Atrial interval based heart rate variability diagnostic for cardiac rhythm management system
AssigneeCardiac Pacemakers, Inc.
InventorsGerrard M. Carlson, Kenneth L. Baker, Jeffrey E. Stahmann
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Abstract
A cardiac rhythm management system acquires atrial heart rate variability data. The system provides a graphic or other indication of patient well-being based on the atrial heart rate variability data. Such atrial heart rate variability information provides an indication of the autonomic balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic/vagal components of the autonomic nervous system. One example of the system also provides time-domain processing of frequency components of the atrial heart rate interval signal to obtain the indication of patient well-being.
Claims12
A method including:
- detecting, over a time period, intrinsic atrial heart contractions;
- measuring P-P intervals between the intrinsic atrial heart contractions;
- calculating beat-to-beat P-P time differences between a pair of successive P-P intervals;
- categorizing the P-P time differences based on at least one of:
- (1) a magnitude of at least one P-P interval in the pair of successive P-P intervals;
- and (2) an amount of the P-P time difference;
- storing, over the time period, a categorized count of the P-P time differences;
- and
- providing a diagnostic based on the stored categorized count of the P-P time differences.
A system including:
- an atrial electrode configured for being associated with an atrium of a heart;
- an atrial sense amplifier, including an atrial sense amplifier input coupled to the atrial electrode for receiving, over a time period, intrinsic atrial electrical depolarizations therefrom, and including an atrial sense amplifier output;
- a P-P interval timer, including a P-P timer input coupled to the atrial sense amplifier output for receiving intrinsic atrial electrical depolarizations, and including a P-P timer output providing a P-P interval between successive atrial heart contractions;
- a difference circuit, including a difference circuit input coupled to the P-P interval timer, and a difference circuit output providing a P-P time difference between a successive pair of P-P intervals;
- and
- a controller, coupled to the P-P timer output for receiving the P-P intervals and also coupled to the difference circuit output for receiving the P-P time differences, the controller categorizing the P-P time differences based on at least one of:
- (1) a magnitude of at least one P-P interval in the pair of successive P-P intervals;
- and (2) an amount of the P-P time difference.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.