at least partially disabled when the patient event is detected. In some examples, the processor is configured to, in the second mode, generate a notification of the cardiac arrhythmia and transmit the notification to an external device via the telemetry module. The external device may reside inside an MRI room or outside the MRI room, and may communicate with other devices. | 03-19-2015 |
20150100101 | HEART STIMULATOR - An implantable cardioverter-defibrillator system that includes at least one or more stimulation units, one or more detection units, one or more control units, two or more electrode poles and one or more high voltage capacitors. The at least one control unit is connected with the at least one stimulation unit, and the at least one control unit is connected with at the least one detection unit. The two or more electrode poles are in contact with body tissue, and the one or more high voltage capacitors are charged by at least one charging unit, wherein the at least one charging unit is connected to the at least one control unit. | 04-09-2015 |
20150119947 | Method and Apparatus for Determining Cardiac Performance in a Patient - An apparatus for determining heart transplant rejection of a heart in a patient includes at least two electrodes adapted to be sewn into the heart that span the left ventricle. The apparatus includes a voltage generator adapted to be inserted in the patient which generates a voltage to the two electrodes and senses the resulting voltage from the two electrodes. A method for determining heart transplant rejection of a heart in a patient. A pacemaker for a patient (including bi-ventricular pacing and AICDs). The pacemaker includes an RV lead having four electrodes adapted to be inserted into the RV apex. The pacemaker includes a voltage generator which generates a voltage signal to the electrodes and senses the instantaneous voltage along the length of the RV and determines the real and imaginary components to remove the myocardial components of the septum and RV free wall to determine absolute RV blood volume. The pacemaker includes a battery connected to the voltage generator. The pacemaker includes a defibrillator connected to the battery. The pacemaker can also be a bi-ventricular pacemaker to restore RV and LV synchrony during contraction. A method for assisting a heart of a patient. | 04-30-2015 |
20150148854 | MEDICAL MONITORING AND TREATMENT DEVICE WITH EXTERNAL PACING - A non-invasive bodily-attached ambulatory medical monitoring and treatment device with pacing is provided. The noninvasive ambulatory pacing device includes a battery, at least one therapy electrode coupled to the battery, a memory storing information indicative of a patient's cardiac activity, and at least one processor coupled to the memory and the at least one therapy electrode. The at least one processor is configured to identify a cardiac arrhythmia within the information and execute at least one pacing routine to treat the identified cardiac arrhythmia. | 05-28-2015 |
20150290467 | PACING DEVICE WITH AUTONOMOUS ANTI-TACHYCARDIA PACING - In an example, an apparatus is described that includes an implantable housing, a heart signal sensing circuit configured to sense intrinsic electrical heart signals, a ventricular tachyarrhythmia (VT) detector circuit, operatively coupled to the heart signal sensing circuit, the detector circuit operable to detect a VT based on the sensed heart signals, a processor configured to control delivery of an anti-tachyarrhythmia pacing (ATP) therapy based on the detected VT, and an energy delivery circuit configured to deliver the ATP therapy in response to the detected VT, wherein the apparatus does not include a shock circuit capable of delivering a therapeutically-effective cardioverting or defibrillating shock. | 10-15-2015 |
20150297902 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR TREATING CARDIAC ARRHYTHMIAS - Systems and methods for coordinating treatment of abnormal heart activity using multiple implanted devices. In one example, a method of operating a medical system may comprise determining, by a first one of a plurality of implantable medical devices, a presence of an arrhythmia, wherein the first one of a plurality of implantable medical devices uses a first discrimination method to determine the presence of an arrhythmia, determining, by a second one of the plurality of implantable medical devices, a presence of an arrhythmia, wherein the second one of a plurality of implantable medical devices uses a second discrimination method to determine the presence of an arrhythmia, and communicating, by the first one of the plurality of implantable medical devices to a second one of the plurality of implantable medical devices, a message that is indicative of a detected arrhythmia by the first one of a plurality of implantable medical devices. | 10-22-2015 |
20150297905 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR LEADLESS PACING AND SHOCK THERAPY - Techniques and systems for monitoring cardiac arrhythmias and delivering electrical stimulation therapy using a subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator (SICD) and a leadless pacing device (LPD) are described. For example, the SICD may detect a tachyarrhythmia within a first electrical signal from a heart and determine, based on the tachyarrhythmia, to deliver anti-tachyarrhythmia shock therapy to the patient to treat the detected arrhythmia. The LPD may receive communication from the SICD requesting the LPD deliver anti-tachycardia pacing to the heart and determine, based on a second electrical signal from the heart sensed by the LPD, whether to deliver anti-tachycardia pacing (ATP) to the heart. In this manner, the SICD and LPD may communicate to coordinate ATP and/or cardioversion/defibrillation therapy. In another example, the LPD may be configured to deliver post-shock pacing after detecting delivery of anti-tachyarrhythmia shock therapy. | 10-22-2015 |
20150306375 | IMPLANTABLE EXTRAVASCULAR ELECTRICAL STIMULATION LEAD HAVING IMPROVED SENSING AND PACING CAPABILITY - Implantable medical electrical leads having electrodes arranged such that a defibrillation coil electrode and a pace/sense electrode(s) are concurrently positioned substantially over the ventricle when implanted are described. The leads include an elongated lead body having a distal portion and a proximal end, a connector at the proximal end of the lead body, a defibrillation electrode located along the distal portion of the lead body, wherein the defibrillation electrode includes a first segment and a second segment proximal to the first segment by a distance, a first electrical conductor extending from the proximal end of the lead body and electrically coupling to the first segment and the second segment of the defibrillation electrode, and at least one pace/sense electrode located between the first segment and the second segment of the defibrillation electrode. | 10-29-2015 |
20150306410 | IMPLANTABLE EXTRAVASCULAR ELECTRICAL STIMULATION LEAD HAVING IMPROVED SENSING AND PACING CAPABILITY - Implantable medical electrical leads having electrodes arranged such that a defibrillation coil electrode and a pace/sense electrode(s) are concurrently positioned substantially over the ventricle when implanted as described. The leads include an elongated lead body having a distal portion and a proximal end, a connector at the proximal end of the lead body, a defibrillation electrode located along the distal portion of the lead body, wherein the defibrillation electrode includes a first electrode segment and a second electrode segment proximal to the first electrode segment by a distance. The leads may include at least one pace/sense electrode, which in some instances, is located between the first defibrillation electrode segment and the second defibrillation electrode segment. | 10-29-2015 |
20150321021 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR TREATING CARDIAC ARRHYTHMIAS - The present invention provides both methods and devices for termination of arrhythmias, such as ventricular or atrial tachyarrhythmias. The device and method involves application of alternating current (AC) for clinically significant durations at selected therapeutic frequencies through the cardiac tissue to a subject experiencing arrhythmia. Methods are also provided to minimize or eliminate pain during defibrillation. | 11-12-2015 |
20150360041 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR TREATING CARDIAC ARRHYTHMIAS - Systems and methods for coordinating treatment of abnormal heart activity using multiple implanted devices within a patient. In one example, a leadless cardiac pacemaker (LCP) may receive signals related to one or more physiological conditions of a patient, wherein the LCP may be configured to deliver ATP therapy to a heart. The LCP may also be configured, based at least in part on the received signals, to detect an arrhythmia. In response to detecting an arrhythmia, the LCP may determine whether to deliver ATP therapy to the heart. If the LCP determines to deliver ATP therapy, the LCP may deliver ATP therapy to the heart. | 12-17-2015 |
20150360042 | IMPLANTABLE STIMULATION DEVICES, AND METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR USE THEREWITH, THAT AUTOMATICALLY ADJUST STIMULATION PARAMETERS TO IMPROVE PRELOAD IN AN HF PATIENT - Methods, systems and devices described herein can be used for automatically adjusting one or more cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) pacing parameters (and more generally stimulation parameters), to achieve a long term reduction in left ventricular (LV) diastolic pressure (and more generally, preload) of a heart failure (HF) patient. A reduction in LV diastolic pressure is indicative of a reduction in preload (the force of blood the fills the left ventricle), which is typically indicative of an improvement in a patient's HF condition. In accordance with certain embodiments, when a set of stimulation parameters is tested, the set is tested for a period that is sufficiently long enough to allow the patient's compensatory mechanisms to react to the set of stimulation parameters and achieve a substantially steady-state LV diastolic pressure corresponding to the using the set of stimulation parameters. Such techniques are believed to provide better results than achieved using acute hemodynamic optimization techniques. | 12-17-2015 |
20150367135 | APPARATUS AND METHOD TO OPTIMIZE PACING PARAMETERS - A heart stimulator having an electric input that is connectable to a plurality of electrodes is disclosed and includes a stimulation control unit, one or more stimulation units, an impedance determination unit and an impedance evaluation unit. The stimulation units generate stimulation pulses and deliver a stimulation pulse when triggered by the stimulation control unit. The stimulation control unit is operatively connected to one or more stimulation units to control pacing parameters such as pacing site and/or the timing of stimulation pulses to be delivered by the one or more stimulation units. The impedance determination unit determines impedance values reflecting intracardiac impedance, and the impedance evaluation unit evaluates the impedance values and provides an evaluated impedance signal to the stimulation control unit. The impedance determination unit determines a plurality of impedance values between different pairs of electrodes that are connected to the electric input during operation of the heart stimulator. | 12-24-2015 |
20160008615 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR TREATING CARDIAC ARRHYTHMIAS | 01-14-2016 |
20160023011 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR CARDIAC STIMULATION - The present disclosure provides systems and methods for cardiac stimulation. The cardiac stimulation system includes a first cardiac stimulation device implanted in a subject, and a second cardiac stimulation device implanted in the subject and communicatively coupled to the first cardiac stimulation device. The cardiac stimulation system is configured to detect an arrhythmia in the subject, and apply a shocking pulse in response to the detected arrhythmia by supplying a first output voltage from the first cardiac stimulation device and a second output voltage from the second cardiac stimulation device, wherein the first output voltage has a first polarity and the second output voltage has a second polarity that is opposite from the first polarity. | 01-28-2016 |
20160030757 | LEADLESS CARDIAC PACEMAKER SYSTEM FOR USAGE IN COMBINATION WITH AN IMPLANTABLE CARDIOVERTER-DEFIBRILLATOR - A cardiac pacing system comprising one or more leadless cardiac pacemakers configured for implantation in electrical contact with a cardiac chamber and configured to perform cardiac pacing functions in combination with a co-implanted implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). The leadless cardiac pacemaker comprises at least two leadless electrodes configured for delivering cardiac pacing pulses, sensing evoked and/or natural cardiac electrical signals, and bidirectionally communicating with the co-implanted ICD. | 02-04-2016 |
20160038746 | COMMUNICATIONS IN A MEDICAL DEVICE SYSTEM - Systems and methods for communicating between medical devices. In one example, an implantable medical device comprising may comprise one or more electrodes and a controller coupled to the electrodes. The controller may be configured to receive a first communication pulse at a first communication pulse time and a second communication pulse at a second communication pulse time via the one or more electrodes. The controller may further be configured to identify one of three or more symbols based at least in part on the time difference between the first communication pulse time and the second communication pulse time. | 02-11-2016 |
20160038748 | COMMUNICATIONS IN A MEDICAL DEVICE SYSTEM - Systems and methods for communicating between medical devices. In one example, a method for communicating between a plurality of medical devices in a medical device system comprises, with a first medical device, communicating a first message to a second medical device. The method further comprises, with the second medical device, receiving the first message, wherein the first message comprises a plurality of communication pulses. A first set of the plurality of communication pulses represent a synchronization portion of the first message. A second set of the plurality of communication pulses represent a relative device address portion of the first message. A third set of the plurality of communication pulses represent a command portion of the first message. A fourth set of the plurality of communication pulses represent a payload portion of the first message. | 02-11-2016 |
20160038749 | COMMUNICATIONS IN A MEDICAL DEVICE SYSTEM - Systems and methods for communicating between medical devices. In one example, an implantable medical device comprises a communication module configured to receive commands from other medical devices, wherein the commands include a relative address and a command payload; a memory unit that stores a relative address and a unique identifier of the implantable medical device; a processing module coupled to the communication module and the memory unit, the processing module configured to: determine whether the relative address of a received command matches the relative address stored in the memory unit of the implantable medical device; if the relative address of the received command matches the relative address stored in the memory unit of the implantable medical device, execute the received command; and if the relative address of the received command does not match the relative address stored in the memory unit of the implantable medical device, ignore the received command. | 02-11-2016 |
20160059007 | LEADLESS CARDIAC PACEMAKER WITH MRI PACING MODE - A cardiac rhythm management system includes a first implantable medical device configured to monitor a patient's heart rhythm and provide therapy if appropriate, and a second implantable medical device that is configured to monitor the patient's heart rhythm and provide therapy if appropriate. The first implantable medical device is configured to detect a magnetic field indicative of an MRI machine and, upon detecting a magnetic field indicative of an MRI machine, is further configured to communicate the presence of the magnetic field indicative of the MRI machine to the second implantable medical device. The second implantable medical device may then enter an MRI-safe mode. | 03-03-2016 |
20160059024 | DISPLAY OF TEMPORALLY ALIGNED HEART INFORMATION FROM SEPARATE IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICES ON AN EXTRACORPOREAL DISPLAY - A cardiac rhythm management system includes a first implantable device such as a defibrillator and a second implantable device such as a leadless cardiac pacemaker. A programmer is configured to receive and display heart data emanating from the implantable defibrillator and from the leadless cardiac pacemaker. The heart data emanating from the leadless cardiac pacemaker is displayed in temporal alignment with the heart data emanating from the implantable defibrillator. | 03-03-2016 |
20160059025 | MEDICAL DEVICE WITH TRIGGERED BLANKING PERIOD - An implantable cardiac rhythm system includes a first implantable medical device configured to detect a first heartbeat from a first location, and a second implantable medical device configured to detect the first heart beat of the patient from a second location. The second implantable medical device, upon detecting the first heart beat, may communicate an indication of the detected first heart beat to the first implantable medical device, and in response, the first implantable medical device may institute a blanking period having a blanking period duration such that a T-wave of the detected first heart beat is blanked out by the first implantable medical device so as to not be interpreted as a subsequent second heart beat. In some instances, the first implantable medical device is an SICD and the second implantable medical device is a LCP. | 03-03-2016 |
20160101292 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR HOSPITAL, EMT/EMS, AND AED GRADE EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATION AND TRANSCUTANEOUS PACING - A method and apparatus for treating a cardiac condition in a human or animal patient comprises contacting an area of skin spanning the chest area of the patient with at least two patches or electrode paddles that apply low voltages and currents in a rotational manner to pre-stimulate that area, followed by applying a high voltage shock in rapid succession through the patient's heart through at least two electrode pad patches or paddles, wherein an amplifier-based external defibrillation cardioversion system is used. Also, an external pacing system is employed using ascending ramp or any arbitrary ascending or level waveform for transcutaneous pacing which employ a constant current delivery mode. Treatable conditions include atrial fibrillation (AF), atrial tachycardia (AT), ventricular fibrillation (VF), and ventricular tachycardia (VT). | 04-14-2016 |
20160101293 | IMPLANTABLE CARDIO DEFIBRILLATOR (ICD), SUBCUTANEOUS IMPLANTABLE CARDIO DEFIBRILLATOR (SICD), AND WAVEFORM ENERGY CONTROL SYSTEMS - Cardiac defibrillation or cardioversion waveform energy control systems employ transvenous ICDs or subcutaneous SICDs for treating cardiac arrhythmias. The systems comprise differentially driven amplifier circuit operational modes to control the delivery of defibrillation or cardioversion electrical shocks, wherein the shock waveforms are constant current, constant voltage, or constant energy. Biphasic arbitrary shock waveforms deliver increasing and or level energy with increasing time as represented by phase 1 ascending ramp, ascending exponential, ascending chopped, ascending stepped, ascending curved, square, rectilinear or level and or any combination of geometric shaped ascending or level waveforms. | 04-14-2016 |
20160106989 | CARDIAC EVENT SENSING AND PACING AFTER DELIVERY OF AN ELECTRICAL STIMULATION PULSE - A medical device is configured to deliver a shock to a patient's heart via electrodes coupled to the medical device and set an escape interval timer to start running an escape interval after delivering the electrical shock. A sensing module of the medical device is configured to sense a cardiac event in response to a cardiac electrical signal received by the medical device crossing a sensing threshold. The medical device determines if the cardiac event meets reset criteria and allows the escape interval timer to continue running the escape interval if the cardiac event does not meet the reset criteria. | 04-21-2016 |
20160114161 | PACEMAKER WITH DETECTION OF ATRIAL ACTIVITY WITHOUT COLLECTION OF ATRIAL ELECTRICAL ACTIVITY - The invention relates to an active implantable pacemaker. The device analyzes a ventricular electrogram signal (EGM) and is able to recognize, in a search window, an EA4 component of endocardial acceleration (EA) associated with atrial activity. In the presence of atrioventricular conduction, the search window is determined based on the temporal position of the EA1 and/or EA2 components of the EA signal. In the absence of atrioventricular conduction, a delay is counted from a paced ventricular event and applied to mask the EA1 and/or EA2 components in the EA signal, and the window for research of the EA4 component follows the masking delay. In the presence of a confirmed EA4 component, an atrioventricular delay is applied, counted from the EA4 component, and in the opposite case a predetermined escape interval is applied, counted from the last stimulated ventricular event. | 04-28-2016 |
20160121130 | IMPLANTABLE CARDIOVERTER-DEFIBRILLATOR (ICD) SYSTEM HAVING MULTIPLE COMMON POLARITY EXTRAVASCULAR DEFIBRILLATION ELECTRODES - This disclosure provides an extravascular ICD system and method for defibrillating a heart of a patient. The extravascular ICD system includes multiple extravascular electrical stimulation leads or lead segments located in close proximity to one another and having respective defibrillation electrodes. The ICD system utilizes the multiple defibrillation electrodes to form an extravascular electrode vector that may result a reduction in the shock impedance and/or a reduction in the DFT compared to extravascular ICD systems that include only a single extravascular defibrillation electrode. An ICD of the system may, for example, deliver a defibrillation shock using an electrode vector in which a first polarity of the electrode vector is formed by electrically coupling first and second defibrillation electrodes of first and second leads, respectively, to the therapy circuitry and a second polarity of the electrode vector is formed by electrically coupling a housing of the ICD to the therapy circuitry. | 05-05-2016 |
20160136444 | ACTIVE IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE WITH CARDIAC LEAD AND PERIPHERAL LEAD DISCRIMINATION - The device includes a cardiac therapy circuit with a first terminal, and a peripheral therapy circuit with a second terminal. These terminals can either receive a cardiac detection/stimulation lead and a peripheral detection/stimulation lead of an anatomical structure. The device is configured to recognize the leads and automatically configure the connection terminals. This includes discrimination methods for identifying the terminal on which a cardiac signal is detected, and switching methods for coupling the cardiac therapy circuit to the terminal and the peripheral therapy circuit to the other terminal. | 05-19-2016 |
20160136445 | ACTIVE IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE WITH CARDIAC LEAD AND PERIPHERAL LEAD DISCRIMINATION - The device includes a cardiac therapy circuit with a first terminal, and a peripheral therapy circuit with a second terminal. These terminals can either receive a cardiac detection/stimulation lead or a peripheral detection/stimulation lead of an organ. The device is configured to recognize the leads and automatically configure the connection terminals according to the type of lead received by the terminal. This includes discrimination methods for identifying the terminal on which a cardiac signal is detected, and selectively activating the cardiac therapy circuit and the peripheral therapy circuit based on the detection of the cardiac signal on a lead. | 05-19-2016 |
20160166839 | MEDICAL DEVICE INCLUDING SETUP OPTION REPORTING | 06-16-2016 |
20160166841 | DEFIBRILLATION PACING CIRCUITRY | 06-16-2016 |
20160175598 | PACING DEVICE WITH ACOUSTIC SENSOR | 06-23-2016 |
20160175601 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MANAGING TIERED TACHYCARDIA THERAPY | 06-23-2016 |
20160175603 | HEMODYNAMICALLY UNSTABLE VENTRICULAR ARRHYTHMIA DETECTION | 06-23-2016 |
20170232266 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR TREATING CARDIAC ARRHYTHMIAS | 08-17-2017 |
20180020940 | IMPLANTABLE CARDIAC SYSTEM HAVING AN R-SPIKE AMPLIFIER | 01-25-2018 |