Method and device for using impedance measurements based on electrical energy of the heart

A method of adjusting the heart rate of a patient by means of an implantable rate adaptive pacemaker, said method comprising the step of adjusting the pacing rate of said pacemaker in response to a determination of the patient's intrinsic impedance derived solely from the electrical energy generated by the patient's heart.

A method of monitoring the cardiocirculatory status of a patient with an implantable device, said method comprising the step of calculating the patient's impedance based on information derived from the electrical energy generated by the patient's own heart.

The method of enhancing the function of a body-implantable defibrillator, which comprises the steps of determining the impedance between sensing electrodes of said defibrillator, and changes in said impedance, based on energy generated by the heart of the patient in whom said defibrillator is implanted.

A device for evaluating the cardio-circulatory condition of a patient, said device comprising means for determining the patient's thoracic impedance based on information solely derived from the electrical energy generated by the patient's own heart.

The method of obtaining information about the cardiac function of a patient, said method comprising continuously processing electrical signal information from an EKG during depolarization and repolarization of the patient's heart representing systole and diastole as different phases of the heart represented by said EKG, using electrical energy generated by the patient's own heart.

An implantable device for monitoring the cardio-pulmonary status of a patient, comprising means for determining the patient's thoracic impedance from EKG signal information acquired by the device using electrical energy generated by the patient's own heart.